PWNA Finalized education program.

The link worked yesterday, here is the text only from that site:

PWNA
Course

Marketing, bidding and closing sales for
residential power washing.

This course teaches the student

1. How to get to all of your customers without
breaking the bank; and

2. composing effective ads; and

3. getting the job!; and

4. keeping the customer forever.

Tuition:$399

Tuition includes 30-page reference manual.

(PWNA Members receive a $25 discount when
registering for this class.)

Manual available separately for just $39.95

Call
800-393-PWNA to register!

Class Schedule:

April 20 Lawrenceville, GA
Pete Marentay

More dates to be announced soon!




The heart of your business is customers!
How do you reach them? What do you say when you have
their attention? How do you qualify new leads? How do
you bid so that you don't leave any money on the table?
How do you close a sale? How do you schedule work when
the weather plays havoc? How do you handle customer
complaints - and keep the customer?

The answers to these and dozens of other topics are the
key to your future. Contractors share their experiences
- including their successes and failures - so that you
gain insight into this most important part of your
business world.

Save money and trouble by avoiding the common mistakes
that cost YOU money and sales.

Learn the facts about advertising before you over-spend
or under-spend.

Shave months or years off of your "Learning Curve" by
signing up for this class.








Call today, and get started on your future. Your new
career starts here!






Copyright 2005 Alliance Trade Services. All rights reserved.


GoDaddy.com is the world's #1 ICANN-accredited domain name registrar!
 
"Ron, When the PWNA BOD is ready to announce something, it will, just as it always has."

Even if everyone elso already knows about it!.

Is there a leak at the organizational level? or do you think it is intentional on their part to slip bits of info out to get a feel for the controversy that is about to be unleashed? I am suprised after all the discussions recently about insider bidding, that they still went with insiders.
I am glad I am not a member. Everything is one step forward, two steps back.
 
I'm confused

I guess I'm missing the point on this one..maybe cuz I'm so new in this industry and the PWNA.

What are the implications of this new class?
Why will there be controversy?
How does it affect my business or me?

P.S-Ron, thanks for the call the other day..nice talking with you.
 
From what I understand the Board of Directors of a national pressure washing association decided to accept bids from the outside world to provide training and certification classes to their membership. After many lively discussions about bids also being accepted from Board Members (who ultimately decide which bid to accept) the Board decided to let themselves bid. The problem that the majority of the people that have voiced an opinion believe it to be unfair that the bids are being read by people who ultimately bid against them. And it is really no huge suprise who won the bids. And now those bid winners have read and have access to thier competitions bid info. This is all viewed as unsavory activity and it wouldn't suprise me if, someone were to look into it, and find it a violation of several business and profession codes, and possibly Federal and State anti-trust laws. The association has fallen silent and evidently some Board Members even abstained from voting because of the hidden agenda. (if this is true, I applaud them for their integrity) The copyright date is relevent because it makes it appear that the association had already decided long before opening the bidding process.
If someone with some facts can clear this up please do so. This is only how I have heard it from others, and I would gladly retract all of the above if anyone could disprove it.
I will not rejoin the association with unanswered questions remaining. I certainly will not seek any certifications from them.

This is a personal interpetation of facts and not that of any company or organization.
 
Grant said:
From what I understand the Board of Directors of a national pressure washing association decided to accept bids from the outside world to provide training and certification classes to their membership. After many lively discussions about bids also being accepted from Board Members (who ultimately decide which bid to accept) the Board decided to let themselves bid. The problem that the majority of the people that have voiced an opinion believe it to be unfair that the bids are being read by people who ultimately bid against them. And it is really no huge suprise who won the bids. And now those bid winners have read and have access to thier competitions bid info. This is all viewed as unsavory activity and it wouldn't suprise me if, someone were to look into it, and find it a violation of several business and profession codes, and possibly Federal and State anti-trust laws. The association has fallen silent and evidently some Board Members even abstained from voting because of the hidden agenda. (if this is true, I applaud them for their integrity) The copyright date is relevent because it makes it appear that the association had already decided long before opening the bidding process.
If someone with some facts can clear this up please do so. This is only how I have heard it from others, and I would gladly retract all of the above if anyone could disprove it.
I will not rejoin the association with unanswered questions remaining. I certainly will not seek any certifications from them.

This is a personal interpetation of facts and not that of any company or organization.
Click to expand...


