RCBill

I don't have goals as far as communicating with others. And there are aspects of my business that I wouldn't communicate to blue waters. But I am doing management things that I would enjoy 'talking' about. And while I have some know-how, I'm sure I would benefit from the experience of others. For instance; I'm using Business Plan 2007 to write a plan supplemented with several other tools. The software has a page for 'Keys to Success'. I think that I know what indicators/numbers I should track to facilitate achievement of objectives. BUT, you may have better indicators that I hadn't thought of for several possible reasons. Another example; I know a compensation model that is driving a few painting companies to fabulous net. I'd share that with someone who has been generous with me but is also outside my market, as it is a competitive advantage. I pretty much just want to communicate with others on subjects like management, finance, admin, and personel. I hoped to do something privately. But that didn't jell. I could do something here, keeping a few things to myself. I was part of a group that built management systems for painting contractors. While I didn't complete the project, I have the 'framework'. I also thought of leading an effort to do something like write a business plan, or marketing plan, or, and this is the best, a cash-flow forecast. But my experience is that I'll make a post on one of these subjects and get 54 views and 0 replies. So, I've been working all alone. Just me and my desktop, Ted. No Ted was bad yesterday. Suzy, yeh, Suzzzy. 'night

Thanks Jon, I'll take you up on that.

Well, to this old painter, matters of quality and professionalism are givens. The most important part of the process for me is estimating the job correctly. If I do that right and lose the job on price, I can live with it. If I overestimate and don't get it on price, I kick myself, and if I'm really high and get it, I feel guilty. If I underestimate, I take the hit, which means I'm not making the money I should be making. Then I should get a job with someone that knows what they're doing.

Cash-flow from now to the end of next year. If you only have a few jobs, and expect to be shut down until things thaw out up there, rent a machine. Not at all sexy, but you'll learn a ton, enabling you to make informed decisions. And hold on to your money as long as you can, you are going to need it. Bill, lovin' the Cape Fear, Lightner

No business is better'n bad business.

I have a job to wash a house that has several small copper roofs. I don't want a hard lesson with this. I'd appreciate a heads up. Bill

Happy Birthday Celeste. Bill

LOL, good one Doug.

If it were easy there wouldn't be any money in it. This is very important. If I were you I'd be reading stuff written by pros. When I want to learn something I go to Amazon, select a few top sellers in the subject, and order them all. When I get them I scan them, keep one or two, and return the rest. Hell Jon, you don't know me from Adam. Making an important decision like this, based on my advice, is a bit questionable. Sometimes I can't stop myself when faced with an opportunity to opine. Bill

Jon, IMO the name is fine. If you are uneasy about communicating with prospects, it may be that you partially understand that people aren't interested in 'Chapman Property Services', they want clean houses. The name of your company doesn't need to be 'Jon's Clean Houses'. But all your marketing and advertisings needs to say 'You will be proud of the clean house Chapman will deliver'. If your name is prominent in your advertising, well... this isn't a good thing. Big companies with big brands can advertise with their names. Little guys need to be telling people how they can help them. It may be that the only time the name of your company comes up in conversation is when the homeowner asks you who to make the check out to. On the other hand, the name of my company pigeonholes me. My Painter, Inc. is breathing it's last breaths. But even the new name will occupy a small space in my marketing/advertising. Oh yeah, one more thing. Marketing gurus tell us that our being bored with our message, doesn't mean the market isn't listening. RC

