Hours a Week

[Mike 64]

On Average, How many hours a week do you work?

[John T 744]

In season we can go on average 41-50 hrs a week with some weeks we can work all 7 days. Today my business is pretty much at a standstill because the Residential end is closed and the Commercial end I lost some accounts.

I can't wait to get back from the PWNA Convention next March and get back into the $$$$ again.

[Scott Stone 604]

For me that is a very hard question. In October it was an average of 90 hours a week. This past couple of weeks, the college kids that work for me are out of school and hungry, so I have probably only worked 5 or 6 hours, if that. It is nice when they are trained and responsible.

Scott

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I'm still thinking about how to respond to this one. There is a seasonal difference. Off season we are working normal hours. Peak season we are working from ..... roughly 6:30 am till about 11pm most days plus 8 hour days on the weekends.

Beth

p.s our employees work fewer hours (closer to normal), and unless they are scheduled for weekend work, they are off weekends.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

That depends on which hours you refer to. I do my own maintenance, sales calls, follow ups, billing and so on. Add that to my wash hours and I have a 40+ hour work week. I also work full time during the day at another job, so now we get into 80+.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I have seen us work 60-75 hours a week I think is average during peak season in the office & field.20-25 hours more for estimates

We work pretty much 7 days/week in peak season just to keep up with the demand.

Rod~

[John T 744]

The hardest part of Powerwashing in the Northeast is right about now. My business is pretty much shut down for the winter months because I lost my 2 nice size Commercial accounts this past year. So for now my business is doing ZERO hours per week.

This is where I am happy that I have my "Other" job and the Ap't that I rent out because I am continously getting a steady paycheck. I also know of a couple of Powerwashing People who are in big trouble this time of year because there business has slowed alot and they don't have enough Money to keep themselves afloat much longer...in less of course there luck turns.

For you guys in the Northeast that do this business fulltime and make it thru the winter months without much problem I tip my hat to you. That is my goal in the future and I know its going to be a tough one.

[Celeste 341]

It's also going to depend on if you counting the hours in that you're doing the paperwork....I don't know about a lot of you since we're relatively new to this still (just over a year) but my brain doesn't ever seem to stop thinking about business...what I can do to promote, what kinds of folks to target & how to do it, when to try to schedule classes, where to look for employees....

I voted 21-30 hours because we try really hard to make those hours count so that we can be at home with family (that was the whole reason for becoming self-employed) but if I literally count the number of hours that I work toward business....about 30 hours a day would just about cover it :)

[Aplus 525]

April-August probably 50-70 hours a week, including estimates, but not necessarily including paperwork. Most of my crew work 30-40 hours, and a couple just work 1-2 days, maybe 12-14 hours/week.

Sep-Oct maybe 40 hours a week.

Nov 15-20 hours a week.

Dec-Jan 5-10 hours a week.

Feb-Mar Zippo.

I've learned the importance of building a nest egg.

[Henry B. 4]

My guys work 40-50 hours a week except for during the winter. Then we back it down to 35-40 hours a week due to the temperatures in the area.

I putz around in the office working on my website and various marketing things. I also spend a lot of time meeting and speaking with other contractors, property managers, hoa's and lately some government officials. (I've got a few ideas I'm working on)

[charlie 14]

March - Oct Peak time 7 days a week 24 hours a day always thinking about the business even in my sleep. Nov.- Feb. 0-20 hours a week (Semi retired).

Charlie

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Doe this mean we are retired while we are sleeping or stopping to eat a meal? If we take kids to the movies are we retired while we do it? Or is it just time off....

Thing I love about the slower months, is you get to shift your focus and do things you might not have time to do during the peak season.

Beth

[Celeste 341]

LOL, like sift through two boxes of receipts that are in the filing system you swore you'd never use again!

[Craig 111]

I work approximately 50 hrs/week, not including doing paperwork and billing. I also make my own brochures, mailers, coupons etc. in photoshop. I have 2 full time employees now that work 32 to 50+ hrs/wk. Unfortunately I spend 168 hours a week thinking about business.

[newlook 265]

Craig - lol, that is about the extent of it. I think all of us sleep and live this business at times.

My wife get's a little ticked off when we are on our way to a romantic dinner and I will pull a u turn to go look at a dirty building. She sits in the car pissed...I am out walking around the building in good clothes :)

[Rfitz 14]

Hours per week as a business, is not really important, that is more of a hourly employee thinking, for example we dont work at all Dec. Jan. Feb. we shut down, but the other 9 months we are slammed, keeping machines running on average 40-60 hours a week, all biz have up and down cycles throughout the year, heck I know some retailers that make 95% of their income in 2 months of the year, and coast the other 10 months, as long as you save for the lean months, you should be fine, we vacation in the winter, going to Florida, California, next week we are going on a cruise, we try and take one nice trip a month in the winter. and wow does the winter fly by doing that, and because of having 8-9 great months in the biz, we can save a ton of cash and go on awesome trips, it is all about money management, if you think about it who really wants to work 12 months a year...??? for us 9 is more than enough..:)

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Hey Rob, good seeing you here again. :) Don't be a stranger.

Beth

[CLASSICPW 14]

In general I work 7 days a week and I always have(with the occasional day off to go fishing. I only put in an average 5-6 hrs a day actually cleaning, the other time is spent doing estimates, paperwork, computer input and most of all, pumping out direct mailing. 30-40 hrs a week in hard labor.

[Washaway 64]

Carlos next time your in the dog house come and visit me. I've gotten so used to being out there that I built one that fits a big screen tv........it's like a vacation:)

[Tim Polk 14]

Im going on month #3 and ive been averaging about about 55-60 a week. Of course im researching, selling, meeting customers, buying parts, and on and on and on. I also work a part time job 2 days a week strictly for the fun! My wife also helps out with billing and dinner lol.