Step 1. Getting started: Establishing your business structure
The first step in starting a business is choosing a business structure and filing the proper paperwork to legally provide services in your area. There are three business structures you can choose from: sole proprietorship, LLC, or corporation. A sole proprietorship uses your own social security number and a “doing business as” (DBA) name. This structure can expose your business to personal liability, so legal experts don't recommend it.
Most people choose an LLC or corporation as their business entity to limit their personal liability. First, do a name search with the Secretary of State's office to ensure there are no business names that conflict with the name you want to use. Then, file the appropriate paperwork with your state, listing the entity owners, business name, and relevant contact information. Depending on your state, it can cost between $200 and $700 to form a business entity.
Step 2. Purchase equipment and supplies
To start your business, you'll need to have the right equipment and supplies. First, choose between gas or electric pressure washers. If you choose an electric pressure washer, keep in mind that your customer will need to provide the power to run it. Also, choose the type of pressure washer you want to buy: light, medium, or heavy.
A powerful pressure washer might cost $400, while a lightweight machine can cost less than $200. Rather than buying all your cleaning equipment from the get-go, consider renting your equipment at first to save money and ensure you have what you need when you need it.
In addition to the pressure washer, other recommended equipment and supplies include:
Pumps Nozzles Chemicals Surface Cleaners
Don't forget about transportation. You'll need to transport your belongings to and from work every day. Consider leasing a work van or truck to hold all your belongings. Having your company name and phone number on the truck can be a good advertisement so people can call you as you're moving around the neighborhood. Expect to pay at least $350 per month to lease a truck.
Step 3. Set your price
You need to set your prices before you pitch to potential customers. Most jobs cost between $192 and $401 for consumers, so you need to consider whether you want to choose the higher or lower end of the price range. A lower price may attract more customers, but you need to decide if it's worth the time and effort. To be competitive, we recommend doing some secret shopping to see how much other pressure washing companies in your area are charging.
When determining your price, consider whether you want to charge by the hour or by the project. If you charge by the project, you need to know how long a particular project will take. Practice your craft to see how long a pressure wash takes.
Driveway Average size house window Fences and walls Sidewalk
When setting your rates, consider the gas it takes to run your pressure washer and how many consumables you need to do the job. Make sure your rates are high enough to cover all of that and still make a profit.
Step 4. Set up your bank account
If you are in this business to make a profit, you need to be able to get paid and have funds in your bank account. Contact the IRS with your LLC or corporation details and fill out Form W-7 to get a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), which is like a Social Security Number but for businesses. You can then go to a bank with your company documents and open a bank account.
A bank account allows you to deposit cash and checks, but to take credit card payments you need a payment gateway. There are many different options for payment gateways; you can expect to pay up to 3% in gateway fees, so be sure to factor this into your pricing. Connect a payment gateway to your bank so that all your income and expense transactions can be carried out from your business bank account.
Step 5. Establish your marketing channels
Marketing can be anything from word of mouth to online listings. Create business cards with your company name and contact information that you can use when going door to door introducing yourself and your new company. You could also set up a website that showcases some of your work and has “before and after” photos.
Even if you don't have a website, you can get listed on online service listing pages like Google Business Page, Yelp, Facebook, etc. Some businesses have had success posting to Instagram Reels and TikTok, where users can watch with satisfaction as they go from blemished to beautiful again.
Start telling everyone about your new business. This includes joining online community groups where you can advertise your pressure washing business. Consider running some ads with special offers to launch your business quickly. Facebook makes it easy to target homeowners on a low budget. Start advertising with a budget of $10 a day and test different ads to see which ones work best. As your business grows, you can expand your budget to target more people.