So far, so good

[Jarrod 22]

Well, it has been a pretty good season so far. (Knock, knock!)

Decks - 76 completed

Brick paver jobs - 24 completed

House washes - 30 Completed

Only 3 deck touch ups, 1 brick pavers touch up, and NO house wash touch ups. Only 1 big, fat PITA customer!

The season for us began in mid April.

How's it going for you?

[JFife 14]

Thats awesome Jarrod! Dang, that's a lot of decks. Just you and helper? I'm on pace to hit my "gross" goals, so things are well here. Basing that on the season is half over at the end of this month.

[Barry M 73]

Congrats on a good season so far Jarrod. My numbers are nowhere near yours, to be honest I'm getting a little down lately. It's still been a lot of hit and miss for my first full time season and if I wasn't doing some remodeling for a good friend on the side, I would be starving to death. I've learned that I can't just sit and wait on the phone to ring. I can only send out 1000 or so postcards at a time and I just haven't seen the return on them that others do. So I have to go out and find work and I'm not very good at it, it's a lot harder than I ever imagined. It really annoys me that when work is scarce I get a little depressed instead of motivated. The work I have done has been mostly housewashes, a few drives, and some commercial roofs, and no bites on wood resto yet.

[PressurePros 248]

Barry,

I hope you don't mind if I make a suggestion. It's easy to let stress turn into depression. I find that if you are working on things in between calls or jobs your motivation stays high and stress and depression don't have a chance to settle in. Look into joining a group like BNI or any contractor networking group that meets on a regular basis.

The first year full time is slow. Its a great time to refine sales technique, marketing strategy and to network. Even going to a meeting of other contractors once a week will do wonders for your morale. Before you know it, the other members are tossing you a bone here and there and then you end up with a big contract one day that puts you on the map.

Stress is a killer. I try to do everything possible to alleviate unneccessary aggravation and worry but owning a business has many facets that can get your stomach in knots. I went to the doctor's last month and BP was 140/90. I got into the trap of eating fast, sleeping less and not exercising. One needs to keep the balance pf healthy mind, body and spirit for success. Don't discount the spiritual side of your being. Meditation and prayer are vital to my success.

I wish you well. Hang in there and remember. This is the hardest year. After this one is over it gets easier..I promise.

[Don Phelps 85]

Hang in there, Barry!

I remember the emotional roller coaster from 6 years ago, but it's gotten nothing but stronger each year. I've gotten to where I do the larger commercial jobs and rely on the smaller residentials to fill in the calender and I've been able to use the income and free time to start other businesses.

You'll get there, just hang tough. :)

[CCPC 26]

Congrats on a good season so far Jarrod. My numbers are nowhere near yours, to be honest I'm getting a little down lately. It's still been a lot of hit and miss for my first full time season and if I wasn't doing some remodeling for a good friend on the side, I would be starving to death. I've learned that I can't just sit and wait on the phone to ring. I can only send out 1000 or so postcards at a time and I just haven't seen the return on them that others do. So I have to go out and find work and I'm not very good at it, it's a lot harder than I ever imagined. It really annoys me that when work is scarce I get a little depressed instead of motivated. The work I have done has been mostly housewashes, a few drives, and some commercial roofs, and no bites on wood resto yet.

Hang in there Barry. There was someone on here that said it perfectly some time ago, and boy was it ever accurate. Something like:

"The first year you take one step foward, and two steps back, the second year you take two steps foward and one step back, and by the third year, things are rollin'. "

[Jarrod 22]

Thats awesome Jarrod! Dang, that's a lot of decks. Just you and helper? I'm on pace to hit my "gross" goals, so things are well here. Basing that on the season is half over at the end of this month.

I wish just me and a helper could do all that! I have 4 employees and a secratery. I only did a handful of decks this year because I was soo busy "steering the ship" per say. It's amazing how busy I am just running the company. I work longer hours than my crews!!!

Jon, I'm glad you are gonna hit your goals. My overhead is "snacking" on my gross goals. One more snack, and I'm sending it to Jenny Craig!

Barry, CALL ME!! What Ken & the others said is right. My first year totally SUCKED!

