ENVIROSPEC

Author: Chris Ragan

  • Reputable contractors use reputable chemical suppliers

    Reputable contractors use reputable chemical suppliers

    pressure-washing-45You’ve come across those “splash-n-dash” pressure washing amateurs. They do shoddy work for low-ball prices, using cheap detergents. They’ve never read a Material Safety Data Sheet, because, well, they just don’t care.

    What would their customers think if they knew that caustic chemicals were being used on their homes or truck fleets; chemicals that worked like paint strippers, removing paint along with the dirt? They might not see the damage immediately, but they will, over time, when the things they own start looking dingy…when it’s already too late.

    And how would those customers feel if they found out that those same detergents were hurting the environment, and potentially, the many living things around their homes and businesses? Don’t bother asking those contractors to care. They’re already gone, and they’re not the type who come back for much repeat business.

    Of course, you know better. You take pride in your work. They say that a man’s character comes from what he does when no one is looking. And even though your customers might not understand the difference between various cleaning liquids, you give them the best, because that’s how you’d want any contractor to treat you.

    You stand behind your work, and that’s why you buy from a chemical supplier who stands behind you.

    The right type of company offers the knowledge you need to make sure those chemicals are being used properly. They post every detergent’s MSDS so that you, and the earth, stay safe and healthy. They’re available when you have a question or a concern. They offer the right product for the right job, no matter what the job is. And they’re working every day for the long-term improvement and enhancement of the products, the procedures, the contractors and the industry itself.

    In the end, the right chemical supplier does a better job because their chemicals are formulated, tested and perfected by contractors just like you. And if you have a problem, a concern, an idea or a suggestion, then you also have their attention. Because it’s a two-way street. We’re all in this together.

    If you can find a chemical supplier who supports the powerwash industry in all the ways that EnviroSpec does, then feel free to buy from them. In the meantime, know that we’re here for you in every way.

  • Power Washer Survival — Advice to Live By

    Power Washer Survival — Advice to Live By

    Spare Parts, Don’t Forget the Spare Parts

    Always be positioned to survive. Be ready for any eventuality. In both life and in business.

    Jack was an outdoorsman. Not quite like the “Survivor guy” on TV that cooks up scorpions over an open fire to eat for dinner, but damn close.

    If Jack was ever caught out in the deep woods, alone in a storm, cold and wet, he would realize one basic truth. He would say to himself, “I deserve this for not being prepared. He would be so embarrassed by his lack of planning he wouldn’t even try the cell phone for a signal. If he couldn’t get himself out, then he didn’t deserve to get out. No forest rangers coming to the rescue for Jack. To Jack’s way of thinking it would be like taking a corporate bailout. Instead of money he would be placing his rescuers life in danger because of his mistakes. It’s unacceptable on any level. Better to let nature take its course, the woodland critters and the buzzards would clean up the mess, circle of life stuff.

    Should someone that makes bad decisions pay the consequences? To Jack, the answer isn’t just yes, the answer is his credo, his lifestyle. Fierce independence is his way of life. What can a mobile washer learn from Jack? Plenty. When the storms of your business hit you, be prepared. I bring this up now for a very important reason. Our economy has been down the tubes for a while. Everyone that supplies our parts are running lean and mean with extremely low inventories.

    From the biggest pump companies on through the supply chain parts are going on back order. Parts that you would never believe could run out are running out. So it is more important than ever to think ahead and stock the crucial spare parts that you need to stay in business. This has always seemed like a simple decision to us.

    Let’s say today you plan to make $500 washing trucks, or buses, or houses, whatever. When you start washing your chemical injector, or unloader, or trigger gun fails. If you are prepared you suffer a few minutes delay until you put on a spare part. If you don’t have any backup you lose $500 that day, and perhaps lose a customer for good to the guy who plans ahead and doesn’t disappoint their customer. Happens all the time, because of a part that is worth a few dollars.

    Here is a list of parts that will cause you to kick yourself for not having spares:

    • Nozzles (high pressure, rotary, thruster, low pressure)
    • Nozzle holder (twist, shower, ball type, or trombone)
    • Lances (different lengths, they break)
    • Trigger gun (this is a wear item)
    • Short jumper hose (gun to long hose)
    • Couplers and plugs (Always have these new and ready in your inventory)
    • Hose (If one blows, clip on the next)
    • Chemical injector, tubing, and filters (no chemical? Without spares you go home)

    Hey, look at that, we have made it to the pressure washer. If you are a small operation and think any of the above spare parts aren’t necessary, I hope you are very lucky, or want to stay small time.

