Home Based Business Carpet Upholstery Service

Carpets can be found in most rooms of a home and the reception area and offices of businesses. Upholstered furniture is found in both. Carpets need periodic cleaning and spills on upholstered furniture need to be taken care of. The carpet upholstery cleaning service is a good opportunity for a home based business.

This home based business requires physical stamina. Furniture may need to be moved and the equipment is heavy.

If you have not done this work before, you can gain experience and "perfect" your technique by working for a carpet upholstery cleaning company part-time.

Word-of-mouth referrals will help you build your home based business. You will need to build a reputation to compete in this business. You can do that by working quickly and efficiently. You should provide quality service for your customers.

You can start this business part-time, working weekends and evenings. It is a profitable business opportunity.

As you grow your business and add employees, you may consider moving to commercial space. If your home based business can accommodate such growth, you may wish to keep it as such. Your overhead costs will be lower.

What does it take for this business?

This home business is physically demanding. You will need the stamina to do the work.

Many home business janitorial services offer to clean carpets and upholstery as part of their service. Businesses tend to rely on a single source for their needs. You will have to be able to convince them that as a specialist you can do a better job.

You need to be familiar with the various types of equipment and cleaning solutions in your home based business. You have to know which is the best to use in a given situation.

You will need to build and maintain good relationships with your customers and later your employees. You should be willing to provide the best service possible to your customer.

What do I need to operate this business?

You should set up a separate space for your home based business office. If possible, you should have a separate entry if you employees who come to your office.

The start-up cost for a home based carpet upholstery cleaning service can be low, especially if you are starting as a one-person operation. Your cost will also depend on whether you lease or purchase the equipment you need.

Basic equipment and supplies include:

• Signs
• Spotting brushes
• Upholstery brush
• Carpet cleaning machine
• Carrying case for accessories
• Fabric protector
• Carpet cleaner
• Vacuum cleaner and attachments
• Stain remover

You can review resources for this home based business here.

What services do I provide?

The following are some of the services that can be provided by a home based carpet cleaning service:

• Clean and deodorize carpets and rugs
• Clean upholstery and apply protective treatment

You can provide other services such as cleaning drapery.

What are my potential earnings?

$35,000 to $50,000 annually

How much do I charge for my services?

Typical rates for carpet cleaning are 20 cents per square foot. You can add an additional 10 to 15 cents to that amount if you have to move furniture around. Additional rates can be charged at a flat rate. The average rate for upholstery cleaning ranges from $7 for a foot stool to $100 for a sofa, depending on its size.

How do I bill for my services?

If you are cleaning a home or an apartment, you should collect on completion of the job. If you cleaning a business, you will want to present the company with an itemized bill depending on the terms of your contract.

You may want to offer contracts to individual homeowners to clean their carpets periodically, once a year and so on. This will ensure repeat customers for your home based business.

How do I market my business?

Offline

• List your home based business services in the Yellow Pages.
• Contact real estate agents.
• Purchase ads (with coupons for discounts) in co-op mailing services to homes.
• Send direct mail sales material to businesses.
• Purchase classified ads in your local and community newspapers.
• Make cold calls on businesses in your community.
• Post flyers on bulletin boards in grocery stores.
• Hand out flyers in parking lots of mall and business parks.

Online

• Create an informative Web site and list your home based business services.
• Develop a newsletter offering helpful cleaning tips.
• List your Web site in online directories related to carpet/upholstery cleaning.
• Link your Web site to local Web sites in your community.
• Publish customer testimonials on your Web site.

A home based business carpet upholstery cleaning service can be a profitable home business. Review resources for this home based business here