Mike Williamson

This has to be one of the worst pieces of advice I've ever seen given to a newbie on these boards. Let's just make the situation worse! All great ways to get the phone ringing. And while you're at it, get a job in the meantime in the evenings. That'll help give you some money to put towards marketing, rather than running up credit card balances. Or, find a job that pays as well as the one you lost and spend the next year building up to go full time. Running up debt to start a business when you're broke isn't smart, it's a recipe for bankruptcy.

You shouldn't be using high pressure on vinyl, nor should one side of a typical house take an hour unless you're hand scrubbing it! The proper chems and you can wash a vinyl house in an hour with a garden hose. And yes, get it clean.

Is it time to buy a milk cow and start a garden? Thank God I live in Florida and have plenty of room to grow food if need be!

Well, you said the government (assuming the feds, but maybe you meant state and local too) made more money with higher gas price. Other than the 7 states listed who charge a percentage based tax on gas, the state and federal governments do NOT make more if gas prices go up. As I stated earlier, if anything, they make LESS because the higher gas prices go, the less gas people are going to be buying. They're going to cut down their usage, which in turn means the feds (and 43 states) receive LESS tax revenue on gas. So where is the motivation for the government to encourage, support, promote, etc, higher gas prices? Where do the state and local governments capitalize off "huge money of the oil/gas industry", other than collecting the same, or less, tax revenut from gas sales that they always have? Yes, you live in California, which is one of the states that does charge a percentage based gas tax. So if gas goes up, they make more. Some, and possibly all that increase will be offset by decreased gas sales. If gas consumption stays the same, the federal government collects the exact same gas tax revenue when gas is $4.00/gallon as it would if gas were $40.00/gallon.

And you're right, most sales taxes on products are on a percentage basis. However, as I just pointed out, most states don't charge sales tax on gas, nor do the feds.

The federal gas tax is $0.184 per gallon. There are 7 states who also charge a percentage (ranging from 2% to 9%). Then you have local taxes, which of course are too numerous and wide ranging to list here. So as far as the feds, and most states, gas tax is charged as a flat rate per gallon, not a percentage of total sales. Gas Taxes FactCheck.org: Does the government really make more in taxes from the sale of a gallon of gasoline than the oil companies do?

I'm sure there are a lot of factors involved in why gas is cheaper there. Less environmental restrictions, less government tax, and cheaper labor are likely some of the top reasons. Same reason electronics from China are cheaper...Why pay some American to assemble a product for $30.00/hour when you can pay a Chinese worker pennies on the dollar?

So $130.00 in crude turns into $720.00 worth of gasoline. Wow, the oil companies just made $590.00 in windfall profits!! LOL. Of course, there's the cost of refining it and transporting it, and government taxes. Bush has no investments in oil companies...that, I believe, was one requirement of the job... The amount of government tax on a gallon of gas doesn't change because gas went from $2.50/gallon to $4.00/gallon. If anything, higher prices means LESS income to the government, because the higher it goes, the less people are driving, and the more economical they try to be. So if less gas is sold, that means less tax revenue for the government. To say the government is happy with high gas prices doesn't make sense.

I'm sure what gripes some homeowners is that one pressurewasher in their area sells housewashes for $200.00, and someone else sells them $30.00 cheaper! Talk about gouging!

I'll be having the hitch installed on my wife's Bonneville this week... :) Seriously, it kinda sucks, but all increased costs mean is increased rates. When it gets to the point where the increased gas prices can't be simply absorbed, we must raise our prices, as everyone else has to. I'm just thankful that God has blessed me to have enough money to be able to fill my tank every week, as well as buy groceries and keep the lights on. Things could be much much worse. And maybe they'll get there. Who knows. I'll just keep plugging away, trusting in the one who guides my steps. He's never failed me yet. I've never gone hungry, I've never been homeless, I've never been unable to provide for my family. The future doesn't scare me because I have the experiences of the past to reference.

What exactly is a "windfall profit"? Can you define that for me? Doesn't matter what their profit margin is...even if they're losing money, they're still evil rich white republicans getting richer off the backs of us poor working class losers...LOL So think a lot of mis-informed knee-jerk reactionaries. Exactly. The vast majority (in the high 90 percent) of stockholders in oil companies are mutual funds and the like.

Grammar is as important as spelling, if not more so. Move or delete one comma and the entire meaning of a sentence can change.

