Newbie Question? Getting Started!!!

[jeremyimpey]

Hi everyone my name is Jeremy and I own a lawn care company Curb Appeal Outdoor Services LLC and I'm intrested in adding pressure washing and roof cleaning services to what I offer. I have done some pressure washing work for my customers and would like to target more customers. I've been reading alot on the subject via this forum and others and think I have a pretty good idea on how to different things. I noticed serveral places around my area that have been "pressured washed" recently and I know that I can do a far better job. Any ideas on getting started? I thought about offering some free services to customers just get some experience. Thanks for your input...

[newlook]

Hey Jeremy,

What can of equipment do you have?

[MudDuck]

Don't do anything high pressure until you know what your doing. Never use the red zero tip.
Research the forums on "What happened" and or "What could have made these marks"

get insurance and an M5 X jet w/ at least 4gpm machine.
Never do anything free unless its for your parents or another company your training with.

[jeremyimpey]

Thanks for the replies.

I have a Ridgid 3300psi 2.8gpm machine

I have plans of getting an surface cleaner and x-jet

I work for pizza hut as well and have done some work for them basically sidewalks for which i used the white 40 degree tip and worked really well I did switch to the red just to remove some stubborn gum spots but thats all I used it for.

I would like to get a few residential jobs in addition to the other 7 pizza huts that I still need to do so I can save some money and get a hot water machine.

I have general liability of 1 million.

[Midwesternmarylander]

Originally Posted by jeremyimpey

Hi everyone my name is Jeremy and I own a lawn care company Curb Appeal Outdoor Services LLC and I'm intrested in adding pressure washing and roof cleaning services to what I offer. I have done some pressure washing work for my customers and would like to target more customers. I've been reading alot on the subject via this forum and others and think I have a pretty good idea on how to different things. I noticed serveral places around my area that have been "pressured washed" recently and I know that I can do a far better job. Any ideas on getting started? I thought about offering some free services to customers just get some experience. Thanks for your input...

Hi Jeremy, a cheap way of getting the "word" out for me has been via door hangers. I'm in Maryland and I found a small printing company that swaps services with me for the majority of the costs. I introduce any new services or just expose my current services with these door hangers. Every residential job we do we start it off by hanging about 10-15 of them on door handles and then begin work.

Very often we have people come home, see the door hanger, and usually they call the neighbor we are working for to get a reference and then often they walk over and I take a moment to give them an estimate.

The funny thing about door hangers or any advertising you leave at a home is that sometimes a considerable amount of time may pass and you may come to believe that the door hangers aren't such a progressive form of advertising. And then walloh! 3-4 calls come in from neighbors that kept the door hanger for when they wanted to use it and called then.

Lesson: Be patient!

Dwight Rowe
Jencor Services, LLC
Severn, MD 21144
(443) 883-1709
Jencor Cleaning Services

[Thad]

Jeremy, I just moved right up the road from you to Hattiesburg.
If I can help you PM me or give me a call.

A huge step towards building your business would be to attend the New Orleans Power Washing Contractor Networking Event 2008 on August 9, 10.
There will be a lot of information geared towards building a successful business and you will meet and network with guys from all over the country that are very successful at different aspects of power washing.

New Orleans Power Washing Contractor Networking Event 2008

[newlook]

Jeremy,

I 2nd what Thad just posted. If you have a chance make EVERY effort to get to this RT. It will be 'time well spent'.

[Rick2]

Door hangers are a great idea but NEVER put ads in someone's mailbox. You can get in big trouble for that with the government. I know of this first hand when I started out many years ago.

[jeremyimpey]

Thanks for the info Thad I will try to attend.

The door hangers are a good idea I've been doing that for the lawn care.

Now I did try to advertise through Pizza Hut by putting ads on the boxes and got zero responses but nothing ventured nothing gained.

Yeah no mailboxes a guy in the neighboorhood did that and got busted.

[CCPC]

Is your liability Ins for lawn care, pressure washing or roof cleaning? I'm asking because lawn care ins is different than pressure washing and roof cleaning ins.

[iclean4u]

jeremy,

I live over the bay from mobile,ala and u can call me. i always have some commercial work going on. You can come over and help out, and i will give you some tips & idea's.

[Thad]

Originally Posted by iclean4u

jeremy,

I live over the bay from mobile,ala and u can call me. i always have some commercial work going on. You can come over and help out, and i will give you some tips & idea's.

There are some guys from the panhandle coming to the New Orleans Power Washing Contractor Networking Event 2008 and you're welcome, too.

[jeremyimpey]

Originally Posted by iclean4u

jeremy,

I live over the bay from mobile,ala and u can call me. i always have some commercial work going on. You can come over and help out, and i will give you some tips & idea's.

Hey thanks I will have to do that


For my insurance I went through Nationwide and told them I was going to be doing lawn care and pressure washing at the time did not mention the roof cleaning. They asked me to give a percentage of business from each I said 70% lawn care 30% pressure washing I will go to them and tell them to add roof cleaning and I will change the percentage when I get more washing jobs. Is this good or do I need some kind of special insurance?

[MudDuck]

Just make sure in your policy, PAPER WORK, you get from them it list comercial pressure washing. A lot of agents don't really understand it's a specialized buisness and think or assume it's just "lumped" in one of the higher "general policy" with like your lawn care. Make sure you look him in the eye and he know's your face and tell him your water pressure washing homes and roofs so he can't claim he didn't "understand" later when he trys to tell you... "oh,,,well,,, now I see,,,hmm,,,well thats not covered,,,sorry for the mis commincation but I didn't understand you were doing that.....It's not on your policy"... Then tells corprate "that guy never said anything about pressure washing" to cover his arse.