Paul B.
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Posts posted by Paul B.
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I don't think we disagree - as I said, cost will depend on distribution (circulation) along with region of country you are in.
What works for one, may not work for another.
Your marketing strategy should include several methods of reaching your potential customers.
Give advertising a chance to work. Avoid counting newspaper or direct mail responses. Your campaign's success can not be calculated in this way. Success should be measured in how big your gross sales and your net profits are, not by how many people respond to your ads. If the ads help your business to grow to a higher level of sales each time, then you are achieving success. If you are bringing in new customers, and selling more services to your regulars, then your advertising has been effective. In otherwords, it's not the quantity of your customers but the quality that will determine your success.
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I'm talking about the community press in my area which runs once per week (not our city newspaper which runs every day).
The community press breaks down the city into several sections and you can pick and choose which section(s) you want to advertise in. Each section has circulation of roughly 70,000. Each of these ads cost about $27 per week and is discounted if you subscribe to more than one. During the winter, I cut back to one area (alternating). In the summer, I subscribe to as many as 3 areas which covers more than half of the city.
Half the city provides me with a working area of roughly a 30 mile radius and over 250,000 circulation.
Just so you don't think I'm making the prices up, I attached a copy of one of my winter advertising invoices.
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A soft nylon bristled brush works well, such as the (used) Quickie shown in the attached photo. They are car / truck brushes and can be purchased in several different stores including Home Depot and Lowes for under $10.
A couple of extension poles come in handy, a shorter one for ranch style homes and a longer 16ft plus for 2 story gutters.
I prefer the blue aluminum poles that twist lock (they can also be purchased at Home Depot / Lowes).
We also have fiberglass poles in case we have to work close to electrical lines. Take extreme care working around electric lines coming into homes - it only takes one mistake - Zaaap!
"Safety First and Make IT Last!"
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JC,
Having an existing customer base gives you a great advantage for marketing your P/W part of the business. Target your existing customers first, since they are already familiar with the work you do and people tend to like the one stop shopping idea.
It costs 6 times more to win a new customer than it does to make a sale to an existing customer. What this means is that if you have a customer list, and if you send regular postcards to the people on that list, you'll build repeat sales for your business and become more profitable in the process.
Send postcards to your existing customers introducing the new service you provide. Talk about the benefits of P/W. Follow-up with a phone call a week after sending the post cards.
I would recommend another mail-out within 3-4 weeks to the new customer mailing list, this time sending post cards to the same list except this time focus primarily on pressure washing with a mention of lawn care service (reversing your ad content). Focus on informing the customer on some of the benefits of pressure washing. As always, don't forget to call for action (Call now for your FREE estimate!, etc.).
Community newspapers also work well for some folks. A 1" x 2" ad in the service section of these papers will run about $100 per month (depending on distribution size and frequency).
Good Luck!
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Ohhh, if only spring was here!
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David,
One thing is for sure:
You WILL find a lot of opinions on this board.
Having different opinions provides you with choices.
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Welcome to "The Board" Rodney!
Thanks for your information.
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Rob,
"as an employer, my employee's are labeled sub contractors, and must carry the appropriate protection, insurance etc.. I am in no way shape or form liable for anything that happens to them while they perform work for my customers,.."
If they are subs, they are not your employees. If they are your employees, they can't be your subs.
Are you telling your subs what chemicals to use on the job?
Are you supplying the chemicals for your subs?
Do they have a choice on what chemicals to use?
Are you supplying their equipment?
Are you providing safety training?
Are you providing MSDS to your subs? (May need to find someone that publishes the MSDS sheets in Spanish.)
"I am in no way shape or form liable for anything that happens to them while they perform work for my customers, I checked with the IRS on this, and consulted with both my lawyers and CPA..."
If your lawyer told you this, you may want to have him sign a document that states he will assume all responsibility for your subs and employees.
IRS will not take responsibility for any incorrect information they give you. (They will tell you this without batting an eye.)
I doubt very much if most CPA's have any clues as to MSDS and most other safety requirements unless they have worked for a large corporation and have gone thru training.
The bottom line is that it's NOT a matter of CYA against lawsuits, but being a responsible employer or contractor that informs and protects your subs from health risks and places safety on top of their list. No matter how many lawyers, CPA's, contracts you have, they will not protect you if you act irresponsibly with employees or sub-contractors (as it relates to safety).