Corrections in bold red... You are as much representing this industry as Ron is... LOL, you beat me to it...I'm surprised it took that long for someone to notice the irony. Don't know if Rick went through all your posts to find that one, but I didn't...it was your first post, and very amusing that the person who is railing on Ron for his horrible spelling and grammar got a few things wrong himself. Don't hold someone to a higher standard than you're willing to meet yourself. Granted, you aren't as bad as Ron, but fair is fair. I can't imagine anyone reading these forums would look poorly upon the pressurewashing industry just because a contractor from AZ who is active in the online world won't take the time to make sure his posts are grammatically correct. I know Ron can spell, and write well when he wants to, I just think he gets in such a hurry he simply doesn't take the time to make sure what he's writing is well written. What I think someone might look upon poorly is the negativity and infighting that many of us have taken part in on these forums. THAT makes us look less professional, not whether we can spell. If I am looking for a plumber, I could care less whether he can SPELL flange or spigot...I want to know that he knows how to install one properly. Me too...poor spelling, misuse of words, and bad grammar irritate me, and I certainly am not perfect in my own writing. However, as you say, I can't do much about it, and too often bringing it up causes the offender to get defensive, so I just get over it. The only problem I really have with Ron's writing is that sometimes it is so bad that his meaning isn't clear.

It all comes down to one thing...A free market. If a person can make their business work and make the profit they need charging what they charge, that's business. I've heard this garbage "You can't make it in this business charging $X" since I started in this business. If you can't make it, then you'll either raise your prices or go out of business. And again, that's business. $150.00 for a typical ranch housewash is about right for this area. Do 3 or 4 of those in a day and you've had a good day!

Check with Bob at Pressuretek Buy the pressure washer items you need at affordable pricing. We have Suttner Cat Giant General Pump Delavan Pressure Pro Hansen Mosmatic Comet Whisper Wash AR pumps trigger guns surface cleaners lances wands duct spinners swivels ball valves chemica I can't imagine he doesn't ship to Canada.

I actually went out and bought a Home Depot machine once when my motor seized on a Friday evening on a job the owner was having me do for her Parents who were coming home Saturday night. I finished the job on Saturday. Wound up trading the machine later to another contractor for some free labor. Worked out for all, and the customer was happy. Didn't think about renting a machine at the time.

I thought you said those kind of folks were desperate mofos? Maybe they're looking for Christian customers for one reason or another? As long as they don't portray themselves as Christians, I don't see the harm. I do the same...There are a couple people in our church that I'll do work for, because they understand it is a business arrangement, and they are businessmen too. For the most part, I won't do work for people in our church..too close to home, and you're left feeling like you should give them a break because they "know" you. I don't mind doing it for free if someone needs some help. I've done that a few times.

That's what put me in the hospital with pneumonia two years ago...spent a couple hours spraying a roof (12v shurflo and BIG roof) on a hot day, breathed a lot of vaporized chlorine, within a couple hours felt like I had the flu, two days later I was coughing up blood. Spent 5 days in the hospital getting antibiotics and heart tests (because of the pleuresy-related chest pain). Even now, two years later, I can sometimes feel the effects.

He's 2 1/2 today. Time flies! Most "bottom of the rung" people I know are there because they're lucky if they put in 40 hours, and most have never even considered an 80 hour workweek.

Jeff: We weren't in a recession in Bush's first year, nor are we in one now. Look up what "recession" means. The economy certainly isn't growing as fast as it has in the past, or as fast as it could, but we are not in a recession.

Sounds like the guy is a capable DIYer...Why would we laugh? Are we the only ones who can read these forums and understand what to do? That's how I did my first deck, and it turned out pretty dang good... I have a lot of respect for DIYers who have the abilities and aptitudes to learn how to do things. I'm one of those people...I'd never call a plumber or an electrician or a roofer or a painter to do work on my house, unless I was too busy making better money than I could save doing the work myself.

Personally, I don't use sodium hydroxide on concrete. I've found that 10.5% and a good soap downstreamed before using the surfacer is all that's needed. For tannin stains, 10.5% mixed 50/50 or stronger (depending on how bad the stains are) sprayed with a pump up works great after cleaning with the surfacer. Just spray it on and let it dry. If you're worried about leaving the chlorine on the concrete, rinse it after the stains disappear. The only thing I've ever needed sodium hydroxide for is either to strip wood or as a degreaser on commercial concrete.

Exactly...First, you can't be competitive, meaning you'll work for pennies on the dollar doing it with a wand. To make decent money doing flatwork with a wand, you'd have to charge several times what I'd charge to do it with a surface cleaner. Second, it is very very difficult to clean concrete with a wand "well". It'll look better, maybe, but it won't look as good or be as clean as concrete cleaned with a surfacer. That's another sign of a professional...knowing when to turn down work because you're either not equipped for it, or lack the knowledge and/or experience.

2 or 3 decent sized driveways will pay for a surface cleaner. My suggestion is to decline all flatwork except very small areas (like a patio or front porch) until you can get one. It'll pay for itself in short order, and will open you up to more work. Hard to be competitive on commercial bids when you're wanding it and the other guy is using a 28" Big Guy.

I tend to agree with Don. There's not much there that's not elsewhere. I had my say over a year ago when Steve asked for opinions...it could have been such an awesome tool to generate chemical business, but it simply wasn't used anywhere near it's potential. Sad to see it go, but when there's only a couple new posts a week, it's time to make a change, I suppose.