How to Start a Pressure Washing Business

Being able to put together and learn how to start a pressure washing business successfully has similar plans to most service-based industries. Even though the barrier to entry in the pressure washing business is more minimal. However, some considerations are involved to ensure you’re able to establish it and make it succeed. Finances, loans, staff, professionalism, and setting your business plan are only a few steps and aspects we can mention. This process, after all, will involve more than the essentials people are used to.

Now, where should you start? Learning about the industry you are aiming for, becoming an actual professional, and building your business plan are the main steps we will add to a guide, which is exactly what we did below to help you set your pressure washing business without any difficulties.

Learn to Pressure Wash Like A Professional

Before you start your power washing business, there are two reasons to learn how to pressure wash like a professional:

1. You will gain experience to clean the surfaces of your customers well and not damage the surrounding areas.
2. You will get to the bottom of a question you will ask yourself: Why are you interested in starting your own business.

Focusing on learning about pressure washing, you don’t necessarily have to invest money in a course or anything of the sort.

Youtube.com has tutorials and courses (and how-to sections) that you can watch and learn from all day. However, practice is the best way to learn.

Borrow the equipment from a friend or rent one at any store near you that offers them. You can clean your driveway, fence, and siding, as well as your car, boat, and grill. Anything that allows you to practice.

This won’t make it easy to be an expert, but it will help you build a solid foundation. You won’t make the same mistakes again. This stage will also help you to identify if it is something that you don’t like doing.

You can also call a nearby pressure washing company and ask them to allow you to work for free for a month every Saturday or similar deals. Ask questions and get to know how you can get things done professionally.

Make A Solid Business Plan

A business plan is a kind of guide that will allow you to map out your pressure washing business. It will also help you uncover unknowns and help you to maximize potential and eliminate bottlenecks.

This plan can help you get business support, a loan, or even a partner. The following sections should be included in a business plan to make sure it is useful:

• Executive summary.
• Description of the company.
• Market research.
• Product/Service description.
• Management and operational structure.
• Strategy for marketing and sales.
• Financial projections.

You must determine your scope of services when creating a business plan. Also, set your prices.

Consider what you want. Are you content with pressure washing? Do you offer other services such as general maintenance, cleaning drains, and window washing?

Next, determine how much you will charge for your services.

Once you have calculated your break-even point (where total revenues equal total expenses), compare what your competitors are charging. Here is a rough pricing table for pressure washing:

• Exterior siding for a home: $90-$250.
• Driveway: $80-$220.
• Deck or patio: $250-$500.
• Vehicle cleaning: $50-$130.

HomeAdvisor estimates that customers spend between 15 and 75 cents per square foot on pressure washing. Rates will vary depending on the size of your project. However, you can use the averages in your area to determine competitive pricing.

Get Your Pressure Washing Business Started

There are many steps involved in starting a washing business. It is important to choose a name, a legal structure, and obtain the appropriate licenses, permits, and insurance.

It is simple to name them, but not so much when it comes to learning a bit more. Thus, we will help you by going over the crucial ones:

• Select Your Business Name.

Choose a name that is attractive and relevant for your pressure washing company. Matching domains is also crucial so people can find you later with the name properly.

• Register Your Business.

Your business can be run as a sole proprietor. In that case, you don’t have to register it. But registering your business will provide you with legal benefits, tax benefits, and personal liability protection if you choose others. It is well worth it.

There are five options when it comes to choosing a business structure:

• Sole proprietorship.
• Partnership.
• C Corporation.
• S Corporation.
• Limited Liability Company (LLC).

Each option comes with its own pros and cons. This is why it’s important to do your research before you make any decision. For legal advice, you can also hire an attorney.

• Sort Out Legal Formalities.

To be a pressure washer business owner, you must understand the legal requirements. This includes obtaining the necessary licenses, permits, insurance, and registration.

To obtain the correct business documents, contact your county clerk’s or city’s licensing offices to learn the requirements in your area. Below is a list of the documents required to open a pressure washing company:

• Register your business with the state.
• Pay a bond to obtain a license to pressure wash in your area.
• Register your company with the IRS for taxes. To file your EIN (Employer Identification Number), go to the IRS website.
• Apply for a permit to pressure wash your area and an environmental permit to dispose of your wastewater properly.

