Are you planning to start a business with pressure washing as your niche? This article will surely answer the question: How to start a pressure washing business?. A business can be started with the help of pressure washers. A pressure washing business is nothing but a person starting a business with a pressure washer to earn some money out of it. All one needs to start a business with a pressure washer is a good pressure washer, safety kits for using a pressure washer and a thorough and good knowledge of how to operate and work with a pressure washer.
Pressure washing is an advanced washing process to remove strong and rigid dirt and stains. Pressure washing is a cleaning process in which high-pressure water spray is used in the removal of all kinds of stains. Pressure washing is also popularly called as power washing. Pressure washing (sometimes also known as power washing) techniques of cleaning are used in surfaces like concrete, buildings, and vehicles.
Pressure washing is used in the removal of hard and dry stains like paint, accumulation of oils, grime, mildew and the like. Some of the common places where pressure washing technique is used are parking lots, siding, driveways, roofs, decks, gutters, sidewalks, cladding, cars, patios, and any place where dust and dirt can get settled. When it is impossible to clean these places with regular cleaning tools, you can use a pressure washer.
In the following sections, let us find out a lot more about the pressure washing business. At the end of this article, you will have answers to some of the common questions in your mind such as:
- How to run a pressure washing business in the most efficient and effective way
- How much to expect as pressure washing business income
- How to grow a pressure washing business in today’s world with the help of technology and the internet
How to start a pressure washing business
People usually start a pressure washing business to have extra income. By starting your own business, you become your own boss and can control what you can do and how you do the work. Here are the top 3 factors that you should consider before deciding to start a pressure washing business:
- The first thing to consider before deciding to start a pressure washing business is whether you are capable of doing business of pressure washing services for a living. Try to answer this question with respect to health, physical capacity, passion, etc.
- The second point to consider is whether you know how to operate a pressure washer without hurting or injuring yourself or others.
- The last and the most important thing to consider is whether you have the capital to start a business of pressure washing services.
After deciding to start a power washing business, the following things should be done:
- The first and foremost investment you have to make is buying the right equipment.
- The next is to set up the business properly and efficiently.
- After setting up the business, you should start looking for jobs to take up.
The above gives a basic idea of how to start a business of power washing or pressure washing services. Let us get to know in-depth how to start a business of power washing or pressure washing services in the following sections:
Buying the right pressure washer
The first and foremost thing to do is to buy a good working pressure washer. Along with this, it is a must to buy a pressure washing business startup kit. The pressure washer is the bread and butter of the business of pressure washing or power washing services.
During the initial stages of the business, if there is not enough capital to buy a brand new pressure washer, you can always rent it from other sources. However, before renting, ensure that the equipment is in good shape and condition. A faulty pressure washer can result in a lot of damages.
Safety is the most important aspect to focus on when it comes to any kind of business. As the business progresses, you should save enough money to get your own pressure washer. Did you know that the pressure washer is not the sole equipment needed for this business?
There are some ancillary things that should be bought to do a smooth sailing business of pressure washing. Nozzles, chemicals, surface cleaners and uniforms for oneself and helpers, if there are any, are some things you need to invest in.
For easy transportation and hauling of pressure washers, it is advisable to have a van or truck. These are the mechanical aspects of the things that are to be bought for a pressure washer. The technical aspect is that you need powerful software to manage and schedule jobs, client details, invoices, etc.
Setting up the business
After the necessary items are bought for the business, the next step is to set up the business. For setting up the business, the first thing to do is give it a proper and appropriate name, so that people don’t confuse it with a different service rendering business. It is not a tedious task easy to find a name for a power washing service providing business.
If one cannot come up with any name, several pressure-washing business names can be obtained from random name generators available online. After picking a name from the generated pressure washing business names, make sure to buy a domain name that is similar to the business name.
Then you need to get a license for the business. Every legit pressure washing business needs a business license. Any business run by a person is taxed. So be very sure to register the business of power or pressure washing services for tax purposes. Insurance also acts as security for uncertain situations, which may cause a lot of damage.
For running a business of power washing or pressure washing services, one should buy liability insurance, workers’ compensation, and equipment insurance. The liability insurance will cover any damage caused due to any accident or mishap. The workers’ compensation will cover any expenses related to the treatment of injuries caused during the work, and the equipment insurance covers any damage that may occur to the pressure washer.
Spread the word online
Today’s world runs on technology, the internet, and social media. So, for any business to be able to grow successfully, the owner should promote it online. This will attract customers who use social media a lot. The meaning of putting a business online is just creating a website for the business.
It is for this reason people are advised to create a domain name as soon as they name the business. Now, you have a proper domain name, and the only part left to develop is the website.
How to start a pressure washing business blog:
- Hosting: Start with Hostgator or Bluehost that offer with 1-click installation and a FREE domain name.
- Domain Name: get yours from Namecheap.
- Theme & Plugins: Get the best ones from Eleganthemes and plugins from Thrivethemes.
- Logo & Designs: Use Canva to make your designs, or order one from Fiverr.
- Keyword research & SEO: Use long tail keywords using Long Tail Pro and get low competition keywords and check your ranking using ProRank.
