Barry M
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Posts posted by Barry M
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Go into it thinking, they have a problem and you have the solution. Show them you care and you want to help and show them what you have to offer. Don't worry about your competitor.
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Yes, you can change one piece of siding if you need to, I hung siding for a couple of years when I was younger, get a zip tool and it makes it easier. New vinyl won't match perfectly with old vinyl even if it's the same color, due to sun fading.
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Nice job Mike, how did you apply the sealer?
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Take a spray bottle of stripper with you and do a test spot, that's the only true way to know. If it's strippable then measure up the sq footage of the floor and the footage of railing and steps. Then apply your price, every area is different, I can get $2 a sq ft to do a strip job and reseal. But that may be a little high in your area, espically if your measuring ALL the wood. From the pic I would guess between $700-$900.
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I never thought of that Mike, great idea.
I have the north side roofs of 12 different office buildings to wash, totaling 32,000 ft. They are all on the same property and can only be done on weekends, when they are not occupied. So I'll be putting in some long Saturdays and Sundays and I need enough battery to run the shurflo constantly. I would hate to run it off the truck battery and have the truck running with gas this expensive. Is there an alternative? How long will a 1.8 shurflo run on a typical marine battery?
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Just starting to do estimates here. I will start a couple jobs next week, it's been getting in the 50's and some 60's lately so it's time. I have had some butterflies in my stomach, I think I'm just overly anxious and more than ready to hit it.
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:lgtear: Had to burst my bubble didn't you.
Really though, thank you that's some good info.
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Hey all right, that's the Jeff I know! The same Jeff that told me over the phone to hold my head up high and get out there and wash some sh*t! Remember dude, life is good. Thanks again.
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Now your thinking outside the box Jon, very interesting idea, and people would also see you are a giving and caring person and that can be a very profitable identity to have in business.
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The customer wants it in a color. So I'm using H&C acrylic sealer. It says to apply their brand of etching solution before sealing, which is basically phosphoric acid. I was told to use muriatic instead. Not that I don't believe you, when you say I don't need to etch it at all. I'm really in the dark about the whole thing.
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I'm going to be washing a customers driveway, 2600 sq ft. I've done the drive before, normal tannin stains and irrigation rust stains, no problem. He is going to have me seal it this time after I wash it. After I surface clean it with a degreaser I will x-jet oxalic to get rid of the rust. My concern is after this I need to then etch the concrete with muriatic acid to prepare for the sealer, which will be applied the following day. Will muriatic react with the oxalic? I've never messed with muriatic and I don't know much about it. Does anyone have any tips or concerns I may need to be aware of? Where do I even get some? Thank you.
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Does anybody use this for keeping 12v batteries charged in the field? How well does it work. I was thinking of using it on my 2 marine batteries I use on my shurflo roof cleaning setup.
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I have done it both ways meeting them and mailing them and see no advantage in meeting them.If you don't see the advantage I will tell you in my opinion. Traditional marketing says close the sale do the job and your work is done, on to the next new customer. If you want to increase your bottom line, then you need to meet your customers and start to build a relationship with them. If your best interests are meeting people, building relationships with them, and offering a solution to their problems your business will soar. By building trust and confidence with your clients your biz will evenually live off of repeat and referral business, your advertising costs will decrease, and your profits will increase.
If your best interest is making money from people you really don't need to meet or even see then your only shooting yourself in the foot. You will always have to search for new customers and your advertising costs will always be high.
I try to never do an estimate without meeting the prospect. I want to start building that relationship ASAP. I always listen to what they have to say, I get to know them. By the time I am finished with the job I should know quite a bit about them. This is NOT the end of the job, it's the beginning of a relationship. I will keep in touch with them in person, by phone, or usually by mail at least 4-5 times a year, starting with a thank you card and asking them for referrals. Send them a promotional item with your logo on it, send a newsletter, latter in the year send them a postcard offering a discount only available to repeat customers, I try to learn their birth date by sending them a questionaire once I find that out I send them a b-day card when it's their b-day, x-mas cards, anything I just try to keep in contact with them. People like to feel important, not like their trying to be sold. Make them feel like you care and in return they will refer you without even thinking about it.