Insurance is also necessary. Three types of insurance are required for every pressure washing business:

• Equipment Insurance to protect against damage or theft.
• Liability Insurance to cover any damage caused by pressure cleaning.
• Workers’ Compensation for injuries sustained while working.

Register & Get a Business Bank Account

You can separate your personal and company assets by opening a business bank account.

This is particularly important if your personal assets are to be protected. Another benefit of having separate business bank accounts is that tax filing and accounting are much easier.

To separate your business and personal expenses, you can also get a business credit line. This will help your company’s credit score and keep you in good standing with the IRS.

To open a bank account for a business, you will need to have the following documentation: an EIN, proof of business address, and business formation documents.

Startup Costs and Your Finances

Every business comes with a cost. You need to decide how you will pay those costs. Are you able to finance your startup, or will you need to borrow funds? Do you have enough money to sustain yourself and your startup if you are leaving your job? It is best to determine the startup cost.

Many startups fail due to running out of capital before they turn a profit. As the business can start generating sustainable revenue, it is a good idea to underestimate the amount of capital needed.

To make sure you are going over the finances properly, this is everything you must review:

• Do a break-even analysis.

A break-even analysis is a way to determine how much money your company needs. This essential part of financial planning helps business owners to determine when their product, service, or company will be profitable.

What does the analysis include? All this: Fixed Prices or Average Price – Variable costs = What You Must Earn.

This formula is a must-have tool for entrepreneurs. It tells you what the minimum performance your company needs to achieve in order to avoid losing money. It also helps you understand where your profits are coming from to set production goals accordingly.

In addition, these are the top three reasons you should conduct a break-even analysis:

1. Determine profitability. This is usually every business owner’s highest interest.
2. What revenue should you generate to pay all your expenses? What products and services make a profit? Which ones do not?
3. Pricing a product or service. Most people consider the cost of creating their product and what their competitors’ prices are. Do you want to know what your fixed rates are? What about variable costs? What is the total cost of the goods? What is the price of physical goods? How much does the labor cost?
4. Analyze the data. How many goods and services are you required to make a profit? What can you do to reduce your fixed costs? What can you do to reduce your variable costs per unit?

• Be aware of your spending habits.

When starting a business, don’t spend too much. Know what purchases are best for it before anything else. Don’t spend too much on equipment that doesn’t make you more successful. Keep track of your business expenses so you can stay on track.

Startups often spend too much money on unneeded things. Therefore, you might want to address this by creating a list or just being more aware of what you don’t actually need.

• Take into account your financing options.

There are many ways to raise startup capital for your company. Many factors will determine the best method to raise capital for it as well. These include creditworthiness and the available options:

1. Business loans. A bank loan can be a great starting point if you require financial assistance. However, these loans are not always easy to obtain. You can also apply for a loan to your small business through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
2. Business grants. They can be compared to loans, but they don’t have to be repaid. Most business grants are very competitive and have stipulations that must be met to be eligible. You should seek out grants that are specific to your circumstance.
3. Investors are a good option for startups that require significant upfront funding. A startup may need to raise several million dollars upfront. Investors will expect that they will be involved in the running of your company besides the common repayment.
4. Crowdfunding can also be used to raise small amounts of money from multiple investors. It has been a great tool for many companies in recent years. Many reliable crowdfunding platforms can be used to help different types of businesses.

Get an Insurance Policy

Although it might seem like something you “get around” to, buying the right insurance is an important step before your company launches. You need to make sure you are properly protected in the event of an accident, theft, or lawsuit from a customer.

While many types of business insurance are important, most small businesses can still benefit from a few basic plans. If your company has employees, you will need to purchase workers’ compensation insurance and unemployment insurance.

You might also require other types of coverage depending on where you are located and your industry. However, most small businesses should purchase general liability (GL) insurance or a policy for the business owner.

GL protects you and third parties from bodily injury, property damage, and personal injury.

Professional liability insurance is also recommended if your business offers a service like in this niche. You are covered if you make a mistake or fail to do what you should have done when you were operating your business.

Strategize Your Marketing Plans

You can create effective marketing strategies that will help you find new customers for your pressure washing company and increase your revenue.

You can now implement a mix of online and offline marketing strategies to promote it. Hence, more chances of making it successful are on your side today.

Some of the most crucial ones we wouldn’t miss at all include:

• Making a website.