So what really happened here?..... The people who have written the curriculum and taught the class for free over the past several years decided that they were tired of teaching the classes for free and flying all over the country, absorbing the expenses witn thier own company checkbook to better the industry for all of us... WELL SHAME ON THEM!!

But thats not all.... Many of the same people who have taught the class happen to donate time to the BOD on the PWNA, flying themselves to two BOD meetings twice a year, paying for thier own hotel room and asborbing the expenses. Yes, they decided to bid on contracts to get paid for part of thier committment to the indusry and the education of other people who make money off of thier expertise and years of experience. WELL... HOW DARE THEM!!!

But there is more..... Then we have 10 or 15 different people who have come on the different BBS complaining that they didn't get the the contract for the education courses that they bid on because thier was favortism ahown for the people that bid with BOD connections. WELL HOLY $@#$... Guess what no one is complaining about not getting a contract they bid on with the PWNA.... Maybe no-one else bid....

So what is the real issue here for the newbie to understand.... There are two types of people who like to engage with threads pertaining to the PWNA. There are those that sit in the skyboxes looking for Dorthy and her Dog Toto to show them the way back to Kansas to join the perfect PWNA Organization. They get real frustrated when they can't find the perection they are looking for. The other group uses the organization to benifit and grow thier business accepting that it is not perfect world.

Often these people end up being in one of two catagories... they are either become part of the solution or part of the problem.... But one fact remains unchanged... You are either part of the problem or part of the solution, but you can not be both!

I to have questioned the issue regarding BOD members and contract awards for the education bidding process.... Should the Board members resign... But I realized two main facts - the first is that there are mainly two Wood instructors that have taught most of the industry who choose to get certified. They have taught many contractors about wood restoration who were not pwna members, but wanted the knwledge base. THE OTHER FACT QUITE EVIDENT WAS THAT I dont want to do the BOD's job... Do You?... Pretty much anyone can run for the BOD Seat.... except those who chose to sit on the sidelines and whine and state why they won't join or why they aren't a member...

If people dont like the government they register to vote and work to change the leadership... Those who are not registered to vote, ironically have the most negativity and have a lot to say.

I have read these boards for a while now. In a way, I am kind of glad they choose not to join the rank and file and it is better for the organizarion. For the newbie who reads these boards realize and acknowledge two things... the PWNA members that post on the BBS are a very small percentage of the membership of the PWNA. The non-PWNA members that post on the bbs are a very small percentage of the power washing industry also.

Back to the topic of certifacation courses... I am glad some one is teaching them and I am glad that they are instructors that are smart enough to get paid for thier work!

As far as violating antitrust laws... That is a pretty strong statement.. I hope and trust that someone did research and actually understands all the pertinent points of law before suggesting such a serious charge... to pose such a statement without doing so and having all of the facts is just pure unadulterated pot stirring....
 
Thats the beauty of the whole thing. We are all entitled to our own opinions. But the BOD doesn't want these subjects discussed. My question is why not? I asked a question on their BBS (Tbs) "How Many members are there?" Fairly simple and straight forward question. Do they give me a straight answer? No I got a little annoyed with the ambiguity of the responses of the BoD and guess what, I have been locked out of the BBS (TBS). Sure what the members of the Board are doing involves a huge time commitment and a few bucks aswell. But they all knew that going in to it.
What this subject is about is how unethical it is to sit on a voting board and decide do I vote for the best, or do I vote for myself? I am not saying that a Board Member doesn't have the best bid. I am saying if you are bidding, you shouldn't be voting!

This is a personal interpetation of facts and not that of any company or organization.
 
I see Matt's point, I see Grant's points...I'm not sure we are on the same sheet of music.

One has to do with how much BOD's have had to personally cough up to be in the position they are in - no refuting that - I know I was NEVER compensated for my time, no expenses were reimbursed, nothing.

But I also see the issue Grant raises of ethics.
Like I said, just showing two thoughts here.......
Beth
 
As I understand it, no BOD that submitted a bid was allowed to vote - there was a separate committee assigned to make the decisions. Parties that bid notwithstanding, the issue that I am having with the whole thing is that the company that was awarded 4 contracts made an announcement on at least 3 separate websites that courses for the PWNA were available through this company. The BOD however, has not seen fit to notify the membership of the decision. During a later conversation, I was advised that the physical contracts were not formally signed yet and that is why the BOD has not announced. So my question is, did the new company prematurely make their announcement that their courses will be PWNA certifications? I'm certain that this new company will be offering courses whether or not the PWNA contracts come through and that is GREAT! These two instructors are highly regarded in the industry and will undoubtably offer very good courses.