- Email Marketing: Start generating and growing your email list targeting your visitors with Aweber. Now, Build a Personalized Mobile Responsive and Conversion Optimized Post Click Landing Page for your offer using Instapage. Check this $8745 worth of step-by-step funnel building secrets for free.
- Traffic: “Claim a FREE Copy of the ‘Underground’ Traffic Playbook to Get Thousands of Buyers to Your blog and Funnels. Also you can get more traffic from Instagram & Pinterest using Tailwind.
The website of the business should have a home page, services page, contact page and about page. The home page of the website should be eye-catchy and should clearly describe your business. The home page should have a clear and high-quality image, working hours, contact details, and other testimonials of satisfied customers.
In the services page, the services rendered by the business should be clearly explained. In the contact page, remember to include the working hours, phone number, email address, and location of the business. In the about page, you should write the reasons for taking up the said business and inspiration behind it. You can even write about your experience in doing the business. The website should be kept updated for easy use of the existing and potential customers.
The last step in starting and running a successful business of power and pressure washing services is by making your business visible in every way possible so that people can get to know about the business. Once people get the knowledge of your business, getting jobs will become easier than before.
One of the easiest ways to get jobs for business is by listing your business on any of the local listings. You can also use the Google business listings to reach out to many more customers.
How to tap the maximum income from the pressure washing business
From the above sections, you would have got an overview of how to start and maintain n a business. However, the real challenge is to ensure that you run your business efficiently. In the following sections, you will get to know how to handle your business with the due care it deserves.
There are some important points to remember when making the prices for jobs that you do. This will determine your pressure washing business income. When arriving at a price for a job, you should be careful not to skip any factor.
Make sure to charge according to the worth of the services rendered. You should not underprice or overprice your services. There is only a thin line of demarcation between the two. When you cross this, it will lead to a downfall for your business. In a pressure washing business, you cannot put a fixed rate per hour. This won’t be an efficient way to price the services rendered.
Points to keep in mind while arriving at a price for a job:
- Make sure to look at the job and study it before making an estimate. This is very important because each job may require different amounts of time and materials.
- The first thing to estimate is the time that will be taken to complete the job. This can be estimated with the help of prior experience. Make sure about any special needs, such as hard to clean areas. If yes, you can charge more for the same.
- The next thing is to calculate the direct cost. The direct cost is nothing but the cost of things that are used in the cleaning process of the job. These are usually the cost of chemicals, gas, disposable gloves, etc.
- The next thing is to calculate the indirect cost of the business. These are the costs of materials that are used in all the jobs. For easy calculations, it is always advisable to have a predetermined base rate for indirect costs.
- After calculating the costs of different materials, the last step is to set up a margin for yourself. This is a crucial task because a very low margin will make the business sink, and a very high margin will mean exploitation of customers which will, in turn, result in the collapse of the business. A reasonable margin should be set.
While calculating the price of a job, it is always smart to compare your cost and price to a competitor’s cost and price. This will help in ascertaining a good margin without undervaluing or overvaluing your own services.
Ones you have reaped all the benefits from the business of power washing or pressure washing, you may decide to sell the business as a whole. People might also decide to sell the power washing business when they become physically incapable of operating a power washer,
You can sell the business by posting online in the following way “pressure washing business for sale,” or you can also put an ad in local newspapers about the pressure washing business for sale.
Safety tips for running a pressure washing business
The pressure washing business is where the main process is using a heavy powered machine to do the jobs. Pressure washers are very powerful and should be used cautiously to avoid any accidents that can lead to severe or permanent damage. The following are some of the professional safety tips for people, who are engaged in the business of pressure washing or power washing services:
- When using a pressure washer for doing a job, never point the wand at anyone, irrespective of whether the pressure washer is turned on or not. Any sudden electrical faults may sometimes turn on the pressure washer, and if the wand is pointed at someone, they could get severely hurt.
- Always wear protective gear while working with a pressure washer. The safety gears are usually fully covered uniforms, books, thick gloves, glasses for your eye-protection.
- One should never operate a gas-powered pressure washer in an enclosed space. This is because the pressure washer while running on gas, will produce carbon mono-oxide. Carbon mono-oxide is very harmful to inhale. They can cause dizziness and nausea in people.
- Never use ladders or work on a very high surface while using a pressure washer for cleaning. This is because the power of the pressure washer can make one lose balance and fall off the. The kickback from the pressure washer can throw them off the high surfaces.
- Be very sure of the surroundings in which the pressure washer is used.
- The right nozzle should be used for cleaning purposes. For beginners, it is best to start with the nozzle that has the highest degree of the spray tip.
- Always be aware of what you spray on. Spraying on an electric outlet can cause a lot of damage.
- Storing of the pressure washer is very important in the maintenance and care of the pressure washer. If these machines are not properly cared for and looked after, they might become damaged and might start needing repairs to run properly. So, the pressure washer machines should be maintained in a dry and highly ventilated place where there are no sparks or any kind of fire.
Pressure washers are not like all other machines. They need proper and special care for them to have a long life. Even the climate and weather can affect the usage of pressure washers.
