You got to love 55 and above retire mobile home parks.

[chris francis 15]

I need to vent little. I got call from 55 and above mobile home park today wanting to get there house wash. Home owner asked how much for house wash I ask how big is the mobile 25feet by 56feet so do the math little over 1200sqr not including the car port. So gave the guy quote for the wash said about 85 dallors this guys sales that is alot money. I told him if he can get 3 more homes I will drop my price to 70 dallors. So what do you guys think he said he got his home washed for last.

[John Doherty 126]

Luca how many guys you have working for you doing pw?

[luca71 14]

5 and i have 8 that seal coat .

[luca71 14]

And im sure john you are going to give me hell for working in your back yard right?

[John Doherty 126]

And im sure john you are going to give me hell for working in your back yard right?

Why would you think that, it's not MY backyard you can work anywhere you want.

I come here to learn and share what I've learned, you've done very very well in 2 years I'm sure I could learn a lot from you.

I'd like to come down and buy you lunch and pick your brain a little, Friday is good for me this week or anytime next week.

When is good for you?

[luca71 14]

john that would be great sometime next week i will acually be up there in that area .Im sure you could show me tons too i know i still have alot to learn about this biz and just so knowone gets the wrong idea i learned it all here from the mechanics to the equiptment to chems and some of the funny stuff and some advertising advise i owe it to the scene i have read a ton of your posts too.I just get mad when it doesnt sound like someone wants to hustle for there biz and then they give ill advise on top of it .I wasnt hand the biz book of knowledge as im sure most of us werent.But im not affraid to give someone an idea that worked for me even if its my competition ,competition breeds sales.

[Andy Hinson 14]

john that would be great sometime next week i will acually be up there in that area .Im sure you could show me tons too i know i still have alot to learn about this biz and just so knowone gets the wrong idea i learned it all here from the mechanics to the equiptment to chems and some of the funny stuff and some advertising advise i owe it to the scene i have read a ton of your posts too.I just get mad when it doesnt sound like someone wants to hustle for there biz and then they give ill advise on top of it .I wasnt hand the biz book of knowledge as im sure most of us werent.But im not affraid to give someone an idea that worked for me even if its my competition ,competition breeds sales.

Personally I thank all of you for posting excellant information. It is apparent that each of you are talented,trained and succesfull Thanks for sharing. luca71, I would love to learn more about the sealing process. If you don't mind sharing. Thanks.

[Ron Musgraves 240]

Chris, I was them for 39.99 and make all these guys sick.

Kidding, there is a guy here I know that does 25 a day for 49.99

He make a 1000.00 or more a day 4 days a week starting this month.

We have snow birds coming in....they are elderly and want the homes washed.

I know that the houses get washed for like 99 to 149 depending if they are stucco or some other material. Seldom do they wash the flatwork for pool decks.

I was a club house for 5300 once, the home owners asked me if I do houses. I turned them onto a friend.

Keep on trucking, if you can make 29.00 work and need to keep mama happy do what ever you gotta do.

I dont worry about what My competition charges, I charge what I need too.

Good luck

[chris francis 15]

I will not lie I have mobile park that I do for $65 per person but park I go to all single wides. I tell them if they can get there friend to get there house washed at the same time then I will give group deal boy do they jump on that deal.

Ron when are you coming out this way next time would love pick that big brain of yours.

[luca71 14]

Personally I thank all of you for posting excellant information. It is apparent that each of you are talented,trained and succesfull Thanks for sharing. luca71, I would love to learn more about the sealing process. If you don't mind sharing. Thanks.

no problem sealing is a great add on as was pw to my sealing biz any questions you have just ask be happy to help.

[Bobby 14]

649 now :) I'm the one with the big red trailer and the silly name!

I'll get out of bed for EXPeRIeNCE right now!!! But I won't be low balling. I sold cars successfully during a 2 year break from the service. I'll always remember my managers telling me: "Robert are you selling them the car, or are you selling them the sticker? You won't make a profit or a good customer if it's the latter. Go sell the car, and sell the $#|+ out of it!"

Ive learned that you MUST build value in your product as well as your service. It truly made a difference. Same is true in all sales.

It may be worth making an agreement with the mobile home park: the 15th of this month is washing day- spread the word. 65 for singles, 85 for doubles and 15 for the driveway. Then bring em krispy kremes... The old folks go ape**** for krispy kremes!!!

[All Surface 24]

649 now :) I'm the one with the big red trailer and the silly name!

