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FOOOD FOR THOUGHT
Posted by ROB M
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FOOOD FOR THOUGHT January 03, 2004 04:48PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 117 |
<HTML>GOOD WORK IS NOT CHEAP AND CHEAP WORK IS NOT GOOD
HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE I HAVE SEEN COME INTO THIS BUSSINESS OR THE POWER WASHING BUSINESS AND IN A MATTER OF A FEW SHORT MONTHS DISAPPEAR?? IT BECOMES QUITE COMICAL. AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY SPRING I WOULD PICK UP THE LOCAL PAPER AND THERE WOULD BE 5 - 6 NEW COMPANIES ADVERTISING BUT THE 5 OR 6 FROM THE YEAR BEFORE WERE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. WHY?? WELL, ANYONE CAN BE A PROFESSIONAL POWER WASHER / DETAILER. HOW CAN YOU TELL- YOU ASK AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THEY ARE? SIMPLE - IT SAYS SO RIGHT ON THEIR BUSINESS CARD!!! BUT WAIT JUST A MOMENT - SOONER OR LATER THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO STEP UP TO THE LINE, PULL THE TRIGGER AND PROVE IT AND THAT FIRST JOB IS USUALLY WHEN THEY BEGIN TO QUESTION THEIR DECISION TO BECOME A MOBILE WASHER. AS A RESULT THEY SAY "" HMMMMMM......WELL I DONT REALLY KNOW WHAT I AM DOING SO I'D BETTER CHARGE THEM $79.00 FOR THIS JOB.""" SAD TO SAY IT THIS SITUATION REPRESENTS ABOUT 85% OF OUR INDUSTRY.
IT IS SO EASY TO BECOME A MOBILE WASHER. FOR A COUPLE OF HUNDRED BUCKS A PERSON CAN BUY A PRESSURE WASHER AT THE DISCOUNT STORE- THROW IT IN THE BACK OF HIS FORD PINTO AND BE OFF TO THE GROCERY STORE TO PICK UP CHEMICALS.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE TRULY LOOKING FOR A FUTURE AND WANT TO BE FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL EDUCATE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU PULL THE TRIGGER. READ ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING YOU CAN ABOUT THIS INDUSTRY AND OTHER RELATED INDUSTRIES. KNOW YOUR COMPETITION AND FOREMOST KNOW YOUR OWN BUSINESS. ALSO TWO THINGS TO REMEMBER 1) LEARN HOW TO WORK ON YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT. DONT DEPEND ON A PRESSURRE WASHER DISTRIBUTOR, MECHANIC , ETC TO KEEP YOU RUNNING. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT- WHEN YOU ARE ON JOB SITES MOST DIST. HAVE GONE HOME FOR THE DAY, AND 2) BE FACTUAL AND WELL INFORMED WHEN YOU TALK TO A POTENTIAL CUSTOMER. SELL YOURSELF, YOUR COMPANY AND MAKE IT OBVIOUS AS POSSIBLE THAT YOU KNOW MUCH MORE THAN YOUR COMPETITOR. FACT: 95% OF CUSTOMERS WOULD RATHER PAY MORE TO GET THE JOB PERFORMED IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER BY A ........TRUE PROFESSIONAL.</HTML>
PRECISION POWER WASHING & AUTO DETAILING
HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE I HAVE SEEN COME INTO THIS BUSSINESS OR THE POWER WASHING BUSINESS AND IN A MATTER OF A FEW SHORT MONTHS DISAPPEAR?? IT BECOMES QUITE COMICAL. AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY SPRING I WOULD PICK UP THE LOCAL PAPER AND THERE WOULD BE 5 - 6 NEW COMPANIES ADVERTISING BUT THE 5 OR 6 FROM THE YEAR BEFORE WERE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. WHY?? WELL, ANYONE CAN BE A PROFESSIONAL POWER WASHER / DETAILER. HOW CAN YOU TELL- YOU ASK AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THEY ARE? SIMPLE - IT SAYS SO RIGHT ON THEIR BUSINESS CARD!!! BUT WAIT JUST A MOMENT - SOONER OR LATER THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO STEP UP TO THE LINE, PULL THE TRIGGER AND PROVE IT AND THAT FIRST JOB IS USUALLY WHEN THEY BEGIN TO QUESTION THEIR DECISION TO BECOME A MOBILE WASHER. AS A RESULT THEY SAY "" HMMMMMM......WELL I DONT REALLY KNOW WHAT I AM DOING SO I'D BETTER CHARGE THEM $79.00 FOR THIS JOB.""" SAD TO SAY IT THIS SITUATION REPRESENTS ABOUT 85% OF OUR INDUSTRY.
