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Condescending... Much?

he's got some mega rigs!! I was just listing the 'targets'...

:taz:... wetfoot, russ, scott... :taz:

... I heard Lowes are doing a special on rust-oleum?? No need to pay double.

*** NEWSFLASH *** CleanFast USA, the Orlando, FL based pressure washing service contractor, has just announced its own 'economic stimulus plan'... CleanFast USA Economic Recovery Plan

Mel, no problem. I won't post it here... honestly, the only benefit that I was looking to gain from it was having other contractors contact details on hand for referrals. A few of my customers have interests nationwide and I would like to be able to pass on referrals... I understand your concern with it pointing to a non-member of TGS... I do manage my blog posts, but as you say, I don't own the blog.

Beth If you feel it is spam, please remove it... I don't want to rub anyone up the wrong way. If the other user is offended, I apologize... and if they are concerned about it, feel free to call, PM or email me. maybe I 'dressed it up' too much... it is simply a drawing for a $50 gas card each month for the rest of 2009. No strings attached. I think some folk can be too suspicious. I guess the one string attached is filling out your details to be entered... Like I say, if it doesn't fit in with the tone of the board or is not a positive contribution to content, please remove it.

February Winner Spencer Williams from MTO Cleaning Services in Tampa has won a $50 gas card as part of the 'CleanFast USA Economic Stimulus Plan'!! His company offers a range of cleaning services - maid services, carpet cleaning, janitorial services, pressure washing and more! He represented his Tampa Pressure Washing Company at the Florida round table last year... congratulations Spencer, your $50 gas card is on its way! Everyone who has already signed up will be in for all the future monthly drawings... anyone who hasn't already signed up can go to my company pressure washing blog and complete the details at the top of the page for your chance to win throughout 2009.

only 16 guys signed up!!!!! it's like that old story about the shabby looking, out of work guys in the line at the gas station... (not that any of you are shabby looking and out of work !!:eek: ) "are you gonna buy a lotto ticket this week, the jackpot is $7 million?" "... is that all, nah, I'll wait until it's $15 million..." All you have to do is go here CleanFast USA $50 Gas Card: CleanFast USA Economic Stimulus Plan and fill out your details for your chance to win. One name will be drawn each month for the rest of 2009. Map of Entrants so far (no names or addresses): Map

Graduated University in '05 with BA Sports Development & Leisure Management. Ran a couple of small businesses with my fiance while at University, also worked in health and fitness club industry. Upon leaving University got a management job with a large health and fitness facility - loved this job!! Opportunity to emigrate to US came up in early '07 - came across, bought a swimming pool service business. Branched into Pressure Washing in March of '08, which is moving in the right direction in the first year of business (despite the economy) Business is an LLC, 1 million General Liability, 1 million Umbrella, Workers Compensation, 1 million commercial auto

Serious Business Talk Only! ;-) - Pliner.Net Chat Rooms Hey folks, anyone chatting tonight? a few topics I'd like to talk about... 1) Florida Round Table 2) I've got a HydroTek Hydro Twister surface cleaner that is not cleaning evenly (anyone know of possible problems?) 3) Chemicals that you carry with you, or keep in stock... must haves for residential... must haves for commercial... any other applications. 4) Other Niche markets? Industrial/Manufacturing (equipment cleaning), agricultural, warehouses, stadium/venues. anything else?

just bumping this back up... anyone chatting tonight? there 3 of us just now Serious Business Talk Only! ;-) - Pliner.Net Chat Rooms

Hey folks I cold called Chick-Fil-A in Celebration a few days ago for exterior cleaning of building, sidewalks, drivethru, etc.... got a call back yesterday from the manager - but not regarding my area of work. He was asking for steam cleaning of the tiles in the kitchen area, but I'm not set up for this - and my focus is on exteriors for now. I'm sure I could learn how to do it and what I need, but at this moment I'm not going to sacrifice quality for the sake of getting a job... I'd rather let someone who is in this field have a shot!! Anyways, here's the location and contact details if anyone's interested, Chick-Fil-A - Celebration, FL ... he said he was happy with his current pressure wash contractor doing the sidewalks and drivethru! Hope this is of use to someone. Regards Steven