    Let’s keep working back upstream:

    • Jumper hoses (replacements for any on your machine)
    • Pipe fittings (to replace what you have on your equipment)
    • Hot water coil (now that’s a big item, you may have to work cold for a while, bypass it while you wait)
    • Burner parts: Igniter, Fuel nozzle, Fuel pump. Fuel filter, French fries (sorry, checking to make sure you are paying attention, they wouldn’t stay hot anyway), flow or pressure switch, thermostat, high-limit switch
    • Unloader (a must have spare, at least one)
    • Gauge (or at least a plug for when it leaks)
    • Pump or parts (short of having a new one on the shelf, check valves aren’t a bad idea)
    • Inlet water filter (because things happen)
    • Fill hose (for when something destroys it)
    • Chemical (you wouldn’t run out of detergent, would you?)
    • Drum pump (if you depend on it)
    • Belts (don’t forget belts)

    There you go. Now you won’t have to call up to be rescued. Eat a good breakfast and work and play hard.

    Advice to live by! And remember to Power Through!

  • Buying the Right Pressure Washer Hose

    Buying the Right Pressure Washer Hose

    Pressure Wahser Hose-1How to Hit — and Miss — With Your Pressure Hose

    The most common mistake made when purchasing pressure hose is equipping a machine with a hose that has too low a working pressure. A 3,000-PSI machine should be equipped with a hose that has a working pressure of more than 3,000 PSI. This advice comes from years of field experience using various hoses. Always size the working pressure of the high-pressure hose over the pressure washer operating pressure.

    As an former contractor using a two-wire, higher pressure hose was never my first choice simply because it typically weighed almost twice as much as a one-wire hose. Now days when comparing a 50-foot, one-wire, 4,000-psi hose to a two-wire, 6,000-psi hose, the weight difference is as low as 2 pounds per section.

    Hose technology has changed dramatically over the years. Before, if a hose would last a month, you would “kiss the ground” and bury it in the nearest dumpster. Now, we have customers who tell us that our serpentine hose will give them as much as six months of service.

    Here are a few recommendations through this pressure washer hose guide:

    1. Purchase a 6,000-psi hose even if you are running a 3,000-psi system. The hose will last twice as long and even though it weighs a couple of pounds more it will make your muscles bigger!
    2. For all of you truck washers out there, never position your equipment in the parking lot in such a manner where other tractor-trailers are driving over your hose while you are washing. This is responsible for more hose failures than any other single happening.
    3. For all of you who have been buying blue or yellow nonmarking hose for all of these years, there is no such thing! The only true nonmarking hose in the industry is gray. Why? Gray hose does not contain carbon-black. All other colors do and this is what causes marks as the hose vibrates on the surface.
  • Cavitation and heat will kill your pump!

    Cavitation and heat will kill your pump!

    Cavitation
    Pump Cavitation

    Can you identify and avoid cavitation…  the formation and collapse of gaseous cavities in a liquid which causes severe wear or eroding of the metal wear surfaces in the pump.

    To the right are packings and check valves from a 3-month old pump that was starved of water and consistently left in by-pass for more that 5 minutes at a time.

    The most obvious sign of cavitation is a hammering noise. The noise can be either consistent or intermittent depending upon the degree of cavitation and damage to the pump. Vibration of the pump and system will also be noticeable as the pump is starved of fluid. Eventually flow and pressure will decrease.

    Check your system for these conditions which may contribute to, or directly cause, cavitation:

    1. Inadequate inlet line size

    2. Insufficient inlet flow or excessive suction (the most common problem)

    3. Excessive inlet line length

    4. Rigid inlet plumbing

    5. Too many elbows and/or fittings

    6. Excessive temperature build-up or pumped fluid

    7. Air leak in inlet plumbing

    8. Agitation in supply reservoir

    9. Inadequate increase of inlet flow for fluids of greater specific gravity

    10. Inadequate increase of inlet flow for higher temperature fluids

    11. Clogged inlet filters.

    12. Never allow your pump to stay in ‘by-pass’ for more than 4 minutes at a time. When you do the pump will heat up and damage the pump and void all warranties.

