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Backup Chemical? Help needed...
- Thread starter hadishon
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Well, good and bad news. It's been a wierd and not all that fun day. I found out this morning that the other partner in the gas station did not want to pay the money to have the concrete cleaned. This made me dissapointed and the other partner a lil upset and dissapointed as well. I found out how the gas stations work around here. The outside and the gas is owned by a big company, the inside with the store. is owned be a local person. The store owner is only responsible for the store and the gas owner is responsible for cleaning the outside.
Well... After I heard this news I decide to go knock on doors. I knocked on doors for a couple hours without a single sale. The most common answer was, "I clean it myself" or "I have a pressure washer" even though their house/driveway/roof is filthy! I went to a couple neighborhoods... all middle class or higher with the majority of residents being the home owner.
I think I could have said "FREE cleaning!" and they still would have said NO. Thus the reason I don't like low balling because I think you get just about the same amount of work, just paid less.
So after another couple dissapointing hours, I decided to go back to the gas station. I said the the store owner, I said you were going to pay half right? He said yes. I said, ok I will charge you $300 to do it. I'll do it tonight. He said WOW that's cheap. I said yes, I need the money. He said OK and that he will pay me cash when I'm done.
At least this will cover the checks that are out...
I also went to the equipment rental in town. The are letting me use their surface cleaner. I tried it out about 30 minutes ago and don't like it. It is a Simpson. I can clean concrete faster with my wand then with it. Maybe it will be differant on the oil stains at the gas station? Where I tested it was just some moldy concrete. With a wand at 300 degrees, it comes clean fast but with the surface cleaner... it was slow and never did get all the mold and mildew up.
Tonight should be a fun night... first big concrete job. First gas station. All I have done in the past are car lots, houses, and wood.
Well... After I heard this news I decide to go knock on doors. I knocked on doors for a couple hours without a single sale. The most common answer was, "I clean it myself" or "I have a pressure washer" even though their house/driveway/roof is filthy! I went to a couple neighborhoods... all middle class or higher with the majority of residents being the home owner.
I think I could have said "FREE cleaning!" and they still would have said NO. Thus the reason I don't like low balling because I think you get just about the same amount of work, just paid less.
So after another couple dissapointing hours, I decided to go back to the gas station. I said the the store owner, I said you were going to pay half right? He said yes. I said, ok I will charge you $300 to do it. I'll do it tonight. He said WOW that's cheap. I said yes, I need the money. He said OK and that he will pay me cash when I'm done.
At least this will cover the checks that are out...
I also went to the equipment rental in town. The are letting me use their surface cleaner. I tried it out about 30 minutes ago and don't like it. It is a Simpson. I can clean concrete faster with my wand then with it. Maybe it will be differant on the oil stains at the gas station? Where I tested it was just some moldy concrete. With a wand at 300 degrees, it comes clean fast but with the surface cleaner... it was slow and never did get all the mold and mildew up.
Tonight should be a fun night... first big concrete job. First gas station. All I have done in the past are car lots, houses, and wood.
It's not the power washing biz that I'm worring about these last couple days though... It's my wife. On top of all this, we are going through a battle to get her insurance. She is 30 weeks pregnant and needs to see a doctor but we don't have the money for her to see one and she hasn't been approved for insurance yet in TN. It's a very long story but in short, her parents didn't like the government so they never got her a birth certificate or SSN... We are in the process of getting her a delayed birth certificate and SSN but... it has to go through courts and such and won't be done for at least a year. Since she doesn't have a SSN the insurance company in TN is denying her... We think we may have found a way for her to get insurance today but won't know for a couple days yet. She had insurance in MO with no problem... anyways... I gotta get some sleep if I'm gonna clean later tonight.
Just got home from the job. I got half the job done tonight, 3,000 sq feet. I wanted to finish it but I ran out of kerosene. I didn't have the money for a kerosene tank and I was hoping I could do the whole job 1 tank. The owner paid me for the work I did tonight and he seemed pleased with the work I did.
