Newbie's Introduction

I’m 18 and I live in New Jersey, I’m hoping to start a small pressure washing (primarily softwashing) business to help pay some of my family’s bills. I feel blessed to have found this forum because it looks like a fantastic resource and I’m looking forward to researching on here before diving into my purchases and business planning. I’ve researched pretty extensively for the past month and I feel like I still don’t know anything. Like i said, I’m excited to be here and learn and I appreciate all of the veterans and even the newcomers on here that answer questions so extensively, it helps me out a bunch! I’m looking forward to meeting you guys and talking to all of you, thanks. :slight_smile:

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If you get a chance check out foreverselfemployed on YouTube. He was young when he started and his technic isn’t always perfect but he has great hustle and customer service. He started with really basic equipment.

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He’s great, I like how he includes his pricing in his videos, I’ve learned quite a bit about soft washing from him. Thank you for showing me that sir, equipment is the part I’m most stressing over because I have thousands saved I just don’t want to make the wrong decision.

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One way to approach it is sell 2 or 3 jobs and then rent a PWer and surface cleaner from HD. You’d need to rent one once or twice to learn with. You’d also need to buy any needed accessories ahead of time. It may not be right for you but it is an option. :+1:

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That’s actually a great tip, thank you for that. I didn’t even think to rent a pressure washer for some reason, I guess I was to fed up in the thought of having a decent budget but I’m going to need to test to see what’s right and I’m going to need as much practice as I can get before working on others properties. Thank you very much :slight_smile:

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You have thousands saved and won’t buy decent equipment to start your business…something about your story does not add up.

Only thing I don’t like abt forever self employed is he’s always trying to sell u stuff. Same with WNC wash pros. They both seem to be into the yt business to turn a profit, I prefer watching southeast softwash he is very thorough with his videos

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Don’t recall saying I had thousands upon thousands. If you have a problem then leave. If you want to resolve something then get it over with your negativity is useless unless you have a lesson to teach.

Good point but he’s just trying to make money I don’t think he actually expects you to buy it, just trying to monetize. Southeast is great too, I like how he shows the properties he works on ad the methods he uses.

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Not just the stuff he tries to sell you. But some of his videos are about how to milk the most money out of customers. Comes off as greedy and not at all how I run my business

To me Forever self employed seems honest and direct. Yes he is trying to sell things but he isn’t underhanded about it. I really like his hustle. SE is great too. :+1:

Hmm. I really haven’t seen that with FSE. With WNC and Aaron I definitely see that. Especially the latter.

I never said you had thousands upon thousands saved, but In you own words in this very thread you said you have thousands saved.

I don’t know how you can argue with someone over this… I had $4k saved when I was 17 too but back then $4k took me 4 years to save up. I know a trust fund guy (23) who has over $250k in his account but he conveniently forgets his wallet when we go out cause he’s so cheap and afraid of spending any of it. People are odd with their money.

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No you said my story didn’t add up but there is no story, I have a bit over 3k. That’s not thousands upon thousands but it’s still more than 1 thousand making it plural.

Thank you, I get paid minimum wage and I have family stuff I have to deal with. I don’t know what this guys problem is.

I edited your post for your own good. Please don’t get defensive with the folks here. They don’t mean you any ill will. There are just a lot of odd ducks that float through here, and some of us are more skeptical than others.

I get it. That’s your life savings, and likely took you a lot of work to save up that much. I think I managed to have about $1500 to my name at your age. I would’ve been pretty hesitant to blow the whole amount on a new venture.

Using a rental machine isn’t ideal, but it is a low risk way of finding out if this is the right thing for you.

You’ll need to buy a downstream kit, a couple of spray nozzles, maybe an extra 50 or 100 feet of pressure hose, elemonator or a similar surfactant, and some pool shock. Including rental fee, you could be set up for your first few house washes for $300 or so.

Yep, when you save for 4 years during trash highscool and go straight into work until 11:30-12:00 every night every day it kinda blows and when some dude calls me a liar when I have to pay for medical expenses for my family it kinda gets my panties in a twist. But yeah he can call me a liar, that’s cool.

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I’ll say it again: we get a lot of odd ducks here. I believe the posts were meant as honest skepticism, not as an outright attack or judgement of your character. So far, you’re just a screenname and a pink ‘N’ on a screen, with no real way of differentiating you from all the quacks that come through. Once we get to know you a bit more, you’ll find those sort of posts become fewer and fewer.

Ask @dcbrock or some of the other ‘yearlings’ about how they were hazed upon arrival. It’s all part of the process. I’m not saying it’s right, it’s just what happens.

Consider yourself under initiation. You’re almost in the club :wink:

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Got it thanks, and I took it that way because he had no rhyme or reason and was just talking crap but I’ll just ignore from now on, thanks.

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