In your state, how bad is the uptick in new washers? Where I am this year seems to be pretty bad But prices already low here so can’t really go lower and make it worth it. In NC
Everywhere here in Kentucky! But so many are gone after 1 season……we’ve been around 31 years, don’t think about it much. I just try to do good work, be honest and treat people fair. The work will come……
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It’s spring, bound to be a handful… don’t fight for the bottom dollar, find the better clients.
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Someone on Nextdoor posted yesterday about needing their deck pressure washed. So far 26 different responses of people wanting to do. It’s crazy around me how many people are doing it. There is a lot of college / high school kids in addition to all the companies. I don’t really care since I’m part time and between repeat business and referrals, I have more than enough work. I actually quit posting stuff on Nextdoor as much as I used to and don’t advertise at all. Do good work and word of mouth will beat out all the competition. I just did 6 houses in one day because a repeat customer talked 5 of his neighbors into having me clean theirs.
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Yea that’s what I’m talking about, same here and makes it hard to know what advertising is best since being number 20 in a convo online in an app like that doesn’t make me want to even use it.
By me most only care about price. Lots of times I hear “the last guy didn’t do a good job” yet they still want bottom dollar pricing.
Local Facebook groups are flooded this year.
Nextdoor is an interesting platform… I didn’t get much traction when I was posting about my business or sharing from my business page. But as soon as a couple of recommendations came in and people started mentioning me in response to service requests, things took off.
I love this line… Ask them why they aren’t using him again, then. He either disappeared, went out of business, or didn’t do a good job… there’s a reason they’re not calling him back. My price is my price for a reason. I’ll be around next year, and if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to reach me. It costs money to stay in business, carry insurance, and do things the right way.
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it is next level here in Texas… I see daily ads on ig/fb of new washers, everyday I see a new one. I’ve also seen an uptick in “lead generators”… they pretend to have a window cleaning/pressure washing business and do a lot of social media marketing, and when they “book” jobs, they seem to pass them on to local companies for a “lead” fee… interesting business model I guess
The whole lead thing is the biggest black hole of money which is why so many are pitching it. To them a person that is breathing is a lead you should pay for.
Half my calls are spam calls about this and they refuse to stop.
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Also have had 2 other friends , one in junk hauling / cleaning and a Painter in my area say the same is happening with those. Seems that everyone is trying to start a “side gig” in whatever has a low cost of entry to the point I’m not sure how / if it ends.
High inflation, stagnant wages, taxed to death (and after death)… sadly if you want expendable income these days side gigs are necessary. With the social media what it is today, you see tons of ways people are making extra income and people jump in on it.
From what I have heard (I used to live in Los Angeles) this is an issue that existed in LA. GMB really cracked down and made it harder for companies to verify their pages and were very strict in monitoring their online presence. It apparently became a huge deal but it was eventually remedied. so stay the course. The cream always rises to the top!
To counter this, when you find a good one (low lead fees, quality leads) they can be worth their weight in gold… finding a good one though is a lot of trial and error.
I guess this explains why GMB made me do an entire video of my shop and trucks before verifying. I was annoyed at first to have to jump through so many hoops but it actually makes sense.
and from the looks of it, things are about to get much worse…
Mind me asking how long it took you to get in this position?
I’ve been at this for going on 8 years, but right from the start the word of mouth advertising started. Since most houses stay pretty clean for 3-5 years, the past few years have been when a lot of the repeat business started. I don’t do a ton of work since I have a full time job, but enough to stay pretty busy from March to October. It’s more than enough, that’s why I don’t advertise or even post stuff anymore.
Do a great job at a fair price, be social and friendly with people and they will spread the word. I like to chat with everyone and talk about my process, how long it typically lasts, things I notice around the house, etc. An extra 5 minutes to talk with people leaves an impression.
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Yeah it does, just an annoyance im sure BUT if it weeds out people with bad intentions then it ultimately helps the legit guys in the long run. I was told to always have my legal documents saved on my phone in case I need to prove who I am and that the business is real and mine. Sounds like you are prepared, well done. Best wishes!
Luckily or unlucky (depending on how you look at it) in my state house/building washing is a taxable service and includes decks attached. Driveways/sidewalks aren’t though. I believe this cuts down on some of the illegitimate people in the area because the risk of having the state come down on you if you aren’t up to snuff.
Same here we have a 6% tax on services.
They just bumped up our county from 7.5-8%… though it doesn’t stop most the guys that are already flying under the radar.
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