Soap Warehouse Blog

First I would like to say we had a lovely time in Savannah GA for the PAMA Seminar (Professional Aviation Maintenance Association). We where a Bronze Supporter of this event and it was very nice to meet Aviation Maintenance personal from all over GA and the South. Some knew of our product "Top Gun" but many were introduced to it for the first time. We look forward to work with as many of these great people and companies as we can in the future.

We want to congratulate Mr. Charles Wilson of Luthersville, GA on winning our "Top Gun" product package at our booth. We also want to thank the attendees that bid and won our "Top Gun" product in the PAMA silent auction.

I hope that at least some of our Northern customers get to attend this weekends Pressure Washing Seminar in NY. Soap Warehouse was a Silver Sponsor at that event.

(ADDED LATTER: We wanted to congratulate the four winners of our 5 gallon product door prizes at the Seminar and to Joe Torres the winner of our Exterior sample pack in our drawing from the fax entries we received after the Seminar.)

We are also looking forward to our next event that should be in May over in Charleston SC for a local PWNC (Pressure Washers Network of the Carolina's).

Next we are moving closer to putting our new web site on line. It will have new tabbed features to make navigating through the web site easier. It will eventually allow customers to place orders, choosing the products, sizes and amounts they want with us following up by contacting them back with the total including shipping and expected delivery date.

You will be able to choose and pay for the product total but we will still have to calculate any shipping charges and contact you for payment prior to shipping the order.

You will also be able to download MSDS info for every product. Prices will be listed with each product but an inclusive price list with volume discount pricing will still be available only by logging on to the customer only area or by a request that we send you one by mail, fax or e-mail.

We will have this Blog, Links and other information available to help our customers.

If there is any thing you would like to see on our site please contact us and request it.

I can not believe this is March already!

We have been very busy planing for this year.

We are currently working on designing a new web site that we hope improves our customers enjoyment of our site.

This has been a very cold snowy Winter for many of our customers and as such a slow start to the new year. But with signs of Spring finally peaking through now is the best time to make sure all of your equipment and supplies are ready for the Spring boom.

If you are reading this blog and have not yet given us your e-mail address, please take time to do so. You miss out on so many opportunities when we can not keep you up to date. E-mail your address to soapwarehouse@hotmail.com, subject: add address.

Last December we started a monthly Newsletter which includes information on special offers, contests as well as things you should be aware of such as price changes, up and down. To subscribe go to this page.

This year we plan to get out as much as we can to meet current and new customers. We are supporting both the Mid America Trucking Show the middle of this month & the Northeast Pressure Washer Seminar in NY at the end of this month. We plan on attending a PAMA seminar in Savannah, GA on the 21st of this month, going to and exhibiting in the PWNC meeting mid May in Charleston, SC and later in the year going to TX to exhibit in the 2nd largest Truck Show in the country; The Great American Truck Show in Dallas TX, Aug 20,21 & 22nd. And if we are lucky we will finish out our show year in October exhibiting at the PWNA meeting and supporting again the AOPA Expo in November. Please make plans to come and see us and attend these great events. We will send out more info as the year goes on.

Here is wishing you all a great month and start to the beginning of the pressure wash year.

I can not believe this is March already!

We have been very busy planing for this year.

We are currently working on designing a new web site that we hope improves our customers enjoyment of our site.

This has been a very cold snowy Winter for many of our customers and as such a slow start to the new year. But with signs of Spring finally peaking through now is the best time to make sure all of your equipment and supplies are ready for the Spring boom.

If you are reading this blog and have not yet given us your e-mail address, please take time to do so. You miss out on so many opportunities when we can not keep you up to date. E-mail your address to soapwarehouse@hotmail.com, subject: add address.

Last December we started a monthly Newsletter which includes information on special offers, contests as well as things you should be aware of such as price changes, up and down.

This year we plan to get out as much as we can to meet current and new customers. We are supporting both the Mid America Trucking Show the middle of this month & the Northeast Pressure Washer Seminar in NY at the end of this month. We plan on attending a PAMA seminar in Savannah, GA on the 21st of this month, going to and exhibiting in the PWNC meeting mid May in Charleston, SC and later in the year going to TX to exhibit in the 2nd largest Truck Show in the country; The Great American Truck Show in Dallas TX, Aug 20,21 & 22nd. And if we are lucky we will finish out our show year in October exhibiting at the PWNA meeting and supporting again the AOPA Expo in November. Please make plans to come and see us and attend these great events. We will send out more info as the year goes on.

Here is wishing you all a great month and start to the beginning of the pressure wash year.

Happy New Year!

