Money-Making ideas are EVERYWHERE!

I think this outfit is out of business. Email gets returned and the phone has been disconnected.

> http://www.noahwood.com/about1.htm Michael
> Ross.

Outstanding post ... take an old idea and introduce it to a new crowd of youngsters and you
have a hit .. now check out what this guys says
he is doing .. click below


http://www.deckseal.com/bbs/messages/2381.html

Quick Low Cost Advertising tips .. Good Luck


http://www.millgraphics.com/tips2_002.htm

Don, please answer these questions when you get a few minutes to spare! And yes, I know you're extremely busy making money hand over fist, but I just have one or two questions that I and a few other guys are very intensely curious about.

(Actually I imagine you're busy finding help to actually do the deck work for you)

:)

The main question we have is about how you bid the houses. What size deck is this average one you bid $1500ish on? 400 sq ft? 2200 sq ft?

There's a lot of contradictory information out there about bidding. By the hour. By the square foot. Etc. Some say $1 a square foot. Some say $1.25-$1.50. Others say anything over $.55 a foot is crazy. (I personally think they're the crazy ones).

I've read up a LOT these last two days. That sounds funny because it's only 2 days. But I really have. I'm Wolman certified, etc :) and no I don't think that REALLY amounts to a hill of beans. But I have explored almost every site on this I think there is out there. I've found a few good discussion boards too (and digested their archives).

The only question those of us wanting to jump in need to know is... for goodness sake, how did you make your bids? Please oh deck master. Tell your disciples the answer we seek. Ask and ye shall find they say.

Success,

Erik

Learn all you can about your product. You have to be very careful with some of this stuff. If you splatter it on any painted surfaces it will cause spots (ex. siding of house). Also, make sure you water the grass surrounding the deck to help dilute any overspray, again the chemicals can kill grass.

You will want to avoid application in direct sun at high noon in the middle of summer. You may have to work small areas at a time. If you spray the whole deck, the product may dry out before you are done.

The better products I have seen are a multi-step process. Strip one day, clean next day, let dry 24-48 hours and apply finish. The over night fixes are just that. New decks that were never finished weather to a gray color, and yes you can apply a cleaner to restore the deck. Some of these cleaners provide a finish, which would be acceptable.

Check the warranty offered by the product suppliers as well as the method of application. Some you can spray on, roll on, or brush on. If you do not apply it accordingly you void out the warranty. Hope this helps.

Hi John:

First thing is to get liability insurance but only use it for claims that are beyond reach because the rates climb quickly with too many claims.

Okay here is what can happen - first hand experience.

Background - I had a Duct Cleaning business - 31 people working - 18 as independent contractors - I supplied jobs, trucks with equipment, they got paid by the job.

Here's what can happen...truck backs into the driveway of a job. House which was a split level was soon to live up to its name - independent contractor backed into corner of house and shifted it 6 inches on the foundation - $32,000 damage.

Different independent contractor drives into a driveway - tight fit - while watching the one side managed to catch the mirror on the neighbours wall - fifty year old brick home...chipped 2 bricks and gouged 8 more. Bricks no longer available anywhere in this province. Found them in Indiana at a recyclers yard...finished bill for the repair $3200.

Another Independent Contractor cleaning a large daycare building ...hooked into the wrong ductwork...result was sending dust and dirt in reverse...filled the whole building...3 days later cleaning bill totalled $8500.

And the grand daddy of all...brand new 6 week old truck and equipment...while independent contractor working in home the truck burst into flames...singed 2 nearby cars, burned a neigboring garage including the vehicle inside, flames climbed a wooden utility pole and proceeded to burn the hydro lines, the cable tv lines, and the telephone lines - severed these services to about 30,000 people. Sum total of damages (including my unit) just touched $350,000.

What can happen in deck cleaning...just about anything when you have people working...damaged house siding or brick, a pressure hose pops and becomes a deadly weapon, the owners little toddler manages to ingest some of the chemical and ends up in the hospital or worse, the home owner walks around to see how the job is coming an trips on your equipment and breaks something, the owner claims you ruined his deck and wants it replaced (in this type of work I would take a series of before and after pictures of every job because sure as #$#$$# someone is going to take you for a ride on getting a new deck),...and the list goes on and on,

If you are going to use contractors of any nature, or even if you decide to do it yourself the first thing you do is get the liability insurance or you could be facing the biggest nightmare of your life.

Cornell