Just my .02.

Celeste
 
Grant said:
Thats the beauty of the whole thing. We are all entitled to our own opinions. But the BOD doesn't want these subjects discussed. My question is why not? I asked a question on their BBS (Tbs) "How Many members are there?" Fairly simple and straight forward question. Do they give me a straight answer? No I got a little annoyed with the ambiguity of the responses of the BoD and guess what, I have been locked out of the BBS (TBS). Sure what the members of the Board are doing involves a huge time commitment and a few bucks aswell. But they all knew that going in to it.
What this subject is about is how unethical it is to sit on a voting board and decide do I vote for the best, or do I vote for myself? I am not saying that a Board Member doesn't have the best bid. I am saying if you are bidding, you shouldn't be voting!

This is a personal interpetation of facts and not that of any company or organization.
Click to expand...

Grant,

Are you a PWNA member? If not, then you should be locked out of the PWNA TBS. You stated earlier in the thread you are glad you're not a member.

Mathew - excellent response - very well said.

Mike
 
Mike, I was a member, I knew my membership had expired and I chose not to renew.
But I find the timing very ironic. I'm not so much upset about them turning off my account as I am about not being able to respond (or read responses) to an active thread. Which probably has been pulled down anyway. Will I miss the PWNA BBS? no not really it was mostly announcements that didn't concern me. There is far more information and way more activity that passes hands here on PWI than there has ever been on PWNA.
And for the record, I do believe that the BoD are noble for their efforts, it just seems that a lot of things are done behind the scenes that should be disclosed to members. I hope that the PWNA BoD can become more productive and offer something worthwile to the industry.
 
How many fence riders does it take,before a fence collapses?

Grant,
Don't you know you shouldn't speak out about anything the PWNA does.
It also sounds like someone shared a little more info about how you got your membership than they should have.


MikeW,
Being locked out of the PWNA website is not tragic loss for most.When it was open to non members,it was the non members that contributed useful information most often.
 
Grant, wasnt a membership from an ill member transferred to you for the duration of thier term...
Click to expand...

That seems like private information to me.
Beth
 
Grant said:
I'm not so much upset about them turning off my account as I am about not being able to respond (or read responses) to an active thread. Which probably has been pulled down anyway.
Click to expand...

It's gone. What a surprise.
 
It's almost as surprising as the members that constantly change their allegiance depending on whether their egos have been stroked the right way or not. There are those org. members that are dyed in the wool. There are those new members that simply don't know any better. Then there are the spineless (and smarmy) members that constantly jump back and forth as the wind blows. That in itself, is an embarrassment to the industry.

Credibility is like trust.....very hard to get back once lost! :cool:
 
My allegiance has nothing to do with my ego, and I really don't care if PWNA strokes my ego.
I never paid PWNA any money like Mathew pointed out for that very reason. I investigated the organization and I asked existing members if they saw any benefits from there membership. Several people I spoke to, spoke highly of the organization but offered no compelling reason to become a member. Several members were "on the fence" having paid dues and waiting for something to happen. And some members were very proactive within the organization and were of the impression my business would not survive if I did not join the ranks.
When I was told by a member that his forced retirement would leave a few months of his membership unused, he asked the Pwna to let me have the remainder of his paid year. Purely out of respect for that member, I accepted. I never told anyone for several reasons, first and foremost was so that members wouldn't think that memberships were transferable causing many headaches for the organization. (Matthew can now lay claim for that announcement). Secondly, after years of watching the organization, I never saw it moving in a direction that was (or could become) benificial for my business. I already buy in bulk, I already have insurance coverage, I am already certified, I spend less than a quarter of a percent of my gross income on advertising. I go to conventions if I want to, I have no need for the PWNA. What I did like and see as beneficial for THEM was the BBS. I knew when they decided to lockout non members that it was a serious mistake and I voiced my opinion about it to no avail, but my "trial membership" had expired so why should they listen to me. They (the BoD and membership folks at PWNA) knew I was no longer a member yet they allowed me access to the BBS because it cost them nothing and they knew as an industry leader it looked good for them, for me to be a posting member (for several years). Was I an overly active poster? no I saw more benifit for others if I focused my attention here on PWI, more members, no fees, no censorship. Sure there is some useless threads, like this one is turning into. But it is all studying material for newbies.
The rest is recent history that is fresh in everyones mind, so I won't reiterate.

Matthew, how long have you been a member of PWNA, what have you gained as a member?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top