I have always been of the opinion that property management companies would only seek out the lowest-cost services when carpet cleaning was needed in the buildings they manage. So I never thought much about the idea of looking to them for business. A customer of mine in a Boston condominium recently put me in touch with the firm that manages their building. The first two times I called them I didn't really get anywhere. I was told to "call back in a month". Finally, on the 3rd call, I was invited to come in and speak with the head person, who told me that my customer had spoken very favorably of my c.c. service.
I said to her "When you've got a building whose carpet just never looks good, give me a call". Which she did, about a month later. Without even being asked for a cost proposal, they asked that the carpets in the 100-plus unit condo building be cleaned. After a couple of days, it looked great. I managed to learn from this woman's secretary that they had previously been spending $3500 for each cleaning. So I billed them only $2900. Now I'm getting new buildings from them every week. They bring in $1200, $900, $800 -- in that range -- and each is a one day or less job. So take a look at property management companies who specialize in managing condominiums. They could become good & regular customers.
I went and talked to a couple of the management companies around here... it was one of my first ideas. I was running into them giving me w-9's to fill out, and they demanded that I be bonded, etc. I am a small, one person company at this point and I did get liability insurance at about $60/month, but I have been advised that I probably don't "need" bonding until I get bigger, or start doing a lot of commercial work, etc.
Also, these were residential property mgmnt companies I went to, whereas you are looking at commercial.
At what point did you decide you needed insurance, bonding, etc? Do you still work by yourself or do you have employees?
you don't need to be Bonded. unless a company like you came across required it. or if you had questionable employees who might steal stuff and you had to replace those valuable items.
i've been in biz as an owner / op with no employees for only 14 years and i've never gotten Bonded.
What these co's or people like DR's offices or any office do not understand is this and take it from a guy who has been bonded for years.
1. A bond is only to say, hey if i steel something you will be paid back for it. ( this is what the co asking you to be bonded thinks)
2. This is the truth: You as an owner of the business can not be bonded, the insurance co will sell you the bond, but what a bond really is for is your workers.
3. The office you clean for thinks that if something is missing all they have to do is call the bonding co. WRONG: Lets say a pair of earings goes missing out of a desk. The company would have to take you to court and win, they would also need hard core proof that your workers took the item, Ex: video tape or an eye witness.
4. Bottom line is a bond is a selling point. Thats it. If it helps you get the acct, get the bond.