It’s a simple task to have a website for your pressure washer business. This is the best way to get clients and establish credibility.

A free website builder such as Wix allows you to create a professional and well-optimized site. All you need to do is choose a template and then customize it using the drag-and-drop interface. You can also hire a web developer who will create one for you.

In the long run, we would recommend using WordPress after learning or being able to pay for an expert.

• Leverage social media.

To promote your services to potential customers, create business accounts on the most popular social media platforms.

Facebook is likely to be your best option for pressure washing because of its large user base and wide reach. Many Facebook users likely own homes or commercial establishments. This makes it a great place to advertise pressure washing services.

To increase engagement and get exposure for your business, post pictures of your services and customer testimonials. To increase word-of-mouth publicity, you can ask customers to share the post or leave reviews.

You should also create accounts on other platforms such as LinkedIn.

• Don’t forget about offline marketing.

Today, online is the best way to do business. However, offline marketing techniques can still be used to reach out to local businesses to increase your chances of bringing in new customers.

Get the word out. You can tell your family, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, and anyone else who will listen about your pressure washing business. Ask for referrals and references.

Flyers can be distributed, vehicle wraps used, or door-to-door advertising. You never know what might work and which could be your next client.

• Expand your business.

You are just beginning your journey as an entrepreneur. You must always be growing your business to make it profitable and keep it afloat. While it will take effort and time, you will get the most out of your business if you put in the work.

Collaboration with established brands is a great way for growth. In return for a product or service sample, reach out to other companies. To get your name out there, partner with a charity organization and offer your washing services.

These tips can help you launch your business and set you up to grow. However, there is no perfect plan. It is important to prepare well for the start of a business.

Tips & Tricks to Make Your Pressure Washing Business a Success

These simple tips will help you stay ahead of your competition and do more than just establish your company:

• Allow booking for your pressure washing job to be quick and easy.
• Send client messages automatically. Make templates to send invoices, quotes, and other information. This makes it easy for you to stay in touch with everyone every step of your way.
• Increase customer retention by offering special offers. Provide a discount for follow-up appointments to increase client retention.
• Ask for customer feedback. Ask your customers to complete a short survey.
• Local businesses will appreciate your business cards. Ask local businesses for help to promote your business by placing flyers and cards in their windows.

In addition, we will be adding a bit more development for the following tips:

• Solid understanding of the background.

Pressure washing is not as simple as it seems. Despite what some might think, chemicals, set times, PSI, all of these things are important.

Pressure washing companies are not just there to blast dirt and then leave. They also have a lot of background knowledge.

These include knowing the basics of pressure washers, which nozzle is best for the job, and the pressure you should use to clean the dirt and grime from the surface.

Chemicals are not to be played with. It is vital to know which cleaning detergent or chemical you will need to clean the surface correctly and whether you will need to dilute it.

• Time and effort are key.

It’s almost like caring for a newborn. You spend hours taking care, and it will keep you awake at night. It’s almost as if you were the director, writer, actor, or another crucial person when you started your business. More like you’re all of those at once.

It is not easy to manage your business. You will need to market, make appointments for clients and do the pressure washing. Initially, it will take a lot of time, but you will eventually start to have a steady stream of income and grow your business.

You can begin to hire people and then slowly shift your focus from managing employees to other tasks.

• There are expenses involved.

Pressure washing is just like any other business. There are costs to start.

You should consider the cost of payroll/labor, maintenance, lease, or purchase of the pressure washer machine if you are looking to hire additional workers.

It is not cheap to transport the commercial-grade pressure washer machine from your headquarters to your client’s location. If you don’t have a vehicle, the cost of leasing a van/truck can quickly add up.

Advertising on a monthly basis is advisable if you intend to spend money. Other elements we mentioned before, like insurance and registering for the proper licensing and permits in order to pressure wash in your area, can be expensive. To keep track of your expenses and revenues, you will need to pay for accounting.

Taxes are the last and most frustrating expense. Business owners need to have accountants and detailed notes for this.

• Plan ahead.

Keep thinking about potential pressure washing business opportunities and where you can take your business next. This involved short and long terms goals that allow you to have a vision but also expect anything.

Although it may seem like you’re jumping too far, this is not really precise. You must be ten steps ahead of your competitors to grow your business. Every business should review its business plans regularly to ensure that they are meeting its goals and needs.

