Soap Warehouse Blog

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.

Good morning and I hope everyone had a Happy 4th of July.

Hard to think that for most of us half of the summer is already over and there is only 5 or so more weeks until school start back in.

I have not posted recently in the hopes of our customers finding the blog and participating in it. So far that has not been the case even though I know some have found it a read it. I did not want to get too many entries on it at first making it difficult for new viewers to see what we have started.

But before much longer I will be adding new posts covering other topics and products. If you have a specific question or product you want to know more about please let us know by posting to this or by contacting us directly.

Not many as I had hoped of our current customers took advantage of our Free for the Fourth product offer. One free 5 gallon with any three 5 gallons purchase. If you didn't, please remember we have monthly special offers listed on our newsletter and in our private customer only section of our website. Call for the password and check it out today. 

We hope all of you have been having a busy and productive season.

As I said yesterday nothing improves curb appeal more than a clean appearance and that applies to a business as much as a home, maybe more.

Businesses rely on public perception to keep and improve their business. A run down dirty outward appearance of a business location can mean the difference for a new customer not to stop by or from even going into a business. For this reason businesses are more likely to want regular routinely scheduled cleaning done to their property and that means possible business for you.

Repeat business should be 75-90% of any businesses income. If you do not have good repeat business along with a plan to find new customers you will soon have no work to do and be out of business!

Even if a business owner or manager that you go to speak with already has someone doing work for them, leave a business card with a quote, making sure it has a time limit on it. You never know when something will come up, the other company may not be able to meet their obligation, or may do something to anger the owner enough to try someone else. If you had never stopped by and left them your information you may miss that next opportunity.

Since most jobs come from word of mouth or from prior contacts, not putting in the time to scout out new prospects can mean death to the growth of your business. As I have mentioned before you should spend at least 20% of your effort (time and money) in to finding new business.

The only difference with commercial work vs. home owners is many times they want this work to be done during off hours, meaning when they are closed in the evenings, over night or on the weekends. Since many businesses are now open nearly 24 hours a day you usually can find a time that is slow enough to allow you to work or where you can block off areas to clean so not to restrict your clients own business while you do yours. Of course special care must be taken when working close to the public with proper signage, that all proper safety measures are taken and to be sure you carry enough liability insurance.

It is also good business practice to have prepared information packs for the prospective business customer that includes; copies of your business license for the area you are working in, certifications, insurance binders, bonds, references and any other information that will make the client feel comfortable going into a contract with you and allowing you to do business with them. Many chain locations have corporate restrictions in regards to hiring local companies. If you want to do business in this area it may also be good for you to contact the company at the corporate level first to see if they have their own certification process you must apply to before you can be considered to do work for them at the local level.

Good luck in finding these contract jobs.

One great up sell when you are cleaning a customers home, gutters or roof, besides decks and their other wood accents, is to clean their homes concrete areas as well. Areas such as sidewalks, driveways, curbs, flower or garden trim edgings as well as pool decks and patios.

The best way to clean these flat surfaces is with a specialty circular cleaning machine. And although many contractors use water alone with this kind of equipment, application of even a small amount of specific concrete cleaner will make the job come out that much nicer in less time. Our "Concrete Cleaner" contains an organic solvent designed to dissolve and remove grease, oil, black tire marks and embedded dirt. And of course with all pressure washing using hot water will improve the cleaning and shorten the amount of time as well. Hotter water allows the surfactants and other components in the cleaners to work their best.

But even if you do not have rotary equipment you can get good results with a regular pressure washer. Just be sure to use the correct size nozzle, proper concentration of cleaner, all with the lowest setting possible for your machine to remove the dirt and follow your local ordinances in regards to the water run off or need for reclamation equipment.

Our "Concrete Cleaner" is organic, bio-degradable, is USDA approved and classified as a non toxic pollutant under the Clean Water Act.

Another problem that may come up when cleaning concrete, brick or rock surfaces is red rust deposits from hard water in areas where iron is in high concentrations. This red coloration can be a headache and many companies actually etch the top of a surface off to remove this color which in time can cause major damage. We have another solution. You can use our "Wood Brightener also called "Rust Remover" to remove those rust stains from white decorative gravel in flower beds and patios.

"Wood Brightener" contains a mild Oxalic Acid which when used at the proper mixture of 2 pounds of cleaner per 5 gallons of water it will remove the rust color safely from the rocks in and around flower beds. You can spray on with a hand pump and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes and then rinse well with water. Repeated applications maybe needed if buildup is sever and has been on the rock surfaces for a long time. Repeating the application is safer for plantings rather than increasing the solution strength or dwell time or using high concentrations on bleach. Have patio furniture that left rust marks, no problem, just take a look at these before and after photos, no bleach was used, just "Wood Brightener".

Nothing improves the curb appeal of a home more than having a clean bright appearance.

The first step to deck cleaning is to first find out if the wood only needs a general cleaning or if there is an old finish that needs to be removed and if the customer plans to retreat, seal the wood, stain or paint.