I'll get out of bed for EXPeRIeNCE right now!!! But I won't be low balling. I sold cars successfully during a 2 year break from the service. I'll always remember my managers telling me: "Robert are you selling them the car, or are you selling them the sticker? You won't make a profit or a good customer if it's the latter. Go sell the car, and sell the $#|+ out of it!"

Ive learned that you MUST build value in your product as well as your service. It truly made a difference. Same is true in all sales.

It may be worth making an agreement with the mobile home park: the 15th of this month is washing day- spread the word. 65 for singles, 85 for doubles and 15 for the driveway. Then bring em krispy kremes... The old folks go ape**** for krispy kremes!!!

There is one of the keys to success right there.

Welcome to TGS Robert. Good hearing from you yesterday. Maybe one of these days we can get together for lunch. I sold cars for many years too.

[Jon 533]

WOW how you guys hate seniors, wait till you reach 55 plus and become one of them asking the younger group how much, then say that's a lot of money.

Remember some of them, not all but some might not be wealthy, some might have taken early retirement and have less income to spend or became disabled etc.

Might I suggest this, if you don't want to deal with seniors, yes in many states 55 is considered a senior just polity decline saying you don't really do mobil homes.

Or go to the park management and offer a good price if say 5 or 10 are willing to sign up at one time and this is very important, have a price list printed stating what is included.

Then on that same list what is extra and the cost per item.

Now if you get 5 or more signed up, hopefully you have some sort of written agreement they sign and once you are done they say something like would you just rinse off this or that you can chose to do it free or explain that is extra paid in advance.

But don't knock all seniors as you will be one someday and I am speaking from experience, I am 68 but I don't chisel that way, I have nicer ways to get discounts. LOL

[Jon 533]

Then bring em krispy kremes... The old folks go ape**** for krispy kremes!!!

Not sure if Krispy Kreme is still around in but not all of us go ape over them, I personally found nothing about them to be any different then any other fried donut, oily and loaded with calories.

Now that said if you were to bring them donuts make sure the management post that so they all know where to go for them.

What about coffee and tea?

[Ron Musgraves 240]

Not sure if Krispy Kreme is still around in but not all of us go ape over them, I personally found nothing about them to be any different then any other fried donut, oily and loaded with calories.

Now that said if you were to bring them donuts make sure the management post that so they all know where to go for them.

What about coffee and tea?

Jon, Happy T-day Buddy

[chris francis 15]

Not sure if Krispy Kreme is still around in but not all of us go ape over them, I personally found nothing about them to be any different then any other fried donut, oily and loaded with calories.

Now that said if you were to bring them donuts make sure the management post that so they all know where to go for them.

What about coffee and tea?

Don't use donuts but I do go to walmart get the candle packet that is 10 dallors work great for me. what I do is give small candle out when I do meet the customer bid. I then give larger candles out to pple that get house wash works great for me.

[FullBlast 14]

Don't use donuts but I do go to walmart get the candle packet that is 10 dallors work great for me. what I do is give small candle out when I do meet the customer bid. I then give larger candles out to pple that get house wash works great for me.

Sounds like a good idea!!

[FullBlast 14]

Hey Jon good to see you back, ain't seen you in awhile!!!

[hpwasher 14]

My first job pressure washing was cleaning a mobile home. My father told me, "The mobile home facility contract requires them to have the home pressure washed once a year." Perfect, hand out a bunch of flyers and I'm bound to get a job or 2. I listed on the flyer $30 a house. I received between 12-15 calls after Handing out the flyers to the neighborhood. Haha....a couple of them were elder folks yelling at me about how my flyers were all over the place (don't go door to door on a windy day). Bang, got my first job pressure washing a mobile home. I had bought a pressure washer and enclosed trailer brand new and had no clue how to wash. Taking 4000 psi to siding takes a long time to get those little pores of mold off. If you miss a spot its definatly noticeable. I was busting my balls for 2 summers cleaning those things for $30 a pop. I had a customer base of about 15-20 in the same mobile home spot. I would get about 6 done a day. It was hard labor and it sucked.

Well after taking some classes and learning about down streaming chemicals and softwashing the job became much easier!!! Now, I start at 8am and stop around 7pm with 2 guys washing almost non-stop. We have about 45 homes we wash, out of the over 180 homes there. We can easily get a mobile home done in an hour and most likely less. This also includes going back and washing the windows. Oh, and the price has gradually increased from $60 single and $70 double wide.