I was able to get all the gum up but, there are still some shadows from some gum, is this normal?
The diesal pumps were terrible! I just happened to start right at the diesal area and wasn't happy at first... The diesal was very hard to move.
Overall the concrete looked cleaner. It didn't brighten as much as I had hoped though. Maybe it will get better as it drys?
The chemical that I bought... I wasn't pleased with. It didn't seem to matter much if I used it or not. The guy from the chemical store said that it is very "hot" and it's the best thing they have for car oils. It is potassium hydroxide based. They said to dilute 4 OZ per 1 gallon of water. I even tried full strength and it didn't seem to do much.
I think I'm going to find my own chemicals and try mixing them myself next time.
Other then lowballing on this job, it was good. I am getting paid for expierence, pleasing the owner, and nothing went wrong (other then running out of kerosene).
The owner even filled up my empty 5 gallon gas can for free and some food and drink from the store.
I was able to get all the gum up but, there are still some shadows from some gum, is this normal?
The diesal pumps were terrible! I just happened to start right at the diesal area and wasn't happy at first... The diesal was very hard to move.
Overall the concrete looked cleaner. It didn't brighten as much as I had hoped though. Maybe it will get better as it drys?
The chemical that I bought... I wasn't pleased with. It didn't seem to matter much if I used it or not. The guy from the chemical store said that it is very "hot" and it's the best thing they have for car oils. It is potassium hydroxide based. They said to dilute 4 OZ per 1 gallon of water. I even tried full strength and it didn't seem to do much.
I think I'm going to find my own chemicals and try mixing them myself next time.
Other then lowballing on this job, it was good. I am getting paid for expierence, pleasing the owner, and nothing went wrong (other then running out of kerosene).
The owner even filled up my empty 5 gallon gas can for free and some food and drink from the store.
Larry L.
PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
I know this may be a personal Q'tion and you do not have to reply but why did you move to Tn..It seens you know nothing about it,being a business man and fixen to be a family man with no money doesn't sound to smart to me.If you want you can e-mail me your reply as to "why",my e-mail is Triplel@bscn.com,I will keep it between you and me.
You can get alot of help from a church,if need be,If the wife is needing to see a DOC now go there NOW.
Anyway,I seen were you said you didn't want to be a lowballer but after already giving a low bid dropped the price in half.In my way in looking at things you already shrewed yourself in doing gas stations.The other owner will own several more and will know all the other half owners of the other stations and all mom and pops.Somethimes its not best to take everyones advice and work for nothing just to get money coming in,it could put you out of business in a matter of months.Being already broke with no money,bills stacking up,bady on the way and working for nothing isn't going to get you where you want but farther behind.This business takes a little bookwork,which you should have done before you moved,not knowing nothing about a city you need to stop and do some bookwork now.Stop the running around I work for nothing because your broke,it will hurt you in sales because with 80,000 people I'm sure a few knows what fair pricing is.Most smart businessman/women will come more hiring you with a fair price than with a low price,they know the differences in cheap and needing to work.Cheap doesn't last long and "needing to work" want be in business long is the reson some want hire you.
Its time to do your bookwork,take time out to know your local powerwashers,I'm sure they are a few around.They will know where to buy local and some can even give you business.Dan and I can sometimes sound out spoken but we try not to feed you no bones without having alittle meat on it.
You can do yourself more harm running around to every gas station not knowing nothing about none of them,bookwork.It will be harder to sale to them again after getting no the first time go around,a little bookwork before hand may have gotten you one or two of them the first go around.A one man crew cann't make it in this trade working on cheap prices,he only gets by and has nothing.Do your bookwork,I haven't seen a city that big that doesn't have a few trucks needing washed,local trucks,city trucks,phone trucks,ect..
Like I said if the wife is needing a Doc now,ask a church for help,who knows they maybe more business in there than you can shake a stick at..............Good Luck.
