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chrishartje
G. S. Pressure Washing
I did a building wash today that was inside of the building!!!!!! It was a huge shop..... Years of dirt and cobwebs. It came out great!!!!
At the end of the day, I had six people pushing water out of the shop doors....Lots of water! I am going back in the morning to touch up a few things, I will take a pic and post....
At the end of the day, I had six people pushing water out of the shop doors....Lots of water! I am going back in the morning to touch up a few things, I will take a pic and post....
been slow,,,very slow. But the other side of my business, The Pressure Cleaning School, has been busy.
New Look
Registerd User
Outstanding....looking forward to the pics Chris
New Look
Registerd User
Really.....
yes.........
Clean County
New Member
Hey Doug whats your take as to why you've been slow?? Would you say its mostly due to the economy state this country is in?? I'm curious what your number one reason is as to why your slow right now.
I have to say knock on wood that so far we've been pretty busy....but at a cost. Between my wife and I we are everyday chasing jobs by doing estimates, calling people several times, and traveling greater distances than usual just to stay busy.
Case in point this past Monday we did a job in western Long Island then we went to the next state over NJ to do another job and then back into my state and into Manhattan to do another job. Between the tolls for the bridges the couple of hundred miles of travel, of course gas/diesel and then paying my guys to be on the road just traveling it was an expensive and long day just to clear a grand for us. I'm talking 14 hrs to do that. Now factor in down the road income taxes etc.. you can see why its getting harder.
We've had quite of few days like this and truth be told its going to get tougher in my area. I hate to be a spreader of bad news but take this for what its worth. I'm sitting on a building job that already has given us the purchase order to start. For us its a big job. Its to clean a bldg and the price tag is just about $25,000. Now this is a nation wide company but there relenting on not giving me any money up front. I have to make a decision on this next week.
So the problem.... again take this for what its worth. I know this guy who is pretty well off. He owns a ton of real estate in my area. Some of his tennants are well know companies such as ******. Now for years I tried to get this guys properties but his father has been using the same cleaning company for 50 yrs(Now thats loyalty). His father has since passed on and he now runs it all. Back to the problem... he's telling me that these companies are now balking at paying there lease. There demanding that he lower big time the rental fee's to the point that he could start losing a ton of money if he accepts there offers. I don't want to say who these companies are but there huge.
This guy who is probably worth in the $100,000,000 range said and this is bad... he may be broke in just a couple of years if this keeps up.
The moral of this story--He told me I should not do that building job if they don't give me any upfront money. The problem is this Fortune 500 company is sticking to there policy so far that they don't pay untill 45-52 days out. I'm trying like heck to get them to make an exception because we came recommended by one of there managers who's bldg we did in the past.
Things are bleak here and getting worse very fast. Alot of houses are now going "Under water"..... Our American system is starting to fail at an alarming rate....... and the problem from my perspective is that we have become to divided to the point that unless this country bands together... we may be heading towards a depression. Sorry for that take.
Thats why I ask you what do you think is the biggest reason why your slow... I am interested to hear your thoughts.
Not sure what the reason is John. Here in Houston we are affected least by the economy than the rest of the US. It's not that we arent affected, it just seems that we are always affected the least, so I dont really blame the economy. I only do residential, no commercial.
I have really been targeting Roof Cleaning this year and it has been more of an educating the consumers first that you can clean roofs here, the reason to clean roofs, etc etc.
I have always experienced a slow down after mothers day here in my area, but this year has been oddly slower than past years. However just since I posted yesterday I recieved quite a few calls so maybe it has turned back on for now. All of these calls came from a 1000 postcard mail out I just mailed to some targeted neighborhoods. All 1,000,000.00 dollar plus homes.
By the way, I wouldn't touch that commercial job without at least 1/2 down. When I did do commercial work I never took on anything more than $5000.00 w out 1/2 down and balance due IMMEDIATLEY upon completion. Only lost a couple bids with this policy. Most if not all can meet your payment arrangements. They would always tell me their policy, and then I would always tell them mine. I have seen to many companies that looked financially healthy and then overnight there doors are shut down.
I have really been targeting Roof Cleaning this year and it has been more of an educating the consumers first that you can clean roofs here, the reason to clean roofs, etc etc.
I have always experienced a slow down after mothers day here in my area, but this year has been oddly slower than past years. However just since I posted yesterday I recieved quite a few calls so maybe it has turned back on for now. All of these calls came from a 1000 postcard mail out I just mailed to some targeted neighborhoods. All 1,000,000.00 dollar plus homes.
