New members we need your help.

New Member

Hi,

My name is Phil Mangano and I own Power Wash of Virginia. I have been in business for since December 2004. I currently service the Charlottesville Virginia area but will be moving my business to Greater Richmond Virginia area and the Northern Neck of Virginia in the spring.

I currently do mostly House Washing but would like to get into the commerical side. I'm here to learn and help out in any way I can.

Thanks,

Phil
Power Wash of Virginia
P.O. Box 56
Morattico, Virginia 22523
804-370-0409
804-462-0616
434-242-0244

Phil,

Welcome to the PWN! [hello]

New member

Whats up everyone, my name is Zach and i am trying to start a small part time pressure washing business. Any help would be appreciated. I dont have alot of experience but hope to gain alot!

Hello everyone, I've been washing for over ten years mostly part time, i opened a business in 99 selling equipment and chemicals, the slowing economy hit me hard, so i went to work for CAT, and continued to do business part time, then i sold my first trailer unit and quit washing and selling equipment and chemicals to concentrate on moving up the corporate ladder. after a year i was laid off with 200 others, i went back to the cat plant to work, but for a contractor, i saw my self going nowhere real fast, so I built my current rig 6x13 trailer, two washers, 525 tank and started business up again, now i drive a school bus for the insurance, i stay busy washing, i got one or two of my chemical accounts back ( this really helps for my chemical usage) i sell a few poly tanks here and there, and now i have built my first spec house as well as doing some general contracting. I have learned to ask questions when i go bid or do a job, quite often it will lead into other things, if i can't do it, i usualy know someone that can and i can make 15 to 20% off someone else. I'm 38 now and at some point i've got to decide what i really want to do and what makes the most $$$, but for now i'll just have to keep plugging along to support the wife and three kids.

Great forum

hi, im boston from california. i recently have a home business which some of my customers call coffebread. i supply breads for families and friends which they consume for breakfast and for snacks, for cooking, etc.

new member

hi everyone, my name is jerry. first i would like to say this is a great forum!!
i am from wisconsin and new to the business, after alot of preparation and planing i will officially be in business in the spring of 06. i look forward to being a part of this forum and i would like to say thanks for the advice and tips i have already recieved, i am sure i'll need some more in the future!!!
again thanks
jerry (cleaner image power washing)

New to Forum

hello my name is Tom
operating Haddox Building Maintenance for 12 years in Portland Oregon

in a past life i was region manager for a large trucking company and responsible for 8 freight terminals, all equipment and facilities
so i contracted many small businesses just like US, i paid the bills so i know who makes money

in an effort to work part time until i could retire ....yeah right... i started this business

primary business has been all aspects of facilities maintenance for specifically commercial and industrial buildings and include the bread and butter janitorial services dirty nasty stuff

secondary business has been new construction clean up, hospitials, schools, office buildings, remodel strip malls etc ... not hauling sheetrock debris
i am the guy who polishes door knobs and cleans 4 story atrium windows
so the new owner can open up monday at 7:am ie: the primary contractor gets his check and i get mine pay is very good if you are willing to have a small crew 24 / 7 until done i mean that literally i get motel room often

my equipment includes 2005 E350 powerstroke van, 15' box. custom cabinets
folding ramp stuffed full of all the good stuff accumulated over the years...

i am asked all the time about pressure washing and of course i do some but apparently not enough
i have 4 vans typical E250 and 5 pressure washers, cheap one time clean up
so i am looking and compairing notes to upgrade and make one well equiped washer

i am here to learn how i can keep empolyees busy and make a little profit
while i wait for painters and electricians to get out of my way..

when experience makes change, change returns the favor

Tom

Newbie to this board

Hello all. My name is Ryan I'm located in West Tennessee. I have been searching around on this board for a couple months, but this is my first post. I actually registered a while back but forgot my password so I had to do it again. I have been in business for about 8 months doing mostly residential cleaning. I'm starting to get busier as the year goes on and hoping when spring gets here I'll be rolling along pretty good. This is a great board filled with valuable knowledge that I'm sure took most of you years to learn and then the newbies come along and read and know in minutes what took you years to learn. But you still never know until you get out and have hands on experience and run into problems first hand. Thanks for the support all. And to all other newbies. Hang in there and be persistant it will pay off. And the saying it takes money to make money. Buy the equipment you need instead of wasting time and money with the ones you don't.

Thanks for the warm welcome

Hey All,
MY name is Tom and I'm planning on going into my first season of deck restoration......as soon as the weather clears up. We are located in Southern Oregon. Thanks Again, Tom
P.S. additional thanks for all those who freely share info and ideas on this board.

