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First job behind me

Considering I am closing my old business to start the carpet cleaning business and having a nasty time with my shareholders, I have done very little marketing. This job came from Craigs list and it included about 250sf of carpet and a sofa for $200. I had a 1-1/2 hr round trip so netted around $65hr.

I got another hit off Craigs list in the next town over that included about 300sf of carpet and 24 stairs for $190 but they didn't take me up on it....

Re: First job behind me

When I'm getting into a phone conversation with someone who has not been a customer in the past, I try to get a feel why this person called my company.
Did they call because of my reputation, my use of natural cleaning products (which they might not know where else to get), or do they just want generic carpet cleaning, and are price-shopping. I'll have more leverage with this person if they want what I've got, rather than just "carpet cleaning". I'll be more likely to give something of a price-related "deal" if I think they're just looking for carpet cleaning than I would if other factors had led them to me. I always state what my minimum would be (it goes up as the travel time and distance increase). Depending upon how busy I am at the time, I might make some price concessions, such as giving them a total job price "cap" that I figure they might be able to live with. If they live close enough to me, I might offer to come to their home to give them a specific proposal (I never call it an "estimate"; that sounds too vague.) One advantage of meeting them this way is you allow them to meet you face-to-face. Now you're a real person to them, not just some faceless contractor/vendor simply plotting to get the most money from them for the least value provided.