Ernie Greese

That shouldn't be too much of a problem, just widen the driveway!

Where'd the lively discourse about the PW Association go to? I tuned in for a look see see and bam it's locked away! It's back to the TV.

(Sorry, I don't know what happened to my font) I have read most of the posts and wondered if most people didn't like the first association what's to say they will like a second one, since we are all independent business types? Along those lines like you said Beth once the season ramps up, people will have less time to volunteer. So maybe we don't need an association - but rather this and other educational websites where we can come for instant information? (Just a thought!)

As a certified lurker I thought I'd chime in to say how much I am enjoying the entertainment here. Please keep it up. This wintry weather and living in a cabin is making me sick. Thanks for the birthday wish, Beth Grime Scene

What's wrong with lurking? It's not a crime now is it? I don't get on line as often of most of you all. When I do the topics that interest me have been bandied about 15 different ways to Sunday, by the same 8 people usually, I might add. The fact is as long as I am not breaking the law, I will continue reading when I can and responding when I feel the urge. Thanks.

Paul UK, Sorry for the confusion, that fellow is in Maryand I am more southerly. We are not going out but, One Call Power Wash is going out. Cheers

Here's another one for your list Paul UK, Business for Sale - Time to hang up the hoses. I have sold everything else and have kept in place 1 full operational rig. Those interested, please email me at onecallpowerwash@comcast.net One Call Power Wash & Fleet Service If interested, call 410-326-1980 $28,000 total __________________ One Call Power Wash & Fleet Service www.onecallpowerwash.com onecallpowersales@comcast.net

It seems the world media is having a field day over these pictures of naked Iraqi POWs taken with some uninformed GI's. Give me a break! How many American lives have been lost fighting to secure independence and freedom for these numb nuts who are only happy when hellfire is breaking loose around them. Furthermore, our so-called press brings this to the attention of the liberal worry warts. Does anyone remember that humiliation the USA was subjected to when these lowlives murdered, burned and desecrated the bodies of those Americans a month ago and hung their scorched corpses from a bridge? Where is the outrage? I believe Iraqis operate on the eye-for-an-eye principle and they still owe us a whole lot more eyes. Does taking stupid pictures of POWs rank up there with murder and desecration? I think we had better get our heads on straight.

I disagree, Mr. B, these low lives don't care a rats A.. about our technology or the rest rest of it. They thrive in anarchy. Everytime it looks like things will settle down - they throw grenades into the process. How can you equate taking dumb pictures of living and live prisoners with murder, meyhem and desecration of the bodies of the Americans last month. Has everyone forgotten that? Taking pictures is way below the serious scale when compared with what those low lives committed on our people. Truth be known those prisoners probably posed for the photos; now they see a great big US payday coming to them - so they act all indignant. What about those news pictures of all the smiling, waving, laughing Iraqis dragging the charred American remains through Fallujah.

To Clarify this issue check out this: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99921,00.html ALSO, 1099s and Taxes When a person is paid on the form, 1099-misc, all money earned by the individual is paid on an untaxed basis. It is then the responsibility of the individual to file and pay the appropriate taxes. These taxes can be owed to Federal, State and Local governments. Workers' compensation and unemployment issues also must be addressed independently. W-2s and Taxes When a person is paid on the form W-2, the employer automatically withholds and pays all of the necessary employee income taxes as required by the IRS. These taxes include: Federal Income Tax, State Income Tax, and FICA (Social Security and Medicare). In addition, the employer will pay all of the necessary employer taxes. These taxes include: FICA (Social Security and Medicare), FUTA (Federal Unemployment Tax), and SUI (State Unemployment Tax). The IRS and Taxes In recent years, the IRS has begun to realize the large sums of potential tax revenue they are losing due to misclassified 1099 independent contractors who should legally be W-2 employees. When a company pays a contractor on a 1099-misc form, they avoid the following: federal and state tax withholdings, deposits and reports, the employer’s share of Social Security and Medicare taxes, state and federal unemployment insurance premiums, state disability insurance premiums, Workers’ Compensation costs, fringe benefits, vicarious liability for employee negligence, and EEOC regulations. The IRS estimates that it loses between $4 to $20 billion per year in unpaid taxes as a result of this misclassification problem. Understandably, the IRS has made it a priority to investigate 1099-misc forms that are turned in at the end of the tax year. The IRS is continually conducting audits to determine whether or not contractors are being properly classified.

