Jeff

The Pink house in the pictures we did for $775.00 it took me and one of my workers around 6 hours to do it was a PITA, but I had a lift to get to all the 8 homes, so where we could drive the lift we used it, the upper areas oceanfront were a pain. Then we did some brick walls & walks for another $300 There was one other that we did for $825. I think that was my most expensive just house wash. Wewere working usually 2 houses at a time we were done with all 8 in 4 or 5 days with some extras Its a pretty sweet job. I like that we do several because the lift made it easier, alot less ladder work. I hate washing on ladders If we get all 18 it will be a good money job

Happy Anniversary to ME !!! FULLTIME PWing 2 YEARS TODAY 3/5/06. YAY I'm happy I did it JL - TFPWKOMB

I had 4 appointments today, 3 with General Managers of large ocean front hotel/condo towers and one with a golf pro, for a local course You know with time & experience you learn how to handle people/customers better. Having the answers and being ready for what ever they throw at you helps Two of the people were great, were open to having me do the work, they were referalls. No problem went in and told them what needed to be done and some of it they said ok and some has to wait because of money or time One of the other GM, was trying to beat me down on price, but I had all the answers. Its a 90K+ parking garage & front entrance. We are going to be doing it 2 times a year. The first time we are only doing the 1st 5 floors of 10 floors,so he asked me the price for doing half. I told him since he's with this certain PM company I'll do the job for half the total of but theres a little extra of the front entrance I'll be doing and I should charge extra. It cmes out to $6600 for all 10 floors, so $3300 for 5 floors. He says they only have $3000 in the budget for the 1st cleaning. He wanted me to take off $300. I told him I CAN'T. I told him that my price is very good and so isnt our work. I told him theres a reason you got rid of the last company, its either they charged more or did subpar work or both. I once again stated our price is good and our quality of work is unsurpassed by any in the area. He paused for a while and I pulled out my contract. I explained excactly what & how we were going to clean the parking garage and told him if he signs now the price is set for 2 years. He asked again for me to lower my price and I nicely said if he needs time to think about it ok. I started pulling back contract and he said let me see it. A few minutes later he signed it. It felt good getting this signed. Now another GM had told one of my PM's that he wasnt ready to sign for their 230,000 sq ft garage. He wanted to try us out on a smaller project. So we met today and he showed me what he wanted done. Its an aarea of the front of building that is shwing mold, mildew & rust. We went in his office and I gave him a price it was under $2000 he said that was fair. So I brought up the parking garage, Now I already had known that they were only going to do this garage once a year at most, a heads up from the PM. So he asked how I come up with my figure on the garage. Its a square foot rate. Im charging $.06 since he's with this certain PM company the same one as above. He tells me if its done twice a year thats almost $30,000 a year He asked me why so much. Simple answer "Sir its a big parking garage" He told me they had someone do it last year for $8000. I asked him why they arent doing it this year. He paused and said it didnt look like they did anything they werent happy with the job. I told him let me explain how we do it and I did. He said how does he know we'll do a better job. I asked him if the other company used hot water, surafce cleaners degreasers . He saud he didnt know. I also said instead of 2 times a year, we'll do it one time to save money so its not $30K its less than 15K. I was told they werent going to do it 2 times by PM I told him let me do a sample, let me show him what can be done. We do sample next week, 20X20 I told him. He Ok'd the little job and he thanked me for explaining everything Now I dont know if we'll get the parking garage or not. Id say a good chance. But as their complaining about quality, price etc. I was ready for any question he threw at me. Today was a good sales day. held my ground and told them why they cant afford not to use us. We'll see what happens I dont know why I wrote all this, just wanted to share my days experience The calls and work just keep coming in. I also got phone ok from 2 other PM's to schedule projects. This is going to be one hell of a year:lgsideway Jeff

I usually know the answers now to most questions, but if Im really dont have any idea I'm honest and tell them I just dont know and I'll look into it and get back to you. When I was real new to this not long ago, Id try to BS them or just say I dont know. I dont like either answer thou. With time & experience comes knowledge. Ive been caught stammering for the right answer before and now just tell them the truth. Now if it was questions about wood, I know very little and thats part of the reason I dont try for wood work, I'll leave that stuff up to you pro's

Theres a few that are even bigger. Last year I had to do the last 2 houses there by myself, my worker went on a crack binge. I had the biggest one to do it was the board presidents it was 4 1/2 stories and to top it off I broke a brick on one of his fence walls with the lift. Man Im thinking why the HOA Prez. He was cool, his mason fixed it for $35 Hey wheres Chaplin MN, my wife has family in Marshall & Minneapolis

Plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead. Really I get my paper work, proposal, etc etc done in the wee hours. I dont like doing it all when its family time. Plus Im buried alive with proposals to do, I cant complain Did they ship the skid yet?

