WoodDefender Newsletter
June 2007
How LOW is too LOW?
We field many calls from our customers seeking advice on pricing jobs for home builders or fence companies. With the promise of large volumes of fence they commonly expect discount prices. In certain situations you can afford to discount your standard square foot price for volume.
Fence Company's:
When subcontracting for fence companies the goal is to have them sell the jobs and confirm the color with the homeowner. With the fence company providing you the address to the job and the color to be applied you can afford to offer wholesale pricing. For example, if your standard square foot rate is .40 cents, with you doing the sales (knocking on the door, measuring the fence, showing sample colors) then you could easily afford to work for the fence company for .30 cents. In this situation the fence company should sell the job, work with the customer to select a color, bill and collect all monies from the customer. With the fence company selling the jobs for you, time can be spent training your employees and growing your business.
Home Builders & Developers:
Home builders and developers are notorious for gouging contractors for the lowest price possible. As mentioned above, don't be afraid to discount square foot price for volume. If you're bidding a 10,000 linear foot perimeter fence for a developer you would want to offer him a better price. On a job like this you will be able to spend a full day on one job site which will help maximize your profitability even at a lower square foot price. As in the example above, if you typically work at .40 cents and you offered this developer a price of .30 cents, you'll come out great. Mainly because you won't have drive time between job sites, obstacles such as houses, windows, gutters, etc. More square foot of fence can be completed in less amount of time balancing each other out.
In both situations the very best way to price the job is to calculate the gallons of stain needed and the amount of time needed to complete the job. Then decide how much money you would like to earn on the job.
Success Stories
Big Country Fence Staining
Kayla and David attended our May 25th training class after visiting with a relative whom is also in thefence staining business in San Antonio, Texas. After successfully burying his brand new truck (it rained every day but 6 in the month of May in Dallas, TX) in the field behind the plant, we got started.
At the completion of the class Kayla and David purchased a ST-250 Show Special including 100 gallonsof stain. They headed back to Abilene with a positive attitude and willingness to get out and hustle. Before leaving Kayla mentioned that her goal was to be featured in a newsletter. To be perfectly honest, we had the same aspiration for them but had no idea it would happen so quickly. Their business is absolutely BOOMING in a completely new start up area. The invoice date on their equipment purchase was May 25th and as of writing this newsletter June 15, 2007 (22 days), Big Country has used the 100 gallons they got with the purchase and ordered an additional 240 gallons of stain.
We would also like to note that both husband and wife have full time jobs. The staining business at this point is part-time. We are anxious to see what they can do once they are operating on a full time basis.
Fridays Off
Lone Star Fence Staining
With the Wood Defender opportunity we are not only offering a business opportunity but also the freedom of running your own business and the option to take Friday's off. This was no more apparent than two weeks ago while talking with Jeremy Hoffman. During our conversation he mentioned that he had completed the jobs on the schedule so he took Friday off so he and his wife could relax at the river for the weekend!This is the ultimate goal, make enough money during a four day work week and be able to take EVERY Friday off!
| Round trip airline ticket to Dallas to attend Wood Defender training class |
$598.00
|
| ST-250 Show Special |
$6,495.00
|
| Missing a day of work |
$400.00
|
Starting a business that allows you to profit $500.00 every time you stain 150' of fence in 45 minutes and making enough money in a 4 day work week to take Friday off to float the Guadalupe river
PRICELESS!
Congratulations Jeremy and keep up the great work!
Tech Tips:
Stainless Steel Quick Disconnects on Bleach SystemWhen designing the double hose reel and bleach sprayer system for the ST-250 Pro Package we opted to use two stainless steel quick disconnects. We considered this part to be suitable for its intended application. Due to the fact that most reading this newsletter are focusing on new fences the bleach systems arerarely used, and the bleach sitting in the system is rusting the QD's shut.
After experiencing problems with these stainless steel quick disconnects corroding on the bleach sprayer system it is our recommendation that they be eliminated.We recommend replacing the quick disconnect at the pump as well as at the spray wand with a hose barb. Once these have been replaced, the hose supplying the hose reel will be attached directly to the pump eliminating the possible priming problems associated with the corroded QD. By attaching the 3/8" spray hose directly to the spray wand with a hose barb will also eliminate the chance of that QD to become corroded ceasing the flow of product.
If you own the "double hose reel" and "bleach spray" equipment and are interested in making this conversion we will have the parts needed to do so at NOCHARGE. The retrofit kit will contain (1) 3/8" x ?" hose barb, (1) ?" hose clamp,(1) ?" x 3/8" hose barb and (1) 3/8" hose clamp. Simply call Standard Paints Inc.and the appropriate parts will be sent directly to you.