If you have a good finish under just general dirt, a good deck wash is all you will need. Our "Deck Wash" is designed especially for cedar wood and is fine for all other kinds of exposed wood surfaces. With a deck wash you are just loosening and removing surface dirt, mold and mildew. It is best to use warm-hot water at the lowest pressure setting possible that allows you to remove the dirt without damaging the finish or raising the wood grain. Followed by a good rinse, when dried, the original natural color or treated color should be easily seen. If needed a new coat of sealer for wearability or new coat of stain can be applied by either you or the customer.

But if the deck has an old finish that is worn out in places, old paint or a badly faded finish you will first have to remove the old surface materials with a stripper. When ever you use a stripper, you have to have mixed up and available to use right after using the stripper, a neutralizer, like our "Wood Brightener", to bring the ph of the wood back down to normal following the stripper. We have two different levels of strippers.

Our regular "Deck Stripper" is made to penetrate and emulsify old paint, varnish, stain, dirt, grease and oil. Our "Supper Stripper", which is three times stronger than the regular "Deck Stripper", is for removing newer or thicker build ups of stain, paint or other materials. It can also be used to clean asphalt or fiberglass shingles. Both strippers can also be used on other wood surfaces such as fences, free standing structures like gazebos or wood roofs or siding. Again be sure to follow any stripper with a neutralizer like "Wood Brightener" to stop the chemical reaction of the stripper on the wood and make the surface ready to take a new paint or stain after it is rinsed well and has thoroughly dried.

If you had seen problem areas of mold or mildew you may want to think about using some "Bio Barrier" to retard the return of new mold growth.

Please see the earlier session a few days ago on Bio Barrier in this Blog; you can use the search to find other Bio Barrier posts as well.

These are two more great products not a lot of our customers know about.

Carpet and Fabric cleaner is a great addition for the car detailer, interior home cleaner as well as the RV dealer and commercial exterior professional. You can use this on fabric upholstery in a car, RV or in the home. When used with professional carpet machines this helps give carpet back the rich tones and contrast of color they should have. This product is great on fabric awnings on building facades as well as on RV’s. Carpet and Fabric will remove those black streaks from awnings and when used with Qwiczyme deodorizer you can also breakdown mold and mildew in carpet and fabric fibers. Qwiczyme leaves a clean wintergreen fragrance, and it can be added to your normal carpet cleaning solution.

The Carpet and Fabric cleaner is mixed 1-2 oz per gallon of water. It can be sprayed on with a spray bottle, applied directly with a clean brush, sponge or cloth left for a few minutes, agitated if needed and then rinsed with clean water with the excess water and dirt removed with a clean cloth or towel, or extraction equipment with or without brush agitators.

Qwiczyme can be used by it self or in combination with Carpet and Fabric cleaner when you have mold, mildew or other organic materials such as pet urine to remove and to remove odors that are effecting the carpet or fabric. Qwiczyme is mixed 2-4 oz per gallon of warm water. The water must be at least lukewarm (70 degrees) for the enzymes to get to the correct temperature to work properly. Mix this product only as needed.

I would love for any of our customers that have used these products to please comment on their use and the results they got.

Thanks and see you later.

I want to talk today about a product many of you might not know about that can add value to your house washing business, Bio Barrier.

Bio Barrieris a 'Mold Growth Inhibitor'. It helps stop the re-occurrence of that ugly black mold (Gloeocapsa magma) on roofs as well as the green mold that loves to come up on wood surfaces and vinyl siding in areas where the sun does not reach.

Besides looking bad, mold and mildew will eventually cause permanent damage to asphalt shingles. You already have a customer wanting a cleaner looking house, so sell them the added benefit of keeping it clean longer with yearly regular maintenance.

You first clean the existing mold from the hard surface; roof, wall, deck etc. with your regular cleaning method starting with the molded areas first. Then once the surface is dry, many times in the hot summer weather that is by the time you get back around the house, that is when you apply the Bio Barrier. Bio Barrier is applied to a dry surface straight with no dilution. You just wet the surface using a hand spray pump or similar method, do not drench or allow puddling. You allow the treated area to thoroughly dry, with no rinsing. You want at least 24-48 hours to elapse before the surface gets wet again. So do not apply if you know it will be raining with in that time. Once dried you have a protective barrier that stops the microorganisms that cause odor and mold growth from attaching to the surface for around 12 months or longer depending on the exposure to water and moisture with no sun. So if it usually takes 9-12 months for the mold to start showing on a surface, schedule to be back the next year before it gets hold again.

If you add Bio Barrier to your cleaning package, adding say $50 to your price, that will practically pay for a five gallon pail of the product with just one sale and this will give added value to your customer and make your next years cleaning that much easier. Plus you have a reason to come back and retreat even if a completely new cleaning is not needed.

1 gallon will normally cover 1,500 sq. ft. and you need only treat areas where you found mold in the first place to help stop the spread of future outbreaks. You do not have to treat the whole house. For this reason it is a good idea to do a simple drawing of the property indicating where you needed to spray so you can easily come back and do those areas again next year even if you do not need to re-wash.

If you are adding Bio Barrier as a protective measure, most roofs get mold and algae starting on the North side or shaded areas first so treat those with Bio Barrier after your cleaning. Decks, fences and vinyl siding normally get mold where the sun does not reach for hours of the day if at all. This allows areas that get wet to stay moist and damp thus it becomes a perfect place for mold to start.

Increase the value of your service to your customer as you increase your bottom line by using Bio Barrier.