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Have You Ever Thought About Quitting This?

Carlos Gonzales

New member
Just curious about how many washers out there thought one time or another to give it up. Has there been a moment in your business where you just said..."the He%% with it...I am done"?

What kept you in the game?
 
I suppose there have been days when things were going wrong and I entertained the thought for a minute or two, but never seriously over those kinds of things.

I've given thought to doing other things and starting new ventures, but would most likely still operate this business as well.
 

Tony Shelton

Environmental Consultant / Past Director
Never, not even for a second.

This is our fourth (or is it fifth?, I'm tired) business and we've never quit any of them. We have sold some of them to make room for something more profitable, but never quit.

If you see the signs of impending doom that is completely out of your control its time to sell. And don't lie to the buyer, tell them about the doom. They will buy it anyway. (At least they did with one of ours).

For example, it would be stupid to be trying to run a telegraph company now. You've got to change with the times and if that means selling and moving to something else, you have to do it.
 

Ron Musgraves

Past President
Staff member
For example, it would be stupid to be trying to run a telegraph company now. You've got to change with the times and if that means selling and moving to something else, you have to do it.
Maybe if we turn third world pager and telegraph might boom...LOL
 

Terry Miller

New member
I'd say in most company's the owners face challenges. Daily. The odds of having bad days every day decrease with education and training. All problems will not be settled because of the human factor. People are the difficulty when it comes to business. I call them the 100th customer. They will never be happy. Other factors which cause us to re think our business are products, employees and equipment. They all have a great part in determining whether we stay or go. Yes I have thought about buying a condo and selling hot dogs on the boardwalk. No I have never quit our business. Yes I have walked off a customers job. All in a days work. The reason we stay in bad times, is because we always have tomorrow! LOL Thank you.
 

Don M.

New member
I would say that eventually I want to get out in the next 5 years. I'm working on another business right now, and chances are that will take all my time. I'd like to keep this thing going, or maybe just do roof cleaning and house washing and thats it. No more decks. We will see...
 

Ron Musgraves

Past President
Staff member
I would say that eventually I want to get out in the next 5 years. I'm working on another business right now, and chances are that will take all my time. I'd like to keep this thing going, or maybe just do roof cleaning and house washing and thats it. No more decks. We will see...

I'm done in seven unless Fleetwash offers the right price next week.
 

James Foley

New member
Yes , many times over the last 10 years. I have had numerous surgeries and heath problems related to those surgeries. The weather has also played a significant roll over the last five years. It's been brutal in Ct . Last year was worse than this year and this years sucks! Wood care blows and I am getting killed at the moment . One house has sat for 3 weeks one third done. Skies opened up this morning on a deck that was finished last night late and not dry and the garage doors I just had finished this morning ! The next ten days don't look good?
 

Rick Petry

New member
Every day it rains. But then we'll do $5000 on a sunny day and that brings a stupid grin to my face.

"A change in the weather... is known to be extreme. But what's the sense of changing horses.. in mid stream?"

-- Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks

Music tends to help calm and add perspective. This too will pass.
 

John Tornabene

Member Guest
I quit..TODAY!!!!! Done-gone-finished!! Never again............Untill Monday....Now where really getting backed up with some houses and decks stripped weeks ago. Thanks God for a Condo Complex we did last week in the torrential rain..that was a homerun. From what I'm hearing here there is rain in the forcast for the next 14 days...which will put us around July 10th..OUCH!!
 

Douglas Hicks

New member
Yes, I have, usually at 3:00 AM or when I get up at 5:00 or 6:00 AM ot start all over again. I thought I had a partner lined up that I could teach the exhaust business and then sell the exhaust cleaning to him. I would keep the rest of the business for myself.

Then things started to pop up, he wanted to
1. Hire under the table and pay cash to the employees
2. Hide the money we made so as not to pay too much in taxes?
3. If this does not work out, I will take all the new accounts with me.
4. Wanted to split the money 50/50, but wanted me to own 70%. (REad 76% of the liability)
5. Did not understand why I wanted an attorney to write an agreement between us

The biggie, he thought he might be facing bankruptcy on a wrecker company he had about 5 years ago.
 

Carlos Gonzales

New member
...the nerve...huh Doug? Hope all is well....

I actually had a similar scenario with me but it involved the landscaping business...a cat up in Sacramento wanted too much % of the profits but did not want to contribute for insurance, bonds and etc.....funny thing is that he called me just before Fathers Day and asked whether or not I had any work for him...:biggrin:
 

Douglas Hicks

New member
...the nerve...huh Doug? Hope all is well....

I actually had a similar scenario with me but it involved the landscaping business...a cat up in Sacramento wanted too much % of the profits but did not want to contribute for insurance, bonds and etc.....funny thing is that he called me just before Fathers Day and asked whether or not I had any work for him...:biggrin:


Did you tell him the job involved a trip to a warm place?

A few months after that fiasco, I talked to another employee where "jim" was working when we were trying to set up the business deal. He was glad we did not work things out and told me that "jim" had asked for his old job back. "jim" was told the position was filled.

One of the guys on the GP had a similar partnership experience. That did not work out either.

"jim" and I were talking to my attorney, I asked the attorney if he ever saw a 50/50 partnership work. My attorny said "Yes, once he saw a 50/50 work very well. Two brothers started a lawm mowing service while in high school. They developed a good business that evolved into full landscape service." There were no other 50/50 partnerships he ever saw that worked.
 
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