By the way, I wouldn't touch that commercial job without at least 1/2 down. When I did do commercial work I never took on anything more than $5000.00 w out 1/2 down and balance due IMMEDIATLEY upon completion. Only lost a couple bids with this policy. Most if not all can meet your payment arrangements. They would always tell me their policy, and then I would always tell them mine. I have seen to many companies that looked financially healthy and then overnight there doors are shut down.
Scott Stone
New Member
Curious, I have never any taken any up front money for a job. I have never targeted residential, but the commercial side, unless it is construction, I doubt they will give you the cash up front. You just need to charge enough to make sure that any interest from short term loans is covered, if you don't have any float.
As for me, and busy, yes, very.
As for me, and busy, yes, very.
Gogreenwash
Member
Last month was good for me. Hope this month recovers but we will see what happens for the remainder of this month.
Clean County
New Member
All good learning post here. On what Scott says above thats the way I've done it in the past but we got burnt a couple of years ago and then we got burnt again to the tune of $28,000 from a Billion dollar Company. According to that agreement we were supposed to get the money from 10-30 days out... this is a month before x-mas. Nothing..... many many many calls later and meeting people and then being told to trash the checks that they gave because it they won't clear... I finally got the money. I also had a couple of parking garages now pay me 50% up front but now one of them is over a month late on the back 50% that was completed over 2 months ago.
Lastly there is a guy on these boards who doesn't come around to much but awhile back he told me that he had this nice contract with this 100 yr old company. A pretty well known company. He said then that he is a little concerned because they owe him a pretty big nut of money. No sooner then talking to him 2 months later it hits my papers that this company filed bankcruptcy and in no time... there gone. Guess is this poor guy lost the money.
This is whats happening in NY. Borders book stores are closing faster then you can say borders. The brick and morter places are becoming like tombstones.
So my policy has changed...
New Look
Registerd User
I am still hanging on to the traditional invoice system and I do what Scott mentioned above. We put out money for hotel rooms, food, gas, chems and etc on our mid month and first of the month accts and invoice about a week later. Usually in 2-3 weeks after that we get full remittance and that has been the standard for us with most of our commercial clients. Same concept applies to our one-time cleaning for commercial clients, we have never broached to them or suggested to them that a % is required upfront. I keep a rolling stock of chems, hoses, tips and etc. to keep us operational and ready to go should a commercial call come in and the client needs something cleaned ASAP....which is usually the case.
The only problem that I have had recently was last year with a PM. I lost track of the days after it went into 120+ in the Aged Receivable category. I kept hammering away with certified letters, faxes, calls and etc. until I finally had the owner call me up and apologize for the "mishap". LOL. I think they got the paperwork from the courts that I had filed at smalls claims court against them.
Anyway, all in all we are busy. Actually we are celebrating Fathers Day today (Friday) because I need to leave Sat. night for my mid-month washing and will be gone for 5-6 days. Meant to sleep in this morning but got a call last night from one of my other clients where they needed a compactor cleaned ASAP....so I was up and doing it at 6:00 am today. Washing tomorrow also!
Wishing everyone a Happy Fathers Day!!!!
The only problem that I have had recently was last year with a PM. I lost track of the days after it went into 120+ in the Aged Receivable category. I kept hammering away with certified letters, faxes, calls and etc. until I finally had the owner call me up and apologize for the "mishap". LOL. I think they got the paperwork from the courts that I had filed at smalls claims court against them.
Anyway, all in all we are busy. Actually we are celebrating Fathers Day today (Friday) because I need to leave Sat. night for my mid-month washing and will be gone for 5-6 days. Meant to sleep in this morning but got a call last night from one of my other clients where they needed a compactor cleaned ASAP....so I was up and doing it at 6:00 am today. Washing tomorrow also!
Wishing everyone a Happy Fathers Day!!!!
Pocketarnie
New Member
Well, here in Naples, Florida we are quiet. Mainly because it is so seasonal but everyone is saying how quiet they are.
It seems worse for us because it is our first summer here so we haven't had the chance to build a local customer base yet, we relocated here in November last year and were busy with the snowbirds. Hopefully we will be good come September.
Good luck to everyone. Hope we all get through it o.k
It seems worse for us because it is our first summer here so we haven't had the chance to build a local customer base yet, we relocated here in November last year and were busy with the snowbirds. Hopefully we will be good come September.
Good luck to everyone. Hope we all get through it o.k
Doug Black
New Member
Nationally, commercial properties are in peril and from the previous posts, I guess the big dogs are preying on that. My mom is a paralegal and now she only does commercial foreclosures. Unheard in my area before the Great Swindle.
