Adding on our 2nd truck.. what to know

[SamIam]

It is time! We are adding on our 2nd truck after being open for a year. July 23 of last year to be exact. We've grown and overbooked the last several months and want to cut back on these 7am to 8pm, 6 days a week plus computer work after 8pm. This is unfamiliar for me and my partner because we are now hiring a 2 full time employees and know that we will need workers comp now etc.

Any information you can help provide on these items:

- Payroll, what program are you using?
An accountant she tells how much taxes to with hold and we send them quarterly,

- Workers Comp, How much is it usually? Best company to go through?

Call your insurance provider they may offer it.

- We have liability insurance for the company, $1 million, $2 million agg. already through Farmers, but we must have to add employee liability insurance or whatever else they are offering. What is necessary?

- Health Insurance. I was reading if the employee's are paid over 13.88 I believe it is an hour, the company doesn't have to provide Health Insurance. Do you provide your employees Health Insurance? Are most of them full time or part time?

You have to have over 50 employees to even have to offer it.

No and no

What else am I missing?

An accountant!

Really could use any suggestions/help with these! Trying to get an idea on what we are looking on spending right away, by adding the 2 employees.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Dmreed4311]

Let me save you a couple years of your business life, Drop Host!! keep the machines for agitation and get a freaking TM! My first 2 years were spent cleaning with Host, I thought it did a great job until I used a TM. The cost of Host sponge is so high now! What is your monthly cost for sponge to make 12k?
I even went to the Host school in racine Wi back in the day. Host can clean but not like a TM.
This will go one of two ways.
3 years down the road you will not be cleaning with Host or 3 years down the road you will be out of business.

 

[Mike Draper]

Sounds like the folks calling you with bad experiences in HWE used the cheapest hack they could find and now are trying to find something else to replace those poor cleaning results for around the same price range. I have found that many of my clients start at the bottom and work their way up over the years finding that they truly do get what they pay for.

 

[ruff]

Funny though.
This year I got two calls from people about Host. Their HOA specified that the carpeting can only be cleaned with Host.
Many moons ago I went to host school (Tom Schultz) to those who knew him (what a hoot he was.)

Just not worth it for me to go through all the hassle to do it with Host. I'll have to charge them a small fortune, would make replacement a good option .
I just wish them luck.

 

[Art Kelley]

Funny though.
This year I got two calls from people about Host. Their HOA specified that the carpeting can only be cleaned with Host.
.

LOL. We have a condo up north with a HOA that specifies how many dogs you can own, how many times you can have sex (and only with with your legal spouse, and other ridiculous restrictions I ignore, but they never thought to restrict carpet cleaning methods to .......Host. WTF.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Soooo how many times os legal?

 

[Art Kelley]

Twice a week in the summer when the windows are open.

 

[Chris A]

And does it really have to be you're spouse?

 

[Desk Jockey]

 

[WillS]

Got the second truck today 8k cash paid upfront. Less than 96,000 miles commercial work truck so its been maintained well. Perfect for the host machines, sandias, vacuums, all that good stuff that goes with dry carpet cleaning. After reading a bunch of the posts on here, we have started increasing prices for some services and cutting back on sq. ft of what we consider for a room to generate more rev per truck. Not switching to HWE just yet, but keeping that in mind for future buys. Interlink holds some cool demo classes here for the HydraMaster, TM, etc. so think we will attend one of those in the future to get an idea of it. Anyways, getting this beauty wrapped up this week and on the road by Thursday. Already have both trucks booked up til next Tuesday! Here we go...

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[Shane Deubell]

Got the second truck today 8k cash paid upfront. Less than 96,000 miles commercial work truck so its been maintained well. Perfect for the host machines, sandias, vacuums, all that good stuff that goes with dry carpet cleaning. After reading a bunch of the posts on here, we have started increasing prices for some services and cutting back on sq. ft of what we consider for a room to generate more rev per truck. Not switching to HWE just yet, but keeping that in mind for future buys. Interlink holds some cool demo classes here for the HydraMaster, TM, etc. so think we will attend one of those in the future to get an idea of it. Anyways, getting this beauty wrapped up this week and on the road by Thursday. Already have both trucks booked up til next Tuesday! Here we go...

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Your progression is pretty normal, none of us is born knowing this stuff.

Just learn/improve a little bit everyday, hell i still am and its been around 18 years in this god forsaken industry.