P.S.: A bad contract is invalid no matter how many people sign it and how many lawyers approve it. I would highly suggest you find an attorney that provides good advice vs. bad contracts.
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Sodium Hypochlorite pH13
Calcium Hypochlorite pH8
Personally, I don't believe you can dissolve enough Calcium Hypochlorite tablets or granules in 1 gallon of water to get you the equivalent of 12-1/4% liquid Sodium Hypochlorite.
(You may not even be able to dissolve the equivalent of 6%.)
The only way you can really tell is thru titration test.
- Even if you could, mixing to me is time consuming (time = money) and
- There is really no cost savings when I compare the cost of granule (concentrations needed) and liquid.
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Since Ron P. is not here to ask, let me fill in for him.
Rob,
Using 6136 at full concentration on gutters, are you cleaning or stripping the paint?
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Tony
The two Hazardous components that are required to be listed in GZ are: Sodium Hydroxide and Ethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether
Neither component is considered to be carcinogenic.
Rob,
I prefer tooth decay over possible liver cancer.
If YOU expose yourself to hazardous and carcinogenic chemicals without recognizing risks and taking appropriate actions to protect yourself that's one thing. IT'S YOUR LIFE. However, if you have employees, you better make them aware of the MSDS sheets, have them read and make sure they understand, and then protect them with utmost care when using any and all hazardous chemicals on the job. You are no longer gambling with your life - now you are playing Russian Roulette with someone else's life. Be a responsible employer.
Again for your sake ROB, I'll repeat what I said earlier:
"I'm in no way implying that you shouldn't use the product - just make sure you use appropriate personnel protection while using it."
"Safety First and Make IT Last!"
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Rob,
My understanding is that 6136 is $9.75 per gallon (plus shipping) if purchased in 5 gallon size.
As with all chemicals you use, make sure you read the MSDS for appropriate safety precautions and emergency care.
6136 contains Hazardous Ingredients:
Potassium Hydroxide and
Nitrilotriacetic Acid, Trisodium Salt - considered a carcinogen, which may possibly cause malignant tumours of the urinary system (kidney, ureter and bladder).
I'm in no way implying that you shouldn't use the product - just make sure you use appropriate personnel protection while using it.
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Try Krud Kutter - you'll like that even better. $10 per gallon and you can dilute it at least 1:2.
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I'm glad it worked out for you.
(At least in my small world) most supers are nice people but they don't pay them a whole bunch of money - so they get what they pay for. Mostly they are schedule driven and in the reactionary mode. They don't always know the details of correct procedures, only results. Their bonus money comes from a % of the contingency funds they save.
Keep a waiver/exception sign-off on the backburner for down the road. They do come in handy and can save the rear.
We get the bug eyed look on the surface cleaners too. Most of our competitors can't afford one. They also use the HD P/W out of the back of the cap topped pick-ups.
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If you are cleaning with water only, you most likely will not damage the concrete or brick. However, you have another major problem besides possibly causing brick damage and that is your chemicals not working properly under 40F. You'll use more chemicals and it will take you much longer to get the job done. Some areas you may not even be able to clean to an acceptable appearance. Getting a waiver will only solve a small part of your problems. If your Super is pushing you beyond good work practices, you need to work above them, since your contract is with the builder and not the Super. Make sure THEY understand what your waiver is for as they may be more understanding and may help.
The waiver is always handy but it must be written in a way that satisfies your state's requirements. Usually, this requires a disclosure of the actual types of risk(s) (freeze/thaw damage to mortar joints and brick, efflorescence, acid burn, etc.). There are other necessary components for a waiver to be valid (depending on the state), so I wouldn't ever rely on a waiver that is simply copied out of a form book. This means attorneys fees, but since you are already working with a 40 page, long term contract, (which I assume you are reviewing that with an attorney) adding a waiver should cost you a small amount of its total value.
Even if you have a completely binding waiver that does not mean an injured party (homeowner) will not sue you in hopes of a settlement. Your waiver should include an arbitration clause. Your waiver should also award attorneys fees to the prevailing party. Both of these clauses are very typical in commercial contracts and should be completely standard boilerplate for any contracts attorney that you talk to. If your attorney acts like he does not know what you're talking about or if he tries to charge you more for the additional drafting find another attorney.
