Standard Paints Inc. Wood Defender™

WoodDefender Newsletter
March 2007

Congratulations to the February Training Class attendees:

Unfortunately, the days that training classes are scheduled it always seems to be windy. February 23, 2007 was no different. The attendance at the training class was excellent. With eight companies and a total of 19 people it made for and exciting day. Four states and four cities in Texas were represented. Despite the less than ideal conditions the group was very positive and eager to learn the business. The fence picked for the demonstration was completed in less than an hour and as the numbers display below, very profitable.

1309 Chase Drive Mansfield, TX (Feb. 07)

Total Square Footage	160 x 6 x 2	1920
	80 x 6 x 1	480
		2400
Customer Charged	2400 x .30	$720.00
Coverage	2400 / 175	14 Gallons
Material Cost	14 x $15.83	$221.62
Gross Profit	$720.00 - $221.62	$498.38

Bleach:

Total Square Footage	60 x 6 x 1	480
		480
Customer Charged	480 x .14	$67.20
Coverage		1 Gallon
Material Cost	$5.97	$5.97
Gross Profit	$67.20 - $5.97	$61.23

TOTAL GROSS:		$559.61

We would like to thank everyone who attended the training class and would also like to wish those who purchased equipment good luck with your new business and welcome to the team!
(pictured with their new "Pro Packages")

(Houston, TX)

Louisiana

Arkansas

Standard Paint’s News:

Product Comparison:

Visiting with multiple companies at the annual FenceTech in Orlando, Fl. one question kept presenting itself. Why is Wood Defender better than whats available at the home improvement centers? The answer to that is NOTHING ELSE COMPARES!

We have conducted these tests in the past and have begun a new sequence of testing so that you’ll have the ammunition you need to sell your service. In the testing process we are going to compare the most valuable attributes of a product as it pertains to the success of your business and customer satisfaction:

Color retention
Product coverage
Actual cost per gallon (one coat versus two)
Ease of application
Clean up.

We are looking forward to reporting the results and we are confident that you’ll agree NOTHING ELSE COMPARES to the Wood Defender product line!

Marketing

Once again, owner of Aggieland Fence Staining Jamie Parsons has displayed his marketing prowess. On the weekend of February 24, 2007 Jamie participated in a Spring Home Products Show in his area. He purchased a booth in which he displayed fence panels that had been stained with the Wood Defender product along with his literature and beauty shots of completed jobs. At the completion of the show Jamie said he had over 50 "qualified" leads with the majority being homeowners and a few contractors.

Another advertising avenue Jamie had tried recently is running an ad in a local magazine that has a large circulation in and around his community. This particular magazine is distributed to a target market with a qualifying income. It essentially allowed Aggieland Fence Staining to reach the customers whom may be more likely to have this service completed.

When Jamie called to tell about his success at the show his excitement was contagious. He said many people had come up to him and mentioned that they had seen his work, fence signs, magazine ad and his trailer in the community.

This is very important, we commonly are asked the best place to put advertising dollars and that isn't always an easy question to answer. As with anything, name recognition is the name of the game. Jamie for example, is achieving this goal. His fence signs, trailer wrap, magazine ads and home show participation have increased his presences in the community to the point that Aggieland Fence Staining is going to be the first name synonymous with having an exterior wood surface stained.

The timing of this particular show was impeccable. It gave Jamie a renewed drive and focus on his business after a few slower winter months and now he is ready to hit the busy summer months with a great attitude and can focus on his GOALS!

CREDIT CARD ACCEPTANCE:

We feel that accepting credit cards as a form of payment will increase your sales. Many homeowners will be interested in your service but may not have the additional cash to enter into contract with your company.

There are many services available for this and since Standard Paint Inc. is a member of the American Fence Association (AFA) we have contacted a company whom is also a member for detailed information.