You can get alot of help from a church,if need be,If the wife is needing to see a DOC now go there NOW.
Anyway,I seen were you said you didn't want to be a lowballer but after already giving a low bid dropped the price in half.In my way in looking at things you already shrewed yourself in doing gas stations.The other owner will own several more and will know all the other half owners of the other stations and all mom and pops.Somethimes its not best to take everyones advice and work for nothing just to get money coming in,it could put you out of business in a matter of months.Being already broke with no money,bills stacking up,bady on the way and working for nothing isn't going to get you where you want but farther behind.This business takes a little bookwork,which you should have done before you moved,not knowing nothing about a city you need to stop and do some bookwork now.Stop the running around I work for nothing because your broke,it will hurt you in sales because with 80,000 people I'm sure a few knows what fair pricing is.Most smart businessman/women will come more hiring you with a fair price than with a low price,they know the differences in cheap and needing to work.Cheap doesn't last long and "needing to work" want be in business long is the reson some want hire you.
Its time to do your bookwork,take time out to know your local powerwashers,I'm sure they are a few around.They will know where to buy local and some can even give you business.Dan and I can sometimes sound out spoken but we try not to feed you no bones without having alittle meat on it.
You can do yourself more harm running around to every gas station not knowing nothing about none of them,bookwork.It will be harder to sale to them again after getting no the first time go around,a little bookwork before hand may have gotten you one or two of them the first go around.A one man crew cann't make it in this trade working on cheap prices,he only gets by and has nothing.Do your bookwork,I haven't seen a city that big that doesn't have a few trucks needing washed,local trucks,city trucks,phone trucks,ect..
Like I said if the wife is needing a Doc now,ask a church for help,who knows they maybe more business in there than you can shake a stick at..............Good Luck.
im sorry to say but even if you got insurance today the insurance co would say it was a ''pre-exsisting condition'' and you still wont be covered.
my friend tried to get his wife on his insurance AFTER she got ''with child'' and it was a , no go.
he is still paying this off 2 year's later.
hospital's have ''charity care''
if he would have waited to get married untill AFTER the birth and not get married to try and get her on his insurance. The hospitial would have done everything for free.
my friend tried to get his wife on his insurance AFTER she got ''with child'' and it was a , no go.
he is still paying this off 2 year's later.
hospital's have ''charity care''
if he would have waited to get married untill AFTER the birth and not get married to try and get her on his insurance. The hospitial would have done everything for free.
Larry, I moved here because we were not making it in MO. I litteraly sold the farm. We had a sheep farm, I sold them, and we moved. I am from this area originally although, it has changed quite a bit.
As for book work, I did some book work and the most glaring thing that pops out is this. When I lived here 2 years ago, I had a job. It was pretty good pay for around here. I can go back to that job, they would higher me but, here is the bookwork. 40 hours a week and get no where or work for myself. I figured I needed 1 good size job a week to make what I would make at a job. If I get more, great! And I hope and plan to make more as the business needs more to grow.
As for everyone knowing that I lowballed in town. The owner that is paying me is going to tell the other owner that he paid the $600. He said he also won't discuss the price with any other owners but he will tell them I did a good job.
As for talking to the other power washers in the area, I have. I've talked to 2 of them. I found them because 1 advertises and the other is in the yellow pages. One of them is a full time painter and part time pressure washer. The other is a retired man just making a little extra money. He said that if he gets big jobs, he'll call me because he only does easy jobs. He mainly does roofs with a pitchwitch and charges between $400-900. Does 1-2 jobs a week.
I have to say my biggest problem that I have is that I didn't research the laws in the area first. I was planning on advertising in a retirement/resort area. There are many very nice, big houses there but they community has a no soliciting law. I can only advertise there on billboards and the paper. Which I don't have the money to advertise yet... This area is where the other PW's get most of their work.
About Fleets, I can't do fleets here yet. With fleets, I have to have a full reclaim system. The area conservation guy also wanted to see it work and make sure it works befire I do any fleet vehicle. I don't need that kind of reclaim system with anything else.
