Pressure Wash News Summer

You’re Not
Alone
How to deal with local competition
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Rob Schruefer is the owner of On
The Spot Detailing out of Columbia,
Maryland, and proudly serves on the
board of the International Detailing
Association; but his advice is equally
sage for aspiring pressure wash
business owners.
BY ROB SCHRUEFER
In the exterior cleaning industry, there is a
never ending line of people starting their
own businesses.
The low start-up and overhead costs
make the industry ripe for those looking
to break away from the daily grind of a
9-to-5 office job.
The facts of the matter are that this
low barrier to entry inevitably creates a
flood of new businesses offering unsustainably
low costs and poor quality.
As these new businesses come to
market, the more veteran businesses try
to ignore them, but often find themselves
explaining to clients why their service
and experience is worth the cost to
complete a job well.
I can tell you from years of experience
that these types of businesses will not hurt
your bottom line, and that the customers
that they do take probably either didn’t
value your time or required costs in the
first place (and probably would have
moved on at some point anyways).
Look, there will always be competition
in your local market. It is how you
handle that reality that will set you apart
from the rest.
A well-educated customer will not
always go with the cheaper option if
you are able to sell them on the experience
you are providing. And remember
– sometimes the only way a customer
becomes “well-educated” is to make the
mistake of enlisting a Johnny-Come-
Lately business in the first place.
I believe that regardless of competition,
you are selling yourself and your
product to the customer, period.
If you do not get the customer, I
believe you failed in explaining why you
are the best option, period.
Here are a few tips to remember, then,
when thinking about the competition.
COMPETITION
IS NOT ALWAYS
A BAD THING
There are good aspects to having
strong local competition.
Businesses with no competitors
soon become lazy and lose sight of the
customer and their needs.
It is always good to have someone
nearby to keep you on your toes and to
keep driving yourself and your business
forward.
The competition also promotes innovation
and the discovery of new products
and services that will bring more
customers your way and ultimately lead
to a better experience for the customer.
Do not make the mistake of trying to
compete on the competition’s low level
As a business owner, it is important
that you do not get sucked into the black
hole of attempting to compete with
unreasonably low prices AND offering a
quality service to your customers.
I cannot tell you how often I have
heard, “The guy on Craigslist did it last
time for $50.”
I always ask why they are not
using him anymore, and the answer is
ALWAYS, “he is out of business,” or “it
was a terrible job.”
Both explanations serve as adequate
justification for your market-adequate
service price.
If you lower your price to match fresh
competition, I assure you that you will be
unable to pay your bills and support your
business.
The only alternative in that scenario
is to do a similarly bad job as the competition
would.
That too is a losing proposition with
your customer.
continued ...
12 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 2, NO. 3 | SUMMER 2020