the carpet cleaner’s start-up guide...furnishings; upholstery, rugs, and curtains. if you decide...

The Carpet Cleaner’s

Start-up Guide - For New Carpet Cleaning Businesses -

This comprehensive guide was created to help anyone wishing to start a new carpet cleaning business. It will guide you through machine and equipment options, accessories, complete packages, training, leasing, and will hopefully clarify any questions you may have.

Machine Packages

Solution Packages

Accessories

Training Schools

Leasing Options

• t: 01763 208222 • e: [email protected] • w: www.alltec.co.uk •

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http://www.alltec.co.uk



What services do you plan to offer?

Carpet cleaning is not the only option - upholstery, rug, curtain & hard floor cleaning are also options - these options will determine your machine choice. You may need a higher psi* pump for some equipment, or specialised attachments for specific purposes.

*PSI - This refers to the water pressure produced by the Pump. A high psi doesn't necessarily mean that the machine will do a better job - there are many other factors that contribute to a machine’s over-all capability.

Carpet Cleaning - If the main focus of your work will be carpet cleaning, then a machine upwards of 100psi will be more than adequate for your jobs. All of our machines work at 100psi or more, and some up to 1200psi.

Upholstery, Rugs and Curtains - A machine with a 100psi pump will also allow you to cope with wet-cleanable soft furnishings; upholstery, rugs, and curtains. If you decide to choose a machine with a higher psi, you will need variable pressure for delicate fabrics.

After deciding on your company name, it’l likely that picking a machine will be the next step. This easy to follow guide will help you to choose the right path for you and your company.

There are many different machines on the market and they all have different specifications. It’s a lot to take in when you are just starting out. This guide will make that a little easier! Here are 7 questions to consider when making your decision:

Choosing the Right Machine

1 Hard Floor Cleaning -

Rotovac -

For hard floor cleaning, you may want to use the Rotovac 360i. This machine is used instead of a carpet wand. It connects to your extraction machine and agitates, cleans and extracts all in one. It has interchangeable heads for domestic, commercial and hard floor cleaning so with a simple addition you can offer more services to your customers.

Gekko & Cheetah Pads -

You can also use the Gekko range of hard floor cleaning tools with most machines. Along with some additional training and equipment such as the Cheetah Pads you will be able to offer stone restoration.

Hydroforce SX -

If you would like to offer commercial hard floor cleaning then the Hydroforce SX-15 and SX-7 tools are perfect for this but you will need a minimum of 1200psi for the tools to work efficiently.






What’s your budget?

This could be argued as the most important thing to consider! Don’t forget when you are working out your budget to factor in any solutions, accessories, training and marketing that may will need to pay for.

Many new start-ups choose Leasing to finance their equipment to help them with their cash flow for the first few years. Make sure if you look into leasing that you discuss the ownership at the end of the lease!

2

What type of vehicle will you be using for your business?

Most machines will fit easily into a smaller van such as a Citroën Berlingo however if you plan to also carry accessories such as a Rotovac, sprayers, all your other tools and cleaning solutions you may find there isn’t a great deal of room but this can still work perfectly well with a bit of good organisation! You may find it easier in a larger van but this will increase your expenditure and may be something to consider further down the line when you have a stable client base.

3

Who will be using the machine?

Will you be the main user of the machine, or will you have staff working for you?

Seeing the machines coming into our workshop for servicing and repairs, we tend to find that staff don’t look after the equipment as well as the owner will. (As i s t r ue i n many bus i nes ses and industries.)

Many of the owner/operator businesses who come to us for regular servicing and repairs have had their machines for many years. With a little maintenance and looking after, even after 10+ years of use they still look amazing and retain their performance, especially the smart, white glossy fibreglass machines.

Unfortunately, we also see some machines that are used solely by technicians, and quite often they need to be thoroughly cleaned before we can test them to find out why they have broken, again.

If you plan to have technicians working for you, the roto-moulded machines such as the Express or Elite may be a better choice. They are super robust in the hands of techs, however, even these don’t bounce, and won’t survive serious misuse! Always, always train your staff in machine use and care - we do this when you buy your machine but can help train new staff too, just ask.

4







Manoeuvrability

If you will be cleaning areas with lots of stairs and no lift access, such as a townhouse, then it be a good idea to choose either a lighter weight machine (so that it can be lifted), or a high-power machine so that you add run extension hoses and leave the machine in one spot.

