How to start a successful pressure washing business Proven techniques from an experienced small business owner

What should you do to start a pressure washing business?

Whether you’re planning to offer pressure washing services as a business or as a contractor, there are certain key steps you must take to build a successful venture. Here’s a check list of things that Augustine had to do while setting up his business.

Understand your business landscape

“Algae build-up is quite common in a lot of areas, especially in our part (Texas) of the country,” said Augustine.

While pressure washing might be a lucrative business, its success highly depends on the demand for property maintenance. Having an aerial view of the market need and a thorough understanding of the regional players can help businesses capitalize market gaps.

Hone your pressure washing skills

Although you don’t need any prior experience to pressure wash structures, you still have to learn how to set up the equipment and pressure wash surfaces without breaking them.

“I pretty much learned everything from YouTube University and by talking to other business owners,” Augustine said.

Once you know how it works, you can rent equipment and try pressure washing things in your own backyard. By doing this, you will really know whether this is something you can handle or not. After which, you can decide on the equipment to buy depending on the target market (commercial or residential pressure washing).

Choose a business structure that fits your business

Establishing a business structure is crucial for any business.

“When my business kept growing, my CPA recommended obtaining an LLC license as it would be essential for future operations, particularly from an accounting and legal standpoint,” Augustine noted.

A business structure is a legal framework that outlines how a business is organized, managed, and taxed on its profits. There are three types of business structures: Sole-proprietorship, Corporation, and LLC.

A sole-proprietorship is a legal framework where the owner and the business are treated as a single entity, meaning owners will report their income on their personal tax return and be responsible for all the debts.

A corporation, on the other hand, treats the owner and the business as two separate entities. This distinction ensures the owner’s personal assets are protected in the event of any financial crisis. Unlike a sole-proprietorship, this structure requires taxes to be filed twice—the business pays taxes on its profits, and the owners pay taxes on the dividends they receive.

An LLC is a mix of both. Under this framework, the flexibility of a sole-proprietorship is married with the liability protection of a corporation. As an LLC, businesses will be reporting their taxes as they would do as a sole-proprietorship. However, in the case of a financial crisis, only the business will be responsible for any debts or lawsuits, and not the owner. Consulting a tax advisor can help businesses choose the right structure for their business.

Draft a business plan

“A business plan is crucial because it not only keeps you focused, but also helps you understand where your business stands, where you want to go, and what your overall vision is,” Augustine advised.

A well-structured business plan includes key details like the business’s overview, market analysis, product offerings, and the organizational structure. It aids businesses in aligning their decisions with their long-term goals.

Reflecting on his own journey, Augustine shared, “Setting a goal for my business made me know what I really wanted as a business and the standard and integrity with which I should function as a business owner."

He further explained how his business plan has guided important decisions, even leading him to turn down projects that didn’t align with his company’s vision. In one such instance, Augustine was asked to use unsafe chemicals on a property. Concerned for the safety of the tenants, he requested the contractors evacuate them, but they refused to do so. This made him turn down the project, staying true to his values.

Beyond guiding businesses towards success, a solid business plan also helps businesses maintain ethics and integrity.

Stand out from the noise: Market your business effectively

Your business can be a solution to your customer’s problem, but how do you ensure your potential customers find your business? Through marketing. Marketing is especially crucial in highly competitive industrial sectors like pressure washing. Here’s what Augustine did to find and increase his client base.

Brand your touchpoints

The first step in your marketing strategy is to build brand recognition. Brand recognition is all about how well your customers can remember you over your competitors. This means giving them a slogan, tagline, or logo to remember you. Pick out a business name, logo, and a tagline that you can consistently use when you are interacting with your customers. For example, Augustine makes his contracted employees wear branded apparel so people can recognize his business wherever he goes.

You can also reinforce your brand by adding organization details and a logo to your estimates and invoices you send to your customers. When Augustine started his business, he signed up for Zoho Invoice, an invoicing software used to create and send professional quotes and invoices. Soon, Zoho Invoice became a medium to communicate with his clients.

How to manage employees in a small business effectively

No business operates the same, but in every business, employees often serve as the face of the brand. Since they are in direct contact with your customers, their behavior highly influences how your customers perceive your business. That’s why it is essential for a small business to find the right people for the right roles. But, how can a business understand who they need? It all boils down to understanding what you as a business require.

Do you really need an employee?

Consider if you truly need extra staff. Identify business gaps and decide if you can handle them yourself or if delegating would help. If sharing tasks eases your workload, start searching for the right fit.

Finding the right candidate for the job

Understand what the role requires and what you seek in a perfect candidate. Once you decide on that, create a job description that outlines the expectations and values that the candidate should fulfill. Advertise on job sites and invite candidates for an interview. While screening your candidates during the interview, try to look beyond their resumes. Having the right skills is definitely good, but check whether they also have other qualities, like flexibility, grit, and good communication skills.

Seasonal hiring

Seasonal hiring is a type of employment where employees are hired temporarily for a certain period of time.

“Industries like pressure washing are seasonal, so maintaining full-time staff year-round doesn’t always work,” Augustine pointed out.

This often leads businesses to hire contractors or part-time workers. It is always recommended to start the hiring process earlier and equip employees with necessary information so they can start working without any hiccups.

Create a standard operating procedure

“I make sure that the contractors we hire are well-equipped with our operating procedures while we onboard them,” remarked Augustine.

As a growing business, it is essential to set goals and objectives that are realistic, measurable, and achievable. Communicating them to your employees gives them a better sense of direction from the day one.

To streamline processes further, Augustine also plans on introducing an SOP (standard operating procedure) to his employees. An SOP, in short, is a document that defines the company’s purpose, employees’ responsibilities, and everyone’s key tasks. By clearly defining operations, businesses can eliminate setbacks and improve efficiency and productivity.

How to manage difficult clients

Many times, as a business owner, you might come across clients who are difficult to deal with. With some micromanaging you, some setting unrealistic goals, and others not properly communicating what they want, clients can sometimes be challenging to handle. When asked how often Augustine encounters such clients, he chuckled, “It happens all the time.” However, he has a few cards up his sleeve that help him.

“I make sure to define my scope of work in the estimates that I send to my clients using Zoho Invoice. Whenever a customer demands more work or misunderstands the tasks that we’ll be doing, I can always go back and show them the estimate that we agreed to,” Augustine noted.

Augustine also sends out diagrams detailing the area that needs to be washed along with his quotes. With a marked sketch of the property highlighting the areas to be washed, Augustine can easily navigate through each section without missing anything. This not only helps him avoid ruffling feathers with his customers but also provides his customers with clarity on what Augustine will be doing.

How to handle unexpected expenses

“There’s always something that will break, something that needs to be replaced, something that might go missing or get left behind at our job site. The key is to set aside a portion of what you earn so you’re prepared for the unexpected,” Augustine advised.

“There have been times when I landed a big contract with tight deadlines,” Augustine recalled. “Having cash reserves made all the difference—it allowed me to scale up quickly and get the job done without financial strain.”

Augustine also recommends budding businesses establish a line of credit with one or two reliable suppliers and most importantly, make timely payments. In this way, when businesses want to take on larger contracts or hire more people, they’ll always have enough cash to handle the situation.

The bottom line

As Mark Twain said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Building a successful business starts with those first steps: analyze the market, develop the skills needed for your business, and craft a business plan to guide you forward. Once you have a roadmap, promote your services on all possible platforms to find your clients.

When it comes to managing your invoicing process, using free invoicing tools like Zoho Invoice can help. With Zoho Invoice, you can create and send professional quotes and invoices, collect payments, and track all of your business expenses efficiently.