Do we really need a Organization ? (poll)

[Clean County]

One call Power Wash,
Your question My question is why the PWNA is just now after years of discussion implementing something as important as this.

To answer your above question as short and to the point that I can-----New Leaders in place who are being alot more aggressive to get Benefits to fellow PWNA members.

The second question you ask is the one thats always for better or worse debated to the point of people agreeing to disagree kind of thing.

 

[Clean County]

The above response came out twice so this is why I edited this part.

 

[Everett]

Health Benefits

The answer is really simple, There has been no such thing as Association Benefits available legally. The problem is someone gets on the net with a great idea like "Why doesn't the PWNA have Health benefits?" and it spreads from there. Bottom line, the truth, it has not been an option. New laws have been passed to allow for Association Benefits, this was done on a Federal Level and not only are States slow to follow but, it has been difficult ot get an insurance company to write the policy. None of the larger companies have been wanting to be the first. We believe that with the program about to be introduced that not only will we be in a good position now but, as this situation develops and progresses that we will now stay out front.

Now, as in everything there is always an exception, this is no different. If anyone know of any Associations that have Health benefits prior to this it is because they are probably 20 years old , or older. These are old policies that are grandfathered and accepted as long as the Association never let them run out. I hope this explains the Health Benfit issue only. If anyone wants to know more about this or any project underway or being discussed please feel free to call me I would be happy to answer any and all questions, 1-866-440-3325.

As John T mentioned there are and have been many changes. This should lead the way for some eye opening events. One that isn't good news to report is that Chris Detter is retiring. He has announced it on the PWNA BB. For those who know Chris he has been a great contributor to this industry and helped out many folks on this and other BB's. He is a true professional who will be missed. I would think that we would all wish Chris the best in his future.

 

[Dan S]

Personally I like to stick with a local health Ins. plan

In other words you still dont need a "group" to get Great coverage.. as a matter of fact you may pay just as much if not more then what you can get with your local INS. COMPANY!

A Org. needs to do more then just Ins. coverage to be successfull!

 

[Dan S]

Why is he retiring?

Even the president cant stay long in the pwna......... what gives?

dont tell me John is now going to run for his position?

 

[Everett]

Reply

Dan,

You and I agree 100% on the insurance and that an organization needs to do more than just that. You and I may disagree on somethings but, I do think it is moving in the right direction. I guess I wasn't clear about Chris Detter, I apologize. He is retiring from the industry as a whole, not just the PWNA, Pressure Washing, Wood, SunBrite everything. He has been a great guy and class act.

 

[Cody]

<font color=e87400>

Dan S. You're right on about the insurance. IT's no different than our primary business coverage. You just need to shop around & find a good policy. What I have envisioned for the PWNA health plan, if it were to ever come to light, is a Joe Walters type company that charges twice what you can find local premiums for.

As for the PWNA..... Well I started on a few things with them awhile back & got blasted by many & couldn't convince many of the members that the PWNA is currently setting up to screw them. Oh well, in time they will get it. I got a fax recently for the PWNA IWCA seminar. It cracked me up, selling members on joining the other. <i>(Does the management company get paid via commission on dues perhaps?)</i>

I still have mixed emotions on the PWNA. I think that done right it could flourish & be productive for the Veteran contractors. The reason I have not offered up more advice on it is that I don't think the PWNA gives a crap about the Veterans they only care about membership base & that will always be the case becuase there are too many outside factors that play on the PWNA. That's all. You're a newbie, please join! That's NOT what a "Professional" association is supposed to be for.

I'm thinking of starting my own association. One that maintains the Veteran contractors interest by stifling the newbies through regulation, licensing, & compliance. Maybe name it PC3. (That 3 would be little, like a cube sign) Stands for <b>P</b>ressure <b>C</b>leaning <b>C</b>oncractors <b>C</b>artel.

