How much did it cost you to start?

[Little Buddy 14]

I thought this would be neat to see. How much did it cost to start your company, and how much did you make (gross) your first year?

[James 624]

I had small vans for my window cleaning Biz. Trailer and new truck and then two of everything adds up quick for PW.

[RPetry 564]

For wood restoration, I probably spent about $5K initially for insurances, state license fees, Quickbooks, business cards, minimum advertising, basic equipment and tools, spare parts, chemicals, and a small inventory of stain. Already owned a truck and 3 computers.

[PressurePros 248]

The equipment and all that is consequential to the startup. You can start for relatively cheap. Where the expense comes and as its tied into gross sales is in the advertising. A new company can expect to earn back maybe $4 for every $1 spent. You also have to keep in mind that a correctly setup company pays its owner a salary. You don't just keep what's left over. That salary can fall between 20%-30%. You can add another 40% to your salary as a one man show but that will be lowered the moment you add employees (which should be every company owners goal).

So here's the math on realistic first year earnings if you have a $10,000 advertising budget.

Gross Sales: $20,000

Your take: $25,000 minus taxes give or take a couple thousand.

So to answer your question, you had better allot a fair amount of advertising dollars to your budget as well as a cash reserve that will supplement your first year's income unless you have a full time job or a spouse that can pay the bills. I started PressurePros with about $60,000.

Now the much less discouraging part. When I started PP, I had to go the traditional route of advertising (mailers, Yellow Pages, news ads, etc). Today, my website generates a ton of leads and its fairly cheap. You can start with a much lower budget and make a halfway decent living. Don't skimp on your website. Budget to have it professionally designed and SEO'd.

[Little Buddy 14]

I have enough in my budget for 2 1000 mailer campaigns with targeted demographics. Then i have the door hanger budget, magnet budget, supplies budget, misc budget, and i am trying to get some senior web design students to make me a website.

The other website option is to have it professionally designed for $200 down and $100 a month with the option to buy if i want ($7000-$10,000). This includes free maintenance, changes, SOE, hosting, blah blah blah.

here is a website that they created that i want to base mine off of if i go that route: Pavers, Retaining Walls, Stewart Land Designs, Tomball, Texas, TX I would get the music, slide show, portfolio, SOE for 10 search engines, the whole ball of wax with no contract. I could only pay for the months that I'm in season (basically 4-5 months when I'm not in school). Tell me what you think of the website deal.

[PressurePros 248]

that design looks nice and clean but leave some to be desired for selling content and SEO. I'm not sure I would pay that much. I certainly wouldn't pay $7000 for it. The "Visualizer" is hot though. that's an awesome piece of programming and is what makes the cost more justified I suppose.

Here is another company that I believe offers contractors a leased website deal. They have a much firmer grasp on SEO as well.

http://www.footbridgemedia.com/

[Ron Musgraves 240]

I thought this would be neat to see. How much did it cost to start your company, and how much did you make (gross) your first year?

I started with 500.00 loan in college from my parents.

Today if I did it right 25 years later i would agree more with Ken on this one.

Not to say you can't start on a shoe string.

If you do your research spend some time studying the business you might save a few dollars.

Dont try to save money on your tools, buy the right stuff.

My personal choice today to start would be 100,000 to run for the first year. if I wanted employees an know what I know now!!! 250,000 staff of 5 right out of the gate.

Ricks right you can jump in for 5000 or maybe even less

[Little Buddy 14]

I'm getting that website build by a senior web design student for $100, not bad eh? Awesome deal because he wants to build a portfolio for his business he wants to start.

[PressurePros 248]

I'm getting that website build by a senior web design student for $100, not bad eh? Awesome deal because he wants to build a portfolio for his business he wants to start.

smart!

[Douglas Hicks 128]

Less than $2,000.00. I had a POS pick-up, an overpriced PW and Vaccuum. I saw an ad by Black Magic Chimney Sweep. All I knew was what the picture showed. I did not know how to drape, or even to drape. I did cover up the appliances with plastic. I reused plastic (don't tell Ed) and my labor was cheap. The first job took 3 tries, and I was not pleased with the results nor was the customer. I got better and kept the customer for 20 years until they sold out. I did not like the new guy and dropped him.

[netspider 14]

Great topic as I am figuring this out as I wake up each morning. So far two weeks in, Have a 2004 Suburban, Carry On Trailers 5' X 10' - Has rear drop down ramp. Single axle with 2000 lb. gross weight. 2005 Alkota Model 5305EB skid with diesel fueled heater. New 4000 PSI pump & unload valve and a service from Hotsy last week , 12 volt battery, and two 25 ft. heavy duty hoses and wand, 350Gal Water Tank and my first shipment of EFC 38, HD-80 and Citralic / Brightener arrived Friday. I also have a New TroyBuilt 2800 PSI cold - on wheels to throw in the trailer if needed. My market is residential / HOA Fence,small flat work Driveway,patio,mailbox and repair to start. I am in with a few real estate agents for Curb Appeal projects and a few good size Landscape companies who handle nice properties of 800-1000 home a week each between 3000 and 5000 SQ feet with lots of upside if pointed out. So Day by Day I will spend what I have to keep taking the next step and digest what I can and deliver a job I would pay for. Wake up the next day and learn some more. Cost so far not including my SUV, under 5K.

