Tell me how to start

[Limeade 14]

Ugh... I just can't get myself motivated enough to start, honestly, maybe I'm a tad scared. I have a 3000psi 2.7gpm machine, and I want to houses and maybe some fences.

I've asked a lot of questions, and I thought I had longer, but in houston the winter is already over, so now its crunch time.

I am a student, and I have limited funds. However my car payment is the only payment I make, all other expenses are taken care of through other jobs. So in other words, yeah I'm not rich, but I don't have a lot of bills.

What should I do? I found a site that will send out postcards for a good price. But I don't if that works. I am not super experienced, but I have done a couple jobs so far by words of mouth.

Inspire me guys.

[Jeff 232]

Read alot of the post in the sales & marketing section it can give you alot of Ideas.

As for motavation & inspiration thats something you have to have & find in yourself. Your going to school, I know a few guys in this biz that went to college and had high paying jobs and left it to do PWing

Inspiration ? Get off your lazy ass and get out there and do something. Help your parents pay bills that let you go to school and eat & live:lgsideway ONLY KIDDING DUDE LOL

But really do you want to be successful. Your young and if you really want to do something in this biz the sky is the limit. You can be like alot of others your age or you could be more!

By the time your 30 you could be doing 500K or more and just supervising, You do it right you can be retired in your 50's.These boards can help give you knowledge, but you & only you can give the motivation & hard work needed to be successful

Do any of the other jobs you have or see out there give you the chance of making $500 to $1000+ a day. PWing can. Now thats motivation!!!!

JL

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Putting out flyer's is the least expensive way but also not the most productive of your time.

It takes a lot longer to walk flyer's than it does to put an ad in a local contractors directory.

The money you invest into an ad should be recouped in the first couple of jobs and then you should start planning on the next ad to keep the momentum up.

Also, look into others ads and keep an eye on them. See how frequently they run and how often they drop off. This will give you an idea of who your strongest competitors are and who is just not making it. Learn from the strong ones that are most often seen.

The next question to you is to head off any potential problems and is based upon your first sentence.

How much experience do you have?

If you have little, then I would seek a labor for learning opportunity with someone in your area to get actual hands on experience.

Yes it is hard in the beginning. Our first year was much like yours. We found an ad agency that would set up a contract run for the ad over a years time and went onto a payment schedule. (net 30/ad) This helped us to free up capitol to use towards buying supplies and other equipment items.

The first year is the test of your mantle and conviction. The second is a test of your ability to improve and correct the first years mistakes. The third year is spent figuring out how to grow.

You have it in you, its just up to you to find it and have it motivate you. How badly do you want it? Don't answer us, answer it for yourself, then make the next move.

.02

Rod!~

[PressurePros 249]

You're lucky, Limeade. You have the advantage of finding a board like this one. You have the advantage of decades of collective experience to guide you. You have the advantage of being a step ahead of many guys that lost money through trial and error.

Do you want to work for someone and give the first four months pay of every year to Uncle Sam or do you want to achieve financial independance at a young enough age to enjoy it thoroughly? Listen, man, there is no other time in your life to get this thing going! You have no bills, no mortgage, no wife and kids to support. You have back up income to keep you afloat.

You want motivation? If you want me to fly to Texas and kick your behind I will. If you want to call me and learn some do's and don'ts, thats great too. But if you are looking for someone to tell you it's going to be easy, that's not me. If you want someone to say the whole process is going to be stress free and you are going to be an instant success, that's not me either.

Be realistic. Set short term goals. Scrape up $600 and send out 500 professionally designed flyers. You want commercial work and cheap advertising? Go barter with a print/graphics shop and offer them cleaning for reduced rates on advertising mediums like having your truck lettered. Do one job at a time. Know that everything you make this first year should go back into getting you better equipment.

When all is said and done, if you break even after the first year and you end up with a customer database, a lettered vehicle, more efficient tools and machinery, a nice logo and some killer business cards you have been completely successful.

Don't fart around. If you're season is starting, stop posting and go make some money! Just remember, what you put in, you will get back manyfold.

[charlie 14]

Are you in High School or College? Do you have insurance?

Charlie

[FullBlast 14]

Go kick butt man!!!!!!!! Get desperate to get dirty!!!!!!!!!! Gowash your house, wash your friends house and his shop,truck, car, trailer, boat, dozer, anything you can find to get some hands on know how!!!