Mike, It is a cruel business! We have been at it over ten years. I can name only 8 companies "successful" enough to reward their owners from pressure washing. Many have diversified into retail sales, mechanicals and non PW service businesses. In the past 2 years - I've noticed over 50 companies vaporize. The burnout factor is extremely high, the business savvy is extremely low, as you pointed out and the return on investment is not as good as other service businesses.

Oneness, I guess I'm pragmatist, few guys in this business really hit the 100K gross business figure. There are many fishermen who get into powerwashing and talk the talk. It's a cruel business that takes many last dollars to get started. That's why many are in and out so quickly, they can't survive on what they make and pay off what they owe. How many guys keep telling themselves this is going to be the year. Then the wife steps in and says,"get rid of that junk and get a job." Working for the man, $36K + benefits, retirement + no worries is not a bad gig for most of America.

".. if you can AVERAGE $600 per day, 5 days a week, 8 months a year, you can gross $103,200 for 1 person. In order to do this, you will most likely have to work an average of 6 days a week (5 days to work and 1 day for estimating). In otherwords, you are working 204 days out of 365 days in a year. If you take 35% away for yourself (gross income) that's $36,120 before taxes. .." Paul B, I enjoy reading what you have to write, you usually hit the nail right on the head. You have just demostrated why guys in this business are not rolling in the dough. $36,120 pre-taxes, no benefits, retirement, sick pay - what have you. The guys at Home Depot make that much with benies don't they. And they don't have to buy all this cotton pickin' equipment with all it's headaches. Are we masochists or what?

Tim, What is the company doing to make 10K a weekend? What I have learned in my ten years of business is when it comes to money earned I don't believe all I hear/read. Many of the guys who work a few hours I have seen, tend to extrapolate their income. So if they work 4 hours each week they claim to make, let's say $50.00 per hour. As if they were working 40 hours, therefore they "feel" they earn $2000 per week. My point is that when you see many contractors out and about they don't have the look of flushed success, but they talk a great game. I guess what I'm trying to say is nobody likes to admit their career mishaps and this type of business attracts a lot of fishermen.

Tim, Everyone says they need to make $100 an hour - shoot for the stars, and if you charge $100 for a job which turns out to take 1.50 hours (because you're a perfectionist) and the round trip was a half hour in travel time, you end up at a $50.00 sale. Suppose the rest of the week went the same, (you grossed $250.00) a good parttime job without benefits. You could fool yourself into thinking you make $100.00 an hour but most of us are tuned into 40 hour jobs. We think in terms of the take home pay, the health insurance and the retirement benefits. How many guys are getting filthy rich from this business? If that were the case you wouldn't see the people dropping out and selling their rigs at this time of year, these are the guys who finally heeded their wives, "If you don't get a real job we'll all end up on the street."

Why are those of you who have "outed" yourselves re: non-compliance of the CWA making a point of being adamant about it? All your competition has to do is call the local EPA office and they are right there looking through your door. It sounds like some form of death wish. This is a public forum why not erase your self-incrimination. The likelihood of EPA enforcement is greatest when you stand around waving a pollution flag - in essense daring them to get you.

Yes, car washing in driveways is fineable! Keep in mind they risk a huge outcry if they served one person and not all. Yes, the fire dept is violating the CWA when they fight fire with water going down storm drains. The reason it isn't enforced now, is that the greater common good (or something) is served by putting out your house fire. It's getting to the point where they will have to bring recovery trucks with the tankers. (not in my lifetime!) Power washers have no political clout and the people in PWNA don't want to rock their boat, cause some of their leaders sell the recovery equipment. Call your local EPA office and ask generic questions like you have, they are pretty accessible. Call from a payphone if you're nervous. They'll probably tell you they are concerned with the health and food supply of future generations, vehicle and gas station washing, not withstanding.