Dan

[Little Buddy 14]

nobody is telling what they grossed their first year...I think this would be neat to see.

[nitrox2595 15]

i have not posted in a very long time. Truth is, i started another company (my 4th) and turned my back on the pwing. Huge mistake. At the best times, Spotless was grossing 850k to 1.3 Mil a yr. I really didn't like it, it was like i was embarrassed that i ownes a powerwashing business, i started hating the customers,and all the BS, so i was a big shot and started a demolition company.... so happy. till it became a business.Now i am full bore back trying to get my "flow" back for pwing... don't kill the goose that laid the golden egg... a million dollar house is nice, but when you cant afford it..............not so nice

[Tegrey 121]

To tell you the truth,

Starting our business cost me everything I had to spend. I worked every minute I could and worked extra jobs, plowed snow, etc. to pay the bills. I couldn't say exactly what it cost, because I did not know. This was before I learned to run and build a business. I had no idea how much to charge customers pay for supplies or even buy equipment. It was a tough time. I know you'd like a number, but there really isn't one.

I made $175. my first january. I pay that much for gas per week today. Just an answer from someone who doesn't know.

[gutterdog 14]

I kept a full time job and put some home made signs out. The signs were as professional as I could make them. Just gutter cleaning. It was just my truck and my dads 24 foot ladder. Did a gutter cleaning for a customer whose father passed away. Got a 40 ft, 32, and another 24 and some cheap a frames. In trade for the gutter cleaning. Just before that I found a ladder rack for $50. I mean just before that! Kinda makes you wonder?

Well at the time gutter cleaning was very seasonal(it aint now) I had to offer other services. Lawn care and pressure washing I added. Went full time, worked my butt off. Dropped lawn service. (anyone wanna buy some law service stuff?) Got rid of the 2- 2550 psi 2.5 gpm's. Bought a 4gpm. 4,000 psi. Went with that and this year learned a whole new way!!!! I'm selling more house washings versus gutter anything now.

Today i made $475 on a gutter job and sold her on a house wash in a week or 2!

I'm booked for the next 4 days, sat and sun working too.

Let me tell everyone that takes the time to read this... THANK YOU GRIME SCENE. THANK YOU HENRY, THANK YOU TO EVERY WASHER THAT TOOK THE TIME TO CALL ME ON THE PHONE, THAT TOOK A PERSONAL INTEREST IN ME. Thanks for makin me do some work and not just answer my questions.

Best of luck to everyone in here! (I did raise my prices too, they back where they used to be! Prices are fair to me and the customer again.)

Everything worthwhile is a strugle.

Came back to say this. I think Gutterdogs has an advantage over many washers around here. Even the ones that use the same chems. We aint scared of heights! Setin a 40 foot ladder we do all the time!!!

Edited September 19, 2009 by gutterdog

[gutterdog 14]

nobody is telling what they grossed their first year...I think this would be neat to see.

You are way better organized than I was starting out. If it was that easy everybody be washing houses! Best of luck to you. Youre not gonna make a million you first second or third year. There are so many things that come into play. So many things! AND a whole lotta LUCK!

See what works and stay with that. DROP what doesnt ASAP.

[Little Buddy 14]

I don't know about you, but i couldn't try to sell a service or product if i wasn't educated or confident in myself. I can't believe that people would start a company without doing at least 6 months of research before hand. In this industry, there is so much information to learn on the labor side as well as the business side. I want to start as efficiently as possible and try to carry as much credibility as possible.

I would say the biggest investment you should make, besides equipment, is a PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED website and a large advertising budget. The biggest thing that has helped me out so far is the site and the amount of knowledge and people willing to share it.

If you read enough, you can see all the trial and error that others have experienced, and can use that to you advantage. My favorite is the products trial and error because it will save me sooooooo much money and time and maybe some customers too.

Organization is the key to efficiency and productivity. If I'm not organized, I'm not happy.

[gutterdog 14]

I don't know about you, but i couldn't try to sell a service or product if i wasn't educated or confident in myself. I can't believe that people would start a company without doing at least 6 months of research before hand. In this industry, there is so much information to learn on the labor side as well as the business side. I want to start as efficiently as possible and try to carry as much credibility as possible.

I would say the biggest investment you should make, besides equipment, is a PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED website and a large advertising budget. The biggest thing that has helped me out so far is the site and the amount of knowledge and people willing to share it.

If you read enough, you can see all the trial and error that others have experienced, and can use that to you advantage. My favorite is the products trial and error because it will save me sooooooo much money and time and maybe some customers too.

Organization is the key to efficiency and productivity. If I'm not organized, I'm not happy.

Organization. yes! I did my website myself. Over time it is where it is now. All that money you spendin you could save by figuring it out and doin it your self.

