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how do you expand?

2333 Views 11 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  PressurePros, 
T
Or maybe what is the correct order to expand?
Get more work than you can do then hope you can get the people and equipment to do it.
Get more people and equipment than you have work for and hope you can keep them useful.
Or some other way I haven't though of yet?

Right now I have 1 full time and 1 pt worker, doing mostly ext. jobs right now because people don't think about interior in the summer. I am looking to add one more full time because I have the work for it right now (my marketing is not working out as well as hoped), but after mid July I do not have nearly as much stuff lined up as Id like (I like to be booked 2 months out or so). By this time next year I would like to have a power washing division of 2 or so people that just do washing, gutter cleaning, window cleaning after an exterior project, and exterior staining. There are lots of threads on selling more jobs and pricing and advertising, which are all crucial parts of the business, but what is the proper way to go about expanding from a two man team to a more men team? I believe there is the need for my services in my area because most of the jobs that do not go to me are going to the larger outfits from a city 20 min away.
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Heres the secret, there is no secret. Robert Kiyosaki said it well in retire young retire rich. basically (paraphrase) I you wait to be ready, you will never be ready. Real growth only comes when you step out of your comfort zone.

I've never painted in the field a day in my life. Started from day one with 4 painters, and for the most part have kept at least that many working year round. Its funny how if you think of those painters as depending on you that you will find work for them. There has been plenty of times when I have been just days from being out of work and then go on a streak and sell 5 or 6 jobs in a day. Life works that way. So just take the leap, watch your margins and the rest will work out.

My last advise would be don't do busy work when you are supposed to be selling, its easy to find other tasks to do when you should be looking for work.
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