  • Understanding Pressure Washer Pumps

    Understanding Pressure Washer Pumps

    Pressure washer pump -1

    Understanding How Pressure Washer Pumps Work

    Probably the easiest way to understand how a pressure washer functions is to diagnose a unit and see how it is constructed. We have selected a cold water portable unit for this purpose:

    1. First you have your power source (engine or motor) this is what creates the energy to drive the pump. Then there is the nozzle that determines the cleaning effect.
    2. The heart of any pressure washer system is the high pressure pump. They are a positive displacement reciprocating type pump – either plunger or piston version. Plunger is the most common as they are more efficient and have longer life. Plunger pumps represent 99% of the pumps found in the professional power wash industry. Plungers are usually made of ceramic which is very hard and less prone to wear. Plunger pump can be described as a plunger that moves back and forth against a stationary seal or packing. Whereas a piston pump is where the packing is attached to the piston rod and moves against a smooth cylinder wall. Piston pumps generally have better priming characteristics but cannot operate at as high a pressure and have shorter life.

    An important feature of the plunger/piston pump is that the volume capacity of pump depends on pump speed. So long as pump is rotating the same volume of liquid that goes in must come out.  This is why blockage can be dangerous and why safety devices such as unloader valves and safety pressure relief valves must be incorporated into system.

    As the plunger moves back, water is drawn into pump cylinder cavity through inlet check valves. When plunger moves forward, the inlet valves close, forcing water to travel through a series of outlet valves and to the discharge port of pump. This can also be compared to a combustion engine that we crank up every day. Intake valves bring gas into the engine on the down stroke and on the up stroke the intake valves close and when combustion occurs the exhaust valves open.

    Most plunger pumps are either duplex or triplex. Two-piston pumps have higher pulsations and are harder on system components and the operator. These pumps will require the addition of an accumulator to reduce vibration. Triplex are the most common used for pressure washers as they result in smoother flow.

    Newer higher speed pumps (direct drive – 3400 rpm pumps) also result in less pressure fluctuations and require less starting torque; however, they result in faster wear, have less suction lift capability and sometime noise is high pitched and can be irritating. The best and longest lasting direct drive pumps in the industry are the Allison series pumps. The last as long as the lower rpm pumps and suction lift is not an issue.

    Unfortunately since pump is the core of the pressure washer it is generally blamed for any system failing. However, generally 90% of pressure washer problems are not the cause of the pump. Most can be attributed to system restrictions or component wear such as nozzle, etc. Pump starvation of liquid is probably the leading cause of premature pump failure. Inlet line restrictions does not allow adequate water to enter pump resulting in cavitation. Cavitation is when air mixes with water causing small explosions to occur when pressurized which will tear away at packing or piston surface.

    And remember to Power Through!

  • Cold Calling — The Dance to Success!

    Cold Calling — The Dance to Success!

    DancersTalking to a wash guy from the Midwest, he was having a bad day because business was slow. He was worried that if things continued to be slow, his business could fail. It’s probably fair to say that we have all had moments like this, especially when we were new to pressure washing. A slow day can turn your mind to thoughts of doom and gloom.

    I think he was just trying to feel better by sharing his troubles. Fortunately for him, he was talking to a technical service manager at EnviroSpec. I asked him if he was a good dancer. He said he wasn’t too worried about that right now. I told him now was the time he needed to worry about it. Let me explain.

    Four ‘Dancers’ and Their Different Approaches

    It was Saturday night. At the high school the first dance of the year was just getting started. On one side of the gym stood the girls, and on the other stood the guys. Everyone was nervous. Everyone was hoping to have fun. What they didn’t realize was that the next five minutes would set the course for their future success or failure. Those five minutes would truly show what they were capable of. Oh yeah, they were nervous alright, but they didn’t have a clue as to how important the immediate future really was. Let’s focus in on four young men that are leaning against the far wall. Their names are Wally, Flash, Lance, and Rocky. We will start with Wally.

    Wally Flowers wasn’t a bad kid. He tried to do the right things. His problem was that he was an introvert. He was shy. He just couldn’t get his feet moving. He really wanted to dance, but without some outside force pushing him forward, like a buddy grabbing him by the arm and dragging him out, he just didn’t have the will power to unglue himself from that wall. We are not going to spend too long analyzing Wally. The poor kid ends up working in a factory that manufactures hot dogs. He runs a machine that spits the things out at a rate of 500 per minute. His job is to watch the machine and push a button if the hot dogs start flying too high or get cut in half. He has very little interaction with his co-workers, he likes that. The good news for Wally is there was a girl at the dance named Jane. She was afraid to dance, too. The next day between classes she dropped all her books in the hall at Wally’s feet. Wally helped her pick them up. Their eyes met and they instantly fell for each other. They married a few years later and have two kids. A trip to Disney World is being planned for the fall.

