Jump to content

FCPWLLC

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content count

    481

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    3

Posts posted by FCPWLLC

  3. Posted · Report reply

    Barry - who cares - what are you, the caped crusader? If people want composite decking - let them have it - there is great money in cleaning it. I personally think it's ugly as sin, and would never entertain the thought of it on my deck. But who cares - loads of money to clean it - I like money.

    ME!!

    The largest problem with composite I have found is that because it was pitched heavily as a maintenance free product, the consumer pays heavily up front and then finds out that I want $150+/hr to clean it. They are outraged. Who gets the beating? We do... The guy presently in front of them delivering the bad news while asking for $$$ to clean.

    No different thant the hack that pitches a stain like "One Time" and then a few years later, we are the bad guy delivering the bad news that it wasn't "One Time". Another objection for us to overcome. Barry and I hate the scammers out there. Deck builder looking for more margin or larger ticket jobs out there fibbing about maintenance free composite. Hack PW pitching One Time to get more $$. It only creates a bad environment for those of us with ethics and run legit businesses.

  7. Posted · Report reply

    I would like to see a sample business plan, other than saying to myself I Want to do 25 house washes this year, and a gamble on classified advertizing would bring me that business - I have had no real business plan. I think I have an evolving business plan in my head when it concerns painting - and it has something to do with things like, I won't take certain exterior painting jobs if the house is older than 50 years, has more than 15 coats of paint, requires 40 foot ladder work - or needs more than 200 man-hours. Is that a business plan? Without knowledge as to how many advertizing dollars spent will bring in certain amount of work - I don't know how to incorporate that into a business plan - I am trying to figure out what parts of the year I will get my most pressure washing work - and not accept painting jobs during those times unless they fall within a rigorous set of requirements - such as I can boogie anytime I feel like it. Could that be considered part of business plan? Perhaps my business plan is as simple as - I won't take any painting work that will interfere one iota with my pressure washing.

    As well I am on an interior job from hell - new renovation, blueboard and plaster walls - and as much progress as I make initially - the job is dragging - I might decide to no longer be the 'first' painter anymore. And certainly these veneer plastering jobs are a nightmare along with poplar trim wood - which is turning into a nightmare.

    Here ya go Danny!

    Business Plan for an Established Business.doc

    Business Plan for a Startup Business.doc

  8. Posted · Report reply

    I called Russ, he walked me through the disassemble process and he's dropping an o ring in the mail. Thanks Russ!!

    I want to give Russ big Thanks here...... I had an emergency clean project over the weekend. I needed 2 new Surface Cleaners and Russ opened up shop on Sunday Morning to get me 2 cleaners so that I could get this project done on time. Thanks Russ.

    Barry, I got that sme surfacer from Russ this weekend and my wife really likes it. I beleive it will continue to pay for itself over and over.

  16. Posted · Report reply

    This is the mentality of what we call a low-baller.... Was slow so discounted price... Low-balling is defined as "Throwing out a number with the intent to be lowest price without any regard to actual factors to determine price." As seen in this thread... Try reaching a different type of prospect as this isn't a good customer. This is the type of customers you reach with $99 ads....

    PressureNet.net Pressure Washing Business Forum -> Am I asking too much for my area?

    Most of this stuff was brought to his attention almost 2 years ago... Got good advice from Celeste and other seasoned folks.....

    PressureNet.net Pressure Washing Business Forum -> Another New Website

    Pricing was discussed... I guess he just decided to join the rest...

    PressureNet.net Pressure Washing Business Forum -> Pricing battle

    I suppose this is what quality work is?.....

    http://www.1234me.com/HTML/Photos/The%20Difference%20a%20Light%20Wash%20Makes!.jpg

    It isn't a question of whether a competitior does quality work for a lower price. It is usually a question of HOW a competitor is able to quality work for so much less. Most often if studied real close, corners are cut that consumers don't see. Example in my area.... The guys that are able to offer lower prices are usually paying help "under the table" bypassing the legitimate expenses that I pay like Matching FICA, Unemployment Ins., Workers Comp. Payroll Processing etc... Some are Just blasting plain water and covering with solid stains and consumers think it looks good so no problem until the crap is peeling and the "Contractor" is nowhere to be found. Some hire ilegal immigrants. Some don't even register with local government and are bypassing local taxes, school taxes. These are just a few corners cut. Had one competitor picking up workers from Homeless shelter. Not quite professional.

    So, it isn't the price itself, it's the methods used to get to those prices. A Legitimate, professional company can't work for the bids I've seen at times. I've seen bids that were equal to my customer acquisition cost. Why? Because the unregister door to door knocker has no "evidence" of thier "business" and can quote a lower price because he didn't spend a dime advertising for fear he'd be found by local Revenue dept.