[JFife 14]

Jarrod,

...WHich overhead is getting you? Labor? Something else?

[smokey51 14]

Barry, I feel your pain. I also just started my business full time this year. As a matter of fact, because of circumstances beyond my control, I just got started about a month ago. And to add to the stress, I just moved back to this town also. Trying to get settled (I'm not married and just turned 60) and starting to get this business going is getting to be a bit much. I even had a write-up in the local paper and did not get 1 telephone call. What hurts even more is knowing how much work I turned down just to move down to the coast. I could have worked 60 to 80 hrs a week and still would not have gotten caught up.

Am I discouraged? Yes. Is it getting me down? Hell no! It just motivates me to work even harder. I know I am good at what I do and it is just getting that first one under my belt and the gates will be open.

I have been networking with realtors, contractors, and anyone else I can talk to. Just got through talking to my neighbor and he gave me a lead on a rather new development about an hour away. It has five contractors in the development building 1-2 million dollar homes, and also has some homes that are already built that already needs some work. Am I going to follow-up? You better to believe it. Just do 1 in a development like that and you will get more phone calls.

And thanks to all the encouraging words the other posters have given. It motivates me even more.

It sure as hell beats working for someone else.

Terry

[Jarrod 22]

It's all one big monster. - Office rent, supplies, advertising, labor, repairs, fuel, blah, blah, blah

[JFife 14]

Do you need to streamline more or charge more?? I know office space is a killer. Also, multi-crews don't pay off much until 4 or 5, which is what gets a lot of people down. I hear ya.

[PressurePros 248]

Gross goals won't be affected by anything other than sales, effeciency or weather. Now net, that seems to be something that is already on a diet with rising insurance, gas prices, etc.

As to the original question.. May was the best month I ever had since doing strictly residential. Organizing jobs by location, raising prices, downstreaming chemical, hiring additional labor, focusing advertising and the use of Wood Tux I hit one fourth of what I did the entire season last year.

[Jarrod 22]

We're in that inbetween stage where nothing fits right. I have looked at all of my overhead and it all is necessary. I pay my crews comission on all resi work, so I have a lot of control over what the co. will make. I hear what you are saying about the amount of crews. Next year, I will add one more and double my advertising. Don't get me wrong, I'm not starving or anything. It's just that I want to be more profitable. I think streamlining will help too.

[Jarrod 22]

Gross goals won't be affected by anything other than sales, effeciency or weather. Now net, that seems to be something that is already on a diet with rising insurance, gas prices, etc.

Amen to that Ken. I have to raise prices soon!

As to the original question.. May was the best month I ever had since doing strictly residential. Organizing jobs by location, raising prices, downstreaming chemical, hiring additional labor, focusing advertising and the use of Wood Tux I hit one fourth of what I did the entire season last year.

That's really good. Success is about all of those things, not just profit. For example, This year, I discovered a much better & easier way to wash houses. Man, what a difference that made!!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Barry,

Do you have a web site yet?

Beth

[JFife 14]

Good work Ken. At the higher monthly gross, was your net in-line with what it was last year, etc.??

...I think Jarrod and I crossed up on gross vs. net. My gross is way up, but net is not at what it should be due, to the costs of the ability to grow. At this point, I could stop growth and net would go way up, but at this point I'd rather grow.....I don't require a lot of personal money. My growth plans involve one more year and at that point, I'll start pushing to get the Net higher. Thoughts??

[JFife 14]

Jarrod--

...Don't you share an office/secretary?? That seems like a real good situation. I am lucky, most of my jobs last 2-4 weeks, and I leave my equipment at the job the whole time. When done, I move it to next job. If not for this, I'd have to have commercial space. Really glad to be holding off on that for now, I like keeping things CHEAP!!:)

[Jeff 232]

Well, it has been a pretty good season so far. (Knock, knock!)

Decks - 76 completed

Brick paver jobs - 24 completed

House washes - 30 Completed

Only 3 deck touch ups, 1 brick pavers touch up, and NO house wash touch ups. Only 1 big, fat PITA customer!

The season for us began in mid April.

How's it going for you?

