Chatham Property Maintenance - Savannah, GA.

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You stated earlier that when your trucks leave they have roughly 10 lawns and two pressure washing jobs. According to your highest prices that would only be around 800 dollars gross a day. Why not raise your prices, still do the "good" work that you say you do and make almost that much on the two house washes? I am assuming you are in business to make money, so why not make what customers are already willing to pay. Its basic economics, if their is a demand for your service and customers are willing and able to pay significantly more than you charge, then why lose out on that money. I know the service and time I give my customers is worth what I charge.
 
Okay so how would you compete with a company that has been established over twenty years? You could not no matter how much equipment you could buy out of pocket. No matter the quality of the jobs, If that company is big more than likely they would have the area locked. The only way would be is to do what I'm doing some would call it low balling, I call it building. The guys that have been around have a lot to say because they are comfortable and pretty much can sit back and watch the money roll in. They are not worried about one guy with a truck, as you see how they react with the prices "Oh he want be around long" which is how my company appeared until I had to put pictures of the vehicles up. By the time they start to make adjustments they are usually barely holding on. Just eliminating the competition both large and small. Of course I could take the $250 and easily clear $1000 a day off one truck but the competition still remains. Plus then I just become another pressure washing company.
Derek Belden said:
Also, why leave money on the table? If a customer is willing and able to pay 250 for a service, why only charge 50? I'm not trying to be critical just wondering
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Don't know about the math but Lawns 10x25x5=1,250 Single Story Pressure washing 50x5=250, no offense attended. Also to answer the rest of your question look at the post before this one
Derek Belden said:
You stated earlier that when your trucks leave they have roughly 10 lawns and two pressure washing jobs. According to your highest prices that would only be around 800 dollars gross a day. Why not raise your prices, still do the "good" work that you say you do and make almost that much on the two house washes? I am assuming you are in business to make money, so why not make what customers are already willing to pay. Its basic economics, if their is a demand for your service and customers are willing and able to pay significantly more than you charge, then why lose out on that money. I know the service and time I give my customers is worth what I charge.
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Chatham Property said:
Don't know about the math but Lawns 10x25x5=1,250 Single Story Pressure washing 50x5=250, no offense attended. Also to answer the rest of your question look at the post before this one
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The math was based on a single vehicle! 10x45=450 and pressure washing 100x2=200 total of 650 per truck per day at maximum output and all top dollar jobs. You could do the two houses for that price alone.
 
Yeap but my trucks would only be in front of two houses, we would probably split them with the rest of the hundreds of pressure washing companies/people in the area. They are a bunch of good pressure washing companies, at the end of the day it will only be a few. Which is what I want only two or three of us so I'm helping the other guys out also. This also depends on what you are trying to do if charging $250 per house works for your plain then you are good for me it doesn't work. So don't worry while your at home drinking a nice cold one we are still trying to make the money you made eight hours ago.
Derek Belden said:
The math was based on a single vehicle! 10x45=450 and pressure washing 100x2=200 total of 650 per truck per day at maximum output and all top dollar jobs. You could do the two houses for that price alone.
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There is enough work out there that you dont have to low ball all the other companies to get work. Also, a lot of people see someone bidding that low and think you are just another fly by night company. I actually done a bid today and was higher then the other guy. I got the job. The guy said there was no way they could do the job for the price they purposed. It's a job thats bid every year. He was less than half of what is usually paid. Just because you are the lowest doesnt mean jack. Your actually hurting the industry by charging low prices. You think your going to run everyone out of business in the next two years and come back and raise prices? Get real. Theres enough work out there. And if you play your cards right you can be one of the other guys that kick back and make money. Instead your working for nothing. With the price of fuel and everything else going up your going to be the one out of business. I would rethink your business plan (thats if you have one). Also, 100k in equipment (which it doesnt sound like you have, you didnt mention dewalt PW) isnt going to put you above anyone else. I know guys that can get out there and sell and have a pickup with a hot water unit in the back staying busy every night and making good money in the process. I guess it's what floats your boat. If you want to work for free, good luck is all I can say!
 
Chatham Property said:
Yeap but my trucks would only be in front of two houses, we would probably split them with the rest of the hundreds of pressure washing companies/people in the area. They are a bunch of good pressure washing companies, at the end of the day it will only be a few. Which is what I want only two or three of us so I'm helping the other guys out also. This also depends on what you are trying to do if charging $250 per house works for your plain then you are good for me it doesn't work. So don't worry while your at home drinking a nice cold one we are still trying to make the money you made eight hours ago.
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Work smarter!, Not harder!
 
