newlook

usually the 1st thing to go on the HD units is the rocker arms break. I have had 2 of them break on me. These are definately not for everyday full time use. I use them now for back-ups

4 all year round. We add 2 during the summer.

just payed out $500 for registration on our Chevy --- it's is considered commercial

We are good out here. If it is a engine issue then I can take it to at least 4 different places within 5 minutes from us. If it is a pump issue...that's is a whole different story.

He said call him....right?:lglolly:

Call Doc and see if he can stick something in the mail for you :)

Not knowing what the back porch walls consist of ~ meaning are they brick, stucco, vinyl and etc., this is a tough call. Vinyl...try to whip them down with water and a little bit of bleach. good luck

I agree .... give them a call. Even if OSHA tells you that there is no reg. on the books I would still be concerned about powerwashing in those temperatures. Guaranteed if someone slips and breaks their back, ankle, leg and etc. they are going to raise the red flag. Even if it is eventually determined by a court of law (2 years later) that you were not negligent/responsible for this occurence, I am sure that you do not want to be bothered with court appearances, probable cause hearings and etc....just not good if you are trying to sustain a high level reputation. Just my thoughts.

Ken, It did cost us around $1200 to do the filing and shareholder agreement. As far as the credit is concerned you are correct in your statements. It takes a little "doing" for a Inc, LLC, sole prop. and etc to establish credit.

Celeste, You would certainly bring a wealth of knowledge and progressive ideas to any round table...Your state is lucky to have you! Good luck and I guess we will see you in the trenches :)

John, Definately true about if membership was $50 then we would be asking for it to be at $25. I never had any complaints about the $195 and it was never a reason for me to not join. I was more interested in hearing and seeing the "pulse" of the organization and what momentum the PWNA has going into '05. Certainly there are things about the organization that ponders my thoughts and forces me to question certain things but to me that is not a "deal killer". In general, I think the PWNA is on the right track. The infrastructure appears to be in tact ~ membership is slowly on the rise ~ inclusion vs. exclusion seems to carry most threads ~ proactive goals are being discussed and formulated ~ Local chapters are headed in the right direction ~ doesn't appear to be any "in"fighting going on with the BOD i.e. everybody looks to be on the same page ~ wealth of power washing knowledge from both members and nonmembers! Is all this worth $195...yep without a doubt. I have been part of this BB and the PWNA BB for almost 2 years I guess. I have listened and watched a progression of slow progress over the years with the PWNA. Yes it has been slow but at least it has been moving in the right direction. If the PWNA can sustain that progress then that is a recipe for success. Anyway, what was the Roundtable question about again :) :)

Celeste LOL...I, we, all of us sorta got off the subject of Round Tables. I never thought of a Trial Membership but I guess anything is possible. Wonder what kind of tracking/accouting problems this would raise...if any? I still like the idea of letting someone attend 3 times. They pay whatever they need to pay for to attend those meeting (dinner, drinks and etc). After the 3rd meeting they either join the PWNA ($195) or they don't. I think that's fair all the way around. Just my opinion though:) okay...back to the subject of RoundTable. We are planning to have a roundtable out here after the convention. Craig, Jon, Alan, myself and hopefully a few more will most likely be in attendance.

I agree with you John as it relates to the different reasons companies join organizations. The reason for joining organizations are different for each individual but I can venture to say that marketing is the dominate reason why establishments join - to position themselves to make money. Costs are needed to run any organization ~ even the PWNA. That's a given and I don't think there was a debate on that particular subject with this thread. I know for myself, I questioned as to why would the PWNA make a nonmember pay for a membership if he wanted to attend a 2nd meeting to explore further about his/her desire to join the PWNA. Thank goodness that someone in PWNA land recognized that this would be counterproductive as it relates to retention and raised it to 3 meetings (at last count). In a perfect world I wish everybody had the same zeal that Celeste has as it relates to reasons for joining an organization. If all the p/w's across the land felt the same way then the PWNA membership would be busting at the seams. The reality of it is that there are companies looking to join an organization so that their $$'s increase ~ nothing more .... nothing less!

If the PWNA is anxious to increase their numbers then a non-member should not be mandated to only just one Chapter Meeting -- it doesn't make good business sense. John T. explained that the policies for the Chapters are changing on a daily basis and that the number of "visits" by a non-member could be as high as 3. I think that is great if that is true. If a nonmember has not made up his/her mind up after 3 visits to a chapter meeting then I think it is pretty safe to say that they have no intention on joining. I know that Everett and everybody else is working hard on this subject and we are anxious to read the final version of the policies.

Sounds like this thread is going to stay so I will ask my question(s) here vs. the PWNA BBS. John T posted ~ "Meetings are open to members and non-members (can attend ONE meeting without having to join PWNA). PWNA members who pay national dues are entitled to pay a lower fee to attend Chapter meetings. Non-members must join PWNA after one meeting to attend additional meetings." Say I have a guy that is a non-member. He attends his first meeting ~ pays his $25 plus shipping and handling :). He likes what he sees in the PWNA org. but is not fully committed to join the org. on the spot. I tell him to take his time and when he is ready to join let me know. Okay, the next chapter meeting is scheduled and this guy gives me a call and would like to attend another meeting to help him get the full picture of what this PWNA is all about. According to the guidelines of the PWNA Chapters ~ I need to tell this guy that he cannot attend a 2nd meeting unless he joins the PWNA? What is the harm of having this nonmember attend 3-4 meetings without having to join the organization? This gives the nonmember plenty of time to form a fair assessment of the organization, at least from a Chapter level.

Also :), as our company continues to evolve and expand we feel it is a natural course that our business has taken ~ Inc. status.

I am suprised more folks have not dived into this thread.

Barry, We were advised to go this route by our CPA. The overall deciding factor was for tax purposes. As a sole proprietor we found ourselves in a higher tax bracket vs. where we wanted to be. The S Corp. status also offers a "shelter" to me personally and my family in the event (God forbid) someone decides they want to sue us. The person suing can go after my company but not me personally.

We were a Sole Properietorship but then went straight to a "S" Corporation filing.

Thanks Everett...appreciate the info.

Looking forward to read the final version of the PWNA Local Chapter Guidelines. Seems to be coming together. Quick question to Everett or to any BOD: If the Guidelines are not yet approved by the BOD, then why are there about 5-6 chapters started already? Just curious. Will other members (moderators?) like Cujo, Celeste, Jon, Alan, Ryan H. and others get a peek at this and offer their view as it relates to the structure of this? It would be nice to see a 3rd set of eyes on this and hear their opinion. Just a suggestion :)

Outstanding and Good Stuff Tony. Comdex....oh those were the days. Great convention..good location....lot's of fun....

Tony, Very interesting....so in a round about way.....you were the one that help evolve the CD?

Mike, Be careful out there with all that water...

We power wash the gutters and blow out all downspouts and do a quick but thorough rinse of the house. There is no "trick" that I know of that will enable you to power wash out the gutters without making a mess. Even with low psi you are still going to get the "stuff" that is in the gutter to blow out over. Troyt..what is the ball park figure that you would charge for gutter cleaning only? Let me know if you can.