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I found this funny snow picture... I'll post it here in Clubhouse and hope it's not open to general public access! Just nuke it if anyone's offended...

Such is the problem with a viable concept... The inventor must generally give up a large percentage to investors to get the actual item refined, and produced. So, you gotta pick the right hustle that is found in the back of most magazines, and online, that will serve your need best. I have been advised, frequently it's best just to put something into production, swamp the market with YOUR product, and gain name recognition rather than get involved in the patent process and eventual expensive battles over contested rights. Good luck!

I've never seen the imports perform as well as domestic pickups.

Anthony makes a number of good points. Many of us present our opinions in dialogue much as an informal conversation. There are formulas, mixes and blends posted for various applications. The machines we use are capable of inflicting significant damage to ALL sorts of surfaces. Much work is accomplished well with lower pressure and high volume. Many of the chemicals can produce spectacular catastrophes. I don't believe anyone can begin as a super-pro... Only experience will bring you the best applicable knowledge. Start with smaller jobs and do a nice job. Good luck!

Buick comes with a set of golf clubs in the trunk... and ready to make business deals on the golf course!

Best place to learn would be to read EVERYTHING that has ever been posted here on thegrimescene.com Then, we'll be ready for the next question!

Paul has got it ALL!

Welcome aboard! Sounds like you are ambitious!!! Tons of the best information here at Thegrimescene.com... (You'll be asked to post a signature line.)

As Space Odyssey points out, discussion of 'perfection' with a client is always good. Perhaps not in his graphic depiction, but in a commercial setting, a circumstance like the one pictured would be an excellent opportunity to pitch a client on a maintenance schedule!

Good deal, Jim! 16" floater will be ueseful for most residential type projects and small commercial... Easier for a less expensive piece of equipment to pay for itself! As work progresses, you can develop your upgrade strategy.

Very nice Beth! I'm sure they would buy you a margarita... but should you ask?

Oh boy could I use a job like that one about now!!! I wonder if the boards CAN be flipped, or if they are milled differently... Client probably wouldn't accept it if some nail holes were misaligned...

Jim, I think perhaps you missed the point here... ..You said above 'If it's something I can do well' The others are attempting to advise you that you can NOT do 'well' on flatwork without a surface cleaner. YES, it can be done, but not efficiently. Hot water and higher flow also help a LOT.

Here's a valentines day picture... I think? It's hot off the web... a storefront in Stockholm Sweden. My guess is it's original art. Waddyah think?

Yes we had to raise prices last year! To keep ahead of the bills. This year? This year the amigos have got most all the work at very low rates. They don't pay many fees or taxes, y'know... Did an interior wall repair 3weeks ago, and a good sized PW job 4 weeks before that. Economy is pretty slo.

zero, zip, nada

My Ford F-150 was just repaired. 00 with a 4.2 v6, 112k miles. My kid replaced the bad water pump. A few months back he replaced the alternator. (probably him jumping other cars popped it!) Other than 2nd set of brakes, and tires, it's done everything expected of it, and more... Ford has been top selling pu for 31 years. There's a reason why.

If you are not bound by a contract at a fixed price, there is no better time than IMMEDIATELY to pass on cost increases to the client. They know, same as you, where the money goes. If it is not profitable for you to conduct business, it's time to do something else. THAT, would be an even greater loss for your clients.

It's best not to be specific. Declare that you use a product specifically designed for the purpose, and that it does contain a certain amount of bleach to counteract the mold. You may describe your pre-soak and rinse strategies. If client is fussy beyond that point, I'd say it's a red flag...

Yes, Sq root of 529 is 23, unless this is an english test...

A plumber I spoke with says he is only doing emergency repairs. No little projects or upgrades. A carpenter I know is completing a small project, with nothing scheduled. RE agents he works for are pulling their signs and closing the doors. Two spec builders we know went down in flames, as did a venture capital company. Wall St dropped almost 400 points today! The headline was they finally noticed the service sector was down for the first time in 5yrs. Wow... Nice to be noticed!!! Allied Van Lines filed for bankruptcy... guess folks are leaving the furniture behind? The price of a barrel of oil has dropped, because US reserves are quite high... Yup! The service guys that motor back and forth getting the work done, have NOT been motoring. I'm hearing more than a few rumors about low pay scale workers doing their tax returns and will be getting $6k back from the fed! Maybe that's how W hopes to get things back on track? or get them to recover? I don't think that will do it... Cruised through a pawn shop today looking at guitar amps for my kid... prices haven't come down yet, but they sure got a LOT of construction power tools in there! It was STUFFED! It's probably a good time to make the rounds and just visit with people you haven't seen in a while... be sociable, and see what's going on out and about. Fishing is always good! Invite some new people along.

I am so pleased to go back and review this thread where most have bought domestic vehicles! Reciprocity is what it's all about. I built homes for many years. Many, many homes. Only once, that's one time, did a person working for a foreign auto manufacturer purchase my work product. It is a good thing, to support your neighbors. The people you live with, and enjoy being around. Other people, elsewhere? Well, I just don't know. What I DO know is I can at least match the quality and exceed the level of service that comes from distant workers who will NEVER reciprocate at a level that produces substantial employment among my neighbors.

Beth, I found someone who sums it up well and has made a presentation I think is quite good. Bear with me, I don't know how to cut and paste url's very well... And DON'T LET JOHN T READ THIS STUFF! He sounds stressed out enough, already! The Oil Drum: Canada | Discussion of Energy and Canada's Future Wow! it worked... Go to the third article on the page and follow it... It's called, "The Year in Review and a Look Ahead for 2008." Posted by Ilargi under Economics/Finance, by Karl Deninger It's loong. It's NOT cheery. Never-the-less, I am coming to subscribe to these folks theory. They are much more intelligent than I. IF, they are indeed correct, decisions must be made in preparedness for the scenario they depict. I personally am NOT situated favorably, and must accept the cards as they are dealt. If someone is capable of disputing the views presented with facts, and figures, I'd sure like to hear about it! Rich

I was again reading of different aspects regarding the housing bubble, and this facet popped up... From the Associated Press (via CBS 13): The house was ravaged -- its floors ripped, walls busted and lights smashed by owners who trashed their home before a bank foreclosed on it. Hidden in the wreckage was an abandoned member of the family: a starving pit bull. The dog found by workers was too far gone to save -- another example of how pets are becoming the newest victims of the nation's mortgage crisis as homeowners leave animals behind when they can no longer afford their property. Pets "are getting dumped all over," said Traci Jennings, president of the Humane Society of Stanislaus County in northern California. "Farmers are finding dogs dumped on their grazing grounds, while house cats are showing up in wild cat colonies." ... The situation has become so widespread that the Humane Society urged home owners faced with foreclosure to take their animals to a shelter. Shelters are trying to keep up, but the spike in abandoned pets comes at a time when fewer people are adopting animals. Home sales are plunging to their lowest level in decades, and new homeowners are often the most likely to seek a pet. Even people who are buying homes are not adopting pets. "People are not bringing home puppies because times are tough, and animals cost money," said Sharon Silbert, president of Animal Rescue of Tracy, a community near Stockton. ... There was also a lot of dialog coming out of Merced in CA's central valley.

Good good, Carlos! It does sound like your planning is doing very well. Persistence is the key! I'm about ready to investigate options elsewhere, so I watch very closely when folks say things are picking up in their area.