"Do we really care about the cost of gas?" ... of course!!!! I understand that price can/could/should be passed onto the end user or consumer, but anything that affects my price, costs & margins - I care and care in a big way! From my perspective, I am focused on growing my PW business and gas prices make a difference... why? 1) Client Acquisition I need exposure and face to face contact with potential clients to develop my brand and sell the benefits of my service. yes this can be done through marketing materials and phone/email, but probably would not be as effective as face to face and a handshake, which involves driving to various locations... therefore I care about the cost of gas 2) Cost of Jobs Initially, jobs are taking longer - partly due to a need to develop more efficient practices which will come with experience and partly due to taking extra time to ensure job is more than satisfactory (which is currently the case according to client feedback!!!:)) this means I am using more gas... therefore I care about the cost of gas 3) Economic conditions As has already been mentioned, the gas price increases have affected things we buy for the household and business - requiring us to make more money to continue to get by. In my situation, in the early stages of this business, making more money costs more money (being a 'mobile contract cleaner' means more gas)... therefore I care about the cost of gas. Don't get me wrong, I would not use the cost of gas as an excuse for poor business performance, but I would be foolish to say that I didn't care. I am giving my perspective as a new entrant in the PW industry. I also run a Swimming Pool Service Company - how many accounts have I lost in the last 6 months...45!!!... no, it wasn't due to poor service or overpricing. 40 of the accounts belonged to a management company who decided to take services in-house to reduce their costs and 5 private accounts, again, who were very happy with their service had to cut their household expenses. Just my input from a different perspective...

hey folks got a query... hope someone can shed some light. I am going with General Liability and Trailer equipment coverage with Joe Walters, but I am looking at another provider for commercial auto for the truck. Are there any potential problems having separate providers on the truck and trailer/equipment? If I was to be involved in an accident on the road or needed to make a claim would it be a headache dealing with 2 companies, or is it purely dependent on which item is damaged (truck or trailer)? Does anyone else have separate providers, any feedback on how this works for you? Regards StevenB

... being new in this industry, I would welcome licensing and certification. My reasons: 1) I want to succeed and feel that undergoing some sort of training or education would help in this process. I understand the need for doing a job well... not just doing a job, collecting money and riding off into the sunset. 2) Perhaps it is a personality trait, but I feel that it is important to take the time to learn the methods and skills of the industry, allowing the delivery of a better service - I owe it to my potential customers, peers and self to know what I am doing. 3) Many seem to talk about the general public not understanding the industry or having a low opinion work standards - I feel that certification provided by a recognized Pressure Washing body would help reverse opinions - not only because someone has a badge/sticker/certificate, but on the whole steps are taken towards raising standards . In my county to get a business license for Residential Pool Care you have to be a Certified Pool Operator, a 16 hour course that teaches the basics of Swimming Pool Service. I can't say whether this has helped raise standards or not... but there are still plenty of unlicensed guys getting work?!?! All in all, I would like to gain certification in Pressure Washing... I know there is no replacement for experience, but it would be good to have the knowledge to ensure that the expected results are achieved... fortunately I have taken the time to speak to people in the industry and read, read, read. Thanks for all the info on these boards!

I hate to hear about s%*t like this, these lowlife scroungers don't know what a hard days work or what it means to earn your possessions... I hope you and your wife can find some way to sleep easy... with a bit of fortune those two scumbags will get what they are due. Back in Scotland, we had a guy come round asking if we wanted our gutters cleaned - we told him no thanks, he ended up robbing the old lady next door to us - these people are just dirt. sorry to hear this happened to you...:furious:

My mother-in-law (to be) is a Realtor with Florida Homes International, based out of Davenport - which is a stones throw away from all the attractions and Orlando itself. She would love to help you with your search, there are many bargains around here just now - give her a call on (321) 624-8195, her name is Linda Brown. Hope this is of some help buddy.

