.... Dryer Vent Technician Training & More

Settlement struck in HHGregg dryer lawsuit | 2011-02-02 | Indianapolis Business Journal | IBJ.com

2011-02-03T18:21:00.000-08:00

Settlement struck in HHGregg dryer lawsuit | 2011-02-02 | Indianapolis Business Journal | IBJ.com

Website or A Blog_Which is Better?

2011-01-06T21:43:00.000-08:00

I have one website and three blogs. I get most of my traffic from my website but the blogs do pretty well in the local searches. I must admit the more blogging I do it can be addicting. I think a blog that looks like a website is the way to go. The main difference between a blog and a website is the ability to post instantly. Although its not hard to post to my website, blogging can be done on the spur of the moment. Try Blogger.com thats who hosts this blog for free.

Check out our sister site

Google Calender Can Make You More Efficient

2011-01-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

If your doing any kind of scheduling you should be using Google calender. I've been using it for over a year now and don't know how I ever got along without it. Below is a short list of some of my favorite features.

Its free and web based, all I need is computer access
Your ability to search any element of an event
You can have multiple calenders on the same calender
Also there is a feature where you can duplicate an event
For someone who works from home the tasks feature can take your check list to the cloud

Is the BBB Accreditation Worth the Money?

2011-01-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

I believe most people don't know what a BBB accreditation is, but they do know the logo. Cost for accreditation is $350 plus $150 for the online reliability program. This gives you limited use of their logos and a link on their website bbb.org. Also they may send you a lead or two.

In todays internet savvy world anything you can do to show customers your one of the good guys will usually pay off. Unfortunately it can be hard to quantify the value of that $500 check. My advice is to wait until you have a good web presence before spending the money. The logo does you little good if no one can see it. Today's consumers are making quick online decisions, and the bbb logo can build instant credibility but first things first.

We are BBB Accredited

Most People Have no Idea Where Their Vent Exits

2011-01-05T15:11:00.000-08:00

In my experience your average person doens't now what a dryer vent looks like, and can only guess where the vent is located. I alway tell my customers that if the vent your looking at has no lint near it keep looking. A vent can go straight up to the roof top, or up and over. Sometimes the vent even goes down. Most companies base the cleaning price on level of difficulty.

How Much Should I Charge for Dryer Vent Cleaning?

2011-01-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

$300 per dryer vent sounds pretty good. A little high you say, not if you live in Aspen and your the only one doing it. You may even be under-priced from what my sister Pam who lives there says. The pricing of your service is pretty important and requires a little leg work. Here's what I did for my business.

Who are the local players and what are they charging - Call them!
Can I make money at what they are charging - Do the math
What is the lifetime value of a new customer
How many referrals will that new customer give me

I don't recommend trying to be the cheapest, its just to easy to lose that game. Remember if price is your marketing plan your don't have one. At VentSmart we charge between $69-$99 for dryer vent cleaning. I find that price is usually the first thing people want to know. You will want to be competitive but try to give more for the money. Maybe a warranty or a large discount for multiple units.

Dryer vent technician training videos

What Business Form Should I Choose?

2011-01-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

One of the questions I get quite often is should I incorporate my business. In my opinion for most situations you will want to be a s-corp at some point. But why not test the waters with a sole proprietorship before investing the extra time and money.

A sole prop. is about the easiest and cheapest way to get started. You can also get a DBA (doing business as) for your business such as "Easy Flow Vent Cleaners". This can be done for under $150 at most municipals. Just find your local city government building or town hall. They will have the information you need. Be careful they don't categorize you as a duct cleaner, this would require a license in most states. Tell them you are starting a business that cleans dryer lint thats it. Don't get much more into it than that.

This should go without saying but make sure someone isn't already using your chosen name. This can be searched quite easily online. Oh yes I almost forgot. No funny or clever names. People aren't looking for a joke they want a respectable company. Make sure your name says we are a professional company.

Dryer vent training videos