#141 – How to start and market a power washing business

Show notes from Episode #141 of the Sweaty Startup Podcast.

Chris is in his early twenties in South Carolina and started a pressure washing company about six months ago, quitting his job to take it on full-time. While he’s enjoyed the process, he’s exhausted by the constant hunt for new customers and wants to establish a recurring customer base. 

How do you establish recurring revenue when your customer only needs you once or twice a year? How do you market more effectively so that finding new customers isn’t such a goose chase?

Launching the Business and Reaching New Customers

Pressure washing is a business that Nick loves, so much so that he wrote a guide on how to start a pressure washing business. This is a low cost, low barrier to entry business with high margins, making it a lucrative entry opportunity.

1. Buy a web domain
   1. Either use Bluehost for simplicity or Sparrow Websites for the full package
2. Create a Google My Business location which will help develop awareness
3. Order $100 of fliers online, putting your Google Voice phone number and website on them.
   1. Go to high end neighborhoods in your area and bring them door to door.
4. Embrace the customer churn. Most customers are not brand loyal, so that’s your opportunity.
5. Organic traffic is your focus, so SEO and content marketing must be priorities.
   1. Offer small discounts to customers for them to leave a review with a photo on Google Maps.

Recurring Business

Think about people that your service goes hand in hand with for two-way referrals.

• Realtors make recommendations with every house they sell for home services.
  • Go around town and find the top 5 producing realtors, perhaps sponsor some events, and give cards out.
    • Go above and beyond by offering to powerwash their driveways for free.
  • Ask and follow-up often, leave them Christmas gifts or cards every year.
    • This is a numbers game, so don’t be afraid of the Max Maher approach.
• Lawn care companies, window washing companies, and other home services can provide leads if you offer them a cut of your business.
  • Call them and find out how you can work together.
• Don’t forget other home services like homebuilders, excavation companies, etc.
• Talk to the city about pavement, sidewalks, and parking lots to try and win government contracts in schools, hospitals, parks, etc.
• Keep an organized record of who you serviced in the past. Follow-up and try to sell again to previous clients between 6 and 12 months after service.

Standing Out from the Competition

Differentiate yourself through quote velocity. 

• Put a quote request form on your website for a lead to provide their address, email address, and desired services. 
• As soon as they submit, use Google Maps to measure the square footage of their property, and offer a job price based on the size.
• Consider investing in a service like Jobber to streamline the quote process and stand out even more, while saving time and money. 

Overall, it’s a hard business to get recurring revenue. Embrace SEO, getting found online, and getting referrals from previous customers or other service workers. SEO especially takes time, so start building that foundation now.

Want to reach out to Nick? Record a brief audio snip on your phone and send it to [email protected]

Highlights

Launching your business [2:35]

Establishing recurring revenue [6:15]

Differentiating from the competition [16:00]