zhamilton89

If you are constantly getting underbid by others in your field then it is time to step up your services. Even if you have the best service in the area, you shouldn't even be on the same field as people who are slashing your prices in half. Stop doing resi washes and move to com, or stop using the same advertising you have been for years. Something needs to change. The burden of the business falls on the owners shoulders when it comes to any "low balling" that is happening. A wall of shame will just cause message board wars that don't help anyone, complaining will never help, only action will. Zach

All I can tell you is servicemagic is a joke I was on it for about six months, out of the 25 "leads" I recieved not one turned into an actual job. It's full of price shoppers and fishing contractors. Put an ad in in the yellowpages, print and online, build a simple website using one of the low cost online builders like 1and1.com or godaddy.com. Get yourself some decent looking business cards for dirt cheap on vistaprint.com, and go out talking to people. ALL of the best jobs I have are from putting on my DevilWash polo ($7 to get embroidered) and going out with a smile on my face and business card in hand. A 5.5gpm use machine will be great as long as it is in good working order, there is nothing more embarrassing than having a machine go down on you mid-job Also remember liability insurance is a must, it isn't super expensive either I'd recommend adding a theft policy too.

Agreeing with Jim here, I see far too many people with overloaded trailers. If you can get anything higher than the 3500# each axles on that 7x14 do it, but most of them out there are the 3500# each rating. In the past my problems have not been from the main equipment weight, but all the trimmings that find their way into an enclosed trailer, the spare hoses, tools and buckets really add up. Be safe!

Anyone know of any scholarships related to small business or pressure washing? I am a sophomore at ASU and I don't think I'll be able to afford next years' tuition so I'm just trying to put the word out for scholarships, amount doesn't matter and I don't mind writing essays or sending in transcripts I'm willing to apply for everything I can. Thanks for your help, Zach

When I talk to the ASU councilors they send me to the website so I'm applying for everything I can on there. I had a 3.8 in High School with a 29 ACT score and then last year at ASU I had a 3.45. I'm currently on all the govt grants I can get and even an ASU academic scholarship but its just not enough. Sometimes people hear of them through organizations they are a part of and other sources. I've tried fastweb for years but it's just filled with ads and surveys now. Thanks for your help

take a look at these 54 Kick Ass Creative Logos Hand-Picked from Logofaves |Dzine Blog notice most of them are dead simple and could easily be screenprinted/ vinyl cut for truck graphics, yet none of them look alike. Another good free desktop publishing program is scribus, if you have used MS word or powerpoint or even publisher it should be super easy to use

It looks good but to be perfectly honest it's boring. Every other pressure cleaning company has a logo that looks just like that, one of my major regrets in starting my company is the logo, I wish I would have spent more time/money and got something that was truly different. Think of the firefox logo, it shows everything the company is about and has no words at all. You can see the globe, then the fox fading into fire. Truly a brilliant design, I would search "innovative logos" or "awesome company logos" and base your own on some ideas you pick up. I hope this didnt come off as pompous but your logo is going to be on everything so you might as well make it great from the start. Mine is far from perfect and now I am stuck with it on all my company materials and my truck haha

if you get the right setup for snowplowing/ blowing driveways you can easily make 100/hr if not more. Get one person on a street and go from there, make yourself visible to people leaving for work in the mornings and get them as they leave. It goes without saying but do a great job and they will talk. I picked up quite a few landscape jobs from the houses I snowplowed and vice versa

how does that big block do on fuel? Ive always thought of putting one in my truck if the 5.7 drops (big IF)

Going back and fixing those mistakes is something that is part of being a legitimate company. When you are the person (or company) that comes through with the right knowledge and equipment you are the person who is going to get the referrals. Always offer to fix others' mistakes, if you able to without damage. By no means am I saying do this for free, but the customer will truly appreciate your intimate knowledge of your work.

Agreed Ron, pretty solid info. Anyone care to post a sample RFP? Or maybe a sample proposal that they have written?

Ive seen several snowcone/ shaved ice units around (not in texas) but they look like a pretty cool setup, pull the trailer up, plug in and sell sell sell

I just wanted to start a thread about who you would approach to attempt to solicit commercial work of all types, I have seen threads on specific types of washing but never a comprehensive list. I am pretty new to the industry so it would truly help to know who to contact. I think a good format would be the type of commercial washing, the specific corporation or type of business (mcdonalds, jack in the box, property management firm) and then the typical point of contact. Ex. Storefront concrete flat work with reclaim, privately owned bar/club, the owner directly. I think we could get a wealth of information on this thread that could be easy to post to, and easy to access Thanks for your contributions, -Zach

I have seen them a few times, never ate at them but I will text you my cell number now

That would be great, just let me know when and where you guys are meeting up and ill come by.

I would call a good accountant and see if you could speak with them, try asking around and see if you can find a family friend who is an accountant. Your going to need one for your biz anyway in the future. I am also a college sophomore and I am an entrepreneurship major, I tried to get some credits by treating my business like an "internship" but it was a no-go. Just know that there are hundreds of scholarships/ grants out there for your school costs and your business. Where are you going to college?

There is no way anyone like this can still be in business, this must me a joke.

I cant believe you didnt fire him on the spot, you even supported his actions. Ive fired guys for swearing too much on the site, your people and your actions are your advertisement. Right now you are advertising your immaturity. Anyone can get insurance, not everyone can be professional.

+1 on the marine fuel tanks, they are what you should look for, made for exactly that application. I want to get a large one and mount it to feed all the engines but im not sure about the routing and pressure to the engines.

Just looking to see what you guys are using to route your exhaust from your engines that are inside of an enclosed trailer, the burner I've got figured out but I just cant seem to find anything to use for my pressure washer motor and two generators. The sizes are 1 1/4 and 3/4, any ideas? Thanks,

They are mounted, but I will be doing the same thing as you did acegot, by manifold I mean a metal ring in the floor with sch. 40 black pipe through it so no air/water gets in. The flexpipe will be between the muffler and the floor pipe

The pressure washer exhaust will be going out the same way as the burner but the generator's will have to go out some manifolds on the side

Just a theory question here, would I be able to run my 3000psi 3gpm machine and my 3500 psi 4gpm machine (at 3000 psi) to a single gun? I would be able to have 7gpm when I really needed it. Given the tips would have to be changed out everytime I wanted to do the boost, just wondering if it is possible Thanks,

Hey everyone, I drew up some diagrams of the rig I am about to build and I just wanted to run it by everyone and see what you think. I have all of the equipment to put in it already, I am just looking to make the best and most efficient setup. The trailer in the drawing is an 8x16, the trailer I get may be bigger than this or may be a 7x16 idk yet. The trailer is the only piece of equip that I dont have yet. The work I will be doing with this rig will be all around, I want to be able to do surfaces, fleets, garages, everything. Thanks for any input you have.

Im running a class IV hitch so I dont think tongue weight will be a problem, I just want to make sure I have the distribution right, Im going to have to do some tests before I bolt everything down. Just need to make sure the trailer tracks solid with the tanks empty and full.