Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Butas.
Hi Bryan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Back in 1989; after high school I joined the Marine Corps to serve my country and do my part. The one thing about the Marine Corps is that you are taught discipline, extreme discipline in everything that you do; In the Marine Corps you do two thing really, really well, and the other is cleaning, white glove cleaning, attention to detail cleaning! My story starts there, because that was the most influential part of my life. From there a lot of guys go into law enforcement, but I was tired of the politics. After years of different sales positions, I wanted to build my own thing, I wanted to make all the money, not make it for someone else, and I wanted more freedom and independence.
In 2005 when I started B’s, I wasn’t sure what the going rates were, so I call about thirty carpet cleaning listings in the phonebook. No one answered the phone, no one call back, and I though “This will be easy, all I have to do is answer the phone, give good service and follow up!” That was 21 years ago in January.
Since the beginning, I was dedicated to providing the highest quality services to our customers in Southern Utah. I rolled up my sleeves to clean even the dirtiest carpet and tile floors and eventually even stretching and repairing carpets to reviving them to a like-new appearance. We work to get the spots, stains, and odors out, so they don’t come back. I started out very simple and built my way up. Initially I started by knocking doors, handing out cards, and sharing with people what we do, and what sets us apart from everyone else.
For many years I worked in the business because I like to stay busy and working. I am also very picky about the quality of the work being preformed. Now that I’m older and have many systems in place to ensure that same quality and professionalism, we have expanded so that we can provide that same quality and service to everyone; even on short notice. My son Mackinnley now works with me, and does the same quality work- with twice the energy! Now I primarily work on the business, but am still out in the field time and again to do my part, and continue to do work for long time clients that have been with us since the beginning.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For the most part there weren’t to many difficulties on our journey. In the beginning money was tight. I started out very simple and didn’t even have money for marketing, just business cards so I pounded the pavement and knocked doors. We made it through the first five years pretty smoothly, and had developed a good reputation. Ads in the phonebook were the primary means for getting your name out there. If you wanted to be recognized you had to have a full page ad in the yellow pages; at that time, you were spending thousands a month just to do that. To add insult to injury, there were five different phonebooks in this area alone; so you had to figure out which one was used most. The return was ok, but the ads were a necessity.
When the internet started to configure into the equation, it was a slow start, so you had to invest into both to be successful. I knew that if you weren’t on the internet, you’d be lost to everyone. Eventually the internet took over and the phonebook faded to the wayside. The money you spent on them eventually switched, and you were investing thousands to be found online. At one point, good reviews and content got you the most exposure; not to expensive. Today we’re back to dumping thousands a month into Google just to be seen, and even that is questionable.
Then there was COVID! The further we got into the pandemic, the more I got nervous about the other shoe dropping and business slowing or even stopping. But to my amazement, we actually got busier, and had our best years at that point.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Besides our high attention to detail and determination, the biggest things that set us apart from the rest is:
We use a portable dry foam system. The unique parts of this system is that our extraction is where we are working; not out in the drive, So we can get beyond the third floor or higher. This is a low moisture system formulated to dry quickly without a residue. There aren’t any harsh chemicals or irritants. This system scrubs while it extracts- scrubs like a vacuum scrubs so that you are getting an even deeper cleaning. Lets face it, you don’t just rinse dishes to clean them, you have to scrub them. Even the dishes in the dishwasher have to be scrubbed before you put them in or it won’t clean them completely.
We actually answer our phone. I know it sounds ridiculous, but people want to talk to a person, not AI (yet) They don’t want to wait for a call back, so they move onto the next number. I’ve actually got business from a person that was twelve calls deep before we answered so they went with us. I’ve gotten business because other companies haven’t showed up, don’t call to let them know, won’t answer a call, or return the call and then show up four hours later! That’s not service.
Our prices are usually what everyone advertises their coupons at. Understand that we don’t soak the carpets unless we have to. So we don’t have to spend excess time unsoaking carpets, and then pass that savings onto our customers in lower prices every day. We don’t nickel and dime everyone with up sales on things they don’t need.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Answer your phone, or have a physical person that can. Be about creating solutions for people, not excuses. Listen to what people want, if you ask them, they will tell you; then do the best job you can with what you have. Yes, some people want miracles. Sometimes you can do miracles, other times you just have to professionally explain to them the finer points of why some carpets are wore beyond clean. You can’t clean wear!!
Carpet care is about educating your customers about proper care and maintenance of their flooring. It isn’t about having someone coming in once or twice a year to fix your carpets. I compare it to your vehicle. Take care of it and maintain it and it costs you a lot less in repairs in the long run! Lets face it, you can save a couple hundred dollars or more a year by skipping oil changes and other maintenance, but how much is that going to cost you in the long run when you have to prematurely replace an engine, water pump or cooling system?! Routine maintenance on your carpets keep them looking newer longer.
A no shoes in the house policy and daily vacuuming will have your carpets looking new far longer than anything care care person can do.
(I’ll ad pictures of a while towel I taped in a doorway, and how many days pass. Imagine what gets tracked in the house at six months let alone a year!!)
Pricing:
- Carpet Cleaning $50 a room or set of stairs ($100 min)
- Grout and tile cleaning $0.75 a square foot (includes sealant)
- Upholstery according to size of the piece
- Stretching according to size of the job
- Repairs $100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thecarpet-cleaner.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stgcarpetcleaner
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bs-carpet-cleaning-washington
