Part time to fulltime

[tzahlman]

I'm going into my 3rd year of business part time. I really want to start shooting for the stars as far as the size accounts I start bidding on and wanted to know from all that are now washing fulltime but started part time how did you progress. I'm only a single unit rig, 3000psi-5gpm-200 heat, and 550 gal tank. I wanted to start bidding large fleets or good size flat work accounts. I pretty much devoted last summer to decks and some trucks that worked out pretty well but want steady year round work with the intention of quitting my fulltime job and washing. I have alot of ideas for advertising this year one being the yellowpages but wanted a fulltimers opinion on this. Do I have to many irons in the fire with this?

Thanks [spin]

 

[ron]

TOM

I am in the same boat as you. The one thing i can see as far as WHAT your going to wash ,
is you just picked out the 2 most watched surfaces by the EPA.
What is your plan on complying with them? and when that phone starts to ring are you ready to hire help,get more equipment,workmans comp, and everything else that goes with that?
Do you have a biz. plan,accountant, money,the education,patience for people,are you a good salesman, how are you going to feel the first time you see your $20,000 rig go out without you in it,what kind of boss are you going to be.
if you try to stay a one man show and the phone keeps ringing, what is your plan?
your going from a washer to a owner are you ready for that?
this is the stuff in my head im just venting i have a hard time teaching when its easier just to do it but with that in your head you wont get far. Only so meny hours in a day and how hard do you want your days to be?
How are you going to feel when your in charge and you have 3 or 4 guys depending on that pay check to feed there familys?
your going to be the person thats in charge are you ready?

 

[Mike Hughes]

Well, one step at a time! Going full time does not necessitate hiring many employees and turning them loose in your rig. I have been full time for four years now, and I have yet to let my truck go out without me. That will be changing this year, if all goes according to planned. I am ready to change roles, gladly.

Tom, while it is a huge step to go full time, lots have done it, and we are all here to help. Do you have any money in the bank?? Are you married, and if so, does she make any money?? What about health insurance?? That racket costs me over $600 a month!

If you go full time, I think yellow page ads are a must, but dont go overboard......you do not need a display ad.

About the irons in the fire......build upon what you have......keep doing the decks and trucks........only if you like it of course. Adding the flat work, coupled with some more trucks, should give you the stability you're looking for.

Come to Pittsburgh in the fall.........you will have a chance to pick the brains of lots of full timers. Last PWNA show I went to, I had dinner with three other guys, who collectively, had over 50 trucks on the road!!! Talk about good company. I learned alot.

Good luck in your decisions..........email me if I can be a help.

 

[Steven Rowlet]

Tom, Ron and Mike brought up good points. You need to weight out all of the points they made. Sometimes you have to step back before you can go forward. Health insurance is a big cost. As for myself I took an early retirement from a company and job I stayed at for 24 years. When I look back I really don't know how I managed to do both. My father always told me life was short and you need to be happy in the work that you do. I was in an unhealthy enviroment, physically and mentally. Just before the one year mark of the death of my father I went full time and never looked back. You have to look at the big picture and the decision has to be made by you. You have to believe in yourself. I hope this helps and if I can offer any more asvise your call will be welcomed. Taking time for others has put me where I am today. The suicide of a close friend in 1991 made it impossible not to help others, I just wished I could have helped him. To this day that is still the hardest death I have dealt with because it was such a waste. I may have gotton of the subject but there are many reasons to venture out.

 

[poseidonpress]

Tzohlman,everybody that you`ve heard from has good, I mean GREAT points!!! I went fulltime in October of 2001. Not a very good time to start a pressure washing business. I stummbled onto this web site by accident, boy am I ever glad I did. I was in the bar business for 15yrs. Had to quit because I got burned out.
Luckily, my bosses husband who ran his own pressure washing business, took me under his wing. Taught me almost.........everything he knew before I ventured out on my own.
There`s a phrase I learned in Real Estate school( you`d be surprised how many bartenders go to real estate school)
"Analysis Puralysis", I think I spelled that right. If you stop and think too long, you might talk yourself out of it. Don`t get me wrong, you have to do SOME thinking. But TRY not to worry too much. It has most certainly been a learning exp.ie: business license, articles of incorporation, business insurance and so on and so on.
Now I know I`m not as seasoned as a lot of these guys here or you for that matter. You`ve been in business for 3yrs. I`m working on my first. But I believe I can give some support.
To address some of the issues that have been raised. Yes, having some money in the helps. Also, an equity line of credit can be a small business owners best friend. And yes, a fulltime working spouse DEFFINATELY helps!! Bless my wifes soul. As far as health insurance goes, I have Kaiser Perm.(individual plan), around $130/month. Find a GOOD accountant. One you`ve done business w/ before or one a friend could reccomend. Education/know-how?? ASK QUESTIONS!! As many as it takes. The guy`s on this site are VERY helpfull!! Read anything you can get your hands on. Anything that`s about small businesses, marketing, salesmanship etc. etc.
Advertising? As a matter of fact, I just had an appointment today w/ my BellSouth sales rep. today. NOT CHEAP!! Close to $400/MONTH!!(that`s $4,800/yr. in case anybody was wondering). That`s surely not in my budget ........yet. I`ve used a direct mail marketing plan so far. I purchased a mailing list online and have had limited success. Not even a 3% return. That`s not too good but I`m not givin` up. My first series of mailers went out to commercial property managers(purchased mail list). Not 1 call in 2 months. Monday I sent out 30 jumbo sized postcards to trucking companies. It`s Thursday and I`ve received 4 calls already. I compiled this list myself out of the YellowPages.FREE!!
I`m gonna` stop ramblin` now. Remember, ASK QUESTIONS!! Don`t be too afraid. Take one step at a time.

 

[tzahlman]

Thanks

Thanks for all the great insight. This season will tell me if I need another year or not. There's also some points that all of you brought up that I need to look into some more. I guess when the weather starts to break around here I get that itch and go NUTS. [spaz]


Thanks again
[red]

 

[Rob Smith]

Tom, I am fairly new to this board but this is my advise:

Keep your "regular" job. Go ahead with your advertising and keep going after bigger fleet accounts, when you land a fair sized one, one that may help replace your full time job's wages, then you can make your jump. That way you still have the best of both worlds. ie health insurance, regular pay etc. I have been full time for a little over a year and that is how I made my jump, bid on a large fleet, got it and just had to lose a "regular" job. Hope this helps! And the best of luck (and skill)

Rob