Yeah the big companies are the easiest they usually have two much money so they don't count it. They just go around bidding not even knowing what they are bidding on. I did contracting for two of the biggest government contractors we know. It would make you cry if I told you how our tax dollars where spent.
Derek Belden said:
asdfasdf
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Thanks for the advise, so why are you worried about my company/money again. lol
RGilliam said:
There is enough work out there that you dont have to low ball all the other companies to get work. Also, a lot of people see someone bidding that low and think you are just another fly by night company. I actually done a bid today and was higher then the other guy. I got the job. The guy said there was no way they could do the job for the price they purposed. It's a job thats bid every year. He was less than half of what is usually paid. Just because you are the lowest doesnt mean jack. Your actually hurting the industry by charging low prices. You think your going to run everyone out of business in the next two years and come back and raise prices? Get real. Theres enough work out there. And if you play your cards right you can be one of the other guys that kick back and make money. Instead your working for nothing. With the price of fuel and everything else going up your going to be the one out of business. I would rethink your business plan (thats if you have one). Also, 100k in equipment (which it doesnt sound like you have, you didnt mention dewalt PW) isnt going to put you above anyone else. I know guys that can get out there and sell and have a pickup with a hot water unit in the back staying busy every night and making good money in the process. I guess it's what floats your boat. If you want to work for free, good luck is all I can say!
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Also sorry if the $100k offended you we will just say I paid $1. I gave you the # because for me it is a pretty good return on investment (for me). I know you could turn it into 10k a day. Unfortunately I haven't reached that point yet
RGilliam said:
There is enough work out there that you dont have to low ball all the other companies to get work. Also, a lot of people see someone bidding that low and think you are just another fly by night company. I actually done a bid today and was higher then the other guy. I got the job. The guy said there was no way they could do the job for the price they purposed. It's a job thats bid every year. He was less than half of what is usually paid. Just because you are the lowest doesnt mean jack. Your actually hurting the industry by charging low prices. You think your going to run everyone out of business in the next two years and come back and raise prices? Get real. Theres enough work out there. And if you play your cards right you can be one of the other guys that kick back and make money. Instead your working for nothing. With the price of fuel and everything else going up your going to be the one out of business. I would rethink your business plan (thats if you have one). Also, 100k in equipment (which it doesnt sound like you have, you didnt mention dewalt PW) isnt going to put you above anyone else. I know guys that can get out there and sell and have a pickup with a hot water unit in the back staying busy every night and making good money in the process. I guess it's what floats your boat. If you want to work for free, good luck is all I can say!
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This is too Funny. Mr. Welker said it best, Brian is a class act with an impressive operation, Matthew at Coastal First Impressions and Bradley at Reflections are both friendly competitors who I respect as well.

I first heard of Chatham Property Maintenance when I saw an add on craigslist, I called him and asked him if I could outsource all my business to him , charge my prices and pay him the $50. He did not find this funny, but at the end of the day, he believes his pricing will work and if that works for him....great.
Like Brian said...I don't think anyone is too worried.

I placed an ad on CL trying to get rid of one of my older Trailers, Chatham bought it and I hope it makes him lots of money.


I really couldn't follow most of the comments on here but it sounds like we are all going to be out of business soon.

I think one of the most important things is the ability to sell, the ability to speak intelligently and the ability to convey a sense of comfort to a potential customer.

Matthew.....don't get too excited, the landscape maintenance business has blown up, but I am still running 3 pw trailers 6 days a week and have two sitting idle waiting for the summer months when we start the big complexes.

Savannah and our surrounding areas are a decent size, AAPC has grown every year for the past 12 years, we have paid cash or traded for every truck or piece of equipment we run (lawn or pw) and will continue to operate in that manner. I do not believe in loans for anything except a house. As many of you know, the PW and LC are side businesses for me, I use to build motorcycles as a hobby, now I raise kids and play with my businesses. I was somewhat bored with the PW, kinda maxed it out so I started the lawn care side. which is where my primary focus has been for the last two years. Not having to rely on these businesses for stabiliy, allows me to try new things, focus on specific areas of interest within the two businesses, think outside the box, not focus on the daily operational aspects of the "job" but rather the bigger picture.

Back to the topic at hand.....while I encourage everyone to get prices up, at the end of the day, the customer goes with the company they feel comfortable with, they feel safe with, the one that they think will be there next year to take care of them again.

I can honestly say that I have not lost a single wink of sleep over anyone in the PW industry, there is more business out there than any one of us can handle and it does not matter how much equipment you have or if you are a one man operation or how low or how high your prices are, it is the ability to convey a coherent message to the customer and sell them on you.
 
Mike V said:
I think one of the most important things is the ability to sell, the ability to speak intelligently and the ability to convey a sense of comfort to a potential customer.

I encourage everyone to get prices up, but at the end of the day, the customer goes with the company they feel comfortable with, they feel safe with, the one that they think will be there next year to take care of them again.
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Well said Mike....Well said.
 
Chatham Property said:
Net. I would still be in business if I only grossed $200 per truck a day. I can make that myself on my regular job
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I think that this is the secret to low pricing.
 
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