A different poll: What makes a successful contractor?

[Zippo]

Your analysis seems to pretty right on, to me. The small guy is just happy if his client is pleased and he makes a few bucks. He wants to make sure others hear about him and give a referral. The big guy has already met that need (this is why he is already big) and a good reputation is a given. Success (for most people...this bbs aside) is premised on financial well being. Period. You may be the brightest of the bunch, you may have the greatest, most loving family, you may love Jesus or Buddah, or whoever, you may love and be kind to animals and small children, you may devote time to charities. But the bottom line is that to be successful in a capitalistic society is to have financial strength. A successful businessmen is most often well thought of, wealthy and giving. Question is, which came first, the chicken or the egg? Did he become wealthy (a success) and then achieve the rest, or vice versa?

My particular position aside, business success is all about the benjamins.

Zippo

 

[Clean County PW]

Scott,
Even though I have two trucks and 2 part timers I still basically do most of the work. I am still pretty much a Sole Proprietor. I did vote Reputation first.

But I do agree with your last post and also Zippo's(Surprising but true). How does it feel to be on the same page with the Zipster? You are in good company.LOL

The bottom line even as a Sole Proprietor is MONEY. Reputation or not, MONEY is the key. End of story.

But a good reputation can make that goal alot easier to attain to if of course one can manage people.

So I will still stick with my reputation answer, but most people I would imagine had a pretty decent reputation to be able to afford to expand to a second and third rig and so on. Of course there is always a few who are just great salesman that there quality can suck but they still can do whatever they want whether it be business or whatever. Remember Bill Clinton??

 

[Bigboy]

where as if you have multiple rigs, you are more worried about meeting your obligations, and meeting your financial goals.


Your analysis seems to pretty right on, to me.


To me mulitple rigs and meeting financils goals does not "What makes a successful contractor",you can have hunderds of rigs with delinquent financial goals.

If you think money is sucessful then whats wrong with a one man team having what he wants,would he not be also successful.He "Makes" it wouldn't he also be called successful if he buys what he wants,goes where he wants and never wanting to be want-a-be as to have what he needs or all he wants.If he succeeds in what he thinks is satisfactory to him would he not be successful in doing so.

yeah I know,its like my last wife said "it's all about money isn't it".

guess we could have answered the Q'tion with one answer=money.

 

[Scott Stone]

Sure Bigboy he would be successful if he ismeeting his financial goals. Of course, that does mean that your last Wife was right. As for the decent reputation, Look at Fleetwash. They have a lousy reputation. Their secret is that they have rock bottom rates, and a salesperson that is willing to do anything to get the sale. It also helps that they can get some national accounts that lock most other contractors out.

Scott

 

[Bigboy]

if he ismeeting his financial goals. Of course, that does mean that your last Wife was right.hahahahhahahalolol,yeah I thought it was my time to spend some dat finacial goal,I don't havta work near as hard to do so.

 

[Ron P.]

ron p/scott

FLEETWASH is a good co. for you to look at.
They do crap work but conform to the EPA and have a reputation for this. They have 100's of rigs in lot's of states. ALL they care about is the bottom line.
How meny post's do you see here about"this job sucked and i only made [x-amount] but look how nice it came out?"[you are now a lowballer,but it's OK you did'nt mean too]
Well these guy's changed, right in the middle of the job. Contractor's that have employee's cant afford to make mistakes like this.[not often]
Bigboy charges the most and is exspected to be better at his job then a cheaper guy. So reputation=more money. Fleetwash=volume,crappy work[but good enuff],EPA stays off the customer's butt,cheap[fit's the budget].
FITTING THE BUDGET. IS THIS THE KEY TO SUCCESS?
Scott do you have diffrent levels of workmanship for diffrent levels of pay? Fleetwash dose.
Do you think this is smart or wrong? When they talk about buiss. you seldom talk about quality of product because most feel quality and $$$ go hand in hand. This is a misconception. Some people cant afford the best, so they settle for the best they can afford. This is why price guides dont work. Demographics make a world of diffrence.
Someone needs to write a relly good artical on priceing for the library. Any successfull PW knows what it costs him per day just to start the rig.
Every day you dont meet this number, it get's rolled over to the next day.

 

[Scott Stone]

Not different levels of pay for different quality of work. I have different price levels for work required. Hand done windows are a couple of bucks extra, Armor all is a couple of bucks more, if I need to get all of the grease off the engine when I wash, every time, it is more. Usually I am pretty close to what is required, but every once in a while I get caught, and then we have to have a discussion on what I need to charge with the customer.


Scott

 

[Bigboy]

Its nowonder most don't drive bowties in the powerwashing trade.

If your wanting to be successful the only way your going to do dat is sale.sale.sale.sale and more sale or someone died and left it to you.

The only person your reputATION means anything to is you,I could care less if you even knew how to clean what can you do for me,show me,"sale me on how you say your reputation is better".Your cleanest of the job does not mean crap to alot of big accounts,can you handle my charge account,can you update me on your bookwork per account when called......ect.,ect.,ect.,

Sure I have a reputation like most of you,its not worth crap tho if you do not sale it,sure it'll help you get business but to succeed into successively you'll haveta sale before becoming successfully in your wants.

I have one standard price up to 10 trucks,if more we'll set down and talk.I can clean a dirty truck almost as fast as I can clean a clean truck as in time or speed.I may use alittle more chemicals on the dirty truck but the price is the same unless more then 10 in one location,then it depends b/c I may charge them the standard price also if not washed every week.Really I'm not into making deals,I'll tell you what I want and how I want it if you want me to wash for you.

And last but not least,I"M BETTER YOU,,if not,,,,I WILL BE if you get my meaning.........don't worry my wants are small but who knows I may want a hmmmmm hhhmmmmm will as of now you havn't nothing to worry about b/c I succeeded my wants successfully lol....as of now..

 

[Ron Musgraves]

19 votes,, week