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How Large A Roof Cleaning Company Do You Want To Become ?

Bruce Weber · Apr 6, 2014

Excellent question, Chris.

I go back and forth with it. We are small now, but do we want the issues that go along with growing? I've read both sides of the story on this forum. There are positives and negatives for both sides.

What do people think is a large roof cleaning company?

garyw · Apr 6, 2014

I do not want a large business anymore. I spent 30 years at BellSouth supervising 20--28 people, who were driving vehicles everyday and who were working within 3' of deadly voltages above their heads. I made a lot of money thru my 30 minute photo lab, again supervising 6--8 people everyday, 6 days a week. I now have a pretty successful roof cleaning business that I throughly enjoy and look forward to modest growth thru the years to come. One day I will probably give this business to either my sons or my grandsons to provide for their families.

Just an old mans opinion who has been there and done that. LOL

RCIA Founder

We once ran 3 roof cleaning trucks, now we have one main truck, but both our guys are cross trained, and we split them up into 2 trucks with groundspeople when we are really busy, like right now!

Stay Clean · Guest

Wouldn't how big of a business you become depend on how busy you are and how long you can maintain that work load? Naturally every business should expand and grow but will eventually stop growing at some point due to things like prices, level of service, competition, etc etc. If you just want to have an owner/operator business with one truck its possible to expand beyond what you want. A second truck means double the costs and having to deal with an employee.

Guest

Stay Clean wrote:
Wouldn't how big of a business you become depend on how busy you are and how long you can maintain that work load? Naturally every business should expand and grow but will eventually stop growing at some point due to things like prices, level of service, competition, etc etc. If you just want to have an owner/operator business with one truck its possible to expand beyond what you want. A second truck means double the costs and having to deal with an employee.

Or a second truck could mean double the revenue.

I think a different angle to the same question would be, who wants to be an owner/operator and who wants to be a business person or entrepreneur. I classify myself as the latter as we do much more than roof cleaning. There are lots of ways to skin a cat. I'll say this much, variable cost models work quite well. Now if I could only find more good help......

DAS · Apr 11, 2014

I want to stay small I can control the results of my own work but not others. I'm much happier knowing that my business is mostly repeat.

RCIA Founder

DAS wrote:
I want to stay small I can control the results of my own work but not others. I'm much happier knowing that my business is mostly repeat.

LOL, stay small, and keep it all ?

There are pros and cons to either situation for a roof cleaning company.

Central Iowa Roof Cleaning · Certified Cedar Shake Roof Cleaning Specialist

Small works for me. But it is all subjective to what someone wants out of life. What I have found is sub-contracting out to other cleaners works well. I get the leads, close the cleanings and just sub them out. This creates a win/win situation.

Advantage Roof Cleaning · Apr 14, 2014

As of now, I not only own the business but own a job since I do some of the actual cleaning. Sure I have hired help but I also participate in the actual work. I would like to grow the business to the point where I can focus working "on" my business and not "in" my business. In the ultimate business, the owner can walk away from the business and it will continue to operate just like a McDonald's.

The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum "Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"

The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum
"Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"