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Doug Dahlke

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Posts posted by Doug Dahlke

  4. Posted · Report reply

    Just finished up an apartment complex today. 10 three story apt buildings, nine single story garage buildings, car wash station, pool deck, pool house, leasing office and all the walks. Did the whole thing myself. Fifteen days on the property but about half of those were only 6 hour days for various reasons. Need some more jobs like this. Feels good to be finished.

    post-2532-137772207664_thumb.jpg

  7. Posted · Report reply

    The last eight weeks have been pretty good. Started an apartment complex yesterday that will take me about two weeks to do. They have other properties so hopefully there will be some more work from them. Have a few other things booked also. Phone needs to keep ringing.

  9. Posted · Report reply

    It's not just the cost of fuel to run your business that you need to worry about. When fuel costs go up, everything goes up. Delivery charges you have for supplies delivered to your house go up, the price you pay for your groceries goes up, the printer that makes your marketing materials raises his prices to you, the list is endless. Pass all those increases along to your customers to maintain your standard of living and it is more than just a few dollars.

  13. Posted · Report reply

    Without a doubt I am worse off financially. Five years ago I had a very good paying job in textile mfg. The company was sold and the new mgmnt and I didn't see things the same way and I was let go. Started this business and am moving forward. While I was making a good living my wife and I lived well below our means and while things are tight now they would have been impossible if we had been in a larger house, newer cars, not saved, second mortgage, etc.

    We are happy with what we have been blessed with and hopefully will turn the corner with the business this year.

  14. Posted · Report reply

    My business is up over 40% from the first quarter of last year. Keep in mind I am just getting into my third year so last years numbers were not what some of the more established companies here are.

    Still all things considered I am optimistic about the year. Have about 6k booked right now. More quotes out there also that will hopefully come through. I am busting my rear to keep this thing going. This will be the year that makes or breaks me.

  15. Posted · Report reply

    Hey James.

    I grew up in Illinois a little north of Chicago. Mostly asphalt drives there too. Down here nearly everything is concrete. I would like to get my pricing to your level but in this area I really think I would be pricing myself out of the market. I have raised my pricing some this year and so far things are going well. Hope you have a good year.

  16. Posted · Report reply

    It is amazing how many "companies" don't return calls, show up when promised, etc. I get compliments from many customers thanking them for keeping them up to date on when they are scheduled and showing up when I say I will. It can get difficult to do when business picks up and the weather messes with your schedule but it goes a long way with your customers.

    I got screwed yesterday by a prominent rental chain. I reserved a 500 gallon water trailer to truck additional water to one of the "Forbidden Zone" counties where power washing is banned. Had the job scheduled for a week and had already told the customer I would be there at 7:00. This is a town home community that was my largest customer last year. I show up at 4:30 pm to get the trailer and they didn't get it delivered to the store. They said they would deliver it to the job site the next day and I told them that was fine as long as it was full of water when they brought it. Of course they would not do that.

    Called another rental place that luckily was open until 5:30 and got a 300 gallon tank and used that. It was a stretch but we got the job done.

  18. Posted · Report reply

    One other thing. While I was doing the house pictured I was asked by two other homeowners for quotes. One of them used me and another homeowner asked for a quote on that day and went with me. That was three out of four houses quoted in that neighborhood using the same pricing structure. I also did a house in the same sub last year. Thats four out of five quoted in that subdivision. Some people won't pay for your service, many will.

  22. Posted · Report reply

    If someone has a problem with what they percieve as your hourly rate tell them this.

    " Sir or Ma'am I am self employed. I came here and gave you a free quote but I still had to pay for the gas to drive out here with no guarantee of work. If you hire me I will have to drive back again and use more gas at over $3/gallon to get here. My pressure washer also runs on gasoline that I have to pay for and if I am washing your concrete I will be using hot water which requires the use of diesel fuel at nearly $4/gallon.

    Since I am self employed I have to pay all of my social security benefits because I have no employer to pay part of it so I am in effect taxed at a higher rate than you. Since we both know social security will probably not be around when I retire I also have to fund my own 401K or other retirement plan, once again with no employer match of any kind.

    I carry one million dollars of general liability insurance to protect your property and my insurance company asks for payment each month whether I work or not. I also carry workers comp and that policy has to be paid in full, at the start of the new year.

    The Yellow Book ad that you used to find me costs money, my website and other advertising costs money, my equipment costs money, and you certainly must realize that even though I work long hours much of that time is at my expense and not a customers. If you think x amount of dollars is going into my pocket you are mistaken."

    People don't realize the expenses associated with a business even a small one.

  24. Posted · Report reply

    I have mixed views on this also. Just because someone has a license and maybe passed a test of some sort doesn't mean they will abide by the rules when they are out in the field. There are plenty of people out there with general contractor licenses that cut corners, hire illegals, don't always follow code, etc.

    On the back of my business card I tell customers to always ask for verification of general liability and workers comp insurance. On the residential end almost no one ever asks about it and I have never had a resi customer ask me to produce proof of my insurance.

    I don't know what Ken is talking about but steps to educate the customer would seem key to me. Maybe take out ads in trade journals for property managers, real estate agents, etc talking about the difference in contractors and what to look for in a power washer.

    Put ads in home magazines or other media that could reach homeowners and educate them. Talk to HOA groups about the guys that dump their stuff into the local lake etc. Get people to recognize what a responsible contractor is.

  25. Posted · Report reply

    Im not trying to change the subject, but the topic mis-lead me, lol. We have a company around here called "Two men and a truck". Their a moving company though ;)

    But back on topic, sometimes I see those wooden signs that only have "pressure washing (xxx) xxx-xxxx" I'd love to just rip it down when I see one, but one day ima have to just call the number and see whats up, matter of fact, I might ask for an estimate and watch that fool. lol.

    There is someone here that does the same thing. It ticks me off when I see the signs. They disappeared for awhile and I think the county cracked down on people doing that and where they were posted. They are showing up again but in less conspicuous places.

    You have to wonder about people who would call a company that advertises that way. They must get calls though because the signs are out every year.

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