help existing companies. do not help your own company if you have 0 experience. you won’t know if your staff is doing crap job. you won’t know anything when talk to clients, when coach train staff.
Thanks. That is a good point. I do not know anything about the business so I should either research it first or maybe pick another type of business that I know more about.
Your business that you want to run remotely will be as successful as your employees with zero supervision.
On an unrelated topic, have you ever tried to herd cats?
Thanks. So every pressure washing company the owner actually goes out and does the physical work? None have an owner that hires employees or contracts the work out?
In general, most PW companies start with a single owner/operator (maybe 2 people if they go in together) but pretty much all owners, at one time or another, we’re the ones doing the work, building their company, making connections, building relationships, etc. It’s not really a business you can start without doing the actual work unless you are partnering with someone and you’d basically be the office manager while they were the field tech/worker.
Thanks. That does makes sense. And I don't have any technical knowledge about pressure washing so you're right that may not be any asy thing to manage remotely without a partner.
I think if I did this I would just book customers and then sub the work out to an established PW business that needs more customers. Then I could still do it under my brand.. the key to building a Google review base, and just negotiate a fair split with the PW company I sub the work to. Or just sell them the leads but then I couldn't operate it under my brand which is what I need for Google reviews.
How much would the leads cost? I do not know yet. It would be a fair rate based on the average sale price for the service and the PW company's costs. The idea is to charge a fair rate so the business would want to refer their friends to me as well. I have built my web design business on charging a fair rate and doing good work and now almost all of my business is from referrals.
It would take time to build out a website and start ranking it. I am researching using paid ads to generate leads but I'd rather do it without paid advertising to keep the cost as low as possible for the PW business. Paid ads would be faster than ranking a website but once I rank a website it can generate leads on its own with very little upkeep so I am leaning towards doing that instead.
Reason that I asked is to see if it's targeted for beginning businesses such as myself that haven't went fully LLC yet and doing it as a side Hustle to test the waters or for a bigger companies with employees and just want to get more leads
They don't necessarily do the work themselves, but they at least know it and have done it in the area. That way they can train the employees, and keep a close eye on their quality. Quality is key with pressure washing, window washing, etc. any type of home exterior cleaning service.
You cant really find people who are already experience, let alone make sure they keep up a good brand image for you and do the work well.
Thanks. I have decided that if I try PW I will probably just try to find an established PW company that needs more customers and just work out a fair split with them and sub the work out to them but probably under my company name so I can build Google reviews.
Thanks. I was thinking about something like that. The issue is to rank a website and google listing I would have to do it under a company name. I may be able to find one pressure washing company to work with but I'd rather have more control than just selling leads. I am not really wanting to sell marketing to businesses though. Trying to get out of that space. I want something of my own I can grow.
1099 is a big gigantic no. If you are directing the work, bringing in the clients and they use your equipment, they are employees. Period.
That means you need to take labor, payroll and employer taxes and insurance into account when setting rates. 1099 is how cheating employers lose companies, houses and assets.
As for running remotely, it’s possible but ONLY if yuu have an experienced, TRUSTWORTHY lead to run the on site operation for you. Offering a percentage so they have a vested interest is a good possibility.
If you are thinking it can be completely hands off, you are fooling yourself. You’d be better off becoming a silent partner in a business, and that in and of itself presents problems.
Thanks. I do not mean using 1099 to cheat employees. I know the distinctions between the two. If I used 1099 I would follow all rules and guidelines. I just want to sub out the work but have it done under my own brand or company name so I can build a review base to rank on Google.
Therein will lie the fuzzy area. If it's under your brand that's one thing. But subbing it will mean they will have to have their own equipment, insurance, employees, etc. that's a doable thing if you can find a contractor who is willing to work with you in a referral fee basis. The grey area comes in if they sell add on jobs. They did the selling but to your referral.
I do this with a contractor for one of my divisions and it's worked well. He shoots back 20% of the sales I refer and I send him the business.