For instance, right after I left Walgreens in 2009 I heard the contract went to $65 per cleaning and the cleaning was basically whenever they felt like it. Are you kidding me?
That said, things are getting busy in residential and I'm about to do an acid wash for an actual builder. An actual new house. Amazing.
For instance, right after I left Walgreens in 2009 I heard the contract went to $65 per cleaning and the cleaning was basically whenever they felt like it. Are you kidding me?
That said, things are getting busy in residential and I'm about to do an acid wash for an actual builder. An actual new house. Amazing.
tonyshelton
Member
We're VERY busy. I've never been one to give a crap what anyone thinks so I'm going to give credit where credit is due. We are installing filters at 22 brand new office buildings like this one this month. $$$$$$$$. It's all thanks to Ron Musgraves. If you don't like it, tough. He took Shelly and me under his wing and showed us how he markets.
We started his program in July of last year. It took us four months just to narrow down the prospects, so we've really been doing the program for 7-8 months. We got these 22 buildings this month and 28 last month. I asked them WHY, after 3 years of giving us crumbs did you finally give us ALL your business. The answer was BECAUSE YOU KEPT ASKING FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then, early this month we made our usual rounds and got a call from this PM. We cleaned coils for them two years ago and they were never interested in the filter service. But 1 hr after Shelly's monthly visit I got a call to come in and bid about $30k of this:
I asked them why. Their reply? BECAUSE YOU ARE HERE ALL THE TIME ASKING!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally, we bid these properties five years ago. My sales guy gave it all he had and we got the big ZERO. Last week, (about 2 hrs after Shelly's rounds) we got the call to rebid. This time we are under our competition and are providing a LOT more service and I expect this one to close within the week. It's another $30k worth of quarterly work. Again, I asked them ........why? Why now, after 5 years........
"BECAUSE YOU KEEP COMING HERE ASKING FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Say what you want about Ron. Go ahead, please, don't listen to him. He doesn't know what he's talking about. He doesn't really own a business. [whatup]
Our family owes him a debt of gratitude. We are so busy I don't even have any time to rant and rave about my usual subjects!
Praise God for the increase and Thanks to Ron Musgraves for being the vessel that brought it! EVEN when the commercial market in Las Vegas is going down the tubes fast!
We started his program in July of last year. It took us four months just to narrow down the prospects, so we've really been doing the program for 7-8 months. We got these 22 buildings this month and 28 last month. I asked them WHY, after 3 years of giving us crumbs did you finally give us ALL your business. The answer was BECAUSE YOU KEPT ASKING FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then, early this month we made our usual rounds and got a call from this PM. We cleaned coils for them two years ago and they were never interested in the filter service. But 1 hr after Shelly's monthly visit I got a call to come in and bid about $30k of this:
I asked them why. Their reply? BECAUSE YOU ARE HERE ALL THE TIME ASKING!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally, we bid these properties five years ago. My sales guy gave it all he had and we got the big ZERO. Last week, (about 2 hrs after Shelly's rounds) we got the call to rebid. This time we are under our competition and are providing a LOT more service and I expect this one to close within the week. It's another $30k worth of quarterly work. Again, I asked them ........why? Why now, after 5 years........
"BECAUSE YOU KEEP COMING HERE ASKING FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Say what you want about Ron. Go ahead, please, don't listen to him. He doesn't know what he's talking about. He doesn't really own a business. [whatup]
Our family owes him a debt of gratitude. We are so busy I don't even have any time to rant and rave about my usual subjects!
Praise God for the increase and Thanks to Ron Musgraves for being the vessel that brought it! EVEN when the commercial market in Las Vegas is going down the tubes fast!
New Look
Registerd User
Outstanding Tony....and Congrats...when I called you today it sounded like you had both candles burning on each end.
When customers say no...don't take no for an answer....follow up professionally with them on a regular basis and keep chipping away at them. Show them that you are in it for the long haul with them and that you view them more than just another client. Take clients out to lunch and get to know them. They may not hire you for quite sometime but I guarantee you that they will pause and consider your service when they need it. Tony's persistence above paid off and he is reaping the rewards of some good 'ole fashion selling!
See you on Thursday Tony....my treat!!
When customers say no...don't take no for an answer....follow up professionally with them on a regular basis and keep chipping away at them. Show them that you are in it for the long haul with them and that you view them more than just another client. Take clients out to lunch and get to know them. They may not hire you for quite sometime but I guarantee you that they will pause and consider your service when they need it. Tony's persistence above paid off and he is reaping the rewards of some good 'ole fashion selling!
See you on Thursday Tony....my treat!!