65/hr * 10 hrs (1hour break) = $650 Pay my employee around $150----I take home $500. I make $2,500.00 with a combined week of work

But no one looks at the long term affect. 55 and older, what do you do?? your retired or you feel like your retired. You talk to all your neighbors, you tell your children about the young man that just came and pressure washed your house and next thing you know.....networking calls left and right. One woman was very close in the church. She told the church about what a great job I did and I ended up pressure washing the entire church $$$$. Another woman bakes me a small cake every year, delicious and its better than my mothers!!! I would say the mobile home community is solely responsible for approximately 30-40% of my business through networking. I had to start somewhere

Edited January 21, 2010 by hpwasher

[Scott Stone 604]

This thread cracks me up. Everyone saying "my way is the best way".

From my experience, everyone has their own personal style, and markets and sells themselves in a way that best suits them. I am very low key, to the point of being quiet. I am not an aggressive marketer, but in my target market, I don't have to be. I wash mobile homes on occasion, and charge $75. If I go in planning to do one, I usually get three, and have them done in a couple of hours. They love me. I talk to them, am nice to them, and they appreciate it. They even like my big, fancy, pretty truck. Of course, I typically only wash in one trailer park. And it is full of one type of person. Retired lesbians with money...

Scary part is, that is not a joke.

By the way, if your roll out cost is $150 before you make a profit, you need to reevaluate your business, at least, I would.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Scott Stone

[hpwasher 14]

Well Scott! If your talking about what I pay my employee, "I guess you get what you pay for!" My employees comes clean to work, always shaved and doesn't look like a slob! Thats right at the top, below their work ethic and quality! Thanks to Ron's video of your employee and the teeth comment. You have provided me with a great laugh today. Oh and lesbians huh??? your credability went right down the drain!

[TNRoofCleaner 16]

hpwasher

please go to your controls and add your signature forum rules

You did join in 2007 and they have not changed

[Scott Stone 604]

Well, I don't vet my customers sexual preferences. Also, when I have a job dropped in my lap, take it. I would be stupid, or an internet guru to do that. I do treat EVERYONE with respect, until they do something that proves to me that they do not warrant my respect.

I like to have my employees look clean and presentable. That particular guy never has contact with a customer, always shows up, is clean and presentable with a good attitude. He also makes me a lot of money, consistently, every month. It works out well.

I do think it takes a certain brand of chutzpa to come in, make an attack on someone, without having the testicular fortitude to show your name, your company name, or without knowing who you are. Makes me wonder if you use that screen name just to be a jerk. I did look and see that you have a valid phone number though. So I guess that almost gives you credibility.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Scott Stone

[MudDuck 20]

I have a 150.00 min and only do two houses that are mostly brick at that rate. If I feel someone is "shopping" around looking for the cheapest guy in town I'll tell them my min just to get their reaction and get them off my phone if that is the case. If you work for 99 house washes then thats all you will ever get. Your customers won't pay anymore ever,, they will replace you with someone getting 250 before they will pay you 100. With your biz model they own you. I have a very hard time believing the newbie made 620K last yr at his price point. (did he say this was his 2nd yr in biz?) Is there enough hrs in a day to wash that many house's or drives? If you have a 5K mortg and fancy cars to pay for congrats YOUR stuck and YOU HAVE to do low ball jobs because you can't afford NOT to OR stop. You own a job not a business and I'm not sure the job doesn't own you. 620K would be 6200 customers at your rates or there about. 365 days a yr, how many customers is that a day w/ 12 guys? If you had that big of a client base you would be big enough to be known AND know better..I could be wrong, I don't know you from Adams house cat but I think your full of it. You can make money being a lowballer on the short term but you work a lot harder for it and will work yourself out of business. But to be honest I aint buying the story. If one could make 620K being a low baller we all would be doing it.

[hpwasher 14]

Scott, what would you like to know? I started a pressure washing business when I was 18 my sophomore year in college. I'm now 24 years old with my degree in electrical engineering. I work for National Grid, the largest electrical provider in the northeastern states. You can even e-mail me at czgoda@us.ngrid.com for "credability." I bartend 4-5 days a week at Jack Astor's Bar & Grill in Buffalo, NY and own a pressure washing business. I've worked very hard to get where I am today and will continue to work even harder. I know how many business are run and take offense to the scrutiny of my own. I apologize for what I said about your employee. Oh and if you were the guy that called me 15 times from a private number yesterday to mess with me.....Please don't do that again.