Camelot

QB 4 me...

That's pretty cool...thanks Chris

Suddenly there are 8 billion views of the picture of Adrian's daughter...LOL

Hot water ROCKS...cuts through dirty concrete more easily. I love my hot water sytem. It's a GREAT selling point too. I use the phrase "as you know, "Mr. Smith", hot water ALWAYS cleans better than cold" on every quote. It eliminates half of my competitors instantly...residential customers really respond to it.

Go in a bucket or jar and market it as your "special" house wash...LOL...sorry I had to...

Hey Jeff...sounds like you need 3 things: A computer, Quickbooks, and a part time bookkeeper. You could post an ad at a local college and get a part time student really inexpensively. You could also hire a part time BK relatively cheap. I don't know how busy you are, but I can't imagine you couldn't get by with 20 hours a week or so. Consider this scenario as well if you have any friends in the same position...My wife worked in the corporate world until we had our children. She decided to stay home and raise them. We had several friends that were in your position, small business with no one to manage the books, paperwork, etc. She now works from home and has made a living doing exactly what you're looking for. My point is that maybe you can find a stay at home parent looking to earn some extra cash, or even a retiree (they are GREAT workers). The FIRST thing you must do is get a reliable computer with good accounting software (I HIGHLY recommend Quickbooks). Hope that helps... - John

Hugh - This may seem really simplistic, but I bought one of those "foldable" ladders rated up up to 300lbs...Sometimes I use it fully extended to get up on a 2nd story roof, and sometimes I use it an A frame. I sometimes bend the top out so the ladder sits 3 feet or so away from the house for cleaning gutters. It's the best of both worlds...I would, however, recommend spending a bit extra and buying the braces that are available. They stabilize the ladder really well. Without them, it's shaky...It folds up neatly so it's easy to carry and store. I like it. - John

Same in NC...no tax on service, only products...

Hey Mike - How does that Simple Cherry work on hardboard siding? I use Citracleen and 12% on vinyl and it works great, but I'm not thrilled with its performance on hardboard...if I could find something that works better on it, I would be thrilled. Thanks... - John

I don't know, Mike...Having lost my job, and trying hard to make a full time deal out of my pressure washing business, trying make ends meet, pay a mortgage, 2 kids, etc...that $40-$60 would certainly mean a LOT to me and my family. I certainly won't be silly enough to drive too far to save a buck, but it hurts my wallet to not have that money. When I was making $70k a year plus pwing part time, I may have agreed, but that money buys extra groceries now...I think it's all perspective. - John

Neil - BEST of luck! I've been full time for a week now, and although I am slow, I LOVE it!! I know that with persistence and hard work, it will pay off. I wish you the best... - John

Wow...having been recently forced into full time myself, I REALLY appreciate the support Jeff. This website has been such an inspiration to me and my family as we dive into this new venture. It IS scary, especially with kids, mortgage, etc, etc., but it is so wonderful to have a resource like the Grime Scene backing me up in times of need. So I thank YOU and all of the other pros on here for helping to guide me and folks like me!

Ken - Funny that you should bring this topic up...I live in a town of about 5200 people. This afternoon I spent some time hitting a few local establishments that I have overlooked in the past in an effort to gain some business. As I sang the praises of my company, discussing my superior service, professional equipment, high end products, etc., it always came back to the fact that I was a local business owner. They were most impressed with that, and I believe it will help me get some new business. My point is that I guess it sort of works both ways. Not only in what we buy, but in our efforts to sell, we need to look at what is right on our doorstep because other local business folks have the same idea!

I'm officially going full time! I got the kick in the butt I needed (I was "let go" from my day job this afternoon). I'm scared to DEATH, but excited at the same time. Any words of advice? I'm part time and sort of slow right now for some reason. The good news is that my wife and kids are VERY supportive!...wish me luck! :lgbugeyes

Thanks again everyone! It was a little tough not setting my alarm this morning and getting dressed for work, but I'm off to the races to try and get some new business for my own company! I truly appreciate the advice and nice words. As I am sure it has been said many times: this site and the people on it are an inspiration for all. Thanks again. - John

Thank you all for the kind words! It truly helps...I'm actually looking very forward to diving in head first and spending all my time doing what I enjoy. I appreciate the well wishes!

Those pictures are unreal...I'm thankful for QVC and Home Depot...they help keep us working!

That ROCKS...what a great resource!

I have heard from several customers over the past few weeks that even though my prices are a bit higher, they are thankful that I don't have a million add on services. I market my house washes as "gutters cleaned free with every house wash" and adjust my prices accordingly. I also evaluate the amount of concrete (driveways, porches, sidewalks, etc.) and offer a total concrete price that seems to be more appealing than "$10 for this, $20 for that, and so on." I guess my point is that when I have the chance, I try to reduce the number of add-ons and try to sell more of a "one price for everything" service. In my experience, customers seem to like this approach. Of course it can't always be avoided ("Can you hit the outside furniture while you're doing that porch?") but I try to stick with this theory. I actually had a new customer today that chose me over a competitor because he was charging $20 for a porch, $10 for a strip of stepping stones, etc. Our prices were almost identical, but he was more apt to go with the "one price for everything" approach. I'm curious to see if this applies to most of us or not. How has everyone else's experience been?

I'm in the exact same boat, but mine has about 15 hours on it. I emailed Ultimate Washer and their recommendation was to try cleaning the spray nozzles with a pin first. I haven't had the time to mess with it, but it seems more likely that an o-ring blew...Thanks for the info Scott, now I know where to get a replacement o-ring!

How water makes the grime come off like butta...

Hey Lance...do you xjet it or brush it on? What mixture do use for each? I'd like to try it...thanks.

Gutter Shock from Rowletts is all I use...GREAT stuff...Makes gutters look AWESOME...check out my before and afters in the photo gallery...the gutters were black.

I just finished a 6800 sf home that came out PERFECT...The north side was covered in mold, and the gutters were black. I walked the homeowner around the house twice when I was finished. I pointed out the squeaky clean vinyl, the glaringly white gutters and the overall cleanliness of the house. He had very little reaction, which is OK, some people aren't as excitable as me...I get that. I asked him if he was satisfied with the job, and he said "yeah, looks great". He shook my hand, handed me a check and off I went. He calls about an hour later and leaves me a voicemail saying that he wants me to come back because one of his windows is streaky!!! This is a 6800 sf home that was nasty when I started and spotless when I finished. Where would someone get off calling me to come back for ONE streaky window? Is that a little absurd, or do I just need to suck it up and deal with it? It's almost as if he needs to justify his purchase by coming up with SOMETHING to complain about...What do you guys and gals think? :lgangry:

Anthony - I moved from New York (pop. 999 billion) to Harrisburg, NC (pop. 5200) 12 years ago. I've got 2 small children...wouldn't change it for the world! I love small town living.