While researching for information about EIFS I came across this information, hope it can help some folk out there. It might be good if we could turn this thread into a resource for articles or information about the cleaning of EIFS? --- just a thought I saved the info into a 'PDF' format so that readers can save it in their information library, rather than trawl through bookmarks in their web browser. Regards Steven Cleaning EIFS.pdf EIFS - Synthetic Stucco.pdf EIFS Cleaning.pdf

Hey Folks Have just been asked to provide a proposal for a local Condo Association... this is my first large proposal and feel a bit stumped, so any guidance will be greatly appreciated. The property manager has said that the Board will be meeting in 6 days time so would be good to get it in by then. There are 31 units (buildings) in the complex, there is also a clubhouse building, car wash building, 2 mail collection areas and 9 3-car garages. Here goes with dimensions: - 5 Units ~ 3 storeys ~ 94' x 38' - 6 Units ~ 3 storeys ~ 90' x 78' - 2 Units ~ 3 storeys ~ 125' x 70' - 4 Units ~ 2 storeys ~ 112' x 28' - 1 Units ~ 3 storeys ~ 200' x 120' - 3 units ~ one section is 3 storeys - 254' x 88' ~ other section is 2 storeys - 80' x 42' - 10 units ~ 3 storeys ~ 70' x 38' - Clubhouse ~ 1 storey ~ 98' x 50' - 9 3-car garages ~ 36' x 22' I will post some pics in a couple of hours, but there are a few canvas awnings, all units have balconies and recesses. They have only asked for building exteriors - no gutters or roofs (they need done!!!) My equipment (when I get it) will be trailer mounted 3000psi 8gpm hot water Hydrotek, 335 gallon water tank. If successful I may need to ask for a local contractors assistance as I am green as the grass and would probably need to run a 2nd rig to finish in a timely manner. My initial figure for the 31 units and clubhouse based on .80 per linear foot per storey is $24691. Am I way off? Please point me in the right direction. Thanks, I'll be back soon. Steven

Hey Folks I was rooting around some of my old University work and came across a Research Project that I had done for Membership Retention within the Health, Fitness & Leisure Club Sector of the Leisure Industry in the UK. Although not specific to the Pressure Cleaning industry there are some ideas and concepts that apply to the service industry as a whole. Read "Customer Retention" instead of Membership Retention... the Nature of Service section may be applicable to service providers. If my Research Project is not applicable for this section or board, I will not be offended if it is removed... just hoping to initiate thought or discussion. regards Steven Button !Research Project!.pdf

Hey Ken what's your involvement in the leisure industry? I've worn many hats; as a coach I taught athletics, badminton, rugby, soccer to 3 year olds right through to adults, young offenders and those with special needs... I really enjoyed coaching, smiling faces was the motivation!!! In the health and fitness club side of things, I was a Pool Plant Operator (although this was part of my role within both of the clubs I worked at), Body Max instructor (basically a resistance training class to music... no leotards!!), Personal Trainer and was a Club Supervisor and later a Duty Manager of a 120,000 sq.ft facility. I really enjoyed the leisure industry, but the opportunities in the West of Scotland were few and far between. I would love to coach again over here, just haven't got round to finding out more about it!

Hey guys, I have posted a longer reply over on ***, don't want to repeat the whole thing again... but here are some pics that I took today... they don't really show the size of the buildings, more the construction and grime that is on them. Image.vc Free Photo Hosting (Free Image Hosting) and optional paid image hosting Image.vc Free Photo Hosting (Free Image Hosting) and optional paid image hosting Image.vc Free Photo Hosting (Free Image Hosting) and optional paid image hosting Image.vc Free Photo Hosting (Free Image Hosting) and optional paid image hosting Image.vc Free Photo Hosting (Free Image Hosting) and optional paid image hosting Image.vc Free Photo Hosting (Free Image Hosting) and optional paid image hosting Image.vc Free Photo Hosting (Free Image Hosting) and optional paid image hosting Image.vc Free Photo Hosting (Free Image Hosting) and optional paid image hosting Image.vc Free Photo Hosting (Free Image Hosting) and optional paid image hosting Image.vc Free Photo Hosting (Free Image Hosting) and optional paid image hosting I'm going to go and play with the figures a bit, thanks for the quick replies guys, I am going to try and make this work - I am taking all of your advice. (as long as the job is safe, and the condo association is delighted with the quality of work!) I think I may have missed out the 3 car garages in my initial pricing, and I was measuring by the linear foot the whole way. Also, the measurements I took were length by width. I'll look at it again, bearing in mind what you have all said. Back soon! Thanks again. Steven

hey kevin, thanks for you advice... is .32/sq.ft/level a typical rate for condo work? $9876.... I'm a long way off if this is the rate! I'll get some pics up for you all. thanks again, anyone else got any ideas> Regards Steven

Carlos May I have a copy of the forms aswell, I hope I'm not too late!!! Thank you for sharing this information, my email is info@cleanfastusa.com Kind Regards Steve Button