As for book work, I did some book work and the most glaring thing that pops out is this. When I lived here 2 years ago, I had a job. It was pretty good pay for around here. I can go back to that job, they would higher me but, here is the bookwork. 40 hours a week and get no where or work for myself. I figured I needed 1 good size job a week to make what I would make at a job. If I get more, great! And I hope and plan to make more as the business needs more to grow.
As for everyone knowing that I lowballed in town. The owner that is paying me is going to tell the other owner that he paid the $600. He said he also won't discuss the price with any other owners but he will tell them I did a good job.
As for talking to the other power washers in the area, I have. I've talked to 2 of them. I found them because 1 advertises and the other is in the yellow pages. One of them is a full time painter and part time pressure washer. The other is a retired man just making a little extra money. He said that if he gets big jobs, he'll call me because he only does easy jobs. He mainly does roofs with a pitchwitch and charges between $400-900. Does 1-2 jobs a week.
I have to say my biggest problem that I have is that I didn't research the laws in the area first. I was planning on advertising in a retirement/resort area. There are many very nice, big houses there but they community has a no soliciting law. I can only advertise there on billboards and the paper. Which I don't have the money to advertise yet... This area is where the other PW's get most of their work.
About Fleets, I can't do fleets here yet. With fleets, I have to have a full reclaim system. The area conservation guy also wanted to see it work and make sure it works befire I do any fleet vehicle. I don't need that kind of reclaim system with anything else.
Larry L.
PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
Yeah,know all about farming,I've raised cattle and hogs,80 head of sows and feeder pigs everywhere not counting putting rubber bands on wittle bulls balls.
Thats not the type bookwork I was talking about "other job",do book work on the jobs your going after.Its like sheep farming,know alittle about the ram before you look at him,don't just walk out in the pasture without knowing something about him.You want haveta chase him all over the pasture to load him if you know before hand he's a run away goat.In some areas it would be the slow time of year for them,its slow for me right now in my area because of the type trucks I wash,grainhaulers.I do alot of farm eqt.,trucks,tractors,combines after the crop is out,may need to check the farming area out in your area.
The owner that is paying me is going to tell the other owner that he paid the $600. He said he also won't discuss the price with any other owners.
Don't know about you but I don't trust a guy like that.
Thats not the type bookwork I was talking about "other job",do book work on the jobs your going after.Its like sheep farming,know alittle about the ram before you look at him,don't just walk out in the pasture without knowing something about him.You want haveta chase him all over the pasture to load him if you know before hand he's a run away goat.In some areas it would be the slow time of year for them,its slow for me right now in my area because of the type trucks I wash,grainhaulers.I do alot of farm eqt.,trucks,tractors,combines after the crop is out,may need to check the farming area out in your area.
The owner that is paying me is going to tell the other owner that he paid the $600. He said he also won't discuss the price with any other owners.
Don't know about you but I don't trust a guy like that.
OK i was just trying to be helpfull.
A pre exsisting condition is not covered by insurance.
If you had cancer and your insurance co gave you maxium benifit.
You are now out of luck.
no insurance co will ever cover you again.
As far as washing i dont understand why you are allowed to wash a oil covered gas station and not fleet's?
Fleet's are where the $$ is at.
Sell the job once, wash for ever.
more washing, less talking.
You allready have 2 hour's of BS invested with this gas station and no sale.
i can sell a truck wash in 2 hour's inc a free demo and get a $600 per month account and never BS with the owner again.
Maybe you should go for some base hit's before you start swinging for the bench seat's.
i'm sorry to hear that you had to sell your farm.
If this other guy is getting such big money for washing roof's, why arn'nt you looking into that?
Lastly, the reason you prob. did not like the surface cleaner is because of the TIP'S on it.
