starting out

[jerry mallett 14]

hello i am new at this but i am currently looking at starting a pressure washing/ chimney cleaning business with a friend of mine.we have around 8 to 10 thousand dollars to work with.i was wondering if that would be enough to start with and also i am going to purchase a john deere pressure washer that is 3800psi/4.0 gpm.cold water.i am looking to upgrade in the future to a hot water system once the business proves itself.We will be doing mostly residential properties and house trailers probably.anyhow i was just wondering if this seems like a feasible venture and also was wondering about bidding on jobs

[Little Buddy 14]

This is my advice, as a newbie as well. Take a year off before starting your business. RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH. You don't want to have that 10 grand go to waste in vain. The actual labor side of the industry is the easy part. What i found to be the hardest during my months of hard and thorough research is the business side. I know it sounds dumb, but you two need to sit down and sketch a rough business plan and agree upon a business model. Next, locate your distributors and start networking with them, they will know a lot about the industry and give create advice. Then comes the price matrix/list, this takes the longest to develop.

Now for the fun part. The majority of your ten grand should go into a professionally designed website, and get your company branded, and advertising. Nothing screams credibility louder than a professionally designed company , no matter the size or experience.

Just to give you an idea of what my budget looks like: 80% advertising, 10% legal documentation, 5% software and such, and 5% equipment. This is what a startup business's budget should look like.

The bottom line...Look, Act, and strive to be a credible, reliable, and diligent company.

Thanks, Joe

P.S, Ask questions, but research thoroughly so they are thoughtful questions.

[Rick2 42]

Now for the fun part. The majority of your ten grand should go into a professionally designed website, .

I guess it depends on the area. I've been around for many years and have never had a site. Still don't and the phone doesn't stop ringing.