Relief Forum TALK!!!!!!!!!!

[FCPWLLC]

Beth,

I agree to a point. I believe in helping but if my help is abused, it won't be cool. My help is abused everytime I write a check to Workers Comp or to Unemployment insurance. Everytime I pay taxes and watch a guy with $1000 worth of gold around his neck pull out foodstamps at the grocery in front of me. I see my industry damaged everytime I see an "education" course sold to a low baller with no business sense.

This idea of an Org needs to be well thought out or it will go down the same road as the others did.

 

[jlpressure]

An organization will need to address TRUE problems as they REALLY are. Most don't like to hear that there are an abundance of uninformed folks running around with a pressure washer and no clue of business practices. Nobody likes to hear that just maybe a percentage of of folks actually using these boards or belonging to PWNA, UAMCC etc., are in fact detrimental to our industry by way of bad business practices. There is a reason that some contractors in the drought areas are fairing better than others. Education! Business Education. Those that have sold services at the proper rates and those that saved for rainy days (or not so rainy) are fairing better than the guys that we all like to label as lowballers. How do you think the guy with the $69 house washes is doing right now? Do we help him? And if we do, do we give it to him with a good piece of our mind trying to help them not get back into this situation? Do we educate him as to why The pressure washing industry as a whole gets forgotten when the authorities are dishing out water restrictions? Tell him that it because of his low price mentality and not taking Business seriously putting best foot forward at all times creating a PROFESSIONAL face to our industry. We aren't taken seriously as long as there are guys in old beat up trucks with 4 different tires out spraying high pressure water for amounts that can only be profitable through non-compliant business practices.

While I believe we need changes and unity, I also feel that it has to be very well thought out. Just like our own government that is supposed to benefit all, has become only beneficial to a few. Our Taxes( membership dues) being squandered and given out as welfare or lining pockets of a congressmans nephew that bids on a contract. PWNA should be an example of just that.

I have a number of ideas that may or may not come out at the ACR RT. I need to be sure I am not going to be helping a Friend of a Friend profit from my ideas. I need to see that key players are truly aware of some of the ROOT problems with our industry and aware of what contractors really need or want from an org.

Let's get ideas rolling but also remember that not all ideas are good and when it doesn't come to fruitition, don't get discouraged. Keep coming up with ideas. I say that folks should list what they want from an Org. Then go from there do define a way to acomplish it.

I know that my post is all over the place but I am better at speaking this than typing it. I really hope some of the better ideas come out at this RT. I believe the best will be in the lobby of the hotel.


my little 2 cents

Great post Mike, look forward to hearing more from yo & others too

Ya you write all over the place. I'll give you a lesson how to write a more direct get to the point post on these BB's LOL LOL

 

[Beth & Rod]

-Rod posting-

Ok, People are asking for ideas so here is mine...

It is small but everything happens with baby steps. I propose that a fund be set up to take collections for the use of buying drinking water to be available at a selected location for distribution to those who would need it. There are pw'ers in Georgia of whom should choose to be a part of this effort could help with the distribution, unloading and etc of the bottled water to various locations.
Bottled water is cheap and if the drought is the problem, drinking water is also in short supply. Pw'ers who are affected by the drought could go to these distribution centers and pick up bottled water for their families.

The first thing needed is to set up the funding network to support the 'campaign' if you will.

Beth is suggesting tanks be set up for the use of fighting fires.
Up here, many homeowners buy water to fill swimming pools by the semi truck tank load. How about setting up a fund to support buying and shipping water for this purpose? Or even for the purpose of conducting washing?

our .02

Rod!~

 

[Beth & Rod]

Beth,

I agree to a point. I believe in helping but if my help is abused, it won't be cool. My help is abused everytime I write a check to Workers Comp or to Unemployment insurance. Everytime I pay taxes and watch a guy with $1000 worth of gold around his neck pull out foodstamps at the grocery in front of me. I see my industry damaged everytime I see an "education" course sold to a low baller with no business sense.

This idea of an Org needs to be well thought out or it will go down the same road as the others did.