Appearance

You may not feel this is important but potentially your machine will be the main piece of equipment that you will use for the foreseeable years!

You will also be taking this into your customers homes and you will be judged on it, so make sure you take good care of it and keep it looking clean and tidy. The same goes for your own appearance, a smart and clean appearance along with well kept equ i pmen t w i l l r e a s su re you r customers that they are hir ing someone who will take care of their furnishings and homes!

As an optional upgrade the fibreglass machines can be build in colours to suit your business branding. The vinyl decals can also be personalised with your own company logo and colours.

You are always welcome to come and try our machines, this is the best way to figure out what you like, you can also find out more about the optional upgrades and different options.

5

Heat and Airflow

High heat is important for jobs such as an end of tenancy where the hot water may already be turned off. A machine with in-line heat will give you almost instant heat, this will reduce the set up time and help get better results when cleaning.

Airflow is created from the suction of the vacuum motors; greater airflow allows you to run longer extension hoses and maximise water recovery, which reduces drying times. Leaving a carpet damp can result in bacteria growth causing bad odours and nasty stains. Airflow can be improved by upgrading to twin or triple vacuums.

6

7







Training Anyone can hire a carpet cleaning machine and have a go at making a carpet look clean (quite often finding it’s a bit of a nightmare!) but you need professional training if you want to do a good job and do it well. As part of our packages we include training; from basic hands-on courses to internationally approved courses and accredited exams. Basic equipment training is given when you collect your equipment. We then hold NCCA and IICRC approved training schools throughout the year, so you can choose dates that suit you. Carpet cleaning is easy once you have learnt how to identify what you are cleaning and how to clean it safely. The one thing we can’t sell you is experience! After the hands-on training course you will be confident enough to start cleaning and gain some valuable experience. Adding further training will enable you to add on extras such as specialised spot & stain removal, leather cleaning or even hard floor cleaning and restoration.

FREE Equipment Training:Free basic machine training is done one-to-one, normally when you collect your machine for the first time. We want to make sure you are confident with all the equipment. We will show you: • How your equipment works• How to prepare it for work• How to use it properly• How to achieve full potential from your equipment • How to keep it in tip-top operating condition

Sub Total: £39.00 Package Price: £0.00 Saving You:£39.00

Hands-On, Specialised & Accredited Training: • 1 Day Hands-on Carpet Cleaning*

• 1 Day Hands-on Upholstery Cleaning*

• 1 Day Advanced Spot & Stain Removal*

• 1 Day Fine Fabrics Identification & Cleaning

• 2 day Rug Cleaning

• 2 Day IICRC Complete Carpet Care**

• 2 Day IICRC Upholstery & Fabric Care**

Sub Total: £1,168.00 Package Price: £903.20 Saving You: £264.80

* Take all three 1-Day courses and take the optional NCCA Exam - exam fee £40

** IICRC - Optional exam at the end of the second day - exam fee £50

Hands-On Training:• 1 Day Hands-on Carpet Cleaning • 1 Day Hands-on Upholstery Cleaning • 1 Day Advanced Spot & Stain Removal Sub Total: £390.00

Package Price: £351.00

Saving You: £39.00






The ALLTEC ADVANCE 600, our best-selling machine, puts you in control. This mach ine i s pe r f e c t f o r profess ional carpet and upholstery cleaning (also a va i l a b l e f r o m 1 0 0 p s i upwards).

The ADVANCE 600 is the q u i e t e r o f o u r l a r g e machines. It features an adjustable 600psi pump and high air-flow twin vac 5.7 v a c u u m m o t o r s . T h i s , together with the ADVANCE 600’s large capacity tanks, makes light work of both domestic and commercial cleaning.

List price: £2,747.00 (including 7.5M hose assembly & floor wand)


You save: £274.70

The ALLTEC EXPRESS is a compact, light-weight, and r obus t c a rpe t c l e an i ng machine - as well as being our quietest machine. Perfect for spot cleaning and noise sens i t ive env i ronments . Powerful enough to be your main cleaning machine, but also small enough to be ideal for the professional car valet, in-house cleaning crew, or those with limited storage space. Fits in the back of most estate or hatchback cars - the large rear wheels, and e rgonom i c des i gn , enables easy load & off-load.

The Express comes with 100psi pressure, twin 5.7 3-stage powerful vac motors, and a 2000 Watt in-built Heat Exchanger (optional upgrade to 150psi or 220psi pump available).