    It DOES affect us. It leaves prospects/consumer false sense of what our services are worth. Consumer think that all of us are the same. They think Legitimate Contractors are gouging because we are covering legitimate expenses and trying to pay our salary which is more than a farm hands salary. SALARY... That's another subject altogether... SOme are able to do cheaper work because they aren't interested in running a BUSINESS that shows a profit and covers expenses and salaries. They are just working a JOB that they happen to make for themselves. Thinking $30K is a great Salary compared to the factory job alternative. Why be the President of a company, wear all the hats we wear as heads of companies for pennies only to say "At least I don't work for the Man"? For all that I do to keep a business running, I better be making more than the alternative.

    Enough from me.... I only post on the boards to increase my site ranking and sell products anyhow.... :lgmoneyey joke.... I have been accused LOL

  17. Posted · Report reply

    I started with an X-jet. My first building job was a 6 building condo complex. I had 5gal jugs that handles on them and I filled up 4 of them with mix and went to town. I liked the reach but hated lugging the jugs around.

    A few months later, I tried downstreaming and have never looked back. My X-jet has been in the toolbox ever since. I use 4 tips: 0040 and 2540 for applying soap and 0020 and 2520 for rinsing. I can hit the peak on the side of a 3 story building which is reallylike 4 stories high. And that's with my 5.6gpm/2500psi machine. with more pressure or flow it might reach higher.

    I used the pocket system at first and then switched to a fanny pack to hold the tips. I got tired of having to pull out all of the tips at the same time to find the right ones. I got a lance caddy from envirospec and it is absolutely awesome. All of my tips are right there and now I can pick them out without even looking down, just by feel.

    I saw that e-spec has started welding QCs together and screwing tips in them now. Their catalog only shows 3 welded together but I'm going to try welding 4QCs together. Should be much faster...

    NO MORE WET POCKETS OR MISSING NOZZLES! - NOZZLES QUICK CONNECT / 1/4 MEG / HOLDERS / SPECIALTY

    yhst-6302467517443_1963_429628

  18. Posted · Report reply

    How are they able to bid so low?

    It's usually due to corner cutting. Perhaps misclassifying employees as subs to avoid FICA matching, unemployment Ins., workers comp., payroll processing, etc.... Perhaps not using chems. Maybe not registered business avoiding taxes. Lots of ways to come in with bids lower than can possibly be profitable. Only possible if the consumers are willing to turn a blind eye to those practices in the name of taking the lowest bid.

  21. Posted · Report reply

    I am thinking one at C and one at D both. That would give you the ultimate in flexibility. If you have two on hoses, one could apply one could rinse. Both could apply and rinse. Both could rinse. One could use one chem and the other use a different chem.

    Thats the only thing that makes sense to me. :-)

    That's exactly where the DSer's need to be. I would also make sure they are Quick connected for easy/quick replacement.

  22. Posted · Report reply

    I helped shorten the learning proccess for some local folks even though they used service-magic to try and get my pricing. I was still a nice guy and helped them out. Hooked them up with Bob at Pressure-tek too.

    Fast forward..... Now they are using service magic also and bidding against me. My bid on Deck= $2200 thiers= $800 (900 sqft)

    Not anymore. Want to know how I market and sell? It'll cost from here on out. Just my $0.02.

    Babyjon reacted to this

  24. Posted · Report reply

    Ken, I love your post and I tend to agree with you on most everything. With that being said you would not get $450 for that house in my area.

    I dont care how good of a salesman you may be, you would not get that house down here.

    Clean is clean. If you did that house for $450 and the nieghbor got theirs done for $275 and it looked the same as your customer the $275 guy would make $550 next year and never move his trailer.

    This is why through good marketing and targeting, we stopped selling "clean." We started selling SERVICE. Dependability, professionalism, logo'd gear, nice equipment, on-time service etc etc etc. These are the things that build more VALUE and can be SOLD.

    First, I doubt that house would even sell for $200,000 here. Understand also that many people work for $10-$12 an hour and are happy to have that here. Maybe it is about wages in differing areas. That homeowner and his wife might earn $50,000 annually combined, so $500 is a lot of money to them for about an hour of work.

    In the paper here there are usually 5-6 guys with ads in the pressure washing section plus another couple jack-of-all-trades who list pressure washing in their ads in the home improvement section. I will be bidding against these guys.

    I think I could get the job at about $250 with the right customer if I was the first to bid. I would then try to upsell that fence or concrete flatwork.

    On higher value properties, I can sell on value. Those customers understand that and want it. This example is a very middle-class property here, and other guys would be washing it for $150 with the same results, and maybe the same chems and equipment.

    You are the only one that knows this is an hour of work. Also, YOU know what was involved to get the ball rolling to get to that job all the way from advertisement cost to the gas used to get there. How long would this take the HO to do? How much would it cost them to rent equipment search for chems etc? How much is all this worth to THEM? This is what you sell... not an hour of work.

×