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FCPWLLC

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Posts posted by FCPWLLC

  1. Posted · Report reply

    Not to sound like a mean spirited conservative or anything, but when did we develop the idea that we should make enough in 40 man hours to support a family and have a nice home / car / etc?

    The same time you and I started our own businesses.

    It's a simple equation: if you can't make enough money at $8 - $10 per hour, you may just have to work more hours.

    There is still only 24 hours in a day.

    Or get a roomate. Or husband / wife / gay lover both work.

    Or start a Business and invest.

    Implement the FairTax and obliterate the magnanimous waste that is our IRS and it's HUGE cost to our federal deficit and return that money back to the tax payers who pay for it. Eh all that aside....

    We can all hope LOL

    Yes, I do make good money while paying my employees well.

  2. Posted · Report reply

    This is directed more for interior problems where very expensive products are being marketed.

    Very expensive. Which is why you see them bad mouthing bleach. I could't get straight answers from them on how well it cleaned. I wanted to know about dwell time, rinse methods etc. So far, none can show me how I can increase my bottomline with anything other than SHC. (of course charging more) No doubt that the products all work. They just don't do it within the same margins that SHC does.

  4. Posted · Report reply

    Jeff is right.... $8-$10/hr is not even close to actually making a decent living. Not even considering taxes removed, $400/week is just $20,800/yr.

    Most any budget planner will tell you not to spend more than a 1/4 of gross on your mortgage payments. This leaves these people with trying to find a good home in a good area with a $60k home budget. So much for american dream when you can't afford it. Not much room there for future investing or vacations.

    They did a study not long ago here in Lexington and figured a minimum of $11/hr was needed just to get by. Do people that do manual labor not deserve a good home or a dependable car? A good retirement? These are the very reasons that the immigrants come here. Sad thing is that they get taken advantage of due to thier illegal status and get paid less than a good wage. They accept it because it is great money when it is sent back home. They accept it because of thier legal status. So now when a legal American wants a job, he has to deal with trying to find one that actually pays his bills.

    Doesn't make much sense to go out and work 40 hours real hard only to find that you still can't pay your rent/mortgage. Might as well not work. Either way the bill couldn't be paid. Only winner in working all week for what essentially is NOTHING, is the employer makes large off your aching back.

    Americans don't really prefer the management position, but rather prefer the management wages.

    Some think I am crazy because we pay the gals, that work for us in our cleaning biz, $14/hr. But we still make it work. We still show decent profit and have very dependable employees. Am I a softy because I don't want to pay someone less than a living wage? Maybe. But I sleep good at night knowing that they are also sleeping in a warm home and thier kids have presents under the Christmas Tree.

    Then again, I am fairly negative on issues like this. I feel that if I were offered a wage less than living, I'd feel as if my face were spit in.

  5. Posted · Report reply

    Legal workers are great. Foreign workers are great. We need them for all the work that American feel is below their standards. We must fill the jobs that Americans cannot handle. Thank You.

    Gotta disagree here. I personally can work most mens tongues into the ground. I have worked in the Tobacco fields here back in High School and we made $0.10/stick and I would do 1000 sticks a day. This was 18 years ago. This is what they are still paying now. Can I do that work? YES! Is it below me? NO. Will I work for a less than living wage? NO. Americans can and will do the work. We just won't do it for NOTHING. We won't be taken advantage of by an employer that merely wants an edge in the marketplace to lowball price his service/products. Instead of learning how to profitably run a business based on true numbers, they just wing it. Lowball to get the work, then offer someone a low wage in order to turn a profit.

  7. Posted · Report reply

    It is most certainly hurting us all when another company gains an unfair advantage over us by paying very little in wages so that they can bid lower. It is STEALING in my book. Stealing from me and my family when I lose a bid to someone that cheats the system to gain an advantage.

    Watched a program last night about how the illegal uninsured pregnant women in the New Orleans area were costing the local Hospitals between $500k and $1M each month.

  9. Posted · Report reply

    This is exactly why I don't sell water spraying anymore. Consumers know that "water squirting" is only worth $xx.xx. However, when you begin to realize that there is already a huge number of guys out there selling "water spraying", then you can make a plan to sell something that isn't being pitched at every corner. The supply/demand ratio is out of whack if all you sell is "water spraying". If we set ourselves apart and take a stand that we don't sell Pressure Cleaning but rather sell Great, dependable, trustworthy customer service, then our bids aren't and can't be compared to the bid that is only pricing for Pressure Cleaning. Once we realize what it is we are selling, then we realize who we need to market to. Our market changes. We no longer are bidding against "Water Squirters" because we reached the market that's wanting to buy customer service. They didn't call the water squirter and the water squirter didn't reach our market. We are now in a no-bid, high demand/low supply situation. This equals higher margins and higher close ratios (because you have marketed to a different mindset of consumers, you're not even bidding on the yellowpage low price shoppers)

    Dude is right, "Pressure Cleaning" is not going to be in and of itself a respected trade. Even WE know that "Spraying Water" is only worth $15-$20/hr; this is what most of us pay our help. We have to just put more emphasis on what we are really selling.... Customer Service.