If you want to expand your business and get new customers, then you might need to hire employees, which is something we have mentioned several times but here is when it has its why: You need to know that more people will be needed sooner than later.

Start interviewing potential employees before your business grows. This will ensure that you don’t rush to hire someone later and end up regretting it.

The Local Lead Generation Process for Your Pressure Washing Business

All right! So, everything is about building properties and generating leads. But how does the process actually take place? Are there other steps I need to know?

The steps I mention below are what students from our local lead generation program follow to generate leads for businesses like yourself. So I’ll help you see what we do. And how if you join our program, you can simply generate leads for your own business (unless you want to start a side hustle and build a laptop lifestyle business).

Essentially, our lead generation can be divided into four steps:

The first is prospecting. You need to take the time to do market research on a niche (industry) and determine how many phone-driven businesses are there.

Keep in mind that this is local research as you need to know how many companies need leads. For example, you may search for “plumbing services Youngstown OH.”

You will find dozens or even hundreds of businesses trying to get themselves in front of the customers by ranking on Map Listings, organic results, and even Ad.

The second step, building. When you find a niche (plumbing, tree services, a software company, real estate…), you will need to start building your digital properties. You don’t need to be an expert in HTML or coding. It can be easy with the right tools.

The third step is now taking time to rank your lead gen website. With the site done, you need to work on SEO strategies and start dominating those Google search results. If you’re new to SEO, it stands for Search Engine Optimization.

To keep it simple, it consists of the entire process of growing a company’s visibility on search engines like Google and generating organic traffic. And remember this, local lead generation is part of the strategies.

Moving on to step four, once you rank the site, you will start getting your ROI and profits. You only need to rent it out to a local business interested in the leads the site generates. You can offer a couple of free leads to their move on with the actual pay per lead.

To review steps 1-4 above, I described it to a normal student who is building a lead gen business to help local service providers generate more calls. But replace the student with you as the business owner. And replace sending the leads to a business to simply siphoning the leads to your personal business.

By the way, fun fact, about 20% of our students in our local lead gen program are actually business owners who went through the program. And they use the skillsets we teach to generate leads for their own business.

An Example of Lead Generation: Home Advisor

You must be thinking, “if lead generation sounds so good so far, how come I haven’t seen any company?” That’s the thing; there are many out there. You just don’t know they are dedicated to it.

HomeAdvisor is one of the best examples you can find on the Internet as it is a top lead generation company that has spent millions building its brand but also earned even more zeros for this same reason.

They started small as everyone else but invested in building their brand awareness to make people who are looking for home services go to their website and find what they need. They are over 75% of people’s first choice when they need those services.

If you don’t get HomeAdvisor that much or need a refresh, users need to submit their information to request a service and get a professional or expert who can provide it.

HomeAdvisor’s job is to share your information, which makes you a lead, with local companies so they can contact you and offer the service you’re requesting. For sharing this lead information, HomeAdvisor gets paid by the companies. This happens for every single lead they send to multiple businesses.

Business owners who don’t have marketing skills or don’t even know how to have any online presence will always rely on those pages to list their services.  They will save time and effort, but companies like HomeAdvisor can make them spend lots of money as leads aren’t exclusive (one lead is sent to multiple companies after all).

Using Facebook Ads aka Paid Ad Platforms: Do They Generate Leads?

They DO generate leads. If not, no one would use them.

However, you need to remember two facts:

1. Paid ads or platforms can be expensive.
2. They don’t generate “natural” leads.

Whenever someone sees or clicks in one of those ads, over 80% of them did it by accident or are trying to close/report it.

Why? Because they aren’t looking for those services. At least not at the moment.

What those ads do instead is interrupt their time on the platforms. Users aren’t there to find companies or businesses unless they are searching for a specific company’s user, and for that, there’s a search bar. This is why it is hard to convert them to actual customers who will show interest in the companies’ services. Also, you’re limited by a budget.

When using lead generation, everything is organic. You aren’t forcing others to pay attention to your business but rather being there when they need you. This is why Google’s organic traffic will always beat paid ads, and the reason companies continue investing in it, which is a lot cheaper as well.

What Is Local SEO?