Sorry I am a bit late but we have been busy planing great things for the new year for our business and you should be doing that as well.

I know how everyone is down and depressed about how last year went, the economy, a new administration and the uncertainty of what this new year will bring for us all.

So let us make plans on the positive side. How many of you know what a SWOT Analysis is?

Well a SWOT is a very simple but helpful tool for you and your business.
S - Strengths
W - Weaknesses
O - Opportunities
T - Threats

Now that you know what the letters stand for let me explain how to use this to analyze your business or any problem or question you come across during the year in running your business.

SWOT analysis provides insight at a point in time - like a snapshot, of whatever you want to analyze. It could be business as a whole, like whether you should add another rig to your business, or even if you should stay in the business line you are in, say house washing or maybe expand by adding window or deck washing, reduce it by doing gutters only or change all together like going into kitchen exhaust work.

This is how it is done: start by dividing a page into four quadrants with a vertical line and a horizontal line.

The top two analysis quadrants are Strengths and Weaknesses. The bottom two quadrants are Opportunities and Threats. Let us say the Question is "Should I add a new rig this year?"

So then with what ever your question is, start to list the things that belong in each section.

You could list in the Strengths that having another rig could increase the number or kind of jobs you do. So in the Opportunity box you could then figure exactly what that number could be and the income opportunity that would bring. Then in the Weaknesses area you may list the extra personal it may take to run it or the limited use you could get out of it during the year and in the Threats of course would be the cost of the rig, also its cost of operation including the cost of the personal to run it.

This way you can see what this could do for your business or if it would be even a good idea at all. And the question does not have to be a large one. It could be as easy as should I increase or change my cell phone plan minutes or carrier?

Too many times the small business person sees what somewhat else is doing thinks "Hey I can do that", or "That is a great idea" and goes off spending time and money without really taking into consideration all the facts. What may be great for some one else may spell disaster for your business.

Here at Soap Warehouse we have lots of big new plans for you and our business this year, but with each one there are steps we have to take to be sure we are getting the results we want and need from these changes.

I wish all of you a very good new year and I hope all your plans are fruitful.

Hello All and Happy Holidays!!

I hope everyone had a good year. That despite the down turn of the economy and that you will continue to be in business this coming year and are looking forward to it.

I know that even with tough situations we faced this year we managed to stay afloat and in the black even if not nearly as well as in years past.

We are looking forward to making changes and offering new things that we hope will keep you, the current customer, happy and bringing new business in the upcoming year and years ahead.

If you have any ideas or comments please let us know. We still need some customer’s current e-mails in order to keep everyone informed. Please forward us an e-mail if you have not received a newsletter or other e-mailed correspondence from us this year.

Thank you and see you next year.

This is a list I got from Entrepreneur magazine a while ago.

Top 11 things to get exposure for your business:

#11. Be reachable - Have a clear and concise business card. Have a press contact listed on your web site that can answer questions and be reached on the first call.

#10. Get on-line. As mentioned in a previous post this is a #1 need in today's market. Add articles even if just links, showing that your company is in the news as a leader.

#9. Perfect your elevator pitch. You should always be able to tell anyone in just a sentence or two what you and your company does, and have a business card with an offer ready as a follow up.

#8. Show your face. Have a press folio made up and photo's available to be used for any print article. Also good to use the same ones on line to let the contact know on site they have the correct company they are looking for or saw info on.

#7. Establish yourself as an expert. Speak at meetings (even if just the Rotary Club), become a media contact for your local newspaper. Write articles or answer questions posted by the general public on web sites.

#6. Do not send sloppy copy. Have a pre created standard press release about you and your company, even if it is just the same statements that you are using on line, that can be used by anyone in the media.

#5. Know your audience. Make sure where the press release is going is where you want your future customers coming from. Local newspaper, subdivision newsletter etc.

#4. Tell the whole story. Think as if you had to write a headline and two paragraphs about your company. What would it say. Be complete, brief and concise with your info.

#3. Plan ahead. Check with publications you read or would want to see your story in. Find out what their upcoming issues will be covering and see if you can write a story or give info that they may want to use and quote you on.

#2. Distribution channels: These are ones that the media go to when looking for information. PRWeb, Business Wire, PRNewswire, Market Wire. If you can get your business story on one or more of these it will work for you.

And #1. Respond Promptly. Most writers are on a time line and will move on to their next contact if you are not immediately available for comment or with a story.

Good luck.

Welcome to a new month and the last quarter of the year.

With the year winding down I wanted to touch on things to do before the end of this year to get ready for next year especially if this is a slow time for you.

A great idea is to do a Business Wellness Check.

