Should you focus more on 1 part of your business

[RSuds 24]

We should all focus more on what makes you more money but I have a question about what to do with the part that makes only a little bit of money and is a pain in the a$$ to deal with. I have been doing decks for a long time and we also stain them for our customers. My prices have gone up with staining and most of them I try to use the same products (I do not want to talk about what kind to use F&P or Ready seal) that makes it easy and we can just prep and recoat, but we also will use some products that people have already. Were I have a problem is mostly with scheduling the stain work on top of doing other stuff. Every year end of april we get 7-12 days of rain and we then have 20-30 decks on the board to seal and then the calls come on that nice day. (I know we all have the same thing) I have some painters that I sub the work out to and give them 85% of the job, they like it because they do not need to do anything but go paint it and I will pay them. But they also have some problems with doing the work they have first and well most painters that want to help are?? Also I can keep only employees for power washing.

So after doing my numbers I'm leaning twords cleaning everything and telling people that we do not stain anymore?

My question is have some other guys done this and how does it effect your other jobs? We do a lot of residentail work and when we do decks we also do the house and roof, so if we do not do the deck staining will they go with another guy?

Then I think I will be able to focus more on the commercial side of business and not worry about the Decks.

In business it is tough sometimes to know if you are doing the right thing or not??

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Our main focus is wood, and just about anything havinbg to do with it.

We love decks....

Beth

[Doug Rucker 31]

Brian, your gut is telling you what to do, you know the answer. Go with your intsinct. I faced the same thing years ago. Decks were taking two to three days to do and costing me jobs in residential power washing and I did not want to sub anything out. Plus I didn't really enjoy doing it. I LOVE cleaning houses. So I quit the staining aspect and now clean only. Best move I ever made.

The 15% your making is probably not worth your time and effort, when that time and effort can be used to make even more on the cleaning side.

[Adrian 155]

Our main focus is wood, and just about anything havinbg to do with it.

We love decks....

Beth

+100...

[Ace Painting 14]

My problem is that I get bored to easy, so I enjoy doing different things every day. I say do what makes you happy and then do what makes you the most money.

[RSuds 24]

Making money is what makes me happy but I do think it will reduce a lot of stress and we can focus on just cleaning. It is scary to give up any work. Still thinking. We also do a lot of the staining ourselves and make more than 15% but it gets hard to schedule.