I would bet the surface cleaner is set-up for a 5 GPM unit and you have a 3.5 that really be a 3 gpm.
this is why you did'nt like.
if you ever get a chance to run a 20" surface cleaner with a 6gpm hot water rig. You will wonder how you ever made 10 cent's with a 3.5 unit.
your equipment is holding you back.
if you had a bigger unit you can more per hour or charge less and get the same per hour pay.
either way you would have a better chance at getting these job's.
no offence but wanding a entire gas station sound's like painting a house with a 4 inc brush. Yes you can do it but why would you if you had a roller.
A pre exsisting condition is not covered by insurance.
If you had cancer and your insurance co gave you maxium benifit.
You are now out of luck.
no insurance co will ever cover you again.
As far as washing i dont understand why you are allowed to wash a oil covered gas station and not fleet's?
Fleet's are where the $$ is at.
Sell the job once, wash for ever.
more washing, less talking.
You allready have 2 hour's of BS invested with this gas station and no sale.
i can sell a truck wash in 2 hour's inc a free demo and get a $600 per month account and never BS with the owner again.
Maybe you should go for some base hit's before you start swinging for the bench seat's.
i'm sorry to hear that you had to sell your farm.
If this other guy is getting such big money for washing roof's, why arn'nt you looking into that?
Lastly, the reason you prob. did not like the surface cleaner is because of the TIP'S on it.
I would bet the surface cleaner is set-up for a 5 GPM unit and you have a 3.5 that really be a 3 gpm.
this is why you did'nt like.
if you ever get a chance to run a 20" surface cleaner with a 6gpm hot water rig. You will wonder how you ever made 10 cent's with a 3.5 unit.
your equipment is holding you back.
if you had a bigger unit you can more per hour or charge less and get the same per hour pay.
either way you would have a better chance at getting these job's.
no offence but wanding a entire gas station sound's like painting a house with a 4 inc brush. Yes you can do it but why would you if you had a roller.
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I don't understand why I can wash gas stations and not fleets but that is what the man with the power said. He said I could wash all the oily gas stations I want but I can't hit a fleet vehicle with a reclaim system.
As for what the other guy is getting for roofs... That is where I want to be but I haven't been able to get in that neighborhood yet. It is where most of the money is in this town but there is a no soliciting law. I can't flyer or go door to door. I can only use billboards or advertising in the paper there and I don't have the money for that yet.
I got a call today for a roof job in town. So things seem to be getting better.
As for the machine I have, it's the best I have access to and I think it will do fine until I can get a better one.
As for what the other guy is getting for roofs... That is where I want to be but I haven't been able to get in that neighborhood yet. It is where most of the money is in this town but there is a no soliciting law. I can't flyer or go door to door. I can only use billboards or advertising in the paper there and I don't have the money for that yet.
I got a call today for a roof job in town. So things seem to be getting better.
As for the machine I have, it's the best I have access to and I think it will do fine until I can get a better one.
Well I got done with this job. I did the second half of the station. It turned out great!
I did about 3000 sq feet of concrete in 2 and a half hours. I found some tricks that really made it go faster. The main thing that I think helped was I put a foaming agent in with my potassium hydroxide mix. I foamed up the 3000 sq ft and then hit with the surface cleaner. After the surface cleaner I used a turbo to blow everything off and to rid the concrete of gum.
I also found a way to get the diesel stains up and where there use to be diesel stains, it looks like brand new concrete! I'll explain more in the thread I started about the diesel stains. The owner was very impressed.
If my original bid was accepted I would have been paid $600 for 5 hours work plus the owner gave me gas, food, and drink for free. So what I thought was a low ball bid to start, was pretty good I think.
But, my original bid wasn't accepted and I did it for $300. The owner was very happy and paid me $300. He then said, come back and dust my lights with your extension pole and microfiber clothe and I'll give you $150 more. Dusting the lights won't take but 10 minutes, I just can't do it while they are on. So $450 for say 5 1/2 hours work isn't too bad for my first gas station job.
He also wants me to come back often on a maintance schedule.