IT IS SO EASY TO BECOME A MOBILE WASHER. FOR A COUPLE OF HUNDRED BUCKS A PERSON CAN BUY A PRESSURE WASHER AT THE DISCOUNT STORE- THROW IT IN THE BACK OF HIS FORD PINTO AND BE OFF TO THE GROCERY STORE TO PICK UP CHEMICALS.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE TRULY LOOKING FOR A FUTURE AND WANT TO BE FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL EDUCATE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU PULL THE TRIGGER. READ ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING YOU CAN ABOUT THIS INDUSTRY AND OTHER RELATED INDUSTRIES. KNOW YOUR COMPETITION AND FOREMOST KNOW YOUR OWN BUSINESS. ALSO TWO THINGS TO REMEMBER 1) LEARN HOW TO WORK ON YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT. DONT DEPEND ON A PRESSURRE WASHER DISTRIBUTOR, MECHANIC , ETC TO KEEP YOU RUNNING. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT- WHEN YOU ARE ON JOB SITES MOST DIST. HAVE GONE HOME FOR THE DAY, AND 2) BE FACTUAL AND WELL INFORMED WHEN YOU TALK TO A POTENTIAL CUSTOMER. SELL YOURSELF, YOUR COMPANY AND MAKE IT OBVIOUS AS POSSIBLE THAT YOU KNOW MUCH MORE THAN YOUR COMPETITOR. FACT: 95% OF CUSTOMERS WOULD RATHER PAY MORE TO GET THE JOB PERFORMED IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER BY A ........TRUE PROFESSIONAL.</HTML>
PRECISION POWER WASHING & AUTO DETAILING
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Re: FOOOD FOR THOUGHT January 03, 2004 08:52PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,838 |
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Re: FOOOD FOR THOUGHT January 04, 2004 10:56AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 151 |
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Re: FOOOD FOR THOUGHT January 04, 2004 01:20PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 3,550 |
<HTML>Rob:
Excellent post regarding the two industries in question. Don't know much about the pressure cleaning industry and it's fallout, but I do not something about detailing and you are correct.
As long as the industry does not cost much to get into you will have "uneducated, inexperienced people entering it everyday." This has been the story for the 25 + years I have been involved in the auto detailing industry.
The trade journals have only a fraction of the 14,000 detail shops listed in the Yellow Pages on their subscription lists because, as my publisher friends tell me, they cannot afford to have more. Every month they mail they get back almost as many as they mail out because they are always out of business.
I can tell you from experience this is true. I have a mailing list of detailers from a Yellow Page company and when I mailed on it I got back at least 25% as out of business.
Collision repair industry was just like this up until the 80's when things began to change. Think about these statistics! In 1975 there were 128,000 collision repair shops listed in the yellow pages. Today there are less than 55,000. Why is that? Unibody construction; OSHA requirements and EPA regulations.
All these factors forced the "fly-by-night" operations out of business and today you have over 50,000 top quality shops in the USA, for the most part.
Until the bar is raised in this industry you will have this type of competition, here today, gone tomorrow operations.
Look at it this way, if it were you. Should you have no committment or investment in equipment when the going gets tough you fold up your tent and disappear into the night never to be seen again. But, if you have $10,000 to $15,000 minimum invested in a business you would be more apt to stick out the tough times and/or learn what it takes to become profitable and successful in this business.
Know that this will happen one day in the detail business. Will you be one of those who succeeds or one who will be gone?
Regards
Bud Abraham</HTML>
buda
Excellent post regarding the two industries in question. Don't know much about the pressure cleaning industry and it's fallout, but I do not something about detailing and you are correct.
As long as the industry does not cost much to get into you will have "uneducated, inexperienced people entering it everyday." This has been the story for the 25 + years I have been involved in the auto detailing industry.
The trade journals have only a fraction of the 14,000 detail shops listed in the Yellow Pages on their subscription lists because, as my publisher friends tell me, they cannot afford to have more. Every month they mail they get back almost as many as they mail out because they are always out of business.
I can tell you from experience this is true. I have a mailing list of detailers from a Yellow Page company and when I mailed on it I got back at least 25% as out of business.