    When we realize that, then you begin to figure out ways to reach the consumer that is buying customer service. You approach all your Marketing and Selling with this in mind. Get away from telling a potential customer that you "spray water" better than anyone. Tell them that you will be on-time to comlpete thier project so that you are not intruding on thier schedule. Sell them the benefit of having YOU make sure that thier project is completed in a timely professional manner while they enjoy themselves at the Golf Course/Day Spa without worrying that the "Water Sprayers" are tearing up thier property or stealing thier Big Screen TV. Tell them about your policies that don't allow employees to smoke on thier property littering thier manicured lawn with cigarette butts.

    I could go on and on, but the jist is that there are way too many "water sprayers" (Supply) for it to be worth much more. Face it... Painters do it, Lawncare guys do it, Handymen do it, Home owners do it, So the Supply/Demand ratio is 1:1. What do we do? We sell something else that is in higher demand. Customer Service. You marketing focus should be on selling benefits of hiring a Professional company to handle the consumers project versus selling how your House wash soap is better that the other guys soap. That will only get you a call from someone wanting to buy better soap. You want to get calls from people wanting to buy Service. Wanting to buy a day that they don't have to stay at home while they babysit the "Hired Help"

    Anyhow, $150/hr is not a gouge or even unreasonable when it is buying Peace of Mind. I see $250+/hr at times. Am I working 8 hours a day, not yet. But who wants to do that for the same money. Is it harder to sell Service? Yes. That's why there is a demand for it. Not everyone can provide it.

    Off my box now.

  12. Posted · Report reply

    Barry, in my head I am looking at some way of prequalifing people before I go out and talk to them. You know, we both have said we wasted too much time going out last year doing estimates. And I want something that will do some "preselling" (if thats a word) for me before I get there. I want something that does a lot of the heavy lifting for me, and then when I get there my closing will hopefully go much smoother. I would like to close 60% of my bids next year.

    Barry, I am also looking at splitting my business like Michael is....what we discussed on the phone the other night.

    Don,

    One of the best tools I have seen for pre-selling is a website. I am going to be enticing people to log on to my site next year with my print ads. Something like.... Log onto www.firstchoicepowerwashing.com for valuable coupons or something like that or a FREE report.

    Not sure I want to issue any coupons, but I can see it as a good way to do a number of things.

    a) Get them to my site to read and learn about my company

    b) Track through web logs how effective different print ads are working

    c) Most of all, build a mailing list through a Form that has to be filled out in order to receive the printable coupon.

    Just some things I'm working on this winter.

    OK... You can have the thread back

  15. Posted · Report reply

    In my area Restora just isn't cost effective for profit (added time for labor to apply) $58/gallon is what I was quoted at the only place that stocks it. SO we employ another method to revitalize the vinyl shutters. Looks pretty much like new when we leave. Its a nice add-on to a housewash...which some people want done once a year, even every other year, we are closely monitoring those surfaces that have been treated. Almost looks like a coat of armor has been put on all the shutter.

    Here too. Once a guy steps foot on that Ladder or onto the roof, our workers comp premium triples. The time factor and workers comp factor makes this a low margin service for us. No sense even trying to pitch the up sell if I can't make the same margins as the actual House Wash itself.

    I like your method Gary.... An easy application that can be applied during the rinse. No hauling ladders to sites, lower WC premium, faster in and out to next job. Same added value but higher Margins. And to boot, it is residual. Selling it every year or two. Repeat biz is the key.

  20. Posted · Report reply

    ^---- Mr Mom here. Not just in winter. We juggle the responsibility AND run businesses. It is by choice though. Don't trust Daycares and am dreading the whole school thing next year. Too many opinions being taught in the schools these days instead of the basic facts.

  23. Posted · Report reply

    Worked with Grandfather when I was young and coming up. He built Houses. Not much that I can't do in that area.

    2 year Specialized Associates Degree in Business. College was free... Went on Running Scholarship. Used to be good at it. LOL Ran Marathons and every 10k I could fit into a schedule.

    Worked for a Tree Service... Became Foreman and helped my Friend grow that Business hugely.

    Started A Lawn Service... Built Customer Base and Sold that Business Last Year.

    Had set-back with a Divorce and Bankruptcy. (More a refusal to pay her bills rather than ability to pay)

    Sold cars in the winter months when first started Pressure Cleaning Business.

    Now, don't need to work in winter months due to starting a Cleaning Service that has grown very well without much marketing or input. Amazing word of mouth industry.

    Currently taking private classes for Public Speaking from a Professor at UK.

    Next step, Real Estate Investing. (Was set back on this with that Divorce and Bankruptcy) This is where the true wealth building begins. Pressure Cleaning is just going to be the tool to help launch it.

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