The 2023 Carpet and Floor Cleaning Benchmarking Survey Report

The survey has been deployed, results have been received, and all the data and statistics are now tabulated. The 2023 Carpet and Floor Cleaning Benchmarking Survey Report is ready for your analysis and is here for you to make essential business decisions.

In this post, you will find valuable information to grow your cleaning company, whether you focus on carpet cleaning, hard floor cleaning, or related services. A snapshot of the data is presented in this issue of Cleanfax, but you can also download the full survey here.

The number of businesses working with a franchise fell 3% from last year’s survey.

Most business owners are hands-on, going out on cleaning jobs themselves while also managing employees. Just 5% of respondents are solo operators.

As you analyze the data and statistics, take note of performance metrics. How does your company’s growth data compare to the industry? Key performance indicators, such as revenue growth, profit margins, and more, will help you see where you are in this competitive market. This year, the number of respondents seeing increased revenue fell more than 10% from the 2022 survey.

Look at trends, perhaps comparing this year’s survey to previous versions. Have customer acquisition strategies changed? Are there some marketing methods, such as with social media, that are working for your peers, but you haven’t tried them yourself? Now may be the time to expand your marketing reach.

The number of respondents offering water damage restoration fell by 5% from last year’s survey.

Cleanfax asked respondents for more information on the challenges they face. One common issue is less carpet and more hard floors in residential and commercial settings. Many respondents see this as a challenge to offer more diversified services than traditional carpet cleaning.

One respondent sees a challenge facing the entire industry: “We are saturated with low-ball carpet cleaners who don’t understand correct cleaning processes.” That, another said, can hurt the entire industry. “We have too many fly- by-night cleaners that try to sell at lower costs,” another lamented, and on top of that, “they have poor performance.”

No list of challenges can be complete without  the  ongoing  dilemma  of  finding  quality  employees, especially  those who can be trained to be skilled technicians. More than half of those who responded to this survey said this is a concern. “No one wants to work! Keeping the employees we have happy so they stay isn’t easy,” one respondent complained. Another said that, while you can find employees  if  you  look  hard  enough, finding  “good, trustworthy, and reputable employees” is another story. Building and retaining a solid, quality staff has no easy answer.

Virtually all respondents to the survey said that the best lead generation method is referrals. With a quality referral, your company is already vetted in your new customer’s mind. In second place in the lead generation category was social media. If you aren’t embracing social media marketing as part of your growth strategy, you might miss out on jobs you could land.

Other respondents commented on the rising cost of doing business, from cleaning products to equipment and more, that has burdened them more in recent years. Some cite increasing their own prices as a solution to compensate for rising costs, yet are hesitant to do so aggressively. The cost of doing business also varies by region, as you can see below.

Click here to download a PDF copy of the survey!

About this report: The data in this survey is based on results from carpet cleaning contractors responding to invitations for this survey. Results are not necessarily based on audited financial statements. This report was made possible with support from Legend Brands.