Collision repair industry was just like this up until the 80's when things began to change. Think about these statistics! In 1975 there were 128,000 collision repair shops listed in the yellow pages. Today there are less than 55,000. Why is that? Unibody construction; OSHA requirements and EPA regulations.
All these factors forced the "fly-by-night" operations out of business and today you have over 50,000 top quality shops in the USA, for the most part.
Until the bar is raised in this industry you will have this type of competition, here today, gone tomorrow operations.
Look at it this way, if it were you. Should you have no committment or investment in equipment when the going gets tough you fold up your tent and disappear into the night never to be seen again. But, if you have $10,000 to $15,000 minimum invested in a business you would be more apt to stick out the tough times and/or learn what it takes to become profitable and successful in this business.
Know that this will happen one day in the detail business. Will you be one of those who succeeds or one who will be gone?
Regards
Bud Abraham</HTML>
buda
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Re: FOOOD FOR THOUGHT January 04, 2004 06:58PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 117 |
<HTML> THE POWER WASHING INDUSTRY IS THE "COUSIN " TO THE DETAILING INDUSTRY. THEY ARE BOTH "MAINTENANCE & RESTORATION " SURVICES THAT CAN CATER TO BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CLIENTS. RESTAURANTS USE POWER WASHERS TO CLEAN - KITCHEN FLOORS, COOKING EQUIPMENT DUMPSITE AREAS AND THERE EXHAUST SYSTEMS. EXHAUST SYSTEMS ARE REQUIRED BY LAW OR NFPA (NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION AGENCY) CODE # 96 TO HAVE THEM DONE ONCE A YEAR. SOME STATES 6 MONTHS. FOR OUR HOME OWNERS DECK AND FENCE RESTORATION, HOUSE WASHING, CAR WASHING, ROOF CLEANING ETC. HOUSE WASHING IS THE EVER MOST POPULAR BUT STILL PEOPLE WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL STILL SCREW IT UP.
IN THE DETAILING BUSINESS OR ON THIS FORUM WE CALL THE AMATEURS "HACKERS" IN THE POWER WASHING BUSINESS THE AMATEURS WORK IS REFEREED TO AS "SPLASH AND DASH." WHAT IS "SPLASH & DASH" REFERS TO THE "HACKER" THAT SPLASHES BLEACH OR CHLORINE ONTO THE HOUSE, RINSES AND LEAVES? A TRUE PROFESSIONAL THAT HAS TO WASH A HOUSE HAS TO USE 4!!!!!!!!! THAT'S RIGHT 4!!!!!!! STEPS. ( WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT)
STEP 1 DETERGENT APPLICATION
STEP 2 PRESSURE WASHING
STEP 3 **** SEALANT APPLICATION *****
STEP 4 PRESSURE RINSING
WHY DO WE NEED STEPS 3 AND 4 WHEN YOU CLEAN A HOUSE WITH VINYL YOU WILL NEED TO GET SURFACE OXIDATION AND ALL THE POLLUTANTS OFF BUT WHILE YOU ARE GETTING THIS OFF YOU ARE ALSO STRIPPING THE OILS OUT OF THE VINYL? HENCE THE SEALER IS REQUIRED TO KEEP IT FROM CRACKING, PLUS IT WILL ENHANCE THE APPEARANCE. IS THAT LIKE ADDING A DRESSING TO AN ENGINE OR TO TIRE OR EVEN A DASH BOARD I THINK SO. SORRY IF I RAMBLED ON BUT I JUST WANTED TO EDUCATE YOU ON THE PROPER WAY OF PRESSURE CLEANING A HOUSE VS THE "SPLASH AND DASH."
NOW BUD WE TALK ABOUT CERTIFICATION, IN THE POWER WASHING INDUSTRY WE HAVE THE "PWNA" = POWER WASHERS OF NORTH AMERICA. MAYBE WE CAN COME UP WITH "DNA" DETAILERS OF NORTH AMERICA HAHAH JUST A THOUGHT.
