[NaCC]

Hi All

I need some expert advice as I am thinking to start a Driveway cleaning business in west London.

I am seriously looking at this website to get their help and advice and buy basic equipment to start
 
http://www.jetstreamdriveclean.co.uk/Pressure-Cleaning-Services/driveway-cleaning.html 

Is this the best way to get started and do you think it will be enough to make a living ? I know how to advertise ie local papers, leafleting, referrals etc and hopefully will be able to get some customers through this.

Any input will be appreciated.

[Rob_Mac]

No it isn't.

If you want some help give me a call. Don't waste your money on a franchise. There is a wealth of information on here ( get stuck into the back posts! ) and some very experienced business owners who will help you out.

Rob

[NaCC]

No it isn't.

If you want some help give me a call. Don't waste your money on a franchise. There is a wealth of information on here ( get stuck into the back posts! ) and some very experienced business owners who will help you out.

Rob

Thnx Rob for your reply

No they are not selling franchises , they charge £149 for training and then you can just buy the equipment and start on your own and for any help they will guide you.

I am trying to get as much info as possible. Can you please tell me if this filed will be good to make a good living ?

Regards

[Rob_Mac]

That's a big question.

I have and a number of other people make a good living from it but none of what we have has been given to us. We have had to fight for all of it. The problem you have is that you need to be better, offer a quality service, be patient, take on the crap jobs, work for small rewards, all the time looking to the bigger picture, planning how you are going to take it to the next level.

Whether that is residential or commercial there is always levels above where you can see. Don't be disillusioned by where you are now, if you want to make a living then that is down to you. If you want a lifestyle change then that is harder still.

No matter how many pressure washing 'firms' there are out there there will always be room for ones that are 'better'

It's up to you mate - If I was starting again I would build a residential window cleaning round, WFP and then use that as a platform and cash generator to develop a pressure washing side.

Rob

[Jettaway]

Robs bang on there. Great post.

I am tempted to buy that jetstream dvd for tenner, just for curiosity sake. But then don't want to throw a tenner their way.

[Rob_Mac]

You're on the west side of the capital - where exactly, town wise?

Rob

[chris scott]

Buy into the Smartseal business plan....follow it. It will work...with a little effort from yourself.
Don;t take on Crap jobs...Don't work for small rewards....whats the point?.... We can all be busy fools.
Pressure washing is not hard...it's either clean or it isn't. Getting the work (in winter) is the hard bit.

[Rob_Mac]

I think further responses may negate your input Chris.

Because when you started you went into it running, had a full diary and only took on cream work - really!!

You and I both know that you have lamented recently on not being busy so what do you base your comments on

Rob

[chris scott]

I learnt from my mistakes ( and passing on what i have learnt)....we can all work for nothing.
Smartseal will ensure that he has quality leads from day one...it is a very shrewd investment of his money .

[Rob_Mac]

I think that everyone on here will agree, no matter how confident you are in yourself and your kit that the phone just doesn't start ringing because you've arrived in town.

You can have the biggest machine, the swankiest website but if you are crap then you don't get work.

There is no substitute for getting in there and getting sh*t in your face, any job, whether low paid or not is better than turning work down because it doesn't meet an expected pay day.

I won't work for less than £******.** per day is a load of bo**ocks when you first start. You take what you can, learn from the job and then when you build confidence and reputation you can expect to value your service better.

Smartseal - the sponsor on here who contribute nil, churn out template websites and sign the idiots to take their money.

How long have they been on here and what have they contributed. I am not saying that the training is crap but it is only about them making money, not the other way round.

It has been a while since we have had a frank discussion - I missed it!!

Rob

[chris scott]

Smartseal make money by the operator making money. It is in there best interest that you(the operator) continues to operate and turn a profit.

Quote    "There is no substitute for getting in there and getting sh*t in your face, any job, whether low paid or not is better than turning work down because it doesn't meet an expected pay day." 

Really?

[BDCS]

Stand back and look - who is talking sense, living in the real world and just who is blowing smoke up their smart arsp 

[Rob_Mac]

Would you rather not work and sit on your backside because the job wasn't worth it or do the work and have some money?

We are talking about a start up here Chris, someone with no experience, no capability and you suggest he should take your route that I cannot see is overly successful, not from your perspective but from most of the Smartseal operators I see. If you have made a success out of Smartseal you are doing a really good job of hiding it

Good game plan

Rob

[Rob_Mac]

Chris

Love to stay on and chat but after pricing up an Asda complete store clean, a Tesco store clean and having worked on the Sainsbury's job I posted in the What have you cleaned thread, in the last three days I have got to be up early to get back on the same job, through the weekend till next Wednesday.

Keep busy and keep smiling

I've missed the real you

Rob

[NaCC]

I think that everyone on here will agree, no matter how confident you are in yourself and your kit that the phone just doesn't start ringing because you've arrived in town.

You can have the biggest machine, the swankiest website but if you are crap then you don't get work.

There is no substitute for getting in there and getting sh*t in your face, any job, whether low paid or not is better than turning work down because it doesn't meet an expected pay day.

I won't work for less than £******.** per day is a load of bo**ocks when you first start. You take what you can, learn from the job and then when you build confidence and reputation you can expect to value your service better.

Smartseal - the sponsor on here who contribute nil, churn out template websites and sign the idiots to take their money.

How long have they been on here and what have they contributed. I am not saying that the training is crap but it is only about them making money, not the other way round.

It has been a while since we have had a frank discussion - I missed it!!