    Flash Aallot was the exact opposite of Wally. He was extremely extroverted. He was tall and athletic. He played a few sports, but tried to stay away from the really hard ones, like cross-country. Way too much work running that far! He was young, but already had the entire world figured out. No one had to tell Flash what to do. He moved off the wall quickly and strutted right up to Amanda Right. Amanda was a cheerleader. She was the one that stood on top of that pyramid thing they all did at halftime at the football game. Back to Flash. He approached Amanda with a winning smile. He didn’t ask her to dance, just reached out his hand and off they went. They danced a few dances, but then Flash got a bad case of the “wandering eye.” He went to see just how many girls he could dance with. He danced with many that night. He had a blast. Flash went on to marry five times. The fifth one seems to be working out alright for now. Flash owns and operates a business called “Buy It Now.” He sells quality used cars. He doesn’t get a lot of repeat business, but that’s OK, because there are a million fish in the sea.

    Lance Longfellow came to the dance with one thing on his mind. That was to have a few good dances. He wasn’t as pushy as Flash, but he didn’t need to be. For Lance things just seemed to happen without needing to put in much effort. Lance looked good. He knew he did, having spent a long time checking himself out in the mirror before leaving home. The only problem, with Lance in my opinion (not in Lance’s because he doesn’t see a problem), is that there really isn’t anything else in there. Do you know what I mean? Lance has never had it tough. He hasn’t gone without something he wants or needs. Again, in my opinion, without this type of character-building experience something ends up missing in a person’s personality. What is missing is the fortitude to fight hard enough to achieve long-term success. No matter what gets thrown in front of you. No matter how high the mountain is, you get over the top. Lance never developed that fortitude. Lance ended up doing well at the dance, since his expectations weren’t very high. He got the few good dances he was after. He is now in middle management pulling down a decent salary. He has a well-trimmed house in suburbia with a beautiful wife and two kids. Obtaining these things wasn’t difficult for Lance. Take a picture, because at least on the surface everything looks great.

    Rocky Roller had no idea how the dance would turn out for him. He was pretty sure he would have a good time. He knew that he was going to try his best to have things turn out right. Rocky was slightly extroverted. For Rocky, conversation was usually easy and he listened more than he talked. When he did talk he usually tried to say something that was thoughtful and well-meaning. Rocky wanted everybody to have a good time at the dance. Rocky sat next to a girl named Laura from math class. He was struggling in that subject, and yes, it did have something to do with her. Laura’s hazel eyes always made him lose track of the problems he was working on. So at the dance, Rocky knew who he wanted to dance with. He approached Laura and respectfully asked if she would be willing to dance with him. She accepted. They hit the floor and Laura was surprised by Rocky’s dancing ability. Turns out Rocky asked his older sister to teach him some moves in preparation for this night. She liked the way he smelled, too. Rocky put on a little splash of cologne for the dance. At one point Flash, tried to cut in. Laura waved him off, her eyes never even left Rocky’s. The night went by quickly; Rocky brought Laura home and said goodnight on her front step. He took a chance and kissed her goodnight. The whole night worked out great for Rocky. He sees Laura again on Sunday afternoon. He walks up and down in front of her house until she comes out. He acts surprised to see her. He tells her how great it was dancing with her. He gets to look into those eyes. Rocky and Laura end up together. They have four kids. Both work hard and have a good life. Rocky ends up self-employed and Laura works with him. They do things together that make their lives exciting. They take some risks and have some adventures. They end up old and happy without regret.

    So now you understand just how important the actions taken in those five minutes were. Presentation, preparation, and follow through are all necessary for success.