Hello everyone. I'm new to this ... both pressure washing and posting msgs on computer. I am in the process of trying to start a p/w business here in the DFW area. I am still researching everything, I really need all the help I can get. I am getting some nibbles just from word of mouth, but nothing has progressed to actual work. I have already purchased a trailer rig that has had very little use from previous owner - he worked a little on cleaning construction equip, but admitted he did not try to make a business work. Most of the problems with the unit is from sitting in the Tx sun. I am trying to get licensed, insured, all legal so that in a few weeks I'll be able to actually start doing work. I will probably try surface work and possibly branch out from there as the work comes avail. I would like for this to become a viable family business in a few years. I have learned a bunch just by reading these posts and surfing the websites.

Any one wanting to give a newby a bunch suggestions...feel free to yell at me..

Darell,

Welcome to the PWN [hello]

Hello from East Texas!

Hello, everybody. I, too, am a truck driver. I've been driving up and down the road for 11 years, and I am done! Well, not exactly.
My username is "grasshawg" because of another forum like this one. (lawnsite.com). I am thinking of starting with powerwashing to get me through the cold months, and adding on lawncare after things start to "green".
Be seeing ya'll on the threads.

Sometimes, it's better to ask forgiveness, than to ask permission!

Hello from California

Hello My name is Mark

I own APT Pressure washing in California. Just wanted to say thanks for all of the great info and help that I have obtain from the forum.

Thanks Mark R

New business

Hello, my name is Casey, my husband is Bret. We are in the process of starting a powerwashing business in our area that works mainly with residential customers, but also contractors, businesses, etc. We are new to the business. We are starting out as a one-man operation, with my husband doing the labor and me maintaining the clients, etc. We need as much help, and as many suggestions as people can give us. We are hoping to start things at the beginning of the year. We have business cards, flyers, brochures, but are stuck on how to really get a list of clientele started.
From reading other posts I think this message board will be helpful for us.
Thanks,
Casey

Hey Casey,

I'm in Maryland, give me a call and I will give you a hand with anything you need. 301 353 9234 (home)

Mark & Casey,

WELCOME TO POWERWASHNETWORK.COM

[hello]

Hello all

Just looking around. Own a computer business and looking at starting a second company in another field.

Hello to all

Jason [hello]

Hello Jason!
[hello]

cbhall said:

Hello, my name is Casey, my husband is Bret. We are in the process of starting a powerwashing business in our area that works mainly with residential customers, but also contractors, businesses, etc. We are new to the business. We are starting out as a one-man operation, with my husband doing the labor and me maintaining the clients, etc. We need as much help, and as many suggestions as people can give us. We are hoping to start things at the beginning of the year. We have business cards, flyers, brochures, but are stuck on how to really get a list of clientele started.
From reading other posts I think this message board will be helpful for us.
Thanks,
Casey

Click to expand...

Hi Casey,

We're right down here in NC - also a husband/wife team working similarly to how you're describing your set up. Give me a call anytime 336-261-3051

Celeste

Ooops.....didn't see this thread before.
My name is Chuck.
I'm finally living my dream of leaving the rat race to live in the country.
Only three traffic lights in my county. Big Smiley Face.
More horses than people.
I pump concrete for a living and am an owner operator.
I live in a very small community and things are pretty remote so I'm not always busy.
I also own a 50 ton Grove crane. Between the two I stay reasonably busy.
Winter here are long and cold and not much call for a concrete pump or crane.

Steam thawing was an idea I had years ago and I think I will stay very busy when the temps drop low again. We've had 32º and rain for almost 4 weeks.

Using the Jenny on my own stuff is a nice fringey. The nearest place for me to wash my trucks is a 50 mile round trip. It costs me about $20+ fuel every time and I never get as clean as I would like and always in a rush.

As I read this website I find most are very successful doing homes driveways and roofs and such. Most driveways here are gravel.....lol. The economy is poor here and people don't spend unless they have too.

Yet, I believe I can earn money steaming wells, pumping out messes, cleaning dirty heavy equipment like feller bunchers or cats and thawing frozen things....particularly starting heavy equipment in the woods.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A tip for pressure washer businesses ....from a different craft:
Concrete pumpers particularly boom pumpers either get plugged or the pump breaks and or the pump control breaks .....something happens meaning they can't get the mud out of the boom pipes or the hopper.

It is life or death for many a concrete pumper. It serious business.

A Pressure washer....any size in PSI or GPM can save the pump and the pumper from severe heartache.

They call the process a "Boom Party" which means taking off all the boom pipe and cleaning out the concrete. It sucks!

Any pressure washer can push concrete out of the boom pipe.
All you need is a fitting to go from your PW to the pump and all pumpers have those fittings. Additionally, you shove a bunch of newspaper, foam balls, bags of concrete, plastic....anything to make a piston to push the concrete out so the water doesn't wash and get by the concrete.

If you ever get a call from a distressed concrete pumper....drop what you are doing, if possible, because you really can save his bacon and time is everything.

It will be rewarding.