Ways of growing a power washing business
The pressure washing business is very competitive because the capital required to start the business is very low. Every other person in the locality may have the same business running. So, to have an edge over all the competitors in the locality, you have to use all the things at your disposal to get as many customers as possible.
One has to provide great services to the customers for a reasonable price as this will help in making the new customers into loyal customers of their business. This is easier said than done, but with these tips, you can get successful.
The first and foremost challenge you would come across is the lack of leads to your business. Without any leads, there would be no customers, and that would lead to the shutting down of the pressure washing business.
In today’s era, you have to use everything you have, to make things possible. Some of the greatest perks for people these days are technology, technological advancements, easy internet access, and a wide variety of social media platforms. With the proper knowledge and skills, you can use all these things to your own advantage.
If your ideas are properly thought out and implemented, the above perks can be used as a platform for advertising and marketing your business of pressure washing or power washing.
With the help of all the social media platforms, the answer for how to grow a pressure washing business can be easily acquired. It is by spreading information about the business in all online social media platforms. For this to be a success, the following things should be done:
- Firstly, your business should always have a website with a domain name that is very similar to that of the name of the business. It is highly advisable to create a business website on WordPress or Hostgator. These are the best for domain name creations.
- After creating a website, you should create accounts in the name of your business across all social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. It is beneficial to keep all these platforms updated to improve the visibility of your business.
- Now, it is time to create an email list. An email list is a reason for many of the successful businesses. A great email list can be formed only when you know who your target audiences are. The email list can be created with the help of Aweber which is a very powerful email service provider in recent years.
- Thanks to the above steps, you can easily divert traffic to the email list and your own website. The easiest way to divert traffic is with the help of Pinterest using Tailwind. With the proper posting of pins and proper usage of plugins on social media, you can divert the traffic to a business website. This, in turn, will produce customers to the entrepreneur.
- Being constantly connected with your customers is the best way to achieve success in your business. Emailing existing customers and potential customers can help you get a lot of jobs. You can get the email address of the existing customers and potential customers with the help of Convertkit. You should keep updating the customers about new offers and gifts to maintain customer loyalty.
With the proper use of intellect and putting social media to good use, you can grow your business. The success of these social media platforms is far higher and more affordable than traditional marketing & advertising tricks.
Pressure washing business cards:
Here are some tips for creating effective pressure washing business cards:
- Include your business name, logo, and contact information (phone number, email, website).
- Use a clear, easy-to-read font and design.
- Include a tagline or brief overview of your services.
- Use high-quality paper and printing to make a professional impression.
- Consider including a call to action, such as offering a discount or free estimate.
- Use both sides of the card to include additional information or images.
- Keep the design simple and avoid cluttering the card with too much text or graphics.
- Consider including social media handles or QR codes to make it easy for customers to connect with you online.
Tools to Create Pressure washing business cards:
Fiverr and Canva are both popular platforms that offer a variety of services and tools for creating business cards.
On Fiverr, you can hire a professional designer to create a custom business card for your pressure washing business. This can be a good option if you want a unique and professional design, but don’t have the skills or time to create it yourself.
Canva is a user-friendly design platform that offers a range of templates and tools for creating business cards. You can choose from a variety of pre-designed templates and customize them with your own business name, logo, and contact information. Canva also offers a wide range of design elements, such as icons, images, and fonts, which you can use to create a professional-looking business card.
Both Fiverr and Canva can be useful resources for creating pressure washing business cards, depending on your needs and budget.
Use your knowledge
The points that we have mentioned above apply to any kind of business that you want to begin. Are you passionate about farming? If yes, you can follow the above tips to master the art of how to start farming with no money. The key is to know your potential first and do whatever you can to pursue your passion.
Innovation is the best way you can make a lot of money from your business, regardless of the niche that you want to excel in. Being innovative will not only help you learn new things every day, but it will also help you stay one step ahead of your competitors always. This is exactly what customers look for in business as well!
Conclusion:
Starting a pressure washing business requires research and planning, including understanding local regulations and purchasing the necessary equipment. It also involves creating a marketing plan and reaching out to potential customers to offer your services. With the right preparation and effort, you can successfully launch and grow a pressure washing business.
Now that you have the basic information on how to start a pressure washing business, you may be wondering how you can use your cargo van to make money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pressure washing a good way to make money?
On average, pressure washers make $44,520 per year, or $21.40 per hour. The highest earning 10% of pressure washers earn up to $62,393 per year, or approximately $30 per hour. It is important to note that these figures are only estimates and actual earnings may vary based on factors such as location, experience, and demand for services.
How do I get customers for pressure washing business?
Social media ads can be a highly effective way to grow your pressure washing business. Unlike traditional advertising methods such as distributing flyers, social media ads allow you to target specific individuals who are in need of your services. This can help ensure that your marketing efforts are more likely to result in new customers and increase your book of business.
I’m Thomas, founder of Genie Dollars, a platform sharing proven strategies for making money online. With experience in affiliate marketing, print-on-demand, and freelance writing, I aim to inspire and guide others toward financial freedom through online entrepreneurship.
