Jesse

Ya I know.... its pretty wordy and the guys that I used to hire were not real big on reading or following any of the rules that were layed out. They never could grasp the type of business I was trying to build for my family. I'm sure happy those days are behind me.

No problem eric. The format is screwed up but I think you can modify it. Good luck, Jesse

Excellent posts stated above Scot and Jeff, I agree with you both. :applause: We are so fortunate to live here and should never take it for granted that things will always be this way. Our children will inherit what we leave behind - it is up to us to make sure the system works.:USA:

That's a Fine post Anthony :applause:

Illegals are still breaking the Law. There is no way around that. People from every third world nation want a chance to be a part of the American Dream and I don't blame them. But I will not pretend it's OK for a certain group to break the Law while all others are held accountable. :lgangry: Like I said before I'm just a contractor and it takes wiser men (and women) than I to figure this all out. I follow the Libertarian view point and believe it is time to get back to making decisions based on common sense instead of pure sympathy and feelings guilt for being fortunate enough to be born in this great nation. :applause: No one should be treated like scum for trying to better themselves - but they should not be coddled and pacified either. If you want to live in my Country you obey the Laws of my Country just like a citizen of any country should.....otherwise there will be consequences and repercussions..... And I know all about consequences and repercussions:o . My .02:cheers:

I hate to say it Rod but that sounds like the same thing a home owner would say that does not want to hire a "Certified Contractor" that pays their employees a decent wage and maybe even the dirty little word "benefits" These very same home owners that would use this excuse are making 3x what we do and have a full benefit package with retirement. I know that you did not meen it that way but this is the attitude I run across daily.

I 100% support "LEGAL" immigration. My ancestors all came here LEGALY and at great personal and financial expense. They did not brake the law and they learned English and taught it to their children. Are you saying that it is OK for illegals to break the law and not be punished? There are several laws that I would like to break…would that be OK or does this thinking not pertain to me since I am a legal citizen? We all hate the low-ballers in our cities that cut corners, break the law and operate illegally…. but aren’t they also just trying to make a buck to better their lives and feed their families. If they are illegal immigrants does that make it better? We still would have conquered them. I’m just a dumb contractor but throughout history every land has been conquered by somepeople or some tribe at some time or another. This I know for the Bible Tells Me So. Just my .02 :) Jesse R. Kirchhoff

Its Great Stuff....I love it.:)

Like Ken I have been very lucky with my customers….then again I am 6’4” and weigh 296 pounds-so that may have something to do with it.:) Of course we get plenty of crabby ones but never down right disrespectful. All in all we are very fortunate and that is the only reason I am able to offer a Satisfaction Guarantee for all of my work.

Just got in from St. Louis a while ago and what a mess! An estimated 570,000 people are still without power and may not get it back for another 4 days! This is nothing compared to what happened to the South during the hurricanes but for us it is a big deal. Traffic jams everywhere and everything is shut down. All those old brick homes must feel like pizza ovens in this heat. If I can help you guys in any way just let me know. Here is a Google search about it http://news.google.com/news?q=St.+Louis+power+outage&hl=en&lr=&sa=X&oi=news&ct=title Russ if you are out of power - come on down to the Lake of the Ozarks and cool off.....I owe you a room at the Four Seasons anyway.

An old school cedar guy (20 years of cleaning and sealing cedar homes) said that he uses Seal-Crete from Sherman Williams for viny, aluminum, and paint oxidation. I did not believe it - but Sherman Williams backed up his claims that it looks nice.

Hey Brent, How do you feel about the installation of the urethane grout versus standard black sanded grout? I am referring to dry time, clean up and how well it blends with the existing grout. I am scared to death of how this stuff will clean up if it is that strong. We hit the black grout with a scouring pad to remove haze then damp rags and hundreds of buckets of clean water are exchanged as fast as I can switch them. The very, very light haze is left for the minimum wage workers to get that next night after closing. I have tried to sell them on the benefits of sealing (including ease of clean up and less eroding) but it falls on deaf ears. Thanks for your thoughts, Jesse

Thank Steve.

Thanks for The info Ron. The black sanded grout with red quarry tile and base cove is exactly what is used in 90% of the places that I repair. I will do a search on this new grout and recommend it to my clients. They tear down and rebuild their stores every 10-15 years but are still slow to change things that arnt working (like using 5/8 regular drywall instead of hardi board in the kitchens). Thanks, Jesse

My Dad has some fine looking navy blue MFA FEED hats like that (with the stiff mesh back of course) and he is mighty proud of them. From what I can tell by the looks of him and his budies the object is to wear them up just as high on your head as possible without the wind blowing them off!:lolsign:

Thanks for the link Steve. Just a couple of questions: How much does the unit you are using sell for? Does it use water or steam and how much? Will it erode the grout quickly like the hand held stiff bristle brushes they are now using in the franchises? I cant tell much from the web site and have no time to listen to a salesman. Thanks again and have a great weekend. Jesse