Have any excavating Co. in your area? Go give them a good deal that they can't pass up to clean there equipment.They usally need something cleaned, sure it's dirty work, and you may come home blacker than coal, and sweated your eyes out but shucks you'll have a check in your hand and that is what count for starting up. You may say the books says not to make less than $30-50 hr but man at you stage just get a check in your hand, thats what you need. Not only will people see you but do a good job you may be back and they talk may get some work.

When you go into the hardware store to get some parts make for sure that you say something about you getting part for you power washing rig and that you do washing who knows...

I di very few house washing when I started, I got started in the grease. Here's things that I washed for the first 2 years in the order that I did the most of.

Tractor-trailers

Excavating equipment

Farm equip.

Sawmill/Logging equip.

Houses

Now I do very little equipment washes.

Just jump in and don't scared to get dirty!!!!

Put the pedal down and GET-R-Done Good Luck!!! :winking:

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Self Motivation is the only way to make it. Whether it be that you do not want to work for someone else, or you think that you can get rich quick, you need to find the motivator that gets you going. Making your own hours while going to school and making more money than working for someone else should be a big one right there.

How much have you used that machine you have? Do you enjoy the work while doing it? Are you willing to spend many more bucks in this to get more competitive? Do you, or do you plan on having business insurance?

[Limeade 14]

First off let me say thanks for everyones support, that seems to be what I needed, and I feel really inspired right now.

To answer a couple of questions...

I'm in College

However I am Married

I love using me machine

And I've washed 2 houses, and some walk ways and what not.

You guys gave me what I needed, I think I'm going to go change the oil in my machine right now! lol

[Jon 533]

Limeade,

How about your real name and business name in your profile for starters.

Being married should not hamper you from starting a business, if anything it should motivate you more unless you expect your wife to support you and in that case your in deep trouble man.

You mention you have done a couple walkways, I take that to mean concrete and if so I suggest a hot water machine with 5 plus GPM and I know you are not rich but do you really think most guys here were rich when they got into PWing?

I know some who work full time jobs and at night are out PWing to build up that business. I know some that spent $15,000 and did nothing but complain about not getting business or that his so called help stole his account etc.

I know some that get out there and knock on doors taking any job to gain experience then they find their niche and grow in leaps.

There is that college kid waiting for the experienced PWers to kick him in his BUTT and he hopes he can JUMP right into it.

Remember this, if you were not born rich, were not motivated to clean your bedroom as a young boy, were always trying to get out of doing things and you have not changed by now you won't.

That means you are not meant to be a business owner but a worker bee.

College can teach you but book experience means nothing, you need HANDS ON EXPERIENCE.

Find a pressure washer about say 150 or so miles from you willing to let you work for FREE to gain experience and don't be surprised if he ask you to sign a none-compete clause, sign it and learn.

Now stop hiding behind that arpron string and get your bed made, dress nicely and go pass out flyers. Take your rig with you and have work clothes in your truck so if someone offers you a job on the spot you are ready to clean it.

Enough from me but for the right amount of cash I will teach you flat work, air fare, hotel room and a week of me is all you need. One thing, can you keep up with me?

[Limeade 14]

Thanks, I'm not lazy , maybe I should have mentioned I do a lot of labor intensive work, I'm bandit sign guy for a big builder, and I also paint.

[Adrian 155]

Invest in an x jet setup geared for the psi of your machine and that will help out more than you can imagine for house washes. It will save you alot of ladder time. That helped me so much in my first year. It speeds up the washing process. I was only on a ladder maybe 2% of all my jobs this past Summer. Then get a 25.00 two wheeler to cart around your bucket of chems.

Read Read Read the post' on this site about all the applications you can use your pw for. Once you save up enough to recycle ad cost's then think about a larger PW and even a surface cleaner for cleaning concrete.

It is not easy what you are doing but you do have alot of advantages from the start as the earlier post mentioned. Learn to juggle since you have school and other work as well. This is a good honest living if you can get past the first three years like Rod said. You can do it, just be patient, and know that there may be a few blows along the way. Get insurance as well. It is a good selling tool and protects you. Get business license too. Be legal.

The professionals on this board are very helpful and will get you where you need to be. Some cases in advice you will find several ways to do the same thing. Do what works best for you. Do your best to keep money for advertising. Sock a little away after each job to build up your equipment.

It will take time but you will get there. Feel free anytime to ask questions or call if you need to. Yes Grime Scene, I am showing partiallity to my TEXAS bro.! lol.