What type of commercial work are you doing?

[Jon]

Ron why would you not want to help put a program together for PWNA?

You have years of experience on this subject.


We know they offer an "enviromental certification" so why not one for flat work, what have you discussed with them on this subject in the pasted Ron?

This should be presented to PWNA as the next step up for pressure washers.

[Beth n Rod]

We are not recognized to be important enough to have a program.

Ron, how can you make that statement? It's nothing but assumption and speculation on your part. Many things have been discussed, but all of them take time and effort from committee members. Is it realistic to think the organization can please everyone at once or that all programs can be completed in one year? No.

There are many things the organization wants to accomplish. The help of our volunteer members is an important part of growing the organization.

Beth

[One Tough Pressure]

Question is what qualifies someone to write a certification?

[Beth n Rod]

I was not on that committee, so I'm not sure how that works, but I know there is research involved and meeting whatever applicable guidelines might be in place such as EPA or OSHA for example.

Hope this helps...
Everett, can you chime in here?
Beth

[Ron Musgraves]

Beth, I’m sorry to rub you the wrong way, come on. Flat work in the foundation of all pressure washing. Yet no one has a certification program. I’m not downing anyone in particular. I have mentioned this before and still no certification.

Everyone in this business has done Flat work. Everyone…it is the largest market.

I was led to believe that hood cleaning and fleets was the largest. Recently I have come to the conclusion that even these guys do flat work. Yet I don’t do hoods or wash fleets. Deck guys do flat work, because a deck is a form of flat work.


I can say this flat work certification should be a beginner safety course. Anyone who get certified in any other trade should have this first.

Beth, maybe it has been talk about and maybe something’s on the drawing board. Sorry I have been out of touch. Please no offense, sometimes we all shoot our mouths off.

[Beth n Rod]

That's ok Ron, no offense taken.
Maybe you should throw your name in the ring as someone willing to help with certs? Thing is, there are so many courses to write, so little time, and not enough good people like yourself volunteering...

I can point to a whole bunch of posts where you encouraged people to step up, join, etc... <ahem> Come on Ron.... <arm twisting>

Beth

[One Tough Pressure]

Originally posted by Ron Musgraves
I can say this flat work certification should be a beginner safety course.

I agree with Ron on this part. Some think it is real easy work and do a bunch of damage. That is the easy part, the damage.

[rfitz]

Flatwork is not the foundation of the PW biz, and is in no way a starting point, I myself started last year in residential, have done a few commercial flatwork job's but really have no interest, I make 5 times more an hour doing residential, and it is much more gratifying, more of an art, flatwork is just flatwork, you could train someone fairly quick to do that, and that is possibly why the commercial end pay scale is so low, I would only resort to commercial work like that in the winter, just to have something to do and make a little pocket change, that would get boring real quick...

[Beth n Rod]

I think it depends on what area of the US you are in (demographics) as to what your easiest point of entry into the business will be. Regardless of what it is, safety is critically important.

Beth

[rfitz]

It is amazing, I can just fax a quote to a biz, and I know I am beating the other guys work/Bid, and I will get the job, it is always based on price,
or seems that way, and that is sad, it shouldnt be based on that, but how well of a job is done

[Jon]

It is amazing, I can just fax a quote to a biz, and I know I am beating the other guys work/Bid, and I will get the job, it is always based on price, or seems that way, and that is sad, it shouldnt be based on that, but how well of a job is done

Now now Rob that is not true, if so I and all my competitors would be spending all our days faxing out and out faxing each other.

Face to face is how you land the jobs that are true and long term.

Sure some companies like Home Depot go for lowest bid but I have found most do want quality work and if you mess up once you will have a talk with the manager, mess up twice and you're out.

Then there are those companies that lie about what they do but it is getting a bit harder in states that enforce the EPA laws for them.

Yes you can make much more doing home residential work over industrial/commercial but the latter is long term steady work.

And flat work is not as easy as you make it sound, move those loaded dumpster pads and grease traps then clean up under them and then tell me how easy it was, oh did I forget to tell you do it at 2 AM. with the RATS out there.

Looks like I will have to drag you out West and take you out with me for a night ot two!

[rfitz]

Jon, Here it is extremely price driven, Im not saying they will sign contracts,
but they will give you an opportunity, to wash thier place of biz, especially if you present yourself as a professional, I didnt include the 3-4-5 follow up calls I make after the initial conversation, fax, info about company etc..
Yes it takes time, but I can get the work if I look professional and beat the prices, and of course do good work, it just seems to me anyway flatwork would get boring day in and day out, just my opinion..?

[Jon]

Flatwork boring, never.

Move a dumpster pad and who knows what you might find besides scurrying rats! We opened a dumpster door once to move dumpsters out and found a hobo and some dirty old has been going at it! Really this was out in Indio, CA. hobo land!

Then there was one we found several gallons of degreaser which I left there, I see things like that as test on me, will I take it and lose the account or leave it and let them know the next day they left it out.

You say boring, ok would that not also be true of cleaning houses, trucks, hoods or anything else we all clean, your still doing the same thing, over and over. Even decks, you still do it the same way, right?

See no more boring then any other job and if I ever truly got bored I would sell the business and move on.

Jon

[James]

Ritz how do you beat prices if you charge 150 an hour ?

[rfitz]

Theres no way I could charge that for commercial, thats why 90% of my biz is residential, but I will say the commercial work I do get, I bid at approx. $80- $100 an hour and can land commercial work fairly easily at those prices, as a matter a fact I just landed 66 Apt./ Condominium complexes for a property mgmt. company for 2004, and each property came in at a average of $955 each, I estimated 9-11 hours for each property, not bad for commercial work
but not something I would want to do everyday, I can make that kind of money in residential at 6-7 hours...: ) makes a big difference at the end of the month, but then again I like variety, so I will take the pay cut to see different scenery and meet new people....

Hope This Helps....