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Jeff

Goals - long term

Question

What are your long term goals for your PW or wood restoration biz?

Do you want to be a successful one or two man(women) operation?

Do you want to be successful and have a couple crews or more?

Do you want run your biz and have others do the actual cleaning restoration work and you just run the biz?

Do you want to be the biggest in your area or state?

Do you want to have the biz running well and have someone else manage it and you collect the money and you do other types of biz's?

Do you want to do this part time for a hobbie or spare money?

Do you want to just do it seasonal ?

Do you want to do it just when you want and come and go as you want. No employees, no hassles, no ties, no head aches?

Money! what kind of money do you want to be making in the future, enough to live off of the biz. A lot of money, a ton of money. What kind of money do you want or need to be a success or comfortable

Well you all know I want to be the KING. I feel that if you can make enough money to pay yourself and or your employees and pay your bills and have a certain comfort level for a small biz thats a great success.

I personally think someday I could be the largest ( dollar & projects ) in my area. I may want to expand to being a PW contractor that is throughout the state, but dont feel I really have to because there is so much work in my area and work I like condos & flatwork to some extent. I'd like to do a minimum of $450,000 - $500,000 every year. I dont know if that will be sustainable year in and year out. Althou it may be and may be even more. I dont want to be the largest just because money , I find it a challenge, I find it a thrill to watch it grow, I like the fact that after all these years I'm building something. No matter how busy I get, and the way I do things, the hard way usually when it comes to the paper /computer end of it. No matter the employee hassles I find this REAL FUN and thats cool

I would like to just run the biz and be out getting more work and inspecting the projects we do. I always wanted a biz and one were I didnt have to do all the work and as I get older in the Southern heat I know I definitly dont want to be doing the labor

See I was a late starter for the goals I now want and think I can reach. But I really like to dream, Heck I dream about winning the lottery and helping family & freinds. I dream now that my biz could do a million $$$ or more a year. I dont know if that can be done and its not what Im going for today, but if I can reach one goal I might be able to reach others when it comes to biz

You know the upcoming 2007 season gets me thinking & dreaming. What are your goals, thoughts & dreams

If I win a big lottery........the hell with my PW goals:lgbugeyes . My kids will be going to school on a Caribbean island and we'll all be swimming with the dolphins just enjoying the breeze:island: :martini:

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Jeff,

Thread has been sitting here without reply for nearly a day. Seems like no one likes you when your serious!

I'll respond with a very close to the vest, partial reply.

What are your long term goals for your PW or wood restoration biz?

I hope I've reached my first goal, which is to be the best quality wood contractor in my area. I guess a natural extension would be the biggest. But first and foremost, the best is primary. If I can attain that with crews and minimal supervision, that would be fine.

Do you want to just do it seasonal ?

No, not for the long term. May have an opportunity to go and establish my business in the Florida Keys each winter, returning here to Central NJ between April and October. Will know more in about 6 months.

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The roving wood man. Good morning Rick,

Ken,

If this Keys opportunity does not pan out, the next winter destination is Costa Rica! Not sure about the legalities of establishing a foreign owned business in San Jose, CR, a silent national partner may be required.

But I'm sure there is an available market in the San Jose area.

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Jeff,

Thread has been sitting here without reply for nearly a day. Seems like no one likes you when your serious!

I'll respond with a very close to the vest, partial reply.

I hope I've reached my first goal, which is to be the best quality wood contractor in my area. I guess a natural extension would be the biggest. But first and foremost, the best is primary. If I can attain that with crews and minimal supervision, that would be fine.

No, not for the long term. May have an opportunity to go and establish my business in the Florida Keys each winter, returning here to Central NJ between April and October. Will know more in about 6 months.

Good goal - Best quality wood contractor

I think I also have reach a good goal and that is being really good at what we do and being reliable which is part of being a good reliable contractor.

Last night we were out doing a hospital job, have been there a few times in the past couple weeks. Well they had to block off certain areas. one security gaurd and one maint. guy said to me. You know your good, the other guy who used to do this never showed up when he said he would. I guess they would block all kinds of stuff off and this guy wouldnt show up or call. Then as I have mentioned I quite often have had PM's tell me I'm the only vendor they can trust to show up and do things right. I hear often.

After the security guy said it, I tried to think back since i started condo & commercial work I have never not shown up and I have always got the projects done in the time frame I told them I would

When I 1st started I heard from many people contractors around here are unreliable and they are right. So I made it a goal to not be one of them and it isnt that hard to do.

