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jeffex11

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Posts posted by jeffex11

  5. Posted · Report reply

    where I wash the house pressure is fairly consistant. It would be nice to just load up less equipment . I'm sure a sure-flo pump set up would do the job but then that would be about the same as hooking up a pressure washer to DS. Not a big deal just wondering if anyone has set this up . I will search around and try and plumb the DS injector to the hose and try it.

  7. Posted · Report reply

    I washed a house today DS ing simple cherry and rinsed with a pencil nozzle on the garden hose. I only needed the pressure washer to DS the mixture. Does anyone have a setup to simply DS the chem through the water hose? I cut my time from 6 hrs to 3 and only had to get on the ladder to reach the back second story. Will the DS work if plumbed through the garden hose?

  10. Posted · Report reply

    I had added extra time on my bid but misjudged the amount. Its people attitude that because you don't have to stain the floor that make them insist the price should be lower. I got a new square footage price for this combo for the future and it is a 25% increase over a standrd deck stain job. The friggin' wind made it worse as well. gald to be done with that one.

  13. Posted · Report reply

    here is my plan to finish a deck I washed last thursday. the floor and top of railings are timber tech. I will stain the pressure treated railings and frame on thursday morning and put plastic over the railings to be removed in 24 hours. thunderstorms are forcast for thurs evening and this may get this job finished as the floor is not stained. I had to postpone this weeks deck job and they understood because its raining everywhere

  15. Posted · Report reply

    No chance to stain with all this rain. I washed a deck thursday and am in a holding patern trying to get it stained. Now this hangs over my head trying to book new work and start other scheduled jobs. As an added bonus I have a lawn business that works well with this business but it is a mess with all this rain. I guess thats why GOD made beer! I've learned over many ears of this that you just do what you can and keep your customers up to date with a call. I feel like a city farmer waiting for the rain to stop so I can harvest my "crop". I'm glad for the rain but a few pokes of sun would help too.

  19. Posted · Report reply

    I have seen many people who were laid off looking to break in to pressure washing or lawn mowing. People asking me for a job or advice on how to get started. I have referred a few to this site for info and the ones in my area ...I told the truth....no way I'm training my replacement. The thing about this message board that helps us ALL is telling new people to price HIGH to protect the viability of this as a source of decent income. I'm in a 8 month of opperation area and this year April has been a trying month to get work in. I'm looking at a 10 day forcast with showers in every day. I opperate a lawn business as well and its a struggle to get things done. Your exactly right about this being hard work. NO get rich quick types in this business ! Not complaining though . I think the competition keeps me lean and mean and I compete on value of service rather than price alone. I started in 1992 with a little electric Karcher 1500 psi unit and I still have it in the garage for washing my equipment .

    what I fear the most is the affordability of my services by my clients in the comming years of heavy taxation to pay for the "change" that is taking place in Washington. I am looking into a different business right now that is not so dependant on disposable income . Diversity has been my friend in business and the winds of change mean more start ups competing for less work. Unless of cource you can get a government contract for pressure washing! I'm asking all my friends and co-workers to see the importance of next Novembers mid term elections for congress. Look at socialist countries and see how well pressure washing business' do there

  20. Posted · Report reply

    with such a slow start to the 2009 season i am now booked out 4 weeks of work. April was tough getting work done with weather considerations. From my view point the economic times means many people are shopping prices , prices , prices..... my sales pitch is the same ...I bring a value to the work I do based on my years of experience and equipment , techniques and skill level and NONE of MY cost have gone down. I'll be here when the discount companies move on or we can book your job NOW. What prompted my post was a nice elderly man who I washed and stained his deck many years ago ( I'm guessing 8)who called wanting a price . I had given him a price 4 or 5 years ago and he balked at my modest price increase. He NOW needs deck repairs of 3 to $400 as well as pressure washing and staining. I reminded him that there is a reason that I'm still in business while discount companies have come and gone. Fram oil filters had a great commercial...."pay me now or pay me later" there is NO discount in hoping and praying that maintenance will magically put itself on hold while you decide on price.

    I got a call this evening from a job I priced 2 weeks ago that agreed to the price but wanted the work done ASAP. I told the customer that ASAP was 4 weeks out and reminded them that when we last spoke I had a spot open for them and would hold it for 3 days. 2 weeks is not 3 days . I'm holding my ground in this battle where the customer this year thinks they have us over the barrel.

  21. Posted · Report reply

    woo hooo! another job on the booking sheet! repeat customer and possible roof cleanig as well. Not since the days when I started did I feel this needy! The last warm spell generated a few calls so come on 70 degrees. This could still turn out to be a record year for sales as I have had slow starts before . I added window washing as a spring service and that has been good so far. the price tag is lower than deck cleaning and staining but the work is easy and virtually no overhead. I betting the $300 roof cleaning will out sell the $600 + deck job this year too. I believe people want the work done , they just are rearful of commiting to too big a price tag. Maybe I could sell a wash and stain as seperate jobs LOL. time will tell

  22. Posted · Report reply

    looks like a year where I will have to spend money to make money on advertising and promoting services. I was thinking of calling previous customers to do a touchup service of washing and sealing or a simple re-coat of stain vs full removal of old stain and staining service. Costs of materials went up so I quoted $.10 per square ft higher and sold 1 of 3 bids. Previous close rate was 3 to 4 of 5 bids in past 5 years. Not ready to work for less money so I'll wait it out........

  23. Posted · Report reply

    A few call finally are comming in but close rate is low. Only one new customer booked a job for April. Dismal! my lawn business is solid with full retention of customers but I am taking a new approach to my business mix. I may decide to market roof cleaning if deck and house washing gets put off this year. My website is getting a decent amount of hits so I'm hoping a warm spell will trigger calls.

  24. Posted · Report reply

    Jeff,

    In the late winter - spring of 2008, our book was not good. By the end of March, all hell broke loose. Wound up the best season on record, we were even busy during the usual late August doldrums.

    A lot of new work came in from customers wanting to improve their property to put on the market. In my area, housing sales were slow, but properties were selling if they were in "move in" condition. Realtors were encouraging their clients to do cosmetic improvements prior to putting the home on the market.

    Don't know if this is applicable to your area, but if it is, might be a viable marketing angle.

    I was a little worried about 2008 as well but it turned out great for me too. I understand that the move in condition is paramount for real estate sales here too from a realtor I network with. I had 2 calls near the end of the season 08 that I gave bids on for large jobs but I had too many on my schedule to finish the year before the cold weather kicked in so I tried to move them to the spring of 09 .That is my usual scenario of having to push work to the start of next season. I may get calls from them or they may have found someone to do the work last minute . I'm not so desperate for work that I want to push this business into the cold months! I network with a handyman / contractor who does a lot of work for real estate agents getting home ready for sale and he is slow but anxiously waiting for the warm weather too.

  25. Posted · Report reply

    I have a lawn maintenance business tht spawned off of my pressure washing business because of the demand for home services I encountered. My pressure washing business developed from when I used to build decks and fences and wanted to move into it because it was new on the scene and not too much competition. I have always remained somewhat diverse with the services I offer but pressure washing is a high profit margin for me and takes priority for my time. When I was building decks I had to compete with pricing by unscrupulous employees of builders who would steal the materials from their employers accounts and just charge labor + a little for the lumber. Thats what helped me decide to not have all my eggs in one basket. Whatever the situation for me this year I am ready to take on the challenge. A few warm days and I will likely get some calls as people realize spring is right around the corner. The tax return helps generate home inprovement work as well. I'm just glad I'm not in California and Kansas where they suspended the tax refunds due by the state!!!!

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