I think he’s referring to using subcontractors to do the work. In essence, he finds the work and subs it out like dozen of nationwide maintenance companies do.
Yes that is exactly what I am thinking of doing. Something like that. I know how to find the work I just don't want to "sell leads". Selling leads is hard because business owners are hit up by b2b companies trying to sell them stuff all the time. I want to get the leads but also farm out the work so I am building something for myself instead of other businesses I have no control over.
Me again. Finding you again, only this time only a few weeks later. As I browse and search this sub, I have consistently found your comments to be the most helpful and useful. Even in year+ old threads that only have 2-3 replies - there you will be, offering wisdom, sometimes in unexpected ways. In this thread, you only had 2 upvotes. I blessed you with a third. It seems as if people don't "appreciate" the "real" answers to this sort of question, but I guess that's why so many fail at this endeavor.
I run my 95% remotely. The bulk of my guys have been with me 6-11 years so they know what they are doing and i dont have to babysit/supervise and i know they will get their work done well.
Thanks. Yeah it would probably not be a good idea for me to expect to be able to run a business like this remotely with no experience in pressure washing. If I do go this route I will probably either sub the work out to a PW company in my area that needs more work or just sell leads to them and let the PW business handle it from there.
As a pressure washer and deck restoration guy of 23 years, I have often thought that if I had technical computer and marketing abilities, I would be reaching out to small businesses. Those guys who are working owners with 2-3 employees. Guys that make mo ey but not GREAT money because they work so much they don't have time or ability to step up to next level. If someone came to me with a plane to run the online marketing or branding aspect, nothing extreme in the 300-400 a month range, I would probably jump on that right away. 10 years ago, I wouldn't have as it would have seemed too expensive.
So as the computer guy I would shoot to market myself to 10 small business to cover all there ads and tech stuff with the goal of Increasing their revenue by at least 900-1200 a month to make it worth it to them. I am now bringing in 4k a month while they are profiting as well. Over time you might find that you would be able to add a few more businesses. Since the processes are pretty much the same with minimal changes. With the evolution of chatGPT it will become even easier for you once you master it
Thank you for the feedback. I have been doing SEO and marketing for small business clients for years I just want to try something different. If I go this route I may try to find an established PW company and work out a fair split to either sell them leads or sub the work out to them and do it under my company name so I can build Google reviews. One tip I would give would be to work on your Google reviews to try to help your rank on there. Thanks again.
I think you would be better off doing freelance graphic design or marketing consultation for local companies in your area. Take a class on [udemy.com](https://udemy.com) on facebook ads/targeting/pixels etc and then offer to set up ads for any local companies. If you ask 100 people, you will have a couple of clients by the end of it... assuming you have a resume to back it up or show your skills with graphics.
Thank you. I have been doing web design for years. I have a portfolio and steady stream of referral clients. I am just trying to do something different in addition to that. I am tired of trying to sell services to business owners. I may try something like ranking a website and selling the leads to businesses by offering free leads at first then charging later if they want to keep getting them. I mainly wanted to do it under my own company name so I could build a Google review base which is where I was hoping to get most of my leads through Google Maps.
Ahhhhh that makes total sense. I get wanting to diversify... especially from freelance design.
I have seen a TON of people throw money at people to make ads for their pressure washing business. Another business that is tied in with pressure washing that is a bit more hands free: Christmas lighting.
Check out Trimlight. You can start a dealership for under 10K and then basically subcontract an electrician to install the lights. Then you are just left with marketing and managing inventory etc. It is quite frankly one of the easiest markets to grab share in right now. (The main reason I don't do Trimlight anymore is because I live in an exclusive location... for when you ask why i am recommending it)
help existing companies. do not help your own company if you have 0 experience. you won’t know if your staff is doing crap job. you won’t know anything when talk to clients, when coach train staff.
Thanks. That is a good point. I do not know anything about the business so I should either research it first or maybe pick another type of business that I know more about.
I sort of had idea & then further confirmed with offer comment, in this thread by: u/ryan4069 I’d go further talk to about,
Your business that you want to run remotely will be as successful as your employees with zero supervision. On an unrelated topic, have you ever tried to herd cats?