Anyone know why Diamonds cost so much? I'll give you a hint. It's not because De Beers runs an organization (the CSO) that welcomes newbies.

Cody</font>

 

[Clean County]

Ouch!! Disagree completely on Cody's post.

I will say good luck on starting your own Organization and hopefully its not just talk like all the others over the years who had the same thoughts. Been there myself......

 

[squirtgun]

WTH????Cody

Cody,
So you are saying you would try to eliminate the competition with regulations?
I guess all of the work I have done researching and building our business would be for nothing ,if I'm forced out of business,because we have only been PWing for 6 months full time.
I'm not talking about the guy that washes with no license or insurance,I'm referring to legit businesses that are doing things the right way.The guys that are reclaiming ,using professional chemicals (and know how to use them), and educating their customers,as well as ,busting their butts to make the sale to help their businesses grow.
How is this industry to grow and get the respect it deserves if you run every new legit company out of business before it ever gets started?
How many years in business will it take to be considered a veteran?Who will determine what qualifies a business to enter into the industry?
I have spent a lot of time and money doing trial and error to build our business.I also ask of help now and again on the BBs when I am stumped by a problem.In return I share what little knowledge I have learned when I can.I think the guys that share their knowledge on this and other BBS show that they want to see PWing get the repect it deserves.
I am not a fan of the PWNA either,I have not seen any benefit in joining for our company as of yet,when I do,we might join.The addition of insurance benefits is a step in the right direction,and maybe in time the PWNA will become and Org, that we will all want to be members of.
I love my competition,we are getting lots of work becasue he's not doing quality work.(I don't chase his accounts,they are calling us,I don't try to beat his prices,he is way cheaper.I give my price and I hold firm,because I make sure to give them what they pay for).I also love "the guy that did it last year"he might have been cheaper than we are ,but since the customer can't find him,I'm more than happy to take his work also.I would love to shake his hand.
I now have the chance to show customers that not all PWing companies are trying to take advantage of them.I also get to show them how good their home or business can look when the job is done right.
Please Cody don't make all of us newbies out to be splash and dash businesses,who could care less about the customer or the PWing industry,because it's not 100% true.

 

[Larry L.]

ouch!!

I think you should reread Cody's post enstead of reading though it,try reading inbetween the lines.Besides Dan S and Cody are the best salespeople for as getting new memebers to join the pwna as to not join.Like your business cards nomatter who's againest you if you keep sticking it in their face long enough you'll get new accounts.

And John I too have to agree with Dan S your to hotheaded to lead a group to bettering itself.Your past post has proven you lose control in small matters,I don't think you could handle the pressure that will come in leading a group like the pwna.

But What I Think Doesn't Matter b/c I have no voice in saying who is and who is not.I know one thing tho it will take some good feet to fill Doc's shoes.I think he did a OUT STANDING job in his replies as to not belittle noone as to their thoughts,the pwna losed a good man

 

[Clean County]

Larry,
I'm a softie who tells it like it is. Maybe I come off alot tougher thru these post but in person I am the Ultimate team player.

Your right about Doc and he's not going anywhere. Unfortunetly Chris Detter is moving on in his life where he's leaving the PWNA and the Powerwashing business altogether. He will be missed by many.

Chris Detter to me was one of the new type of leaders in the PWNA who got me interested in being a member. Doc and others(Beth,Everett,Mike Hughes etc.) are following his lead and also adding to it. This is why I think the PWNA's future looks bright.

Only time will tell............

 

[Larry L.]

Don't know why I typed Doc's name b/c I had Chris on my mind,guess old age.In person I would have told you they looked like brothers for the mistake not old age.

Sometimes flies knows the differences in the sweetest of the sugars.

 

[Dan S]

only time will tell `^~*^~`

 

[OrangeCrest]

I was a member of the BBB, and all it was good for was to separate me from my $338 annual membership (once).

I knew they were useless, because of the members that I was scammed by.