I, AM, TO WHAT ALL MEN DO AFTER 12 HOURS OF HARD WORK..........I AM GOING TO THE LOCAL NUDY BAR AND WATCH SOME PLAY OFF FOOTBALL (YEAH RIGHT)</HTML>
PRECISION POWER WASHING & AUTO DETAILING
IN THE DETAILING BUSINESS OR ON THIS FORUM WE CALL THE AMATEURS "HACKERS" IN THE POWER WASHING BUSINESS THE AMATEURS WORK IS REFEREED TO AS "SPLASH AND DASH." WHAT IS "SPLASH & DASH" REFERS TO THE "HACKER" THAT SPLASHES BLEACH OR CHLORINE ONTO THE HOUSE, RINSES AND LEAVES? A TRUE PROFESSIONAL THAT HAS TO WASH A HOUSE HAS TO USE 4!!!!!!!!! THAT'S RIGHT 4!!!!!!! STEPS. ( WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT)
STEP 1 DETERGENT APPLICATION
STEP 2 PRESSURE WASHING
STEP 3 **** SEALANT APPLICATION *****
STEP 4 PRESSURE RINSING
WHY DO WE NEED STEPS 3 AND 4 WHEN YOU CLEAN A HOUSE WITH VINYL YOU WILL NEED TO GET SURFACE OXIDATION AND ALL THE POLLUTANTS OFF BUT WHILE YOU ARE GETTING THIS OFF YOU ARE ALSO STRIPPING THE OILS OUT OF THE VINYL? HENCE THE SEALER IS REQUIRED TO KEEP IT FROM CRACKING, PLUS IT WILL ENHANCE THE APPEARANCE. IS THAT LIKE ADDING A DRESSING TO AN ENGINE OR TO TIRE OR EVEN A DASH BOARD I THINK SO. SORRY IF I RAMBLED ON BUT I JUST WANTED TO EDUCATE YOU ON THE PROPER WAY OF PRESSURE CLEANING A HOUSE VS THE "SPLASH AND DASH."
NOW BUD WE TALK ABOUT CERTIFICATION, IN THE POWER WASHING INDUSTRY WE HAVE THE "PWNA" = POWER WASHERS OF NORTH AMERICA. MAYBE WE CAN COME UP WITH "DNA" DETAILERS OF NORTH AMERICA HAHAH JUST A THOUGHT.
I, AM, TO WHAT ALL MEN DO AFTER 12 HOURS OF HARD WORK..........I AM GOING TO THE LOCAL NUDY BAR AND WATCH SOME PLAY OFF FOOTBALL (YEAH RIGHT)</HTML>
PRECISION POWER WASHING & AUTO DETAILING
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Re: FOOOD FOR THOUGHT January 04, 2004 09:53PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 3,550 |
<HTML>Not certain why your industry has it's own association and standards that most professional pressure wash companies follow. Maybe it is because your industry is more visible to the government authorities and more regulated than the detail industry.
We had a Professional Detailing Assocation from about 1989 until we merged with the International Carwash Association about 4 or 5 years ago.
The carwash group does not do as much for the detail industry as the detailing association does because the detailers do not join the carwash association. So the board feels that if the detailers are not interested in participating in the association why should they offer programs; benefits and services specific to detailing if no one wants to join the association anyway.
We also had a Detailing Pavillion at the ICA Trade Show and that was dissolved because most the supplier/exhibitors said they did not want to be isolated in a "detail only" area, but in the general traffic areas.
Detailers say they want their own association but they do not join. When we had the PDA we had only 500 members including about 50 manufacturers and distributors. This was out of a total detailing industry universe of over 15,000 possible members.
Not certain what the answer is, other than the industry has a natural fallout because of legal regulations and the 14,000 detail shops drops down to about 5,000 to 7,000 large operations This is what happened in the collision repair industry, as mentioned, when government got into the picture with OSHA and EPA regulations, among other things.
Keep the faith the detail industry will grow up someday.
Regards
Bud A</HTML>
buda
We had a Professional Detailing Assocation from about 1989 until we merged with the International Carwash Association about 4 or 5 years ago.
The carwash group does not do as much for the detail industry as the detailing association does because the detailers do not join the carwash association. So the board feels that if the detailers are not interested in participating in the association why should they offer programs; benefits and services specific to detailing if no one wants to join the association anyway.
We also had a Detailing Pavillion at the ICA Trade Show and that was dissolved because most the supplier/exhibitors said they did not want to be isolated in a "detail only" area, but in the general traffic areas.
Detailers say they want their own association but they do not join. When we had the PDA we had only 500 members including about 50 manufacturers and distributors. This was out of a total detailing industry universe of over 15,000 possible members.
Not certain what the answer is, other than the industry has a natural fallout because of legal regulations and the 14,000 detail shops drops down to about 5,000 to 7,000 large operations This is what happened in the collision repair industry, as mentioned, when government got into the picture with OSHA and EPA regulations, among other things.
Keep the faith the detail industry will grow up someday.
Regards
Bud A</HTML>
buda
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