Once you get established and have a base of customers under your belt you will want to consider expanding what services you offer.
The more services you can offer the customer the more of a complete solution you will be to them.
Now to be perfectly clear, you don’t want to rush into adding all types of different services before you even have the basics covered. That’s a common rookie mistake that can get you into trouble. Your immediate goal in the beginning stages is simple. Get some customers, maybe 10 or 20, and master how you deliver the services to them.
This means being able to complete the jobs from start to finish like a pro. This takes time, so don’t rush that part of the process. If you expand too fast mistakes creep in and give you grief. Master the fundamentals first.
What Is VCT Flooring?
Now once you are ready to start adding another service to your portfolio you’ll want to take a good look at VCT floor care services. This service revolves around caring for the vinyl tile you see in many commercial buildings. It’s safe to say if you have commercial accounts you will see this surface somewhere in the facility.
VCT is a very common flooring surface. It stands for Vinyl Composition Tile. It’s so popular because it’s an economical flooring option for builders. It can take a pounding and still look good for years. With that said, it’s not invincible, so it needs care from time to time.
A lot of my commercial customers had VCT in the break room and bathrooms. These are high traffic areas that need a durable floor surface that can be easily cleaned. Medical facilities also make use of this material. For instance many doctor offices have some type VCT installed in their exam rooms.
Ways To Make Money Caring For VCT Floors
There’s several ways to make money in this segment of the market. First off when VCT is freshly installed by the contractor, many times it will need to be sealed and waxed. This is real easy money as all you are really doing is laying down several thin coats of sealer and wax. The sealer is first then wax goes on top. Each coat takes about 30 to 60 minutes to dry depending on the humidity and temperature.
Another way to make some money is by performing what I call a “scrub and wax”. This is nothing more than running a floor machine over the tile with a pad that buffs out the top layer or two of wax, removing many of the scratches that have developed from people walking on it. This is done every few months depending upon how much usage the floor gets.
You can also perform a “strip and wax” procedure. This is more of a last resort where you remove all the wax that’s on the floor and basically start over with fresh wax. This is a time-consuming project that can cost a lot of money. With proper upkeep, this service should not have to be formed all that often.
There are other services too. Some cleaning companies “buff the floors” as part of a maintenance plan. This erases some minor blemishes off the floor and keeps it shiny. Others make use of what’s called a “burnishing machine” to create a very high gloss and hard surface that withstands wear.
How To Get The Jobs and How Much Can You Make
These jobs can come from any existing accounts you have, referrals, networking or by stopping in and introducing yourself to all new commercial construction job sites in your area. You can also use a direct mail piece and target certain businesses in your region as I used to do with great success.
The money you can make is impressive because not that many people offer this service for some reason. I was usually the only one bidding so I charged quite a bit. My average job was probably between $500 to $900, but I had quite a few that ran $1,500 or more. For instance I charged $60 per exam room for doctor offices. Many offices have 10 or more exam rooms plus a break room, so the cost added up.
To make a long story short, adding VCT floor care services is something you should consider. It’s not terribly hard to learn. That’s not to say there isn’t much to know because there is, but it’s definitely something that can be learned if you have a desire to learn it.
Cost To Add VCT Floor Care Services
Another plus side is that it’s not all that expensive to get into. An entry level floor machine runs about $600 to $700. The other equipment can be added for much less. This makes it a great investment for your business. And if you take care of what you buy, it will last a long time. In fact, I had my original equipment the entire time I had my business!
My first job was for an engineering company that had several thousand feet of VCT installed. I made out quite well as I was able to purchase all of my supplies brand new, pay my staff plus still turn a small profit on the job. Keep in mind I did have experience doing this before.
If I was new and had no experience, I would have stuck to smaller type stuff until I learned the ropes a little better. And that is my suggestion to you. Don’t go rushing out to pull off some giant job until you get a few small jobs under your belt. You need to practice on the small stuff before making the leap to the bigger jobs.
So I’ll wrap this up by reminding you that there are a lot of different ways to make money once you own a cleaning business, and adding VCT floor care services is one of them. It’s not all that expensive to get into and once you realize how many people need this type service, you’ll be hooked.
Great information on the VCT .yes you right it’s very profitable I made $1,500 this weekend.
Not sure if you have in the past can you talk about bidding on a contract and you feel like you can under bid ? Any tips on going back to the client for change of order for more money thanks.
This is a very intensive labor job which most people do not understand. The good floor companies as myself charge in upwards of .60 to .70 per square foot as this is what it is worth for the time and materials involved. However you get the newbies out there undercutting because they want the job and they have no idea what they are doing. When you get a job you have no idea what the floors have had put on them which could take much longer to deal with. Let’s be honest, this is a tough business! I contract all my floor work out now as I do not have the time to do this myself with all my other accounts.
Thanks Pernell. I can put that on the list of upcoming topics (bidding VCT). Going back and asking for more is TRICKY. I always bid HIGH to avoid that. If you have to, just be honest and lay out WHY an added charge was needed. I would not do it via letter, but in person or over phone of possible. Need to build some rapport to make that happen.
Hi Dawn! I agree… it’s labor intensive. I sure didn’t mean to gloss over that. And yes… newcomers can under-bid, but that is the same for any industry. We all have to deal with low ball prices. Anyway… I am happy to hear you are doing so well. That is AWESOME. Thanks for sharing! Much appreciated.