List Price: £1,800.00 (including 7.5M hose assembly & floor wand)


You save: £180.00

The EVOLUTION i s ou r highest spec, most popular machine! With the highest specifications as standard, this is the machine most sought a f te r by carpet cleaners.

More powerful than regular vacs, twin high-performance e l e c t r o m o t o r s g i v e maximum solution recovery and quicker drying times.

A 2kw in-line heater plus a 3kw in-tank heater give you flexible control: controlled in-tank temperature or instant maximum-heated water.

Variable 600psi pump allows y o u t o c l e a n c a r p e t s , upholstery, and hard floors (using the Rotovac 360i or Gekko Range of Hard Floor Cleaning Tools*)

List price: £3,147.00 (including 7.5M hose assembly & floor wand)


You save: £314.70

Machine Packages






Your cleaning solutions are one of the lowest costs of running your business. You can clean a whole house for between £2-£5, with a charge of £150–£300. The only time it will cost you more is if the carpet is stained, you can be prepared for these with spot & stain removers. One of the best up-sells and profit makers is carpet & upholstery stain protection. Our Carpet & Upholstery Protectors take about 10 minutes to apply and you’d normally charge at least a 50% premium for it.

Solutions

Standard Package

Expert Package

Professional Spotting Kit £142.80

Own label Eco Spotters x 20 £33.00

Envirosafe Pre-Cleaner 5L £18.29

Ultimate Master 10KG £44.72

Citrus Pre-Spray 5L £19.98

Citrus Fabric Pre-Wash 1L £14.14

Acid Rinse 5L £9.64

Anti Foam 1L £6.20

Master Stain Remover 1L £5.14

Tea & Coffee Stain Remover 1L £7.28

Chewing Gum Remover 1L £10.00

Specialist Stain Remover 500ml £4.53

Odour Clear 5L £15.68

Odour Kill 1L £8.95

Protein Spotter £9.18

Leather Cleaner 500ml £9.99

Leather Refinishing Cream 500ml £9.16

Solvent Ink Remover 500ml £5.42

Dri-Sol 5L £23.06

Traffic Lane Cleaner 5L £13.17

Solvent Based Protector 5L £40.84

Water Based Protector 5L £30.55

Total List Price £481.72Package Price £433.55You save £48.17




Citrus Pre-Spray 5L £19.98



Anti Foam 1L £6.20





Odour Clear (any fragrance) 5L £15.68


Traffic Lane Cleaner 5L £13.17

Water Based Protector 5L £30.55



Own label Eco Spotters x 20 £33.00



Citrus Pre-Spray 5L x 2 £39.96



Anti Foam 5L £17.79





Odour Clear 5Lx2 (any fragrance) £31.36


Hydrogen Peroxide 500ml £5.51

Ammonia Solution 500ml £5.85

Rust Remover 500ml £7.78

Advanced Spot Remover 500ml £6.62

Dry Cleaning Solvent Spotter £9.71

Protein Spotter £9.18

Leather Cleaner 500ml £9.99

Leather Refinishing Cream 500ml £9.16

Solvent Ink Remover 500ml £5.42

Dri-Sol 5L £23.06

Traffic Lane Cleaner 5L x 2 £26.34

Solvent Based Protector 5L x 2 £81.68


Professional Package






You will need some accessories to help you clean, we recommend our Standard Package as a minimum tools you will need to ensure you have everything you need to do the job. To make your life easier the Professional Package includes everything the Standard Package does but includes a high quality in-line sprayer which attaches to your carpet cleaning machine making pre-spraying quicker and easier. T h e E x p e r t P a c k a g e contains a complete and comprehens i ve l i s t o f accessories, everything in the Standard & Professional Packages plus the Rotovac 306i and carpet head for larger domestic areas; it a g i t a t e s , c l e a n s a n d extracts in one making light work of carpet cleaning.