Im glad you all like my post, These BB's are so much help to me also, I wouldnt be anywhere without them and you all. Ive been pretty lucky. Thanks for letting me share whats going on in my life. Its a great help to me and its relaxing and I learn so much from you all Thanks everyone for everything. Now could you help me figure out how the heck Im going to be able to do all this:lgbugeyes :lgbonk: You know its really funny, I dont know S--- about biz, I mean it, but i get it done somehow, If you could see my home office & paper work.......LOL Thanks JL

Life is Good but can be stressful also Today one of my guys said at the end of the day yesterday he sunk the lift in the grass a little. I told him no big deal we'll look at it. When we turned the corner there was water bubbling up from the ground. I said OH S--- I called the PM and told her. The sent irrigation guy , then fire sprinler guy, Well after about an hr and 7 or 8 more guys they finally got the water off. Im thinking they are going to try to lay this on me. My lift My problem> It was the main to building. Now they have to go in 26 units and turn of water heaters etc It a 4" main reduce to a 3" and it was ONLY 6" under ground and on top of that the fill that they used was crap there was a rock about a fot long and wide right on top of the pipe. Im talking with const. super and said your not trying to lay this on me. Plumbers show up and laughed how shallow it was. Long story short they fixed it put it lower and told me not my fault COOL Now Monday we were finishing high rise we were on the bottom floor and fire alarms starts going off, GM calls and said it was because of US. I said maybe but we have everything covered with tape, nothing more we could of done. The 2 fire trucks come screaming in. Im like OH S---. Well I hear on maint. radio, That yes he(we) have everything covered. No problem not our fault!! You know I hope nothing else happens this week, I cant handle something else thats not our fault Other than that both jobs are going well , this big jobs going real well Except for the 35MPH winds that blew mix all over the windows we already cleaned, Thats another story. we'll take care of that tomorrow At least there good $$$ jobs, always something, just got to go with the flow JL

I'm looking for a new rig. Something completly setup. I dont have the time to set one up from scratch. Ive seen some nice set ups, but alot of them have not much room for extra stuff Any of you out there who know how to search can you help me out and post some sites & pics. I just dont have the time. Im getting slammed with work & estimates I'm looking for nothing over 14' trailer so it will fit in garage. Maybe 8gpm, reels etc Also if you could find me some good employees would help LOL JL

just like to babble about the biz, the wife is alright to talk to but, just doesnt follow what I'm saying all the time, she's busy being Mom, pregnant and watching American Idol & America Top Model

Straight boom lift, I usually have no problems. It was the Main water pipe being only 6 inches under ground that was the problem.

Ron no these were building washes. When I do parking garages machines are on the outside and we just run hoses in As for monitoring comany I call the GM each morning & she calls monitoring company. The last day she admitted she forgot, thats why FD came, thats on her and the check is on its way per PM no prob As for the plywood I have 15 sheets in half, I give many the option if they stress concern, then when I give them cost, they say just drive on grass its OK. I do write up in contract in detial about grass & lift, I tell them may leave impressions and I am not resposible for ANY damage. Ive been surprised thay HOA's or GM's havent called me and said e arent agreeing to that, but they havent. Only one time someones complained and it was a deep hole near a retaining wall and I put a little fill dirt and some sod. I could have pointed the to the line in the contract & said not my problem, but I made the hole so i fixed it. As for the water main the PM told me they had a regular board meeting and they said no problem for me I cant see under ground and they are going after old plumber. The pipes were to be 4 feet under and they werent Just been one of those weeks, just something you have to deal with. I hate problems, but they do come up JL

Fullblast some I have on file, but origanally I just look them up on the internet. Verizon SuperPages quite often they will post web sight and quite often will have namse, email & fax # or at least one of the 3 When Im doing nothing I look JL