Rob

Thanks Rob I agree with you in start will do any job that comes in.
And do you think the above company is OK If I attend their training day and then buy the basic equipment and start ?

[chris scott]

By doing any job and cheap is wrong.
This business is all about repeat custom and word of mouth advertising.
You want your customer base to build year on year.
If you do a £150 job for £100 just to work you cannot return to your customer the following year and ask for £160.(so you show a profit). You are only devaluing yourself and the service you offer. Yes you need to be sensible with pricing...but every job has an associated  cost to do properly and take profit.
If the customer does not want to pay a realistic price for a proper job forget him/her....these are not the type of customers you want.
Smartseal will put you together a professional website for a couple of hundred quid..up running and fully SEO'D within a week. Buy products of them and they will generate work for you.There equipment prices are competitively priced and of sound quality...Gloria sprayers,Honda engines,Interpumps etc
If your skint  Buy a secondhand washer, 20,000 leaflets and your off. Nigel or Nick are always on the end of the phone to answer questions. The products  are excellent if applied correctly .
Go on a Smartseal training day ...it will cost you around £70. It gives you a (basic) game plan for running your business ,,,covering substrates,application,advertising,time management etc.
I cannot comment on the Jetstream one as i have never attended one....just as most who slate the "Smartseal installers" have never attended one of there courses.

[NaCC]

By doing any job and cheap is wrong.
This business is all about repeat custom and word of mouth advertising.
You want your customer base to build year on year.
If you do a £150 job for £100 just to work you cannot return to your customer the following year and ask for £160.(so you show a profit). You are only devaluing yourself and the service you offer. Yes you need to be sensible with pricing...but every job has an associated  cost to do properly and take profit.
If the customer does not want to pay a realistic price for a proper job forget him/her....these are not the type of customers you want.
Smartseal will put you together a professional website for a couple of hundred quid..up running and fully SEO'D within a week. Buy products of them and they will generate work for you.There equipment prices are competitively priced and of sound quality...Gloria sprayers,Honda engines,Interpumps etc
If your skint  Buy a secondhand washer, 20,000 leaflets and your off. Nigel or Nick are always on the end of the phone to answer questions. The products  are excellent if applied correctly .
Go on a Smartseal training day ...it will cost you around £70. It gives you a (basic) game plan for running your business ,,,covering substrates,application,advertising,time management etc.
I cannot comment on the Jetstream one as i have never attended one....just as most who slate the "Smartseal installers" have never attended one of there courses.

Thanks Chris its really informative

How much do you think Smartseal basic business package will cost ?
And when you say "They will generate business for you" what does that mean ? they advertise as well ?
And who are Nigel and Nick ?

regards

[Aqua Power Solutions]

Rob & Chris both have relevant points however i also  feel that the most important factor is a regular income stream. Money makes the world go around and cashflow makes your business turn around . Setting up is the easy bit , achieving success is the hard bit.

Ed (Dragon Den entrepreneur)

[chris scott]

By doing any job and cheap is wrong.
This business is all about repeat custom and word of mouth advertising.
You want your customer base to build year on year.
If you do a £150 job for £100 just to work you cannot return to your customer the following year and ask for £160.(so you show a profit). You are only devaluing yourself and the service you offer. Yes you need to be sensible with pricing...but every job has an associated  cost to do properly and take profit.
If the customer does not want to pay a realistic price for a proper job forget him/her....these are not the type of customers you want.
Smartseal will put you together a professional website for a couple of hundred quid..up running and fully SEO'D within a week. Buy products of them and they will generate work for you.There equipment prices are competitively priced and of sound quality...Gloria sprayers,Honda engines,Interpumps etc
If your skint  Buy a secondhand washer, 20,000 leaflets and your off. Nigel or Nick are always on the end of the phone to answer questions. The products  are excellent if applied correctly .
Go on a Smartseal training day ...it will cost you around £70. It gives you a (basic) game plan for running your business ,,,covering substrates,application,advertising,time management etc.
I cannot comment on the Jetstream one as i have never attended one....just as most who slate the "Smartseal installers" have never attended one of there courses.

Thanks Chris its really informative

How much do you think Smartseal basic business package will cost ?
And when you say "They will generate business for you" what does that mean ? they advertise as well ?
And who are Nigel and Nick ?

regards

Cost depends on how much you want to spend....new/secondhand machine . You will need a website £300ish,
Leaflets 1000 or 40,000? etc.
You could get up and running for less than a grand.
Nick and Nigel own smartseal.
Yes they advertise...in a big way. They produce qualified leads for around £10 +vat ...they then sell the products to complete the job. This is how they make money. If you are busy and successful...they make more money.
Lots of Start up,s fail for various reasons...most possibly following  Robs work for nothing advice !
Before taking advice on here.... go to companies house and check out who is actually making money and who is not. You will see there turnovers for the year,the debts they have and profits ....make up your own mind.

[Mike Halliday]

I'm on holiday right now sat by the pool reading an interesting marketing book.

It gives some good advice about starting a new business, it basically says.....

think of the company you want to be in 5 or 10 or 15yrs and be that company now.

Obviously you can't take this literally as you might want to be a company that  has million pound contracts and 50 employees but it's more about the basics. Especially pricing and business systems.

In 5yrs time do you want to be a company who prices cheap to make sure you have some cash in your pocket? Or a company charging premium prices for a premium service.

You could say it's ok reading this in a book but we live in a real world where bill need to be paid but this book I'm reading is about successful business and the attitude of the owners right from the beginning (a lot of it is about the computer company IBM)