Aaron Ochsner

I think it's chalk. aarOn

We did really well last year at right under $100K net sales. That was our first year with minimal advertising and marketing. I had two donkies both part time, to do that. This year we are expanding and growing so we have projected doubling net sales figures from last year, and by 2006 our net sales should peak around $500K. We are planning three labor crews, two for prep and one finish crew. Hope this helps. Cheers, Aaron

Looks like Boulder, Colorado. That's some truly amazing art work! Aaron

Given the large sq ft area, I would gather with what you said that your bid is around $15,000.00. Personally I would not go that low but it seems like you really wanted to get the job so you lowballed? Anyway, I would shoot out around $22,000.00 without seeing it. Cheers, Aaron :yoda:

:p Hello all.....I am looking into purchasing a slew of new equipment for the upcoming season, and would like some advice, if you're willing. Most importantly I want to buy 2 new PW's....I have seen a model offered at highpowersupply.com which is 3500 psi@ 8 GPM. My focus with my work is wood restoration(this next season focusing on cedar roofs) , but I also will be embarking on flatwork/building pressure washing , and perhaps some fleet washing if it becomes opportune. My question is, do I need to have my own water supply tanks to use such a high water volume machine? Or can I expect a normal spigot to put this GPM out into the machine? Should I go with 5 GPM? Trailer Rig? Also for those of you who have experience with different GPM machines, what ? if any difference in efficiency did you find between a 5 GPM machine, and an 8 GPM machine? I want to note that I do at this point still need portable units, and I am mainly planning on buying cold water units, unless otherwise dictated by adverse response on this post. I know I have the artistry, and ability to perform professional work, but when it comes to equipment , I honestly am at a loss. I have never really been all that interested in the super-uber-technical data, but I do...of course want to purchase what is right for my operations :| Funny enough(don't laugh please) I really have no idea what upstream VS downstream is, and if anyone wants to help me that would be great. With chems, until this year on my own, I used garden pumps, and this year switched to a shurflo set up which I love. Again I am looking into purchasing 2 PW's this spring, and could really use the veterans advice with this.........Thanks so much in advance, and I hope your holiday season is filled with joy, and your belly filled with swedish glugg :) Cheers, Aaron

Alan.........now THAT is stupity!! LOL... Cheers, aarOn :yoda:

I just wanted to say one thing here, because if I said anymore, like many of you we would be here for weeks in discourse. I have had some amazing experiences in my life. Things that that I most easily can call divine supernatural occurances. I am not a religious person though, and never have been, only spiritual. I think somewhere along the line in the translation of language, the word religion was confused with regimen. Jesus was not teaching religion, he was teaching a regimen of how to be a good person in the eyes of the divine master. Every 70 years since buddha walked the earth, a messenger has come to teach people the righteous way. It in my opinion is all about being a good person.....Sadly enough a whole lot of people, look at other people to compare themselves, and determine if they are good. Seemingly it is inherent that we all have flaws, so why would humans look to other humans to gauge how good or bad they are? Nature surrounds us, and nature upholds the laws of the universe, nature is where we should look to gauge if we are good or bad people............All of this is of course my opinion. :) Cheers, aarOn :yoda:

I agree Rob, water & chems clean, not pressure(on wood at least). The reason we are buying higher volume machines is exactly because of that. So Rob are you pre-washing before stripping? Is that what I am hearing? I think I heard James mention something like that on another board....? It seems like extra time to me...........I am curious how you can use a more dilute stripper, on already wet wood/failed finish? Do you have to increase your dwell time because of the dilution? I understand the point of the stripper actually working on the finish only, just curious about the effectiveness of what seems to be a very low chemical dilution. Would you use this on a hard to strip product? Or use full strength, on dry substrate? Also please explain what you meant by potas/hydrox not felting the wood when stripping? I have used both sodium and potassium hydrox, and have noticed mild felting with both. This is only on Cedar or Redwood though, I have never had felting occur on PT. Cheers, Aaron :yoda:

I was wondering if anyone has a business plan that has been used to successfully aquire finances with? If so, would you be willing to share it with me? Right now we have a nearly completed first draft, and I would like to compare ours with someone else's who again, has had success in closing on a business loan with it. Luckily I do have a 99% go ahead because my friend is our loan officer, but we really want to make sure our bases are covered completely, and professionally. We have used parts of the biz plan at the Delco website as a basis for building ours(Thanks Delco!!). Again I am willing to share ours with anyone who shares theirs. Happy New Year, aarOn