I do a LOT of regrouting and tile repair for fast food chains along with basic repair and maintenance and have been searching for a dry vapor steam cleaner to clean interior tile and to remove gum on the sidewalks. I would not feel comfortable letting all of that excess water sit on the floors like that. Most chains do not seal their grout or use water proof backer board or even green board on the walls. All that excess water wicks up the wall rotting out the bottom 16 inches or so of drywall behind the tile or FRP board. At the very least some of the base cove tile or vinyl base will eventually fall off due to wall deterioration and severe mold. Most of my tile repair is because of over zealous employees using a garden hose and stiff bristle brush to clean the tile after closing. I’m not telling you how to do your work…only reporting on what I see on a weekly basis. That is why I am on the hunt for an affordable steam cleaner like the gum buster. I just finished up formica repairs in a large cafiteria at the Truman Bldg. and they were asking about having the grout cleaned at all of the state buildings around here (I live in the state capital) If anyone has any experience with a dry steam vapor cleaner I would sure like to hear how you like it and what it cost. This will be a great add on for my existing clientell. Thanks allot,:) Jesse

This was posted by Sonny Lykos on www.contractortalk.com - and like most everything else that he has written; it encompasses my thoughts exactly (I have a hard time expressing my thoughts in a logical order) These are some the goals that I would like to accomplish in the next 5 years that I had never considered before reading "The E-Myth Contractor" Who or What Are We? Well, now that I started the “ That Should Have Been Included” thread, let me start another one. This one determines how each of us feel about ourselves as business owners. Do we feel we are 3rd class citizens as many, of not most of the public does, or do we think highly of ourselves a “owners” and as “owners” entitled to certain perks. And as you think about those business owner “entitlements”, think also about all of the entitlements 90% of the public thinks they should get and demand from our government, corporations, schools, hospitals, etc. I’ll start with what my OH and perks include without including the basic items we’re all aware of: 1. A minimum of 20% net profit 2. 4 weeks of paid vacation 3. 8 paid holidays,, or more 4. My medical premium. 5. All dental work out of pocket 6. Reserve for bad debt 7. Reserve for warranty work 8. All expenses plus salary for at least two annual trade shows. 9. All books and magazine subscriptions 10. Uniforms, shoes and socks. 11. 4 Sick/injury days annually - paid 12. Workers comp. I refuse to save strangers money at my expen$e. 13. My life insurance premium. 14. Bookkeeping. I pay my wife $150/wk to do it. 15. Finally, a generous salary. Free free to add to or delete items from my list.. Sonny Lykos

This is the best advice I have ever heard. :) Even though I already run my business this way; I could never quite articulate my feelings as well as Sonny Lykos has.

How much are you asking for it?

I was wondering how this worked out for you? I contacted them today and am expecting a phone call Monday. My area was declared a disaster area because of the severe hail storms that rolled thru about a month ago. I have been estimating hail damaged siding replacement for 2 weeks now and a lot of homes are severely oxidized. Only 2 sides get replaced so the remaing 2 sides look like crap. Maybe this stuff will help? Thanks, Jesse

#1 Name Recognition #2 References (if needed) I am unclear what you mean by “I am having a hard time believing you detail for the customer exactly what your profit structure is built upon.” My clients have no idea what my overhead or profit is.

Technician man-hours billed by Kirchhoff Handyman Solutions shall include all of the productive labor time normally associated with the customer’s project and any other time spent on behalf of the customer, including but not limited to: • Evaluation of project (at owners request) to provide Owner with an estimated cost for completion. • Technician hourly rate of $60 per man-hour (special discounts may apply), with a minimum charge of one (1) man-hour. Time incurred over one hour will be billed at fifteen minute increments. • Pick up and delivery of materials, plus standard 20% markup over cost for materials purchased by Contractor on behalf of the customer. (Owner can save money by having materials onsite, ready for installation) • Disposal fees for any material which cannot fit into a standard 30 gallon trash can. • Small service fee of $30 applied to all individual invoices. • Payment is due upon completion unless prior arrangements are made before work begins.

I have been considering adding dryer vent and hose cleaning to my services. It may be another nice add on for you if you already have the lift up there. It sounds like you have found thje goose that lays the golden eggs, I am happy for you. Good Luck, Jesse How do we clean dryer vents? We perform two types of cleaning: "Routine Cleaning"and "Problem Cleaning". Routine Cleaning: All dryer vents are cleaned from the outside using a high pressure, compressed air tool - a jet-snake. The jet-snake shoots down the vent like a rocket, blasting loose lint, debris, and nests, sending it to the outside, where we catch it in a special bag. It will normally turn 2 or 3 corners, cleaning to the flexible hose behind the dryer. No lint enters the dryer or residence. "Routine cleaning" is usually performed on large quantities of vents at apartments and condominiums. Problem Cleaning is performed when an individual dryer is not drying clothes fast enough. We disconnect and pull the dryer out, install a large blower on the vent, and blow, brush, vacuum and/or dismantle - whatever it takes to get the vent clean! Commercial dryers in central laundry rooms are also cleaned this way.

This is web site is FUNNY.....take the time to read all the way through the letters....it is so worth it!:lgsideway http://419eater.com/html/letters.htm Jesse