    Apply the ‘Dance’ Lesson to How You Find Business

    Now let’s apply some of these lessons to a mobile washer trying to pick up business. For those of you who have already got it figured out, I will leave you with this parting thought: Be a Rocky Roller. For the rest of you, read on:

    1. Prepare for success because it doesn’t usually jump in your lap in this business. You need to look professional. You need to know more than your customer about everything that pertains to washing. It is important that you can explain it all to them. You have to have professional equipment and a clean vehicle. Get work shirts with your company name on them. Look as good as you can. Create business cards and handouts about your company.
    2. Pay attention to presentation with customer interaction as well. Sometimes it’s best to start with a phone call. Sometimes you need to walk in the door. It is up to you to determine how to approach customers. There isn’t a wrong way, just effective and ineffective ways. One approach will work with one customer and not work with 10 others. If you call, have a script written out to read about your business and services. Practice it out loud a few times until you feel comfortable with it. Revise it with each failure or success. Develop it. You’ll probably have plenty of time to refine it. Your script is meant to keep you from forgetting important points you want to make. You still must listen and adapt what you are saying in response to what your potential customer says to you. Without thinking on your feet, you probably won’t get the job.
    3. Do you have a hard time with rejection? Better go work at the hot dog factory. You will lose more times than you win. Learn to deal with it. You don’t climb a mountain easily. You need to stop and recover often, and this is like that. In person you need to remember what you can work from your prepared script and throw some in while you talk. This will become easier each time you do it. When possible offer a demonstration, which is a great selling tool. When you are blocked at the door, leave your company card and brochure. Try very hard to get the name of the person that would decide to hire you. Follow up with a phone call. If they still block you, try calling when they are closed. Sometimes you can listen to the company directory and leave a voicemail. You can also mail information to the person directly. Do NOT give up.
    4. Finally, follow through. Once you get a job, treat it like gold. Others want it. Make sure to communicate with your customer. Don’t drive them crazy, but occasionally ask for feedback and correct problems immediately. Always take the time and put in the effort required to do the job right.

    So, good luck to all. Remember, life is a dance. With thought, preparation, and ambition, you will be successful. Don’t sit it out.

    And remember to Power Through!

  • Six Ways to Protect Yourself

    Six Ways to Protect Yourself

    Protectring 1
    Getting into the power wash business is easy. Staying in the power wash business is hard.

    How to Survive — and Thrive — in Power Washing

    I don’t know if you have noticed, but over the past few years things have changed. It’s getting harder and harder to attract good customers, and most “old-school” marketing and selling tactics are no longer working.  This leaves many power washers who follow what everybody else does and that is — throwing up their hands and giving up. Here’s how to survive and thrive in power washing.

    While your competitors are sticking their heads in the sand and hoping things will change, here are six ways that can help you sit high on top of your marketplace, commanding respect and income you deserve.

    1. Raise your prices. I know, I know, this always freaks people out, but chances are you are charging too little for your service. Do you know how much each of your customers costs? The question you should be asking is how much can I spend to get a customer — or how little. If your prices are too low, you won’t be able to attract the customers you want.
    2. Become a leader in our industry. That’s right, the sad truth is that 85% people who get into the power-washing business will fail and be out of business in less than two years, that’s a lot of turnover. With a little marketing know-how, you can transform your business into rising to the top 5% in our industry.
    3. Sell without effort or resorting to “tricks.” There is no need to have to browbeat your prospects into submission. Simple techniques allows your potential client to effortlessly say “yes” and give you their credit card information.
    4. Become a celebrity in your market. Nothing attracts opportunity and money like a celebrity (think of the Kardashians), being a celebrity in you market can propel you to the spotlight where you’ll get more attention, interest, and business in this crazy, cluttered, confusing, and chaotic marketplace.
    5. Protect your “herd” (a.k.a. your customers). You want to keep your customers, making sure they keep buying from you and they won’t buy from anyone else. Look, it’s not hard, besides it’s a whole lot cheaper to KEEP a customer than to keep going after new ones.
    6. Give your mindset a good kick in the ass. Think about it, 80% of success in business is psychological, don’t let the way you think sabotage your energy and effectiveness. If you have then change the way you think about your business marketing plan!

    One last thing, don’t make the mistake of assuming that you already know it all. That’s what many power washers thought five years ago before the business environment changed and their income either declined or stagnated due to more competition, changes in buying habits of consumers, and the overall crap that is now out there on social media. Learn, learn, learn.

    If you need help with changing the way your market your business contact Dan Galvin with Envirospec. He can be reached at (800) 346-4876

    And remember, “Being in business is easy. Being successful is not. Knowledge breeds success.”