How can they be unbiased when the merchant is stuffing their pockets and the customer is not? Where are they getting their bread and butter?

I knew this, but I hoped that the consumer wasn't as well educated.

I tried pushing the fact that I was a member of the BBB, and the question that was constantly asked, "why?" Even by my own CPA!

Not one of my jobs was influenced by being a member of the BBB.

As for professional affiliation, I am not really sure anyone other than a powerwasher would know what PWNA is...

I would suspect that they may think it is union related, possibly.

If someone came up and told me that they were a member of any organization, I would pretty much say, "that's nice, I still want to see some references and examples of your work."

The problem is, anyone with a checkbook can be a member of these organizations, that's why they don't have any credibility. Now if you had to actually accomplish some task that really proves your skill and ethics, now that would be impressive

 

[Clean County]

The problem is, anyone with a checkbook can be a member of these organizations, that's why they don't have any credibility. Now if you had to actually accomplish some task that really proves your skill and ethics, now that would be impressive

This is a typical response by Contractors/Companies that might be a one man operation or not much larger then that. Its tough to even debate what Orange Crest said above. The larger your company gets though the more impact/Credibility Organizations have. This is why you see alot of big companies that belong to Multiple Organizations. So to them Organizations do have a ton of Credibilty.

That doesn't help the smaller companies out and this is why you see responses like the one above. Myself being a small time contractor(ME and 2 partimers), I hope to get better insight on how the PWNA operates by going to the Convention In Dallas next Month and Networking with some of the other members.

Untill then I will keep the responses like the one above and some other similiar ones in my head and hopefully down the road I can come back with a few investigative answers.

 

[OrangeCrest]

The bigger the company the bigger the pockets. A Honda dealer and Good Year both pulled what anyone with any ethics at all would have never done. I went to the BBB and it was ignored and never noted.

I had a problem with a smaller, BBB member, company and the BBB was all over them, and it was just a basic disagreement.

Like I said, if you have a checkbook, you can be a member: their checks have bigger digits.

You should have to earn you credentials, not simply give a check and here's your decal. Would you want your doctor to go down and pay someone to print up his degree, or would you want him to go through the pains to earn the degree and push thoughs who aren't qualified to the side?

So, the bigger the company, the more money they have, the more organizations they can, and will join to pull you, the consumer in the door. They gain your confidence with these little decals and it is until actually have a problem that you find that these special little decals mean nothing. Without their members, they don't exist. You aren't giving them money, the member is.

Haven't you ever heard the the saying, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you?" Again, you are NOT giving these organizations the money, the member is.

 

[OrangeCrest]

An important note, I would give PWNA a huge boost of support if I had to attend their classes and achieve my degree through accomplishing the required structure of what I wanted to specialize in.

But the idea of the short cut to http://www.pwna.org/catalog/membership/membership.asp and writing a check looses its credibility because the guy that has been power washing for 20-plus years is going to know his trade better than the guy that just went to Home Depot today and came across PWNA's website and signed up to be a member of PWNA.

I can be a PWNA member in minutes, but that isn't going to mean that I have the abilities, ethics, and the professionalism of that person who has been busting his butt for the past x-amount of years.

This only my opinion, I am sure those who have been lowballed by the weekend warrior or by Fleetwash may feel the same or differently, but if these people had to go through a structured line of required classes and the sort, before they received their decals and the sort, that would convince me differently.

 

[Dan S]

41 outa 75 voters says NO

21 says yes

Makes `ya think dont it?

 

[Dan Flynn]

Looks like 53 to 21 is you add the 12 that feel they can make just as much money without it !

 

[onecallpowerw]

Curious

It would be curious to know why the 21 say they need PWNA or any other organization. I would bet a solid week of $4500 that most of those 21 are the PWNA clik tryin to promote PWNA though this post.

Also 1 claims to not be able to make it without an organization. I would like that one to elaborate.... Just curious.