The pressure washing business is lucrative. But like any other business, it involves more than registering and buying equipment. You must be strategic and ready to think outside the box when deciding to start a pressure washing company. This article will highlight the tips and tricks to help you create a successful pressure washing business.
Craft A Winning Strategy
As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.” The same applies when you are considering starting any new business, pressure washing included. Whether you will make it or fail depends on how well you laid out the initial strategy. Some of the areas that you will need to focus on when planning are;
Startup And Recurring Costs
It would help if you started with a clear understanding of the financial intrigues of your business. The initial costs that take center stage are the equipment acquisition fees. You will need to flex some financial muscles whether you decide to buy or lease the equipment. In the case of leasing, your credit record must be positive for the financiers to onboard you. You will also need to pay a certain percentage upfront as a downpayment in such an arrangement.
Transport
With the equipment at hand, you now need a way to transport it from one point to another. Pressure washing companies are synonymous with branded vans that ferry their staff and equipment to project sites. You should therefore budget for a vehicle that can efficiently serve your needs with no hiccups.
Office Space
By this point, you should have decided whether your business will operate from a physical office or not. A physical address is not mandatory unless your company will include a car-wash service. With these plans laid out, you will have a clear picture of the recurrent expenditure to expect. These costs may consist of office space rent, company vehicle costs, staff wages, insurance, marketing, and lease payments.
Invest In Skills
Now that you are all set to dive into the practical part of the business, your skills will either make or break you. Having sophisticated equipment, branded vans, or a fancy office is not enough justification for success. Your customers expect nothing less than exceptional cleaning skills from you. So, make sure that your staff has the knowledge to clean without damaging the surroundings. Learn the hacks and techniques required to scale the hard-to-reach areas when cleaning. You must also maintain strict safety standards for your safety and that of your clients.
Insure And Register
Operating an unregistered business comes with its fair share of consequences. The same case applies to a company operating without insurance. Research and find out the steps required to register a business in your state. By this point, you should have your desired name ready. Verify tax information and be sure of the types of taxes expected from your company.
When registered, go ahead and create a brand logo that identifies with your scope of work. Open a business bank account to separate your private finances from business. You may go ahead and create a website and host it with a friendly domain name. A business of this nature comes along with a lot of liabilities. Seek information from an insurer and take the right cover for your staff and equipment.
Identify Your Target Market
Your target market depends on the type of services you choose to offer. It is advisable to start small and take what you can handle in the early stages. Whether it is residential, commercial, or industrial cleaning, be sure that your skills and equipment are on par with the market expectations. Don’t succumb to the pressure of offering an all-inclusive service that you can’t sustain. You can focus on one area, grow, and transit to the next one step by step. For example, you can start by offering general maintenance, gutter, roof, window cleaning, e.t.c.
Market Your Business
Now that you have your eyes on a particular niche market, set up a marketing strategy and sell your business. You can develop various forms of marketing on several platforms, e.g., door-to-door, web, email, SMS, mainstream media, social media e.t.c.
An example of an effective marketing tool is Google My Business. This tool will expose your business to locals searching for pressure washing companies online. Aim for long-term contracts as they provide a continuous flow of income. You also gain credibility when new clients discover that you have worked on long-term projects before. Another effective marketing strategy to increase the customer base of your business and also retain your existing customers is through SMS. Messente helps businesses around the world reach out to anyone that owns a mobile phone.
By following those few tips, you will most likely experience a soft landing in the pressure washing business. As lucrative as it is, proper planning remains the key to staying afloat in a competitive market.