     

  • Breaking Down the Pressure Washer

    Breaking Down the Pressure Washer

    What Type of Pressure Washer is Right for Your Business? We Break Them Down

    Cold-water pressure washers are the most popular, probably primarily due to cost and ease in manufacturing and use. They are generally limited to 140 degrees Fahrenheit from a hot water tap. They are broken into two types: electric or gas engine.

    1. Electric are more compact and lower performance when electric current is limited to 115 volts. They are more economical and sold to consumer markets or for semi-professional use.

    2. Gas and diesel engine units are more portable and used primarily outside when noise and gas fumes do not present a problem.

    Performance is limited by the price you are prepared to pay to get the job done. EnviroSpec’s power washers are the industry’s most powerful and easiest to maintain. They are built exclusively for the professional contract cleaning industry. They are expensive on the front end but are much less expensive over the long distance. They last much longer that standard power-washing equipment.

    Hot water units are primarily used for professional or industrial applications where high temperature is required to break down dirt more effectively. Because they consist of an oil burner and heating coil, they tend to be more expensive and complicated to operate. They have, however, enjoyed probably the largest percent sales growth in the industry due to more efficient manufacturing and promotion.

    Most pumps have a dual-packing design with a water recycling system, allowing water to lubricate packings and bleed back minor leakage from slightly worn packings. When excessive wear occurs and pressure drops significantly, packings should be changed. Remember a new pump will sometimes weep slightly until packings take a good set against plungers.

    The pump crankcase is very trouble free — like an automobile if properly maintained. Oil should be changed after initial a 50-hour break-in period and every 500 hours or annually thereafter or when oil gets milky. This could be caused by condensation from temperature changes or oil seal leakage, which may occur if vented crankcase plug is not installed and seals are sucked in from vacuum created when oil heats up.

    • Filters — A good inlet filter is a cheap price to pay to protect your pump from impurities that are in water. Rust, scale, and sand easily can clog valves or scratch plungers. Use a 60 to 100 mesh screen of adequate size for flow and be sure it is checked and cleaned periodically.
    • Pressure Gauges — These gauges are generally not used by most manufacturers as they tend to malfunction easily unless more expensive glycerin-filled ones are used and they add to machine cost. They do, however, serve an important role as a ready warning to nozzle wear or pump seal damage, which reduces effective cleaning and potentially leads to more expensive repair later. In a professional contractor environment, a pressure gauge is highly recommended.
    • Unloader Valves — The main safety component of a pressure washer. It along with the trigger gun, uploader valves literally control the traffic flow of water in the system. Without an unloader valve, when gun is shut off, pressure will continue to rise until either the engine stalls or the pump, hose or gun ruptures. Unloaders divert all or part of the flow to a supply tank or the inlet of pump to prevent pressure from building up. When the gun is opened, water moves from the outlet of the pump through the hose to the gun and nozzle. When the trigger is released, the valve closes and the unloader is activated, either by an increase in pressure (pressure-actuated type) or a reduction in flow (flow-actuated type). Water flows into the channel and pushes the piston down, which opens the bypass valve. The unloader diverts flow of water from outlet side of pump back to inlet side, causing water to flow back to pump virtually under no pressure.

    The advantage of a flow-actuated unloader is that hose and pump pressure is reduced in unload mode. This is safer for the hot water coil, and when the operator doesn’t want a fast kick-back when the gun trigger is depressed. A flow-actuated unloader, however, can’t be used on multigun systems and is generally more expensive and sensitive to adjust.

    The pressure-actuated type is the common. It traps pressure in the hose in unload mode so immediate pressure is available when the gun is opened.

    The pressure of the system can be controlled to some extent by adjusting the tension on the spring holding the piston in the valve in place. Changing the nozzle is the preferred method of controlling pressure, and the unloader should only be adjusted to fine-tune the system.

    If the unloader valve goes on/off when gun is shut off, either the spring is not properly adjusted or there is a leak in the hose, gun, or connections. Spring tension that is too tight can be hazardous because pressure spikes before it unloads.

    Remember to Power Through!

  • Why Go to Conventions? To Grow Your Business.

    Why Go to Conventions? To Grow Your Business.

    How Industry Meetings Can Help Your Power-Washing Jam

    I can remember when I started my power-washing business, I worked seven days a week. I would work days, nights and weekends. I did anything and everything I could to get my arms around the business. But when I tore my rotor cuff and developed carpal tunnel syndrome, I concluded that I couldn’t do this alone.

    Don’t be like me and work so hard. You don’t have to be a workaholic. You just need to start working smarter instead of harder.