Do this! I'm fixing to dump them. Check out www.gutterdogs.net I think. That a paid proffesional thing. My stuff is better. Why because I care. No company is going to care 'cause it aint them. Their keywords suck everything! And they know what they doing enough to charge me?

Everyone got their websites built by someone else.

Advertising? guess how much I spend now? Nuthing! Really!!! I'm doing better now than before.

You sound like you got it all figured out. best of luck to you!

[Ron Musgraves 240]

I don't know about you, but i couldn't try to sell a service or product if i wasn't educated or confident in myself. I can't believe that people would start a company without doing at least 6 months of research before hand. In this industry, there is so much information to learn on the labor side as well as the business side. I want to start as efficiently as possible and try to carry as much credibility as possible.

I would say the biggest investment you should make, besides equipment, is a PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED website and a large advertising budget. The biggest thing that has helped me out so far is the site and the amount of knowledge and people willing to share it.

If you read enough, you can see all the trial and error that others have experienced, and can use that to you advantage. My favorite is the products trial and error because it will save me sooooooo much money and time and maybe some customers too.

Organization is the key to efficiency and productivity. If I'm not organized, I'm not happy.

First figure what type your going to go after, I'm not one of these guys that says try all these different things. get one do it well...

[Christopher 102]

Before I started my own business, I have had a lot of experience working with others out there and at jobs I have had to do pressure washing tools, equipment, vehicles, heavy equipment, etc....as part of the job.

I knew what I wanted and it cost me between $20k and $25K to start but I did buy a lot of stuff that I did not need and eventually started using so most of what I purchased I finally put into use.

I agree with the others, don't skimp on quality equipment/tools, it will come back to haunt you or worse.

[tinsley 14]

I nworked full time when i started. Didnt make much but did get off the ground enough to leave my job after bout 5 months. If I had to guess i made 40G the first year working alone with no helpers

[premiumpowerwash 14]

Although in another country, I to have my story. Before buying that first year buisness license I had some skill pressure washing part time for a poultry outfit. This and hours of forum reading ie TGS, helped me stride in the right direction. I bought an old e350 for van, good website, some advertising, 13 hp 4040, and typical starter equipment. Total cost : 6000. My first year I grossed 18 K and experienced several learning curves as anyone should expect. Almost done my second year of business, I have upgraded to a 14x7 enclosed trailer unit, a professioal logo and image, 5.6 3400 psi with 2 back up 13 hp 4040 and other equipment upgrades. I have a part time employee for bigger jobs and scheduled contract cleaning. Already grossed 48 k and looking to finish just short of 55k at the end of the year. Can say I am estatic for year 3 of buisness ! Thanks to all of TGS for so much valuable info that has saved me thousands.

[plainpainter 217]

I started on a shoe-string budget and constantly robbed peter to pay paul for my first 3 years, then made the plunge with a final robbing of peter to start my washing business. I'd say without starting capital, without a business plan - it will take you 5 years before you can even consider a salary - and that's if you are your own mechanic fixing your own truck and pressure washers - and are technically inclined to do your own SEO - and have a friend that is advertizing/marketing that can help you if you help him with other things like paint his shop and stuff.

And of course there is luck - I barely survived the past two years. Had I not started in '04 with all the experience of mistakes and setbacks - I don't know what I would be doing now. Not to mention in my area all forms of print traditional advertizing are extremely expensive - with loads of indications that they no longer work. So even if you have a sizable advertizing budget - it's unclear where you can even spend it? Websites work best in Metropolitan areas, but if you are in suburbia their effectiveness drops dramatically.

I just barely squeeked by, major kudos to guys coming in now - hope it works out.

[RGilliam 46]

I started off with about $300.00. Just enough to buy a POS pressure washer which I still have and it still works......i think =) but the dollars kept adding up from there. I'm over the 10,000 mark easy. I wish I knew then what i know now.

[FLORIN 21]

I started by borrowing the company that I worked for machine "to wash my house". I maxed out my cedit card that had $250 on it on a professional logo and biz cards. I went door to door and passed out a card to anyone in arms reach. Used the company's washer for 7 weekends in a row and got enough cash to buy a VERY used rig from a rental place. First year part time(every weekend) I made 33k. This is my first year full time since April 1st. Gonna break 100k easily.

[Jim Gamble 20]

I started with my workers comp money of $17,500 dollars. I took that money and bought my first railer with tanks and a Delco 5500 SS. That year,1989, I made $17,500. I broke even. The next year I made a little more, just under 50K. Then the following year a bit more.

I have never " LOST " money in my business.

My first garage I did for just over 2 cents a sq. ( 207,000 sq ft. for $5,000 )

I thought I was rich. That was the high end for garage cleaning in 1989 with no reclamation needed at that time. It was called Tide and Bleach.

Today, we clean for .XX a sq ft. Though we have approx. x x x x x garage Cleaning Companies in N. California. We are the highest priced. We have never advertised, no Ad's, no flyer's, to marketing calls in 21 years of doing business. Customers finds us.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Jim Gamble