So…my name is David Coker and I’ve been cleaning carpets and upholstery since 1985. During that time, I’ve had several truck mounted carpet cleaning machines – petrol driven as well as electric as well as a variety of portable machines.
I’ve also owned a Chem-Dry franchise from 1988 – 1994 and was Franchisee of the Year in 1990. I’ve also had employees and I’ve had no employees. I’ve had between one & three vans on the road at any one time. And I’ve been heavily involved in fire & water damage restoration as well.
I would say that for the first fourteen years or so I was very price sensitive. I used to work out the cost for a homeowner on a sheet of paper and think to myself… “Well they’re not gonna pay that so I’ll discount it by 20%, particularly if it came to say a little over £200 or £300 for example, I’d discount it so that it came to just below the £200 mark.
But… over the past few years, I’ve totally changed my mindset.
I studied marketing particularly Direct Response Marketing from people like Dan Kennedy, Gary Halbert, Jay Abraham, John Carlton and many, many others.
So particularly since the late 1990’s I’ve been absolutely ruthless in only dealing with premium buyers or buyers who are prepared to pay a premium price.
Previously when I had 3 vans cleaning carpets along with Fire & Water Damage Restoration. I would work all day, come back to answer phone enquiries, then give quotes in the evening. I’d work most Bank Holidays including Christmas Day one year when the police were called out to the bank we were cleaning because they couldn’t believe that anyone was working that day.
And I prided myself on having the phones answered virtually 24 hours a day. I’d be lucky to take 2 weeks holiday a year. And then I’d phone the office every day… just to be sure I wasn’t needed.
Now I’m able to take at least four weeks holiday every year (abroad), I’m not continually ‘putting out fires’ and my business no longer consumes my life. I’m mortgage-free and I take a sizeable sum out of the business for what is effectively ‘part-time’ work. And all because of changing my target market!
31 Charles Rd West St Leonards-on-Sea East Sussex TN38 0RT