    Ask yourself this, why am I doing all this? What am I killing myself for? All this hard work takes a toll on your body, your arms and shoulders, back and your whole body starts to go. Stay out of the workaholic trap and learn to put systems in place and start living the life you want.

    One of the biggest challenges we have as power washers is we try to go it alone. You don’t have to be a “Lone Ranger” or a “Super Hero” and take on the world by yourself. In fact, the lack of delegation skills, not having a support team, and working alone will limit your ability come up with new ideas, explore the different kinds of power washing or uncover those areas of improvement that will streamline your business. By having access to a community of like-minded power washers, like those in the Power Washers of North America (www.thepwna.org) who are committed to our industry’s success, you will grow your business ten times faster.

    Every convention attendee I talked to said the same thing, “I wish I came to these conventions earlier.” They all regretted not networking with all the successful power washers sooner. Join an association today and become part of the successful power washers leading our industry.

    Why not talk to the people who have already figured it out instead of wasting time and money on things that just don’t work. You don’t have to be bigger to make more money. You just have to work smarter. It’s real easy to add overhead to your business and the next thing you know you are losing money, which happens all the time. Money is coming in and you add positions. You want to put someone in the office or add another person to the crew; it is very easy to add the positions but a lot harder to get rid of them. Should you lose one big account and things start to go down are you going to be able to cut and show a better profitability? Don’t let your ego get in the way; you need to look at it as a business with a profit and loss.

    Every successful business owner has a team that they delegate work to and they trust that team to run the business. Learn to let go of control and trust the managers and workers of the company.

    The best book that you can read to further your business is the E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber; there is currently three different versions of it out there right now. The book talks about systemizing your business and working ON your business and not in your business. I can tell you right now, the millionaire power washers do not work in their business; they work ON their business. I know this is a mindset shift that most power washers will have to go through in order to understand this fully. I know we are all control freaks or we wouldn’t have our own business, but in order for you to grow as a business you need to let go of control and trust the people you hire.

    Hopefully we will see you at the next PWNA convention.

    Remember, our success depends on your success.  Be exceptional, be successful.

  • Developing a Marketing Plan

    Developing a Marketing Plan

    A Proper Marketing Plan Is Worth the Time and Effort

    Marketing takes time, money, and lots of preparation. One of the best ways to prepare yourself is to develop a solid marketing plan. A strong marketing plan will ensure you’re not only sticking to your schedule, but that you’re spending your marketing funds wisely and appropriately.

    What can a marketing plan do for your small business?

    A marketing plan includes everything from understanding your target market and your competitive position in that market, to how you intend to reach that market (your tactics) and differentiate yourself from your competition in order to make a sale.

    Your small business marketing budget should be a component of your marketing plan. Essentially, it will outline the costs of how you are going to achieve your marketing goals within a certain timeframe.

    If you don’t have the funds to hire a marketing firm or even staff a position in-house, there are resources available to guide you through the process of writing a marketing plan and developing a market budget.

    Bend Your Budget When Necessary and Keep an Eye on return on investment (RIO).

    Once you have developed your marketing budget, it doesn’t mean that it’s set in stone. There may be times when you need to throw in another unplanned marketing tactic — such as hosting an event or creating a newspaper ad — to help you reach your market more effectively.

    Ultimately, it’s more important to determine whether sticking to your budget is helping you achieve your marketing goals and bringing you a return on investment (ROI) than to adhere to a rigid and fixed budget.

    That’s why it’s important to include a plan for measuring your spend. Consider what impact certain marketing activities have had on your revenues during a fixed period, such as a business quarter, compared to another time period when you focused your efforts on other tactics. Consider the tactics that worked as well as those that didn’t work. You don’t have to cut the tactics that didn’t work, but you should assess whether you need to give them more time to work or whether the funds are best redirected elsewhere.

    Granted, some tactics are hard to measure — such as the efficacy of print collateral (brochures, sales sheets, etc.), but you need to consider the impact of not having these branding staples in your market tool kit before you reign in your graphic design and print funds.

    Marketing plans should be maintained on an annual basis, at a minimum. But if you launch a new product or service, take time to revisit your original plan or develop a separate campaign plan that you can add to your main plan as an addendum.

    At the end of the day, the time spent developing your marketing plan, is time well spent because it defines how you connect with your customers. And that’s an investment worth making. 

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