So a short & long term goal has and will always be to be The best and that includes reliability & customer service. That in itself will help my company grow to possibly the largest & the best

What do you mean nobody likes me when Im serious. I am a very serious person Rick:banana: :alien: :taz:

Your goal of being in the Keyes or Costa Rica sounds veryyyyyyyyyyyy cool good luck with it

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My long term goals are always being modified but I really got into this to turn it into a franchise operation. There have been some bumps but I still have my eye on that target.

Did you want a Pressure Pros pressure washing franchise or a restora deck franchise.

good luck

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My long term goal is to get through a year without health problems . I guess that is short term. So my goals have completely changed over the last 10 years because of bad luck and freak health issues. I am one year away from getting back on track with my original goal of having a very highend service company. That includes marble restoration (winters) which puts me into a different league for pressure washing and woodcare . I have laid all the ground work for this transformation. Traning ,

equipment ect....

If I don't make it in the next three months I will be out of business. It's that simple

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My long term goal is to get through a year without health problems . I guess that is short term. So my goals have completely changed over the last 10 years because of bad luck and freak health issues. I am one year away from getting back on track with my original goal of having a very highend service company. That includes marble restoration (winters) which puts me into a different league for pressure washing and woodcare . I have laid all the ground work for this transformation. Traning ,

equipment ect....

If I don't make it in the next three months I will be out of business. It's that simple

Hang in there James, I know we all are hoping for the best for you, good luck

Life can be a PITA. Like my Dad always told me, everything gets better

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My short term goal is to get to a point where I have enough commercial work to compliment my residential stuff that I don't have to sweat the bills month to month. That is starting to come together and hopefully will be accomplished by years end. I also continue to learn and refine my skills which is leading to more work. This board is a great resource.

Since I also have started late, I'll be 50 this year, my longer term goal for five or six years out is to be able to hire people to do most of the work and I can run the biz. It would be great to involve my son and nephew more in this. I was a plant manager for 11 years prior to starting this business so I have some management skills. I would love to to be able to manage this thing, pay myself and employees well and be a PW force to be reckoned with in the south Atlanta area. Maybe have a business to leave my kids or still provide me some income when I reach 65.

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Sir James of KnowledgeWood says:

If I don't make it in the next three months I will be out of business. It's that simple

B.S. Not while I'm still around. I'll come up there with my college kids and knock the socks off your customers.

Jim, you leave wood and I'm dead. You are my original mentor, a charter member of the BDA, and one of the most knowledgeable woody's around. Your portfolio of jobs, the years you have put in to experiment, process, and just plain common sense are invaluable.

There's a lot of nonsense in this business. I always trusted a man with a bird on his head. You've been writing the book, and others are floundering in mediocrity. Everyone wants to make a quick buck as "businessmen", without understanding that success comes with quality.

So buck up ya' old fart. No quitting now. Too many need you.

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My short term goal is to get to a point where I have enough commercial work to compliment my residential stuff that I don't have to sweat the bills month to month. That is starting to come together and hopefully will be accomplished by years end. I also continue to learn and refine my skills which is leading to more work. This board is a great resource.

Since I also have started late, I'll be 50 this year, my longer term goal for five or six years out is to be able to hire people to do most of the work and I can run the biz. It would be great to involve my son and nephew more in this. I was a plant manager for 11 years prior to starting this business so I have some management skills. I would love to to be able to manage this thing, pay myself and employees well and be a PW force to be reckoned with in the south Atlanta area. Maybe have a business to leave my kids or still provide me some income when I reach 65.

Doug,

Check the Help Wanted job leads for ATL I posted yesterday and talk with Steve. Commercial and resi's.

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I was gonna leave this alone.

Jim, I don't neccessarily agree with everything you say or do but I respect you as a person and I hope you can make things work. I know you have been facing some health issues. I'll shoot up a few prayers in your name.

I have to address the "businessman" comment because I take that personally. A businesman strides to get away from being a technician in his business. A businessman understands that a business makes him money and provides for his family. Yes it helps to like what you do but keeping that mentality that you, as the owner, can be the only one that can give quality is where Jim finds himself today. It would be a real shame to see someone that has lasted this long have to throw in the towel. This business is not real profitable. As one man show with summer help its a meager living at best. A guy that treats every deck like a one-off masterpiece is likely to end a paid hobbyist.

To each his own destiny.

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Ken,

You are wrong. Pure and simple. Read. Learn about history and the ones that came before you.

Few made money trying to make money. They found a passion, a calling, a revolutionary idea, a place in the world and stayed with it. Working for money is no better than working for a paycheck. A miserable existence. If you are striving only for money, have fun. Because there isn't any.

Smell the roses.

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