I might get 1-3 referral jobs from 1 customer. Those referrals give referrals and so on and so on. Lets say we both can only advertise one time. We both land one job each. You go do your job and briefly meet the people for the first time while collecting your check. Now what, you can only advertise once remember, you MIGHT get a referral if you do quality work but probably not since the people really don't know you. So your done! Now I go do my job and build a relationship with my client, and collect my check. I send the customer a thank you card and nicely ask for referrals. After awhile I land another job from someone my first customer knows, without doing anymore advertising. I do that job in the same manner and land a few more referrals, it snowballs from there and I work all summer while you've been sitting at home living off your one check. That's the advantage!!
Just my .02 cents
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Man, you guys should all be motivational speakers. I can't begin to tell you all how thankful I am for the overwhelming response and all the encouraging posts. I have also recieved emails and had the pleasure of talking to a few of you on the phone...thank you so much.
The past few months I have done nothing but think about my business. I think about it at work, on the hour drive to and from work, at home, in bed, everywhere. I network and research online almost everyday, I am on my third marketing book this winter, I listen to a marketing teleconference almost every Saturday, my website is almost finished, I have a toll free number now, I'll be in the yellow pages for the first time this spring, I have a trailer I'm putting together for roof cleaning, I just got my yard signs, I have some funds to mail a few postcards, and I already have a few paying jobs lined up......what the hell am I scared for?
Who am I kidding, this is what I wanted. I can do it, I will make it work, failure is not an option. Thanks again guys for all your help.
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Reading all of your encouraging posts made me tear up a bit, man what was that all about. Thank you so much for your input, you guys are the best. I couldn't of made it this far without you.
I know things happen for a reason. I do have faith in God and that helps to calm some of my fears. I do pray most everyday and ask for help. But you all know how it is if you get caught up in the minute, you can really get yourself worked up. Maybe it is my time........thanks again.
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Well, I got laid off from the full time job yesterday for at least a month. Unfortunate circumstances caused us to loose a big job and my intelligent boss had all his eggs in one basket. Most likely I won't get called back, the company is pretty much washed up. Now I'm torn between finding another full time job or trying to live off of power washing. My wife is freaking out over the whole thing and isn't being very supportive right now. I only have 1 part time season of power washing under my belt. I feel like it's too early to try and survive on PWing right now. On the other hand it might be difficult to schedule PWing jobs with having a new fulltime job and not knowing what they will expect of me. Maybe I should send out 5000 postcards and see how far it takes me and then get a new job once things slow down. I'm just confused on what to do right now and to be honest I'm pretty scared. I guess I'm just looking for some encouraging words, but please be honest and tell me what you think.
Thanks.
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Those of you using sheets, do you pretty much throw the sheets out after one use?
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I'd love to get new construction decks around here, but everyone here thinks you have to wait a year, then they put some Thompsons crap on it themselves (at least the first time).Educate them.
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Ken, did I understand that right. You coated it with HD wrapped it in plastic and returned the next morning? What was the ratio of mix?
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I too have thought about offering different levels of housewash, I just have to sit down and work it out. Someone here uses Bronze, Silver and Gold to refer to 3 different levels of a wash, I like that.
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I talked to the PM that required I have WC before starting the work, but he wasn't aware that I was a one man operation. So he said it's fine as long as I have the certificate of clearance thru the state, no problem. I can even hire a temp helper and still not need WC. I don't see the sense in paying for something you don't need. The PM is cool with it, I'm within the law, so until I have to have it, no thanks.
While we're on the topic of insurance, I just got my GL ins bill today and noticed it went up a little. So I started looking at it and I see there is a new catagory called Terrorism Risk Insurance Act + $10. See they get my money one way or another anyway!
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Oh ya and dont forget to have your MSDS book with you at all times.:lgwave:Where can you get a book of MSDS of all the chems?
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Yes it does help. I guess I'll start shopping for it. Thank you Don and John.
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I have a big roof job to do this spring for some office buildings. I am upping my GL to meet the requirements of the PM, but they also require I have WC insurance. So I looked into it and my state dosen't require I have it if I have no employees, which I don't. I have to fill out an application for a certificate of clearance that would make me exempt from having to carry it. My question is will this fly with the PM as long as I'm within the law? I am allowed to hire a temp helper and still be within the law. I don't want to spend extra money if I don't need to but I don't want to **** the PM off if they say I need it. This is my first commercial job so I don't want any set backs, but if I don't need WC then I don't need it, right?
making the transition
in Residential Pressure Washing
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When I got laid off!! Long story that I'm in the middle of right now.
But tell us more about your work situation and more about your PW biz.