He also said he has lots of friends and family that own other gas stations and hotels and he will tell them to hire me to clean their places.
By the way, the owner is from India.
All and all, this was a good job for me.
I did about 3000 sq feet of concrete in 2 and a half hours. I found some tricks that really made it go faster. The main thing that I think helped was I put a foaming agent in with my potassium hydroxide mix. I foamed up the 3000 sq ft and then hit with the surface cleaner. After the surface cleaner I used a turbo to blow everything off and to rid the concrete of gum.
I also found a way to get the diesel stains up and where there use to be diesel stains, it looks like brand new concrete! I'll explain more in the thread I started about the diesel stains. The owner was very impressed.
If my original bid was accepted I would have been paid $600 for 5 hours work plus the owner gave me gas, food, and drink for free. So what I thought was a low ball bid to start, was pretty good I think.
But, my original bid wasn't accepted and I did it for $300. The owner was very happy and paid me $300. He then said, come back and dust my lights with your extension pole and microfiber clothe and I'll give you $150 more. Dusting the lights won't take but 10 minutes, I just can't do it while they are on. So $450 for say 5 1/2 hours work isn't too bad for my first gas station job.
He also wants me to come back often on a maintance schedule.
He also said he has lots of friends and family that own other gas stations and hotels and he will tell them to hire me to clean their places.
By the way, the owner is from India.
All and all, this was a good job for me.
Larry L.
PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
Like I said,I don't trust a guy like that,meaning he cheeted you out of 300 and now is going to pay you 150 for 10 minutes work and your counting it before you get it.sorta like counting your sheep before they hatch,don't spend it before you get it,it could be another billy goat but I guess its better then sheep farming,then again he may need new lights
..good luckbigboy,how big are sheep egg's.
Some of the city boy's might want an omlette.
that's a french word for ''wrap it in a fried egg and charge double''
Hay bigboy, im just going to keep my 20 truck's and i got a job as a union glazer.
in 3 year's i'll be at $35 per hour.
Washing is fun but for my first day they sent me up 32 floor's on hanging scaffolding to watch a guy[my brother] install a replacement window.
if you ever get a chance to do it,do it.
i can still feel my heart pounding.
better then any amusment park.
You get a lot of break's because the wind's from isabel kept pushing the rig away from the building. Swinging in the breeze.
fun,fun.fun.
Some of the city boy's might want an omlette.
that's a french word for ''wrap it in a fried egg and charge double''
Hay bigboy, im just going to keep my 20 truck's and i got a job as a union glazer.
in 3 year's i'll be at $35 per hour.
Washing is fun but for my first day they sent me up 32 floor's on hanging scaffolding to watch a guy[my brother] install a replacement window.
if you ever get a chance to do it,do it.
i can still feel my heart pounding.
better then any amusment park.
You get a lot of break's because the wind's from isabel kept pushing the rig away from the building. Swinging in the breeze.
fun,fun.fun.
Larry L.
PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
Same O Same O,wash wash wash,I'm sure you can remember back a few years ago when I started giving most of my business away.I wash when I want to now not when they want me to,if I miss a weekend it doesn't matter,I still turn business away and even hide from some .BUT BUT BUT you haven't been in it long enough to be burnt out,you need to work 7 days a week from daylight to after dark for a few years before you start swinging from buildings like a monkey,altho I know your meaning.I've only been up 8 scaffolding high and I still have nightmares,it would take more than 35 an hour to get me up 32 floors.A omlette on the sidewalk from 32 floors wouldn't taste to good not counting trying to clean the greasey spot afterward.To me,this trade is easy to get business,its all the work thats not so easy,wash wash wash wash and wash somemore.Coming home dirty,nasty,hot/cold and wet everynight with grit in ya eyes makes powerwashing a enjoyable trade b/c your on the ground floor.I see nothing hard about cleaning other then hanging onto a wand and dragging a hose for several hours a day.Good luck on being a monkey swinging from window to window,it could turn into something more
,a window washer .