or to just jump in head first?
It depends on what type person you are Brian,there is nothing better than hands on learning.
Several of us contractors help newbee's in the area I live in,we let them help us while learning as we pay them.We have run into several that will cut the prices after learning how thinking we are to high in are pricing,only to learn in a few months they aren't making any money.We give them business we do not want or do not have time to do and even tell them what we would charge for the jobs but they do not listen to our pricing.They get this ideal to go after our accounts with low prices thinking it's in the price as to get accounts from us.This never works or hardly ever works for them b/c most accounts knows what fair pricing is in our trade as your price will tell them what kind of powerwasher you are.Like buying parts for your truck,cheap parts want last as long as good parts if you get my meaning.
Some will tell you to lower your price to get business but to me thats bad advice,charge what the local contractors are charging nomatter if it takes you alday to do the same job they can do in a several hours.You can always learn how to get faster in finishing a job but you'll run into trouble trying to go up on a account after lowering the price just to get the job.This is the reason several do not make it in this trade,usually its to late after they figure out thay aren't making any money to make it in this trade.
A few Wholesalers will lead you into their spiderwebs making you think they are the only ones that has the right chemcals,the best prices and the best advice.I've had a shop full of different chemicals over the years thinking the wholesalers knew what they where taking about,some do some don't,its not funny seeing several dallors worth of chemicals setting in your shop you cann't use b/c they do not work as said.
If I was you I would jump in head first and learn as you go,why,b/c no accounts would be off limits to you.If you work for a local trustworthly contractor to learn how and turn around and try to take their business away from them they can use it againest you as not being trustworthly.
A few contractors here have been slowing pushing a newbee out of bussiness after teaching him how b/c of his pricing and not trustworthly ways.
Jump in head first and ask as you go or work out of your local area to learn from another.Hard feeling comes from the teachers in the local area's when you work for them and then go out on your own to try to take their bussiness away from them.The local contractors will team up and put the word out as to not help you nomore.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to become a powerwasher...set a day or two each week to be with the family,burnouts are common in this trade....good luck.