What the whole thing boils down to is that ALL wash water, is waste water. Wash water from trucks carries contaminants which ends up in streams, rivers, plant-life, fish and us. The untreated water is the big concern. So in theory, when you recover water it is handled by the sewage plant and reused. I reminded my EPA contact that we were washing on dirt surfaces. He reminded me of the water table which gets back to the streams, rivers, etc. I made the point that where no drains exist and it rains the rain water carries pollutants to the rivers, etc. so sue God. He wasn't amused! Since they can't fine God they go after us AND our customers. Since they (EPA inspectors) are so few in number, however, they usually act first on the cases that get turned into their office. Regarding collection on grass, dirt, - you need to get a berned plastic surface drive onto matt, like Canadian Doug or Delco sells. They make 'em big enough to wash 747's on. Re: deck and house washing, yes - it is waste water and subject to enforcement by your friends at the EPA. Good luck and have a water recovery day.

I would be careful about what I write on these forums. We used to clean alot more trucks than we do - when a competitor who wanted a particular account, photographed and turned us in to the EPA. They issued a cease and desist order. We obliged, got recovery equip - the competitor got the account. We photo'd them not recovering - they lost the account! Now nobody does them - no drains, on dirt in the country. They go to the truck stop wash now. The EPA is a self supporting governmental agency that lives off fines, they will work with you, they are not the monsters we fear. All the same, remember, "Loose lips sink ships." Good luck.

Mike, Sounds like you have a good life in the Sunshine State. However, I don't know if it's a good idea to predicate a business on the fact that one has a spouse who works, has insurance, etc. That's unpredictable and heaven forbid she got downsized or whatever, you would be caught in the middle. Consider the business as a separate entity, that you work for rather than you as the business. The business has a life of its own, the business has to earn X dollars to survive and thrive. It makes economical sense to consider one's business as our employer, in that way we earn a comfortable living, invest, vacation and retire regardless of any lifestyle.

Alan, If I was in your boots, since getting a machine to roll into the backyard won't work. What I would do on second thought, get enough brand new non-marking hose in the package and open it up at the site and run that complete hose thru the house over the carpet. Put quick connects on both ends outside and attach whip hose to machine and another to your gun or spinner and have at it. Good luck and make a fortune

Mike, I agree. Those who don't have the drive to succeed, will hopefully see the light soonest. Those in the middle will probably not see the light till later. Those with the drive, ambition, knowledge and good sense will come out on top. SBA list for business failure reasons (WITH MY SPIN) 1:Lack of experience - (you gotta be a quick learner if this biz) 2:Insufficient capital (money) - (if you worry about money all the time you tend to make bad calls, just to survive) 3:Poor location - (rather be in Florida than the Arctic) 4:Poor inventory management - (buying more than you can use) 5:Over-investment in fixed assets - (too many bells and whistles) 6:Poor credit arrangements -(letting customer pay whenever) 7:Personal use of business funds - (the customer pays and guy goes out and buys a keg) 8:Unexpected growth - (If you can't handle the new business the customers will go elsewhere) Gustav Berle adds two more reasons in The Do It Yourself Business Book: 9:Competition ( If you try to wash houses for $69.00 cause that's what the other does ) 10:Low sales - (if they ain't buyin' what's the use of tryin')

Rob, You are so right, love of what you are doing is extremely important I agree completely. However, the SBA report that I posted is cold and unemotional. I can probably find you guys who love this business right into bankruptcy. They enjoy what they do so much they regularly work for free or nearly free.

Starting a small business is always risky, and the chance of success is slim. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, over 50% of small businesses fail in the first year and 95% fail within the first five years. In his book Small Business Management, Michael Ames gives the following reasons for small business failure: 1:Lack of experience 2:Insufficient capital (money) 3:Poor location 4:Poor inventory management 5:Over-investment in fixed assets 6:Poor credit arrangements 7:Personal use of business funds 8:Unexpected growth Gustav Berle adds two more reasons in The Do It Yourself Business Book: 9:Competition 10:Low sales

........they get in thinking it is easy money, easy work, and they find they don't like it as much as they thought....so when things get tight there's their excuse to get out. Mike, I think you're being a slight bit harsh here! What many guys do is get into the biz without a plan and very little money. Then when the bills come due on the machine, the equipment, the chemicals, the trailer, the truck, the rent, the school clothes and the taxes, etc. they don't have squat to pay. They don't have money for the family and insurance is out of the question. Then the machine or the trailer, truck, car or wife breaks down for whatever reason and they are flipping out. They end up trying to unload everything to the dealer. He dosen't want that stuff back. What's a person to do? Major industries go down for less.