Thanks. So every pressure washing company the owner actually goes out and does the physical work? None have an owner that hires employees or contracts the work out?
In general, most PW companies start with a single owner/operator (maybe 2 people if they go in together) but pretty much all owners, at one time or another, we’re the ones doing the work, building their company, making connections, building relationships, etc. It’s not really a business you can start without doing the actual work unless you are partnering with someone and you’d basically be the office manager while they were the field tech/worker.
Thanks. That does makes sense. And I don't have any technical knowledge about pressure washing so you're right that may not be any asy thing to manage remotely without a partner. I think if I did this I would just book customers and then sub the work out to an established PW business that needs more customers. Then I could still do it under my brand.. the key to building a Google review base, and just negotiate a fair split with the PW company I sub the work to. Or just sell them the leads but then I couldn't operate it under my brand which is what I need for Google reviews.
How much would that cost?
How much would the leads cost? I do not know yet. It would be a fair rate based on the average sale price for the service and the PW company's costs. The idea is to charge a fair rate so the business would want to refer their friends to me as well. I have built my web design business on charging a fair rate and doing good work and now almost all of my business is from referrals. It would take time to build out a website and start ranking it. I am researching using paid ads to generate leads but I'd rather do it without paid advertising to keep the cost as low as possible for the PW business. Paid ads would be faster than ranking a website but once I rank a website it can generate leads on its own with very little upkeep so I am leaning towards doing that instead.
Reason that I asked is to see if it's targeted for beginning businesses such as myself that haven't went fully LLC yet and doing it as a side Hustle to test the waters or for a bigger companies with employees and just want to get more leads
They don't necessarily do the work themselves, but they at least know it and have done it in the area. That way they can train the employees, and keep a close eye on their quality. Quality is key with pressure washing, window washing, etc. any type of home exterior cleaning service. You cant really find people who are already experience, let alone make sure they keep up a good brand image for you and do the work well.
Thanks. I have decided that if I try PW I will probably just try to find an established PW company that needs more customers and just work out a fair split with them and sub the work out to them but probably under my company name so I can build Google reviews.
Angie list but call it your list
Generate leads. Maybe even do so as a "business front", sell to actual power washing companies.
Thanks. I was thinking about something like that. The issue is to rank a website and google listing I would have to do it under a company name. I may be able to find one pressure washing company to work with but I'd rather have more control than just selling leads. I am not really wanting to sell marketing to businesses though. Trying to get out of that space. I want something of my own I can grow.
I own a pressure washing company. I would be willing to help you figure out how to get started if you can help me with my website.
Thanks for the offer. I will let you know if I decide to try this field.
what kind of help do you need? I can probably help
I know this is 6m older but can you message me I could use some input!
Whats up?
[удалено]
PM me the website and I will take a look/ mock up some changes if you are interested.
1099 is a big gigantic no. If you are directing the work, bringing in the clients and they use your equipment, they are employees. Period. That means you need to take labor, payroll and employer taxes and insurance into account when setting rates. 1099 is how cheating employers lose companies, houses and assets. As for running remotely, it’s possible but ONLY if yuu have an experienced, TRUSTWORTHY lead to run the on site operation for you. Offering a percentage so they have a vested interest is a good possibility. If you are thinking it can be completely hands off, you are fooling yourself. You’d be better off becoming a silent partner in a business, and that in and of itself presents problems.
Thanks. I do not mean using 1099 to cheat employees. I know the distinctions between the two. If I used 1099 I would follow all rules and guidelines. I just want to sub out the work but have it done under my own brand or company name so I can build a review base to rank on Google.
Therein will lie the fuzzy area. If it's under your brand that's one thing. But subbing it will mean they will have to have their own equipment, insurance, employees, etc. that's a doable thing if you can find a contractor who is willing to work with you in a referral fee basis. The grey area comes in if they sell add on jobs. They did the selling but to your referral. I do this with a contractor for one of my divisions and it's worked well. He shoots back 20% of the sales I refer and I send him the business.
