In the Beginning...

[Mike 64]

I asked this question on another BBS and enjoyed reading the great and sometimes humorous responses!

Every good story has a beginning... Whats yours?

What I am asking is, What made you decide to get into the PW Business? How did you go about doing it? What equipment did you first start out with? What was the most important thing to you. If you could go back and do anything different, what would that be? And finally, if you could pass one word of advice to newcomers to the industry, what would you tell them?

[R L S 14]

I started working for a company in So Cal that washed all the Bank of Americas in So Cal or at least most of them. I worked for them all though high school. After I graduated I went to college got a degree in forestry. Then I fought forest fires with Forest Service on a Hotshot crew out of Nor Cal. did that for 3 years, I was gone 6 months out of the year fighting fires all across the country and only being home maybe 3 weeks out of a 6 month fire season. Yeah I also had 6 months off to do whatever but I figured if I wanted to have a family and raise my kids the way I wanted to I better find a job that let me be around a little more. So I bought some equipment from my former employer, put my trailer together and here I am 1 year later going all out, full time and also missing at times the excitment of my former work and the pay. The equpiment I started with was a Hotsy unit 5gpm and 3000psi great unit wouldnt buy any other. The most important thing about starting out is eduaction, research and more research. Residential was a new ball game for me and I studied my butt off to learn all I could about it and now I it is most of my business and doing well. Advice for newcomers, dont scrimp on equipment and educate yourself as much as possible.

RLS

[Mike Williamson 198]

I was the VP of a property management firm here in town that manages HOA's/Condos. We did our own in-house maintenance of small things, but contracted out things like roof cleaning, pressure washing, painting, wood replacement, etc. We decided to open a full maintenance division and do much of this work ourselves. I was the one to take that on. Quite a bit of this work was roof and gutter cleaning and pressurewashing.

I was looking for an answer to something, so I did a websearch and found the Pressure Washing Institute. I started reading back posts, and eventually found all the boards that were around then (Beth hadn't started TGS yet). I also realized how much money was being paid for work that I enjoyed doing. The idea began to form to venture out on my own, so I started doing a lot of research and planning. At the end of 2003, I jumped into it full time and things have been going well ever since.

[Mathew Johnson 123]

Mid August of 2003 We had just finished getting our house sided. We bought a pressure washer at Tractor Supply Company. My son and I were washing down the driveway and he said "Dad, I bet people would pay for pressure washing." Until then, I didn't even know that commercial pressure washing exhisted. I asked around at work and two coworkers aked for prices on thier houses. The rest was history. We did a bit of scattered work last year, then this spring my phone started ringing... Things I would Do Differently... The list is endless. #1 - Research, Research and Research. I bought useless / lousey equipment to start, made some technical mistakes, Did OK with marketing after I started reading these boards.

The main component of my success this year was the unselfish and for the most part excellent advise I recieved of off the BBS, PWNA, TGS, *** and CN. The PWNA was an excellent resource, Everette, Henry, Beth, Rod and others. Thier advise helped to the point I could give back a little (PWNA Membership Dues) to the industry to promote a higher standard.

I would rather Pressure Wash a House than work as an RN... And I love my nursing job.

[Cleveland Mobile 14]

I started in 1981 simply because I hated working for big business. I've kept it small over the years, have my 2 sons work with me and yes sometimes I regret the move, after all you are taking all the risks. But in the long run I'd say it was one of the better moves I've made. I'm trying to work my way out of fleet washing and more towards flat work or whatever will help me get through the winters. Deck and house washing is my preference. More money and less hastle. I'm still not sure if it was ambition or just stupidity that made me start.....just kidding. Lot of good people in the business. I would love to meet all the people who post here. Seem like a good group .....even the misinformed ones..lol...

Andy