start out

[eric 14]

If you were starting your business tommorrow, knowing what you know about the p.w business , what would you do to generate business?

[Jon 533]

Now exactly what kind of answer are you looking for, oh I know, I would not start a pressure washing business but find another line that requires less physical work.

Now for another answer, I spent 3 month researching this business before jumping in, spent time with another PW, priced everything I felt at that time I would need.

Learn which businesses allow local manager to make the call, which require DM or RM, which ones prefer to have facilities manager at corp. level call the shots.

There is much much more and if your thinking of going into this business work for someone first and get hands on experience.

If your already in it you should have had this as part of your business plan.

[RyanH 14]

I think governments are the only entities which generate business. Am I right? Come up with new laws and create new positions to enforce those laws, like cops who video people putting flyers up in neighborhoods.

I think real estate would (eventually) be a good deal to get into. I'm looking into buying a condo in FL and renting it out most of the time. I've got my sights set on opening a liquor store at some point in the semi-near future. And a gun store not long after that. A friend of mine who accidentally got into selling jet skis has done quite well with it. Lawn care is oversaturated in my area, so I'd stay away from that.

The best way to start a business is to look at people who run small business and are successful and see the things that make it successful (customer service and satisfaction is generally numero uno, so you really need to know your S). The key is to find something that is needed or in demand but is not in overabundant supply. That's one reason why specialty people do so well. I can see where pressure washing can be VERY profitable in my area, but I estimate it would take about $30k in operating capital to really make it happen, then a crew (or yourself) that is committed enough to work outside in the weather and give quality work (lack of motivated labor is the limiting factor in many fields).

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Keep doing the very same thing we are doing now.

Plan, Market, Advertise, Educate, Service, Follow up!

Rod~

:seeya:

[One Tough Pressure 580]

I should have been a dealer so I could sucker the newbie and overcharge them since they did not do their homework.

[EmpirePW 14]

Well if it's a PW business you are looking to start then the first thing I would do is go to property managers in your area. When I was in Michigan I did PW work on the side for a summer. I found 4 property managers and told them if they could send me 5 jobs I would clean their houses for free. I ended up doing 32 houses and got paid for 28 of them then did 4 for free. I just offered someone who had connection to home owners free service and they sold me to their clients. Now that I am down south and trying to do this as a career I am trying to get commercial clients. I am working at getting in really good with one resturaunt chain and doing multiple locations for them then using before and after pictures and the DM reference to sell myself to other local businesses.

[Paul B. 523]

"If you were starting your business tommorrow, knowing what you know about the p.w business, what would you do to generate business?"

I would only knock on peoples doors that had given me business or referrals.

But seriously...

Some basics to generating business:

- Eat, drink and sleep marketing and sales.

- Learn about marketing, sales and advertising.

- Use many marketing techniques and keep track of what works when.

- Have a good budget for marketing and advertising.

- Have many business cards, post cards and flyers printed and mail them out repeatedly to the same potentials.

- Start slow and focus on high quality - this will lead to many referrals.

- Understand your customers and what they value (for example, a lot of folks in my area place low value on house siding cleaning, which makes pricing and speedy work critical).

- Always have business cards with you and hand them out to everyone and I mean everyone that comes close to you.

- Network with other contractors that can send you referrals.

- Get your name out there as many ways as you can (legally) - newspaper ads, street signs, vehicle lettering, flyers, business cards, home and garden shows, etc.

- Know your product, services and competition.

- Organize good presentation of your services.

- Offer rewards for referrals.