Professional Package

Standard Package

Expert Package

Accessories

Clear Hand Tool (ext jet) £80.68

Extension Hose (50mmx7.5m) £160.00

Safety Respirator £24.59

Respirator Cartridges £34.96

6L Budget Pump-Up Sprayer £39.00

Water Bucket (1xblack & 1xyellow) £12.98

Spotting Bone Spatula £11.90

1L Venus Pump-Up Sprayer £15.74

Tamping Brush - Large £10.44

Grandi Brush £30.49

Canvas Tarpaulin £24.12

Furniture Tabs 3” (1000) £19.26

Premium Furniture Blocks (4x72) £16.20

Small Furniture Sliders £6.99

Overshoes £6.51






6L Orion Pump-Up Sprayer £59.41

Water Bucket x2 (1xblack & 1xyellow) £12.98



Upholstery Bonnet Mitt £22.63





Premium Furniture Blocks (4x72) £16.20Clear upholstery Tool (+hide-a-hose) £159.00

Inline Sprayer (pre-spray) £154.12

Caution Sign: Wet Carpet £37.15

Wand Glide £95.55

White Terry Towels (10) £12.92

Dual Upholstery Brush £22.00

Grandi Groom £25.11

Corner Guard x2 £23.80

Large Furniture Sliders £11.99


Overshoes (50 pairs) £6.51

pH Strips £4.68

Sticky Tabs (roll of 340) £23.03






6L Orion Pump-Up Sprayer £59.41

Water Bucket x2 (1xblack & 1xyellow) £12.98



Upholstery Bonnet Mitt £22.63





Premium Furniture Blocks (4x72) £16.20Wand Glide £95.55

Lift Buddy £66.09

Revolution Inline PreSprayer £204.54

Caution Sign: Wet Carpet £37.15

Clear upholstery Tool (+hide-a-hose) £159.00

White Terry Towels (10) £12.92

Dual Upholstery Brush £22.00

Grandi Groom £25.11

Corner Guard x2 £23.80

Large Furniture Sliders £11.99


Overshoes (50 pairs) £6.51

pH Strips £4.68

Sticky Tabs (roll of 340) £23.04

Gum Getter £8.92

Rolling Tape Measure £65.14

Hand Fit Horsehair Brush £12.80

Water Claw Spot Lifter £155.00

Rotovac 360i + Carpet Head £1770.00








Leasing

How Can I Finance my Business?

Leasing converts larger purchase payments into small monthly payments. You can have your new profit-making equipment almost immediately and keep your cash reserve available.

We are happy to work with any leasing company you choose - the price of your package will remain the same no matter how you pay for it - we do not take commissions or add fees if you choose to lease.

Once you know how much all your equipment will be, you may consider that leasing is the way forward to finance your business. You may be surprised at how economical it can be.

Leasing is also 100% tax deductible and all payments made for the equipment are written off against the company’s tax bill. For any profit making business, this means a substantial saving in the real cost of acquiring equipment by leasing. This could mean a saving of between 20-40% of the lease payments, depending on the rate of tax you pay.

Decide how much you can afford to pay back monthly and then look into all your options to decide which will work best for you, you can spread your payments over a shorter or longer term, to suit you.

All payments are fixed for the agreed period allowing more accurate cash flow forecasts. Leasing offers lower rates than Hire Purchase or normal bank loans.

Standard practice at the end of the lease period is a one-off payment to transfer the ownership title to you, usually one month’s rental (or an agreed amount set by the leasing company) which will be agreed prior to signing. Make sure when choosing a leasing company you check what their terms are.

The agreement may be terminated before the end of the term by paying off the outstanding amount on the lease, you may be eligible for a reduction in interest, depending on the leasing provider.

It is worth remembering that although you do not own the equipment throughout the agreement, you are still responsible for arranging maintenance and insurance. You should always cover your equipment (and have public and risk liability insurance) no matter how you acquire your equipment.

Small Business Grants are sometimes available to new businesses depending on your circumstances and location, have a good search on the internet to see if you can qualify for any extra help in your area.

Once you have decided on your wish-list applying couldn’t be easier. We are happy to work with any finance provider you choose, however if you want a quick-contact Focus Leasing are more than happy to talk you through the application process and check your eligibility, if you would like to make an enquiry with them you can call them on 01794 525930.

And lastly, don’t forget you can talk to us! We are a friendly company and pride ourselves on our customer service. If you would like a no-pressure chat or would like to get a bespoke quotation please contact us. We are always happy to help you put together a package that suits your requirements. We never try to sell you equipment you won’t need, in fact sometimes we talk people of out of buying unnecessary extras! We want to see you succeed, over-selling is not going to help you do that!

Sometimes we have special offers and package deals that are not always available in this leaflet so why not give us a call on: 01763 208222, or drop us an email at: [email protected].





the carpet cleaner’s start-up guide...furnishings; upholstery, rugs, and curtains. if you decide...

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