First, thanks to the forum. The treasure trove of information here really helped me in setting everything up. Also a big thanks is due to a couple of people I shared direct messages with who really helped me out. I appreciate you guys!
Anyway, I thought I’d share a few pics of the process which began last year. I started with a ragged out trailer I bought for $200.
I’d never tried refinishing a trailer before and I think this turned out pretty darn good. Next up is my work truck. I have a guy welding a ladder rack as we speak. Should be ready to put on this week.
Next up is my logo from Keith over at KBX. I can’t recommend his work highly enough. The guy can take anything and make it look like a million bucks.
And finally, I’d also like to know what you guys think about my website. I didn’t have money to pay to have it done professionally, so I did it myself using WordPress. It’s not indexed on Google yet, but I only made it public a few days ago. For me, the site was one of the most difficult parts of all of this. I would be very grateful for any advice/suggestions regarding the site. http://www.tristatesoftwash.com
Every looks GREAT! And with the 5.6k posts you have spent reading, you’ve been doing your homework to set yourself up for success. Congrats on the new business and good luck to you. I’m sure you’ll do very well.
Thanks! I appreciate the kind words. I put A LOT of work into this, probably more than I’ve put into anything else. I’m hoping things will pick up once Google indexes my site and it starts getting some traffic. Aside from that, I need to get some door hangers out!
I have a bit of advice for you, you might already have some but it not… I would invest in some trailer break’s, even though that’s a smaller tank, water can be dangerous to haul around. Plus the weight of your equipment, chem’s, etc. Just food for thought. All look’s great and good luck to you!!!
Thanks for the advice! That’s not a bad idea. I’ve only had a couple of jobs so far, but usually I just dump my tank before leaving. I put a 2" drain on the tank so that 65 gallons is gone in a matter of minutes!
Looks great man. You can tell you put a lot of time, effort, and money into your set up. You’d be surprised how far just “looking the part” will take you. Definitely looks professional
Thanks, man. I really appreciate it. You’re in the same geographic area so you know how many fly-by-nighters are around. I’m trying to set myself apart by looking professional, being insured, and legit. It’s a lot of trouble and money, but I plan on using those aspects to sell my services at an even better price.
How much does looking the park actually help you make the sale? I am curious because I just spent 2k on equipment and got a 2012 cargo van that looks almost brand new. My website is also professional. Will this set me apart that much more?
I think he helps a fair amount. It shows you’re serious. You’ve invested money into your business. Could just be my speculation but I think others will agree too
Really nice job on your trailer and setup. Hell of a job on your web site. I didn’t see your google analytics verification code in your source code tho. Lot of code in there so I could have missed it. If not go sign up for it. Think you’ll need gmail address, which is good to have anyway.
Also on your images, always name them, ie house washing moldy house, etc. Don’t just put jpeg 1029 in there.
Hes got analytics in there. You can check the code by hitting f12 and then doing ctrl+f and then search for analytics.
There is so much code because it is a WordPress website that most likely has quite a few plugins and things of that sort. From a development standpoint it will make a decent difference to leverage browser caching. w3total cache is a good solution for this.
What will also help him is to have his contact form submit to a new page. This way he can set up campaign URLS/goals for if and when he goes with adwords.
Congratulations! The logo, uniforms (hopefully estimates and invoices) and website look professional! Keep up the great work, image is everything! Do you have an address for your business? I Rent a shared office space for start-up entrepreneurs for the street address.
Don’t get discouraged the first year is pretty rough,
@Racer Thanks a lot! The site was a…challenge to say the least. I’m very familiar with computers, but site building and all of these SEO tactics are completely new. As dpw noted, I did upload the Google Analytics html file…though I’m not exactly sure what all I can do with the service yet. Haha. I will be sure to rename my image files from this point forward and (eventually) rename all of the ones I already have on the site.
@dpw I’m pretty clueless as to most of what you said. D: I’ve got a long way to go to fully understand how I can optimize my site for business purposes. Adwords will definitely be something I’m looking at in the future. That much I know at least!
@Carl_Nesseler Thanks! You’re exactly right. People care about image and I feel like they feel more comfortable and are more willing to do business with someone who looks and acts professional. Shared office space isn’t a bad idea. For now, I’m using my home addy for my Google Business listing. I’ve got a bit of business coming in already and I still work two or three days a week for a guy with an established PW service. It’s working out good!