This year is going real well, I'll surpass last years #'s around August this year. I've added another 2 PM companies that use our services now, not all their PM's use us but a few do and I'll try to get the others on line with us. As Ive mentioned before these are 2 PM companies Ive been targetting for at least 2 years.

Im always happy to get calls from my targetting, I then know its working.

As for employees I'm lucky my 2 fulltime guys are good and reliable and I jut hired the cousin of my Bro In Law and he is working out real well these past few weeks

We've done hundreds of condo buildings and thats the work I like most. We go in with 3-4 machines and knock them out, the PM's are thrilled how we get in & out quick with no or very few hassles. If the PM's are happy I'm happy

My goal is to have enough work for the winter for all my guys if possible. If not for at least 2 of my guys. I'm working on lining up winter work and have several projects I do in the winter already. I hope to be doing Parking garages after the tourist season and through the winter, so Ikeep writing hotels and condo towers every month

I figure I do about 1% tops of all the condo complexes around here. Looks like i have a long way to go to get 50% of them, thats my little dream I have and work towards

Im thrilled with how things are going for JL Pressure Washing, I really never imagined it would be like this

JL

[Jeff 232]

I'd love to have a secretary, god I'd love one, but cant afford or justify it.

[Ron Musgraves 240]

I couldnt live without.........

[mas3372 14]

Been washing for 2 1/2 months now. Part time, 2 days a week. First year at this.

36 house washes

2 store front sidewalks

2 deck strip and seals

Nothing to brag about, but pretty happy so far that I am getting business. The competition in the area really picked up with low ballers but they are starting to thin out.

Still have a lot of year left. My goal was 100 house washes and pay off my equipment. I am on track to do that a bit more. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

[HotShot 34]

I'm surpassing my last year numbers as well. As a matter of fact, last week was my best week so far. I did $2,917 worth of hoods. I went for a year and a half without a yellowpage ad, but I finally got tired of doing soliciting during the day and cleaning hoods at night, so I slacked off to only about 2 days/ week soliciting and got a yellowpage ad. It had really paid for itself already and the book has only been out for about 2 months.

[BREEN 14]

Hey Guys,

I Just Hit The Six Figure Mark Yesterday For The Year..

I Have One 3/4 Ton Ford Van (298,000 Miles On It) With Two Cheap 10 Hp 3.4 Gpm 3000 Psi Cold Water Units And A 325 Gallon Tank. We Pull A Trailer With The Recovery Mat And Tank On It. I Have Four Employee's We Work Seven Days A Week And The Van Runs About 70 Hours A Week. We Are Only Washing Trucks Right Now. I Am Trying To Learn All I Can About The Residential Aspect Of Things, And Putting Together A Trailer Behind My Truck. I Have Been Practicing On My House And My Neighbors Homes So Far So Good!!!! Just Getting The Pricing Down For Now....

[Chappy 138]

Im just into my 3rd full year and business is down substantially. Advertizing that worked last year is doing little this year, so costs to advertize in other sources go up. Im still landing the same percentage of my estimates but just markedely less estimating going on. Some of my periodic commercial work is coming through again, but with reduced budgets, or no budget at all, so no work from them. I really wanted to get a part timer this year, but that isnt going to work out. Right now Im on track to gross less than I did my first full year, and I need to replace the lemon of a skid unit I have.

Im sure the work will come back but it is a little disconcerting if not depressing.

[Jarrod 22]

You are washing truck fleets with two 3.4 gpm units? Holy crap dude! You have a lot more patience than I do! I could not wash trucks with less than 5.5 gpm.

[CCPC 26]

Things are going good here for me. My sales are just about the same as they were last year, but why are things good you ask? Because I've only advertised 2 times this year, where as last year I had to constantly plug away mailers and what not to keep the ship sailing.

I'm finally starting see the fruits of past years labors. Repeat customers, many referral calls, and HOA board members that exclusively route inquires about a reputable roof cleaning/pressure washing company to me.

My net is better because of the huge decrease in adver.$, but I haven't been much of a go getter this year. If I adver. like a did last year, this year, I would be way ahead of last years gross, but I guess I'm just not as motivated as Jeff, or others.