March seems like a strange time to be thinking about winter work, but thats what Im doing. Like Mom & Dad always said "think ahead" So I'm trying to line up work for the Fall & Winter. My area is a tourist & retirement area. The tourist part is what Im thinking about. So I'm pushing the the parking garages and hotel building washing also gutter cleaning of complexes geared towards vacationers. With vacation hotels and such they cant have us working with everybody around. So one of my new fliers states we work around your schedule, book cleaning now for the fall & winter. I have a few parking garages lined up for the winter, these are jobs I already did once Just a thought when someone says this is a bad time to do the work, tell them sign now and you'll guarantee the price for all of 2006 if they sign now. For the colder area of the country you can be looking at complexes to clean gutters or building & flatwork weather permitting. These might be areas that are busy in the spring & summer Just a thought, trying to think ahead JL

Ken, I like the one I have & showed you, The 30" Big Guy, Watercannon has the best price $719-$749 If you have room on the trailer. I've had mine 2 years and not one problem with it. Order it with tips for 8gpm & an extra set for 4GPM when your using both wands. Also do you have a roto nozzle there a great help.I'll show you one when you come Saturday JL

I'm surprised he didn't mention his barrel tile experience! cheers, /neil Funny thing, Monday afternoon a paint contractor called me and asked me to look at a job on the blvd. Went and met him and it was a small building, with barrel tile:lgtear: He needed it done in a week, told him I was booked solid. Oh darn lol JL Pressure Washing & Asphalt ( no tile ) Roof Cleaning

Bill, Next give me a call would like to meet you Have a good one!! JL

Hey Jim Since I sort of gave you the idea to email these companies do I get a percentage of that 20K? :lgsideway JL

Well its time to hire some more help. After my big American Workers speech on another post, Im thinking I should of shut up, because I'm dredding putting a help wanted in the paper. I have all March & April filled up and thats not including any residential. So I have to hire 2 more guys. Yesterday we were working a job and I had a mexican guy come up to me and ask for a job , he spoke broken english, but spoke so I could understand him. So I figured after everyone said mexicans work great and i was so negativ, Id give him a try. Well he didnt show up today, just my luck, I got the one unreliable mexican. Im never listening to you all again LOL So the help wanted, goes in this week. Oh fun Wish me luck, hope I find a good guy or 2 JL Anyone know anyone looking for a job. $11-$12 hr and I buy lunch

I'm looking for a good drum pump for my 55 gallon drums to siphon chem out of drums into my buckets. I now use these inexpensive little siphon type plastic pumps, theres a little squeeze pump with plastic tube, there OK but dont last to long Looking for real good ones that can handle caustics, & one for 12.5%. Something manual thats easy to use, but will last Anybody know of a good pump, could you post a websight or picture and were to get Thanks JL

Hire Me or Else, lol Heres some of the fliers I fax & mail, real simple. I send them to Pm's Ive never worked for and ones I have. It keeps my name in front of them. I know it works, Ive gotten calls that said I was thinking about calling you, then I got your flier/note. I send these every 2-4 months or something like it. I change them up all the time. Not pretty and not expensive, but effective JL

Jim keeps telling me, He's going to be the King & me the queen. I dont know about Jim , He called the other day and asked if I wanted to go see Brokeback Mountain:lglolly: ONLY KIDDING Jim with all your connections and the great work you do on new brick. You be the King of brick & beyond. Once the wife starts selling a bunch of homes you'll be fulltime and love it, everything has its time. Good Idea to contact the old contacts, I bet you get some calls and $$$$$ out of just something as simple as faxing & emailing. Go for it man I'll be talking to you JL

How'd you do that, never mind prior post:)

It was cool meeting you Neil, I cant wait to see you get the ball rolling big time, your a smart man, you'll be an assest to PWing in your area. Cant wait to see your trailer & rig all set up I mentioned the tile roof in another post, Neils talking about the job we started Saturday. I had to get up on a tile roof to get a little steeple. Well I just had never been on a tile roof. Its was like walking on flippin egg shells. Im used to running around on roofs, Sure cant do that on tile roofs, I swear Im never doing one of those Damn tile roofs, I'll end up owning the roof when Im done breaking them all. Don P and the rest of the Florida guys can have them. If I ever get a complex of tile roofs Im subbing it out JL

I'm glad it was you folks that met up with this man today, with everything you know about biz, you'll be a great asset to this young man. Its so scary & aggravating wanting to do some things, but just dont know where or how quite to start People are suppose to help other people, its a good thing your willing to do. It also turned a dreaded trip to the mall into a good trip. Whats the biz he wants to start? Tell him you want stock options when he's the King of his industry LOL Congrats I hope his dream comes true