oxfordlawn
New member
I asked this question on The GrimeScene--and it was suggested by Ron M. to repost it on this site as well. I have been a reading member of both sites and another for about a year. .
My question is How to get started in commercial accounts as far as who do you speak with at different locations. I have residential underway and under control but am considering branching out into the bigger projects of commercial.
I am copy/pasting my response from TGS as it was fairly long and it was an answer to the statement of--tell us about yourself....so here it is.....in full length.
Thanks Ron, I am a member of that forum as well and will repost this question there--but will also answer it here. I do see many of the same faces/names on the 2 sites as I am always watching and reading the forums and trying to learn from others. All the Pressure washing sites and forums I feel have been a great source of knowledge and info..and have reduced my learning curve and potential mistakes--but not eliminated them LOL..
In Florida I started a lawn care business and have been doing that for about 3 years now, and there is as much work for that as you want in my area so thats an easy self running business. Last year at this time when lawns slow down and I had some free time, I decided to get into house washing as an add on to my lawn care business. This too has grown as I am fortunate to live in an area of major growth and belief in that your house has to be washed twice a year. Although the price per house is very low, the quantitiy is high, the working area is all within a 10 square mile radius of house after house after house. GReat area to work!
Now to the present. Again its slowing a bit so I have some time to devote to another business aspect I have been thinking about and looking into. I am interested in possibly purchasing a larger trailer rig with hot water, seperate water and chem tanks, possibly reclaim unit..just stepping it up in size and quality for commercial properties. I live inbetween 2 fairly large city areas of central Florida, Ocala and Leesburg. My hometown area is growing like wildfire with mall after mall and lots of individual commercial buildings and big lot stores as well...so the clientel is here.
My question is how to get in touch with the people who make the decisions on who gets hired to clean all these properties. Property management companies--how do you know who runs which shopping center. Big box stores, is it site by site or...? gas stations and fast food do you go in and ask for the manager?
All along my business owner career, I have found most people will talk with you if approached in the right manner. I want to talk with these people to find things out like how often and how much. I am trying to figure if stepping up in price and size of equipment can be offset by the price and quantity of work I could get. I am keeping in mind that this is Florida I am working in and it does not nearly pull in the same price per job as most of you are getting so I really want to get some numbers before making any purchases. And to get these numbers I need to talk with the people who sign the checks.
My question is How to get started in commercial accounts as far as who do you speak with at different locations. I have residential underway and under control but am considering branching out into the bigger projects of commercial.
I am copy/pasting my response from TGS as it was fairly long and it was an answer to the statement of--tell us about yourself....so here it is.....in full length.
Thanks Ron, I am a member of that forum as well and will repost this question there--but will also answer it here. I do see many of the same faces/names on the 2 sites as I am always watching and reading the forums and trying to learn from others. All the Pressure washing sites and forums I feel have been a great source of knowledge and info..and have reduced my learning curve and potential mistakes--but not eliminated them LOL..
By trade I had been an auto mechanic for 25 years, owned my own gas station/repair shop in bergen county NJ for the last 12 of those 25, then decided I didnt like the way the auto repair business was heading so we decided to sell everything and move to Florida.
In Florida I started a lawn care business and have been doing that for about 3 years now, and there is as much work for that as you want in my area so thats an easy self running business. Last year at this time when lawns slow down and I had some free time, I decided to get into house washing as an add on to my lawn care business. This too has grown as I am fortunate to live in an area of major growth and belief in that your house has to be washed twice a year. Although the price per house is very low, the quantitiy is high, the working area is all within a 10 square mile radius of house after house after house. GReat area to work!
Now to the present. Again its slowing a bit so I have some time to devote to another business aspect I have been thinking about and looking into. I am interested in possibly purchasing a larger trailer rig with hot water, seperate water and chem tanks, possibly reclaim unit..just stepping it up in size and quality for commercial properties. I live inbetween 2 fairly large city areas of central Florida, Ocala and Leesburg. My hometown area is growing like wildfire with mall after mall and lots of individual commercial buildings and big lot stores as well...so the clientel is here.
My question is how to get in touch with the people who make the decisions on who gets hired to clean all these properties. Property management companies--how do you know who runs which shopping center. Big box stores, is it site by site or...? gas stations and fast food do you go in and ask for the manager?
All along my business owner career, I have found most people will talk with you if approached in the right manner. I want to talk with these people to find things out like how often and how much. I am trying to figure if stepping up in price and size of equipment can be offset by the price and quantity of work I could get. I am keeping in mind that this is Florida I am working in and it does not nearly pull in the same price per job as most of you are getting so I really want to get some numbers before making any purchases. And to get these numbers I need to talk with the people who sign the checks.