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What grocery chains do you folks have?
Winn Dixie, Thriftway, Piggly Wiggly, Kroger
Most carry liquid pool shock in the summer.
Try K-Mart or Meijer some of these places also carry liquid pool shock.
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Good points JD!
Your last paragraph:
"Some of these are obviously penalty fees, we don't generally charge them but it's important to let them know about them so you don't lose money. Diplomacy goes a long way on these things and I've only met a few guys who didn't understand we work to make money and their or others poor planning or errors cost us money."drives home the importance of having specifics in the contract, letting the folks in the field know it's there, the importance of communications and using good judgement to keep a good relationship from going bad or helping a not so good relationship get better.
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Good info. Ron.
Thanks!
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Make sure you bend the super's ear on those issues. Let them know that your time is money and in the future you want to get compensated for your time. They'll respect you for that.
They have you cleaning the bricks fairly late in the game aren't they?
Don't let them slide you more than 30 days past the finish of the masonry work. I try to get us there shortly after 7 days (after the mortar joints have cured). Winter does throw a wrench in that schedule a lot because the masons will work in the cold, but you can't effectively wash below 40F. But then, you folks probably don't have that problem too often in your neck of the woods.
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You folks don't have swimming pools out there?
I can get liquid pool shock even at the grocery stores in the summer ($1.89 per gallon of 12-1/4%). No Brag - Just Facts!
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Make sure you understand ALL of THEIR contract so it is a balanced contract for BOTH parties.
Your efficiencies can make or break your profits on large deals.
For example, being able to have access to more than one house per day, how you route your staff, dependability of your staff, etc.
Always look for work processes you can improve on (staff may have some good input from time to time). Some people are also better at doing certain things, recognizing these will provide you with an edge (unlike military thinking - if you are a cook, will make you a medic).
I would also look for a clause in the contract that stipulates hourly compensation if you can't start or continue a job due to THEIR scheduling conflicts (they schedule other workers in the same area you are working in). or ...What if power is not available, what if water is not available, what if the doors are locked and you can't get hold of the GC.
Well, I'm sure you both have thought about all those things - I was more or less thinking out loud for the benefit of others.
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Celeste,
I hope you folks put some provisions into that long term contract to protect yourselves, such as the ability to adjust prices or the ability to terminate it with notice ($0.12 could be half of what you could be making in 5 years thru another contract or inflation).
You want the contract to be mutually beneficial.
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Yep, I like LLC / Ltd. for certain businesses. It does have it's limitations.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that a local Ford transmission plant partnered with a German company and formed a LLC rather than Incorporating.
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No, as an LLC everything is combined and you pay taxes once.
Remember, liability will not cover the substrate or surface you are working on or cleaning. For example, if you damage a deck you are cleaning, the insurance will not cover it. However, if someone slips on a wet sidewalk that you cleaned, the liability ins. will protect you. Make sure you keep all your personal activities separate from business activities such as banking, travel, etc. and be safety conscious - The advantage of the LLC is that your personal property and personal holdings can not be subjected to actions thru your businesses liability. There are of course always exceptions - especially if your actions are careless or flagrant.
For liability, $1M is never too much.
A good CPA will help you in regards to business and tax basics more than an attorney. Personally, I would only look at an attorney if you have partnership or setting up a contract, etc.
If you are considering a sub, make sure you read up on the requirements. Any sub you pay over $600 per year, you have to submit a 1099 on. You also have to make sure you follow the guidelines on supervision as you can't direct them on their detailed activities, only on the outcome of the work.
Check out IRS site:
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=115041,00.html
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99921,00.html
You should also have a contract with the sub outlining each job or general and individual specification sheets should be issued before any work is assigned.
Your workers comp will not cover subs.
Also, make sure your liability insurance covers sub-contractors
or require your sub to have: General Liability, Auto Liability
Property Damage, Worker’s Comp - (determined on a per state basis). If it's their insurance, make sure that you have proof and check at 6 month intervals to ensure it hasn't expired.
All contractor licenses, required by your state, must be current and on file.
Your CPA can generally help with this issue also.
How's this for clean gutters?
in Window & Gutter Cleaning
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The pole was burried with the employee. However, a 10 ft section IS sticking out of the ground. We did manage to salvage the brush - hoping to get at least another year (or employee) out of it!