First take a look at the increases you have had during the past year and make sure that your prices are still in line with the changes. If not now is the time to make the rate chart changes for next year. You may be able to make the sales pitch for next Spring to get a contract now is for the company to lock in today's pricing before next years inevitable price increases. Just be sure you can still make a modest profit at this new price. It never makes sense to work just for works sake it, you must be able to make a living at this.

In fact price adjustments are something that you may need to do twice a year or quarterly depending on how volatile the year is for your vendors. Even if the new pricing is to just to your new customers during the year.

You need to see where your major cost increases were and make the needed adjustments now. If it was in supplies are there ways you can save? Can you make better purchase decisions that will help you next year? For example is there anyway to maximize your purchases? Can you buy 3 or 4 kits of product instead of 1 or 2 at a time and save some on the rising fuel costs? Are there more affordable options for your supplies? Have you been using your products at their optimum? For example are you sure you are using the right concentration for the job or are you using more than you need there fore have been wasting money? Are you able to buy in bulk for consumables at discount or bulk shopping locations like Sam's, BJ's or similar companies.

Next evaluate your equipment needs. If you have had to make repairs repeatedly on a piece of equipment during the last season, now maybe the time to consider replacing it. Many times Winter is the time of year when equipment vendors have sales or give discounts on end of year models getting ready for next years models just like the car manufactures. It is hard to stick to a busy schedule when equipment failures put you behind and possibly lose you jobs and money. Would a newer piece of equipment make you more efficient thus saving you time and labor costs?

One thing to not forget to put on your business wellness check list is to make sure your business stays in compliance with your local, state and the federal waste water regulations.

Here is a link that I think will be helpful to many of you: http://www.washwater.org/. This will allow you to find links and the information you need at one site.

In these days or increased awareness with droughts, water restrictions and tighter regulation you need to be in the know instead of on the receiving end of a warning or worse a heavy fine.

These are just a few items to put on a check list. Make yours as long or short as you need but be sure it covers all of the areas that effect your bottom line. Even down to the cell phone use and insurance policies. Every cost to you and your business makes a difference in the end.

Have a good month and next time will be about increasing your business exposure in the community.

It has been a month since I last posted but I wanted to bring this up since it is nearing the end of the rush time for most of you and so many organizations are going to be having their yearly conventions in the upcoming months.

It is good business to be a member of organizations connected to your line of work. It could be PWNA, IKECA, or even smaller local groups.

Even though there can be costs incurred when being a member you can normally write off part or all of the expense as a business deduction and the benefits greatly out way the costs.

The first and biggest benefit is Net Working. You get to know others that are in your business. They understand who you are and where you want or need to be to take your business forward. You can get new fresh ideas or just discover old tried and true methods that have worked for others.

Second benefit, is the conventions and or meetings themselves. They give you time to get away from the daily grind, experience and meet new people and participate in discussion groups or classes that are held there. Even if you are the one that has been in business forever and knows it all, you get the benefit of being in a community of peers that can bring a stability and balance into your life. The adage “All work and no play” is for every one. You need the chance to get out and see what else is out there.

Third is keeping up to date with new information. You always need to keep your eyes ahead looking to where you want to go. It may be fine for a while to do things the way you always have done it or use the same chemicals you always have in the past. But new things are always coming up with products and application methods. We here at Soap Warehouse have people that are constantly looking to make new combinations or formulation changes geared to what the future wants, needs and restrictions will be.

In the very near future many product ingredients are going to be restricted, banned or priced out of reach and we have to grow with these changes. Many areas are facing water shortages, water restrictions and clean water guidelines that have to be followed or fines or worse will happen to you and your business.

I also believe subscribing to magazines, reading articles, subscribing to web sites, contributing to chat boards or forums and blogs are also a good way to do this. Feel free to visit our link section which is filled with suggestions.

If you are member of PWNA or are going to the convention in late Oct. Please be sure to check out the Special Offer located in the customer only section on our web site to receive a special value offer.

Have a good month and participate in something to help you and your business before the end of the year.

This month there was a good article from Entrepreneur.com and if you have never looked at thier site it is one that you should book mark. You should always take some time to look at what is working for others to find what can help you and your business.

http://www.entrepreneur.com
Follow this link or cut and paste it in your browser to get there.

In short these were the main points of the article:

1. Visibility: With more and more consumers logging onto the Web to research products and services, if they are going to find your business, your business must be on the Web. If a potential customer Google’s your city name and your service would they find your website listed or just your competitors? Try this today and see who is out there and how you should be listed too.