Electronic Data Payment Systems is a company that specializes in payment processing solutions. After speaking with Alicia, a national enrollment specialist with the company, our thoughts about the value of this service were confirmed.

Mobil Unit Pricing
Mobil Unit Pricing	$648.95 - Includes shipping & activation fee
Gateway Package	$15.00 monthly fee provides access to GPRS data towers
Statement Fee	$10.00 monthly
Low Rates	1.79% for qualified swipe credit

Once the intial investment of the equipment is paid for, the $25.00 a month expense of the service will pail in comparison to the amount of business having this service available will generate.

Electronic Data Payment Systems is offering the above pricing exclusively to Wood Defender newsletter readers. Call them directly at 1-866-578-9740 between the hours of 9:00AM and 6:00PM EST to learn more about this exciting opportunity!

SPRING SALES OPPORTUNITIES:

As the weather begins to break out of the winter season and into the spring and summer, sales opportunities abound. Now is the time to spend your afternoons and weekends prospecting for new business! You will begin to find potential customers spending time in their yards, preparing for the growing season. Everyone knows that selling is a numbers game and persistence is the key to success. Spend your free time or take advantage of a windy Saturday afternoon to focus on this opportunity. With the warmer sunnier weather coming your potential customers are going to naturally be in a better mood and more receptive to your presentation. As we had mentioned in past newsletters, set a GOAL of a minimum number of bids that your going to give on a certain day and don’t get distracted until the GOAL is met. You may not have any signed proposals by the end of the day, but count on a percentage of these bids to be accepted. This is the time of the year that everyone in the exterior wood care industry waits for, don’t let it slip by!

Tech Tips:

In the December Newsletter we had discussed possible problems associated with not cleaning the tanks periodically on your ST-250. In this months tech tips we have documented and will discuss this exact situation on a neglected ST-250.

The Diagnosis:

The ST-250 that we will be discussing was the first machine that we sold. The owner of the machine had called us with a clogged hose and zero pressure registering on the gauge. After walking him through a process of dislodging the clog utilizing an air compressor, he soon called back with a clogged filter and no pressure. After he described what was in the filter we realized that skins (dried stain buildup) had formed on the insides of the tanks and were slowly falling off and beginning to clog the lines. Once the situation gets to this point, it will continue to happen until the tanks are thoroughly cleaned and all skins removed.

The Fix:

After the ST-250 was brought in and we were able to take a look at the situation it was quickly decided that it would need a new set of tanks. After three years of continuous use, and no tank maintenance, this was the only option. The build up within the tanks was amazing. Nearly a half inch of skins on the sides and top of the tanks and at least twice that much of sludge on the bottoms of the tanks it was surprising the machine was still functioning at all. After the tanks had been removed, a closer inspection of the spray hose revealed weather cracks. The damage to the hose was a result of the equipment being stored outside uncovered for several years. The cracked hoses are a definite safety concern and needed to be replaced.

At some point during its life the face on the pressure guage had been cracked and the glycerin had leaked out rendering it useless. A new gauge was installed.

At this time since the pressure gauge was being replaced we decided to replace the pressure regulator as a preventative measure. The drive belt was also replaced and tightened with a half inch deflection.

The whole machine was then power washed after being sprayed and allowed to soak in a Wood Defender EZ Clean mixture.

Considering that thousands of gallons of stain had been run through this machine, it was satisfying to see that the machine was still functioning. Upon disassembly and inspection of the pump, there was very little wear evident. The motor started on the first pull as always. The only real problem was the lack of care given to the tanks. In the defense of the owner this machine had been lent out and allowed to sit for several months without use.

As discussed in the last issue, continued routine maintenance performed on your tanks will save you headaches in the future. Realizing ST-250's take the abuse and neglect so well and it is common for a machine to end up in this condition, we are offering a ST-250 Refurbish Program. For the price of $1198.36 we will completely clean and inspect your ST-250 and include: tanks, spray hose, supply hose, belt, gauge, and regulator.