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hey there everybody. name’s evan. brand spankin new operator from the VA/DC area.
first off just wanted to say hello and that i’m extremely excited to be apart of this amazing company!
a little about me: i currently live in VA about an hour or so outside of DC. grew up in NYC; moved out about 4 years ago, spent a year in Los Angeles then moved here to get away from the chaos of big city life and now living very comfortably in the peaceful shenandoah mts. of VA!
i’ve done everything from working on wall street to waiting tables to driving a truck. but its always been a dream of mine to own my own business. found heavens best on-line…..did some research and the rest is history!
so for the past three weeks i’ve been out of training i’ve spent hours on end reading through this bulletin board and i have learned a ton of stuff so thank you so much! you guys are very entertaining too. some of the things thats said on here had me rolling on the floor. love the drama too. it was fun reading through all the little cat fights……haha!
anyway let me get my feet wet here with a couple of questions:
i want to join my local BNI and there is still a carpet cleaner spot available BUT the local chem dry owner holds a seat there (not for carpet cleaner but for here full time job as a graphics printer). any feedback on this extremely awkward situation??????
Val Pak vs. Money Mailer. who would win in a fight?
also i’ve read that FAE does wonders for those tough traffic areas but do you guys commonly use it as a pre-spotter as well?????
thanks in advance for all the feedback…..and once again hey everybody!
Evan,
Welcome aboard! I’ve spent some time in northern VA. You have a nice area!If I have mixed up some FAE for traffic lanes or whatever, then yes, I go ahead and pre-spray almost every spot I see with a little dab. It works well. However, I don’t usually mix it for the sole purpose of a pre-spray or just because I see a few spots. Our general cleaner (101) does quite well on its own in most instances.
If I don’t need FAE for traffic lanes, I will hit some spots with just a little extra 101 while I’m spraying, depending on how they look. I think we get pretty good at quickly judging which spots will be difficult after a few months of cleaning. That ability to size up a spot just by looking isn’t perfect though.
I think some others will chime in concerning BNI. Most networking groups will allow you to visit for one or two meetings before joining. I encourage you to do that. You will have multiple places where you can spend some money when you are getting started, so be sure you are happy with your planned expenditure. Of course a networking group is usually a good investment. Just be sure you like the dynamics of the group you join. Almost all areas have more than one group available. BNI is well known. The local Chamber of Commerce may also have some weekly networking groups — some do, some don’t. If possible, attend meetings with more than one group and then decide.
Good luck!
Mike
Welcome aboard! Your right this is a fabulous company!
Welcome aboard. I think BNI is a good way to network. However, your situation does sounds a bit awkward with the Chem-Dry person. Not knowing what kind of relationships he/she has with the group on the carpet cleaning side, I would think it would be a good idea to go as a guest a couple of times and feel it out.
Also, the Chamber has been very good to me here. But, you must attend the business before hours, etc. By staying some what active with them, business will naturally start to come your way. Building relationships and trust in networking takes time, so don’t get discouraged if not alot comes your way early on in the network arena. It is great for long term growth of your company…
danbo
Welcome, Evan.
In regards to your BNI situation, many towns have more than one group. I would see if there is another one you can visit. If the chem dry guy has been in that group for a while he is probably getting referrals for carpet cleaning through it because the members know he does that too.
As far as BNI in general, it has been the only form of paid promotion/advertising I have done that has worked well for me, and I have tried just about everything. I highly recommend it.
Evan,
It sounds like your Chem Dry guy joined under his other business. If he is only a part time carpet cleaner you may do well in that group. You will probably intimidate him as he learns about you and Heaven’s Best. Most of these groups only allow one of each profession. Is this guy really a carpet cleaner? Perhaps he is trying to get out of Chem Dry. Since their change many Chem Dry operators are looking to get out.
Evan:
Welcome!
BNI – great place to network. I would attend the chapter meetings you have mentioned and test the waters. Otherwise, most likely BNI has other chapters in your area.
Good to hear your excitement with HB!
Best wishes.
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