Don’t worry… I didn’t get it at first either. Following the short explanation, local SEO focuses on scaling businesses’ visibility on search engines. However, this is only for those who serve their communities face-to-face.

What does this mean?

Experts and professionals like painters, plumbers, and dentists (but not only them) offer their services to their local customers. Why? Because they can’t deliver them unless they are located in the same area of their customers.

To make sure those businesses get more leads, you need to rank them locally by claiming the business listing on Google to place them on Map Listings. Local SEO also involves online reviews, citation management, and how you manage your entire online presence in the local area.

If you are going to bet on lead gen, you need to adapt yourself to today’s world: The Internet.

Keep in mind that although traditional channels and methods like billboards, warm calls, and pamphlets still work, they aren’t part of your tools. Whenever someone needs a service, they go to Google and search for it.

“Dentist in Miami” or “plumbing services in Orlando,” etc. And you can keep coming up with services or professionals people need and look for. Thus, you need to make sure you’re using Google to get the companies in front of their clients.

Users will always click on the first search results (those near the top), and many of them will be either Ad links (people paid to place their websites there), Map Listing, and then you get websites. Almost all of them are your goal and where you should always aim to place yourself.

Can My Pressure Washing Business Utilize a Local Lead Generation Strategy?

If you want customers, you better know you need it. Following the previous explanation, lead gen is all about placing businesses in front of their customers, choosing them over their competitors.

Put it simply – it’s all about closing deals and having clients for those companies to make money. The main difference with the usual methods companies use for this is how lead generation approaches different channels to get them in the right place of the market to get customers.

Those channels are all focused on the Internet as most people are searching for products but also services across the net. The issue is that the Internet is way too broad, and businesses don’t know how to place themselves. They usually try, but they get one common result: losing money and time.

How Powerful Are Organic Pressure Washing Leads from Google?

For companies looking for customers, it’s everything. For you? Pretty much the same. When you build a business with digital properties, you get to make thousands of dollars a month.

This isn’t a “get started today and get rich tomorrow” thing, but it is HIGHLY scalable, and ROI + positive results are guaranteed. Learning a fairly decent and very needed set of skills to create your digital properties and start ranking them on Google is required.

I have invested in several online businesses over the years, and if there’s something uncertain, whether you will get your ROI or not, even more than the actual profit.

However, this business moved my earnings from five figures a year to a month in ONLY passive income while sitting comfortably at home.

On my laptop. Anywhere. Anytime.

You can look at one of the first sites I built back in 2016, and it continues making me over $1.000+ every month. The best part is that I don’t need to touch it or the rest I’ve built over the years, just like this digital property.

What Makes Lead Generation SO Alluring?

Here it goes: you can work from home.

The main issue with regular business opportunities is how much you need to invest in staff, equipment, or rent to have a place to sell your products or offer your services.

We all know the hassles of traditional businesses that involve regular expenses, which are extremely high.  Can you afford it? I don’t think so, and even if you can, is it worth it? Now, it isn’t only about the money. You also need to put in a lot of work, and it isn’t only during the first couple of months or years. Usually, it is as long as you continue running it.

You can save yourself those headaches and bone-breaking tasks and expenses with lead gen since it is more about generating leads with digital channels—mainly websites.

Websites can be VERY cheap to build, and with many tools online, you get to do it in a couple of hours instead of days. Any virtual or digital business is scalable and won’t need constant maintenance.

So, let’s summarize this:

• You save money in regular expenses with traditional and most online businesses as what you need is yourself and digital properties (websites).
• You can bet on passive income.
•  There’s no need to hire more people to get started.
• You can generate leads in multiple industries, which allows you to work on any niche you want.

How Can I Get Started in the Local Lead Generation Program?

Anyone can start and learn. That’s the beauty of this business model. I knew nothing about SEO, Map Listing, and everything I’ve mentioned so far. It is all about learning the skills, gaining experience, and deciding to take the step.

Remember that this business model will never get old as business owners are always looking for leads. They need to do business and scale their companies. Why not do the same while helping others and still making money?

You can start with this local lead generation course highly recommended for anyone wanting to grow in the business. It is a close training that will take you through each step and make sure you are able to get your ROI, profits and take control of your life.

You will be added to an incredible lead generation family ready to help you 24/7 when asking questions on the group. Anyone is welcome who’s willing to put in the work. Click here to watch the lead gen webinar.