Greetings from the Cape Fear, I am planning for much more revenue from washing operations. As I am begining to plan for next year, I need data that I do not have. The data that I need includes direct labor/revenue and direct materials/revenue as they apply to house washing, roof washing, and deck restoration. An aggregate of these disciplines would also be helpful. Please note; all that I need are the ratios, and that you helped this poor boy in the backwaters of NC shall be our secret. Unless you want me to tell the internet what a great guy or gal that you are. TIA

hmmm...... I can see how it is difficult to be on the same sheet of music. And I certainly would not ask for sensitive data. I have met contractors that share financial data. A contractor, Dial One in Calif., was very generous in reveling to a private group, what his operation looked like in financials. Most of us would love to have his Marketing budget as Revenue. This is not what I asked for here. I am putting together a marketing budget and cash flow projection for 2007 when I will be crashing through performance ceilings. I would like to project the direct costs of an average house wash, roof wash, and deck restoration. And the numbers need not be precise. If I knew that Rod, Larry, and Ken came in at about 35% to45% of Revenue in labor and materials, then I would be able to calculate; what my costs should be, how many jobs that I need to meet my goals, how many sales, leads, etc. I understand that owners don't put this stuff out to the universe. In posting this subject I hoped that I would catch the eye of a manager or two that would want to confer with me privately. I have had some success in this. I would like to talk to owners that write (even partial) business and marketing plans, people that like to count the money, and those with crazy ambitions. I have some very cool tools. RC

Did the very same thing Jon. This is the kind of stuff that makes old guys double check everything. We've had a lot of years of stupid things.

Well, I did a fence with the 60psi, 1.8 Shurflo. And a couple decks with the Decker. The Decker with the adjustable wand is a much, much better system. I got mine from ACR. I don't have a lot of experience coating decks, and my wife didn't know backbrush from backhoe. But we knocked off a 1300 sq ft. deck and a little side wood in 6.5 hours from arrival to departure. I figure that I got my money back on that one job. Bill

Playing Aberdeen Sunday. They have a yardage 'book' on their website.

Mike, 24 for 25 is pretty telling. Either you are in an area that is underserved. Or, you are a crazy good salesman. Or, your pricing is below your competition's prices. Or, you look like a Beamer and price like a Saturn. I'm not much of a PW yet, but I've been around the trades for a long time and have hung out with some pretty big boys. Common to becoming a big boy is setting expectations and profitable pricing. Bill

I met a man today that spent seven hours in the ocean,in the water, at night. He fell out of his boat without a landyard. The 18' boat traveled to shore. Captains went out to find him. And they did. I listened as he told an aquaintence. This is the most frightening thing in my imagination.

I wouldn't miss that.

Can I pump Sodium Hypochlorite, Sodium Hydroxide, Percarb, and Oxalic with my M15 without destroying it? It has the Viton seals, but I don't know what I don't know.

Thanks Reed, When I click your i32.photolink.com\something, all that loads is a logo. I see that you offer accent lighting. How is this working for you? Are you doing any other upsells?

I believe deals can be had in MB. The fall is prime time though. Get all those yankees.

Picking up a bit now. We lost electricity for a moment.

I've played Aberdeen several times and always enjoy it. Aberdeen and Long Bay are owned by the same corporation. Waterway Hills is also in the group. I know these courses because an uncle works for them and I get to play them for free. Which was a good thing while learning to keep the ball in play. October is a good time to play. I haven't been playing as much as I like to because it's been pretty warm. Myrtle Beach in the spring is a great place for a roundtable.

Nice link Tim. I read something published by a University a few years ago that could be used to audit a small business. In this paper the authors listed common traits(?) of companies that fail. There were six or seven of these traits, I don't remember them all. But I do recall that common to companies that fail is the lack of a business plan. Also a lack of fiscal controls; budget, maybe cost management. People do build successful businesses without a business plan. But there are exceptions to everything.

Greetings From The Cape Fear, Ground zero for Ernesto. At 9:19pm not much more than breezy and wet. Well, very wet. But it's no biggie for us. Winds will pick up to maybe 40mph which isn't much. The danger is in something airborned blasting my new sunroom. Got a housewash in the morning on Kure Beach which is next to Carolina Beach which is in the news for a bridge closing. We get tougher thunderstorms. How does it go? "Famous last words." But thanks for asking. Bill