<FONT COLOR="e87400">ARAN you da MAN!!! I knew I liked you for some reason.
OK, I'm going to try to express my views here on this subject.
This really goes back to competitors in a round about way.
When I got into this biz equipment was "twice" as expensive My first Flat Surface Cleaner was $1500 bucks. Today you can get it for $750. My first Pressure Cleaner was $1900 and today you can get it for $1000. Frankly I wish these prices were still the same as they were when I started out, hell I wish they had doubled in price. Why?? You ask, it keeps the riff raff out of MY business.
A nice little note here, why have the prices come down so much on this equipment? It's because more pressure cleaning supply companies have popped up and created more competition within the industry thus lowering prices as a whole!!!! NOW, Competition is a good thing right????? Ummmmmmmmmmm I don't think so!! Also is it a coincedence that in the last 4 years prices have begun to level off and even slip on pressure cleaning services, against the rise in fuel cost and inflation rates??? I think not.
Folks that kinda know me probably know or think I'm cheap and try to get everything bottom dollar Well that is somewhat true, it's not that I'm cheap though I am just a smart buyer and businessman saving a dollar here increases my bottom line.
(I know, inadvertently I am my own problem by my buying "best price" I am supporting the lowballers, but hey there not going away they may go outta biz but others are following suit so …..)The whole goal of being in business for yourself is to make money. Since I have the time I can look for good buys. So I do. However, I DO NOT want to make even lower prices available to my competitors. Here's where part of the problem lies.
If a well-formed org was formed how would it be structured. My interest would only lie in a buying type club that had a "cap" on membership size anything else would unacceptable to me, not to say that I would'nt be a member. If a org was formed it could cost you more by increasing your competitions bottom line and knowledge thus costing you current and future business than it would save you in present cash. This is what scares me. If an org was formed and they went on to solicit more members with no cap it could get to be anti productive for the members with a well established biz. Seems that few ppl here look at the future of their businesses. Yes currently I am very small in terms of how I run my business, but it's by choice. This year I am setting forth to break bad and increase my contracts and business size times 5. Then I will look for no less than a 30% annual increase after that til the day I die or sell. This is my future, what's yours. If you want to expand your business to one that will provide you with a good retirement then you do not want competition. I'm guessing that most of the folks discussing this topic have been in business for a couple of years or more. What did it take for you to get where you are today, how did you struggle. Do you want to make it easier for those to follow just so they can come in and undercut your prices and/or snap up contracts that you may have been able to secure in the future? By creating a discount opportunity that "may" become available to everyone who is a licensed pressure-cleaning contractor you "are" creating an opportunity for more ppl to get into this business and succeed!
If done properly with a membership cap it could be a good thing, but it could still bite us all in the butt! Even then it will be based on everyone included being able to use the same suppliers/vendors. That in itself may be impossible. I like the equipment that I use and I like my chemicals. I prefer a local insurance company especially for my vehicles. For legal issues I have an atty and would not use anyone else
cept for maybe one of the Dream Team
Here's my reply to this:
1. collection attorney - Never needed one! I have an Atty if I have a problem and he's cheaper, only charges me $20 to send a death threat out on his letterhead As many times as it takes to collect. It's 100% productive! Much cheaper than a collection Agency that basically is just an Atty that sends out a mild threat on letterhead.
2. group health insurance I have it through my wife, May be good for employees though? However like someone else said you can get pretty good deals through leasing agencys plus other perks.
3. group marketing campaign No need for it, I don't advertise, I only pitch a very unique clientelle. Besides for a group campaign you're talking MEGA Even if it had 500 members divide that up between 50 states worth of advertising. OUCH!!
4. Buying power for chemicals and equipment. So long as it's the chemicals that I/everyone uses? This may be harder to to than you think
5. educational programs ? Not to sure if I would use this but you never know.
6. Certification classes for different types of pressure washing. See #5
7. Manuals for equipment problems. There already out there if you need em
8. National account recognition. This my be nice
Do you guys have any idea how much $$$ it would take to support #3,5,6,7,&8. OMG Tons of cash!
Oh well that's just my opinion
You probably all think that I have a very grim persona of things but I really don't I've just been around. And I am definitely not saying that I am right in my thinking, I'm just saying "think before you drink!"
Cody!</FONT c>
------------------
<FONT COLOR="orange">This Busienss is Great
Hydro-Emulsification Surface Preparation Specialist </FONT c>