Just last week, after 35 years, I gave up/quit a job I have done 1 time per week since I started my business. I estimate about 1900 invoices to this one account. So why would you give up a paying account? For me it was just time. I no longer do any other VCT floors but this job. I no longer had a desire to wait at my office 2.5 hours after my other work closes to start the job at 7:00 pm. It no longer made sense.
We all have customers or maybe even entire services that are not rewarding either financially or emotionally. So why do we stay chained to them? Usually, the answer is fear or laziness. We are afraid we can’t find or do better or we just don’t want to make the effort, so we stay in a rut and continue down the same path dragging the same anchors. Cutting yourself free may be a little scary or uncomfortable, but what is waiting for you out in our big world and our industry?
Maybe for you it’s not an account, but a method. Maybe you’re afraid to get off of the truck mount and start or add in low moisture? Maybe it’s adding duct cleaning or trauma cleaning? What is holding us back is us! I have offered hot water extraction and encapsulation carpet cleaning for years. It has been great to be able to field test and get paid for the products I create for Bonnet Pro. It feels strange not to go to the job I had every Monday night for the last 35 years, but I’m also glad I no longer have to go. I wanted to stop for about 2 years now. Now it’s done, and I’m free to use that 4 hours on something better each week!
What changes do you need to make with your carpet cleaning business this year? What are the things you know must be done? Step out of your comfort zone and do it, as that is what helps us grow our businesses.
Written by John Klucznik
Founder of Key Floor Care & Restoration, Bonnet Pro and nanoMAXX Products