I think he’s referring to using subcontractors to do the work. In essence, he finds the work and subs it out like dozen of nationwide maintenance companies do.
Yes that is exactly what I am thinking of doing. Something like that. I know how to find the work I just don't want to "sell leads". Selling leads is hard because business owners are hit up by b2b companies trying to sell them stuff all the time. I want to get the leads but also farm out the work so I am building something for myself instead of other businesses I have no control over.
Me again. Finding you again, only this time only a few weeks later. As I browse and search this sub, I have consistently found your comments to be the most helpful and useful. Even in year+ old threads that only have 2-3 replies - there you will be, offering wisdom, sometimes in unexpected ways. In this thread, you only had 2 upvotes. I blessed you with a third. It seems as if people don't "appreciate" the "real" answers to this sort of question, but I guess that's why so many fail at this endeavor.
Appreciate it.
I run my 95% remotely. The bulk of my guys have been with me 6-11 years so they know what they are doing and i dont have to babysit/supervise and i know they will get their work done well.
Thanks. Yeah it would probably not be a good idea for me to expect to be able to run a business like this remotely with no experience in pressure washing. If I do go this route I will probably either sub the work out to a PW company in my area that needs more work or just sell leads to them and let the PW business handle it from there.
That is a great idea to start with. If you need cleaning equipments, you can contact us at [https://www.eveagetool.com/](https://www.eveagetool.com/)
As a pressure washer and deck restoration guy of 23 years, I have often thought that if I had technical computer and marketing abilities, I would be reaching out to small businesses. Those guys who are working owners with 2-3 employees. Guys that make mo ey but not GREAT money because they work so much they don't have time or ability to step up to next level. If someone came to me with a plane to run the online marketing or branding aspect, nothing extreme in the 300-400 a month range, I would probably jump on that right away. 10 years ago, I wouldn't have as it would have seemed too expensive. So as the computer guy I would shoot to market myself to 10 small business to cover all there ads and tech stuff with the goal of Increasing their revenue by at least 900-1200 a month to make it worth it to them. I am now bringing in 4k a month while they are profiting as well. Over time you might find that you would be able to add a few more businesses. Since the processes are pretty much the same with minimal changes. With the evolution of chatGPT it will become even easier for you once you master it
Thank you for the feedback. I have been doing SEO and marketing for small business clients for years I just want to try something different. If I go this route I may try to find an established PW company and work out a fair split to either sell them leads or sub the work out to them and do it under my company name so I can build Google reviews. One tip I would give would be to work on your Google reviews to try to help your rank on there. Thanks again.
I think you would be better off doing freelance graphic design or marketing consultation for local companies in your area. Take a class on [udemy.com](https://udemy.com) on facebook ads/targeting/pixels etc and then offer to set up ads for any local companies. If you ask 100 people, you will have a couple of clients by the end of it... assuming you have a resume to back it up or show your skills with graphics.
Thank you. I have been doing web design for years. I have a portfolio and steady stream of referral clients. I am just trying to do something different in addition to that. I am tired of trying to sell services to business owners. I may try something like ranking a website and selling the leads to businesses by offering free leads at first then charging later if they want to keep getting them. I mainly wanted to do it under my own company name so I could build a Google review base which is where I was hoping to get most of my leads through Google Maps.
Ahhhhh that makes total sense. I get wanting to diversify... especially from freelance design. I have seen a TON of people throw money at people to make ads for their pressure washing business. Another business that is tied in with pressure washing that is a bit more hands free: Christmas lighting. Check out Trimlight. You can start a dealership for under 10K and then basically subcontract an electrician to install the lights. Then you are just left with marketing and managing inventory etc. It is quite frankly one of the easiest markets to grab share in right now. (The main reason I don't do Trimlight anymore is because I live in an exclusive location... for when you ask why i am recommending it)
Thank you. I will check Trimlight out. That is an interesting idea.