I understand exactly how you feel. I have one of those t-shirts too. Many of us do. And, it is a personal choice to help or not help. But to me at least, it's too much effort to weigh who is worthy and who is not of the help. Those who are not going to cut it, are not going to cut it. They can't fully walk the walk. Taking a class will only prolong their end, and not by much. I lost count long ago of the number of fly by nighters who have come and gone around us. I don't worry about them. Don't let that distract your focus is what I am saying. Your best weapon against any competition, is to understand your market, and to remain focused. But...that's a whole other diatribe....

I agree 100% about the org needing to be well thought out. It needs to be taken slow, measured steps with both long and short term goals laid out that are quantifiable and attainable.

Help will always be at least somewhat of an issue - call it abuse, call it lack of appreciation, whatever. It is the nature of the beast. But if you help people in 30 states, while one or two guys in an area near you also benefit, what's the personal balance for you? You don't need to answer that here....if it is more important to shield your own business than it is to help that's ok, you have your reasons. I respect that. But if you are not worried about a couple local guys, then that's cool too. All help should be equally welcomed. Those who decline, should also be respected. Give what you are ok with.

Beth

 

[jlpressure]

Beth,

I agree to a point. I believe in helping but if my help is abused, it won't be cool. My help is abused everytime I write a check to Workers Comp or to Unemployment insurance. Everytime I pay taxes and watch a guy with $1000 worth of gold around his neck pull out foodstamps at the grocery in front of me. I see my industry damaged everytime I see an "education" course sold to a low baller with no business sense.

This idea of an Org needs to be well thought out or it will go down the same road as the others did.

mike sometimes I follow your thinking and other times I don't

Follow me on this, you dont like these things you call taxes Comp Insurance etc. Also we have all kinds of industries & jobs being shipped oversees.

Why are there SO MANY HACKS. Some for the very reason you complain about you having to do and for reasons you like.

The more Comp laws & insurance requirement, that were enforced, there would be less hacks. The hacks are probably less in my line of PWing, because the Property Managers are requiring EVERY company to show WC & Liability Insur. So what you call a tax, is helping my line of PWing a great deal, the few thousand $$$ I pay for WC & GL I get 10's of thousands in return. You do more resi work, if homeowners & local govs required WC & GL, you Mike would have less hacks to deal with

I have a large project I do every 6 months 57 building wash & gutter clean. I am almost exactly DOUBLE of the price of the company before me. He had NO WC and refused to get it when the PM told him to get it. So I with WC secured this project at a much greater rate and the WC helped put this hack (and he was a hack) out of business. I have many other projects hacks with no comp lost. WORKERS COMP has helped my biz

Then the other matter of all our industries and jobs going oversees. The more jobs we send over sees the less jobs for Americans here. SOOOOOOOOOO what do a lot of them do? With little biz knowledge or many even common sense, They start there own business and yes many of them see low start up of Pressure Washing and they start PWing and to many of them $75-$100 looks like great money. THEN we have illegals, yes you can hire them at a cheaper rate, but many are very hard workers and smart. So they are taking over many of the service industry jobs, that would or could go to Americans. So now these Illegals and these unemployed American are going into WHAT? PRESSURE WASHING and other service industry work


So a lot of things you are complaining about could actually help you if there was more government over site & regulations. You better not hope they stop requiring businesses to have Comp.

Then a lot of things others say is the right of big biz and it is just good Capitalism.like sending jobs oversees/outsourcing is contributing to MANY more hack PWers just trying to feed there families or get their beer money

If the were more jobs at decent wages there would be less people coming into contracting and there would be a bigger demand foer us the PROFESSIONALS

This world economy many on these BB's embrace is and could kill our businesses or at least keep our rates falling like in other service industries as painting & landscaping etc


Mike do I make any sense to you? Or do I make sense to anybody. The less jobs, the more low paying jobs, the more jobs that go oversees, the more illegals we let in, the more people & hacks will get into PWing


I also agree a Org should be extremely well thought out or just don't do it at all. Maybe an org. should start a campaign or educating the consumer instead of just the PWer taking a course

Jeff