Hi everyone, Thanks for all your replies. :p Certainly I am trying to be as frugal as possible with equipment purchases, and vehicle purchases, but I still want quality. Our contingency plan is the duration of the loan, and the minimal amount our payment each month is. We are looking to have the loan paid off within 2 years, but have alotted ourselves 10 years just in case. Our monthly payments will be under $900.00(1-2 deck jobs). Our business plan is solely to gain access to financing for upgrades in equipment, 2 mobile offices, and product inventory. We are privately labeling sealer this year which requires us to buy a certain amount up front. We are considering this with chemicals as well. By doing this we also need our own product brochures, with color charts and so on, which costs more than I like to admit. Jim there is the possibility that we will have to dip into our cash flow for payroll, but we don't see this as a recurring situation. I suppose last year I was lucky in the sense that I got paid right at the completion of every job, and paid my donkey cash(hee-haw). I know somewhere down the line some jag is going to give me guff about paying me, and I may have to sue him. Hopefully that won't be the case, and hopefully our sales will have generated enough money to cover payroll in that case. The loan we are taking out is well under 6 digits.,We already have 4 commercial accounts interested in our services just from a phone call to each. They are all cedar shake roof/siding and 2 are roughly 35,000 sq ft , another is about 50,000, and one is over 100,000sq ft(huge complex). Per say we get one of those jobs, we have already covered our loan payments for the year. Then if said client accepts our maintenace program offer, we will generate another 2/3 the cost in 5 years. We are luckily situated and surrounded by the right demographic to support our higher prices. In a nutshell, we need 45 cedar roof jobs to pay back our loan, or 115 decks, or 20-25 larger residential painting jobs. Over ten years , I don't think it's out of line to think we'll get that amount of work. Cheers, Aaron :yoda:

Thanks Beth :) As soon as we're ready to buy, I'll give you a jingle, and we'll chat. I'd like to do that anyways :) We might need a new chem supply this season ;) Happy New Year, Aaron :yoda:

Hi Rick, I most certainly agree that noone should drop mad amounts of money as a start-up business. This will be my second season in business, and the reality is I need more capital to function on the right level. I invested minimal last season, and had a great return. I don't really do powerwashing persay, but it is a part of the wood care my company and I provide. We might get into doing house washing, and flat surface work if the demand is there, but as of now the focus is wood care, and exterior painting. Even as I say this I laugh because right now I am picking up interior painting jobs here and there, which is nice, but not my focus. I see a great need to expand the size of my business, which is why we are opting for a loan. If I wanted to stay a 2 man crew I wouldn't need much more, but I will employing roughly 10 people this season, and 1 home depot powerwasher doesn't cut the mustard for the operation. I appreciate all the replies everyone. Happy New Year~~!!!!! Aaron :yoda:

Yes, we have a lunch meeting with our loan officer on Friday to review the plan. We are going to have him look at it, and see if there is anything he wants us to change before going into the office for the real deal. He is a specialty corporate loan officer, and has essentially pre-approved us. I have zero credit....nada....zip.....zilch....He knows this already, and we have had long discussions in the past about his ability to approve and close a loan for us. My question about looking at someone else's bplan was purely out of curiosity and comparison, as far as depth, and detail. We would never ask a bank for a loan because the interest rates are WAY too high. The loan we are going after, is a fixed rate(2.85%) over 10 years, with no penalty of early repayment, and SBA guaranteed. Anyways, thanks for the response Big Papa :) Hope the new year treats you well. Cheers, Aaron :yoda:

http://www.higherpowersupplies.com :yoda: Edited to correct link OTP

Rymar! Cheers, :yoda:

The guys at the Delco website have some classes you could take on mobile washing, and wood restoration. Specializing is a great way to build your business. Check your yellow pages, and see what kind of competition you have around you. Then look at your market, see if another contractor in said specialized field is worth your time and investment. Almost always it is worth it, you just have to find your niche in the said market. Like Jon said, being 100% proficient in every field will take time, and I also wouldn't support it. I have been a painter since 1992, and just this last year I felt qualified enough to start my own business. There's lots to learn, and, like with any business, proper financing is one of the keys to being successful. Plan on dropping $20,000 to really make it turn for you. My opinion on your initial question is; Try to find a cargo van, and an enclosed trailer. You'd be amazed at how you can outfit them with goodies for your business. I am planning on running 3 crews this next season....all of which will be van/enclosed trailer units. 2 prep crews, and one finish crew. Hope this helps, and good luck with your endeavours. Aaron :yoda:

Perhaps I am a complete dolt, or I believe far to much in the metaphysical and paranormal . I have done this over and over and over, and everytime the card I chose was the one that was no longer there.....The guy walked through the great wall of China, and made the statue of liberty disappear.....I have no doubt this man is only human on the outside....maybe some kind of alien under that flesh :) :yoda:

I pass a virtual snifter of mezcal to all on the board. May it warm the belly, and bring good cheer. Thanks all.. Cheers, :yoda:

I had a dream last night I was powerwashing all the hippies in Oregon :rolleyes: Joke: Q: How do you hide money from a hippy? A: Put it under the soap :yoda:

I know this may be a little late in the game for me to post, but I didn't see what kind of wood this is. I notice with PT lumber that acid brightener doesn't do much because the pine has such low tannin content. I still use it though on PT wood to correct the PH for an alkyd sealer/stain application. On PT I see oxi-bleach or chlorine bleach doing better as a cleaner. With Cedar or Redwood I only use the oxi-bleach only as a cleaner, and always brighten/neutralize. A good way for you to be able to tell if a cleaner is high alkalinity is to see if it darkens the wood. A high alkaline cleaner will pull the tannic acid of the wood to the surface, this is a means for the wood to protect itself. Again this is not as notable with PT wood compared to a wood with higher tannin content. I also notice with PT wood you can up the pressure a little bit more, to clean it. Hope the job went well. Cheers, Aaron Ochsner Alpha Craft Restoration LLC

Thank guys..........I have always appreciated your responses on the wood care board, and is by no means different. It will be a few months before I make any purchases, but listening to your posts, and perousing the board here at the grime scene has helped mucho..... Basically I see the issue as a bite the bullet situation, where as if I don't go for the higher GPM machines, I might as well become a SWB...... I do however wish to expand my efficiency , and I see investments in higer GPM machines to be just that .... I again, next season will be focusing on cedar roofs, as the sq ft'age makes a deck look like nothing. If I have to trolly around a 250 gal tank to make an 8 GPM move as it should........so be it....after 3 jobs it's all worth it.....However.......I have no intention on buying a hot water washer.....I am still not convinced I need it, nor does the majority of my work dictate it. Thanks again all :) Aaron

I certainly have an aversion to politics myself, which is why, of course I tend to disagree. If everyone was just a good person, and moved through life from the heart, there would be no need for laws of any kind. Religion would shift to regimen, and everyone would be hugging one another :) Unfortunately, this is nothing but idealistic in post modern society..Truly though I suggest that every one read Robert Anton Wilsons book called Quantum Psychology....Think you know yourself do you? Cheers, Aaron ;)

:eek: The media is left? :eek: I don't see it..... But I do see how the absolutley brilliant psychology behind corporate media throughout the decades has socially conditioned the human mind, and now after such immense conditioning people can actually think the news is true, and honest. Albeit so I disagree with most people on a political level, I am glad to an American, as this ability to express ourselves freely, is truly what this country is about.........Grassroots baby..Grasroots all the way :) Vote Robert Anton Wilson in 2004!! Cheers, Aaron

Hello people, this is my first post on this board....some of you I know from the deckguide board, and others I don't...Anyways hello to all my old friends and hello to the new ones, looking forward to more sharing and whatnot. I am having my new sales representitive joining the board soon, so please be kind and patient with her :D Cheers and Happy Holidays, Aaron Ochsner Alpha Craft Restoration LLC :rolleyes:

:D Alan, Tony, Beth, Paul, Brian, and Reed....thanks so much for the welcome on the board!!! Hi Brian, I am back in Illinois, and striving towards building my business here. Although Colorado is one of my favorite places to be, it is not the place where I want to live and do business. In the last few months I have been back in Illinois, spending time with my family, being a new uncle, and taking some time off from working so I can really develope where I want my business to go. For some time I had an aweful aversion to painting, but now I have realized that painting needs to be a permanent part Alpha Craft as well, and I have been tooling around with alot of faux techniques, stenciling, and learning venetian plastering as well. The demographic in this area, as you well know Brian, is exactly what people who do this business are looking for. Well I want to type more but I have some errands to run......It's good to see you all on here.....My smile is from ear to ear :D Thanks again for the welcome, and as I explore the board I see this board has alot to offer outside wood care which is exactly what I am looking for. To all of you who are continuously sharing and bettering yourself, and your business on the boards.....CHEERS!!! Aaron Ochsner Alpha Craft Restoration LLC