2. Reach: With a Web site, you are no longer limited to a small customer base. Of course with most of you proximity is a major factor, but on the web you are able to reach many more prospective customers in your local area. You can only hand out so many business cards. Even if your name has been mentioned as a word of mouth referral and no card with a phone number can be found, could this person looking for you find you? Try entering your company name and zip code to be sure you are listed first.

3. Customer service: When customers can log onto your Web site and easily find the information they want—when they want it—their satisfaction increases. They are not limited to wait for you to speak to them. Having ways on the web site that customers can contact you besides reaching you on the phone is key. Have an e-mail address or form to fill out saving them time for a question or  information to get a quote. And be sure you are able to contact them back quickly.

4. Competition: A professional looking Web site can level the playing field for smaller companies trying to compete against larger enterprises. It’s also a way to stay in the game; if people can’t find you on the Web chances are they are finding your competitors. Even a small free site can show off your expertize, knowledge, work history and quality of the work you do. Also show customer testimonials of clients that liked your work and photos of completed jobs.


5. Credibility: When you can point customers, partners, even potential employees or investors to a Web site, it tells them you are a serious business. Use lines like doing business for over 10 years. Satisfying customers in the Tri-area since 2001. Even if you have just started you can use lines like “Only use top quality products.” And list them if they have name recognition with your customer. List what groups you are affiliated with or a member of, for example the local BBB or PWNA.

And remember once you have your site up send us the link and we will put you in our customer link area on our web site to help more people find you and improve your sites SEO.

Hello, and welcome to the end of summer.

For many of you time is running out for you to make the main money of your season. But that does not have to be the case. I know this has been a very rough year so far. Every one's business is down whether due to drought, high fuel costs, higher costs of everything else or just regular business that is just not there this year due to your customers not being able to afford your services.

Unfortunately some of our customers have had to take on second jobs or new more stable primary jobs and put their pressure washing business on the back burner or on hold to make ends met.

Here are some ideas to help you think outside the box to keep your PW business going in these lean times.

One problem when the economy slows down is that your customers slow down payment to you as well, especially true if you are doing monthly contract work instead of pay as you wash jobs.

One way around this to keep a good cash flow is to look at your contract jobs and see how much profit you have built into each one and then decide if giving a customer a prepay discount would benefit you and your cash flow. Say you are making $350 profit on a fleet wash job that you usually give NET 30 to but lately that has been becoming NET45 or worse. Wouldn't it be worth say $50 for you to have the money in your hands sooner and for sure than worrying when you are going to get it, especially if you will have to spend extra time and money to get it later? So go to your customer and offer them a prepayment discount on their next job. Of course if they are already so behind in paying you on past work taking this money now may slow down the payment of the older money, but not always. This can also work with a split payment discounts. Say give them a certain amount or % off if they pay half up front and the rest stay NET 30, or give them a discount on the entire job for early payment such at 3% Net 10, or NET 15.

Also with so many small PW going out of business call on them to see if they would like to sell their contact list for a small fee or get a kick back from you for introductions to clients they are no longer going to service that turn into business for you. For instance if they have a customer that they were washing each month; they could introduce you to the customer, saving the customer the time and trouble to find a new and probably different PW then yourself, with the promise of when this customer uses you, you pay the old PW a one time set fee for the introduction. This one time cost will easily pay for itself in a few jobs with your new customer. I have seen this work with PW's that are having to retire or go out of business for other reasons in the past.

This is why it is always a good idea to be friendly with the other good PW's in your own area. Don't treat them as an enemy that are out to get you and your business but as someone that can help you and back you up when needed. Just be sure they are as ethical and do good work like you do for your mutual benefit.

Join websites with other local and national PW's. You can network sometimes to the point that if you need help on a job to get a bid they can even work with you like a subcontractor to get the job done. Or if one of you are too busy to do work for a customer that the other one can do the job, giving the other PW a referral fee. Some PW's have been in business for so long and know the others in their area so well that they can swap customers or give referrals to each other without hesitation of monetary reward because they know they will be paid back later with a new job from someone else. EX: Some PW's may specialize in commercial flat work and will hand off house washing to a friend knowing when the house washer gets has major flat work they will call on them or use them for that customers job.

As I mentioned in a previous session, even if you normally do private home jobs, go by local businesses that need washing or you have seen someone else clean in the past and leave your card. You never know if their old washer is one that just gave up the business and they will be needing someone new. Odds are they will at least call you for a quote if not the job and the more cards you have out there the greater your odds become. Also I will again mention that the bad housing market is a boon for a PW to create curb appeal. Visit Realtors and give them a stack of your cards as well. Even offer to wash their house for free for the referrals and thier testimonial.

I hope you all have a better last half or quarter of 2008.