Month: November 2021

Thanks to https://smallbiztrends.com/2021/11/how-to-start-a-pressure-washing-business.html

A pressure washing business owner aims to please, and there’s no time like the present to get into that line of work. It may also be called a power washing business.

People are working from home. Businesses that focus on property enhancement – such as hardscaping, decks and backyard pools – are booming. Lots of structures around a home need the services of a pressure washer.

In addition to private individuals, corporate customers need your services. In the post pandemic environment, keeping work and home properties clean – and disinfected – is more important than ever.

How Does a Pressure Washing Business Work?

A power washing company can have a wide variety of customers. Cleaning may be needed for business fleet vehicles, pools and decks, home exteriors, boats and agricultural equipment.

When you have your own pressure washing business, you’re your own boss and you can choose a specialty. The main specialties are residential owners, commercial property owners, marine and agricultral. Recent statistics put the pressure cleaning business at $2 billion annually, growing at a steady rate of 3.5%.

The Pressure Washing Industry in the US.

There are 135,000 companies employing about 187,000 people. The industry is $2 billion annually with a steady growth of 3.5%.

Pressure Washing Business Starting Cost

As you’d expect, pressure washing businesses operate with lots of equipment and the costs can vary. And this is why your startup checklist should be very thorough. There are some basic items you may already have, such as a heavy-duty truck, van and/or trailer.

If you have a truck or van, find out the maximum number for weight it can carry. A full-size one ton pickup truck can tote more weight that a 1/2 ton pickup truck, for example.

Also find out how much weight your vehicle can tow. A truck with an engine size greater than 5.0 can tow about 6,000 pounds (including the weight of the trailer) while a smaller 3.0 will have less towing capacity. Whenever you’re towing more than 3,000 pounds (total of trailer and load), you’re required by motor vehicle law to have electric brakes for your trailer. In some states, you may be required to also have sway bars to help control the trailer.

Here are some other basic equipment needs:

High power washers – Of 3,000 psi (pounds per square inch) and greater. These can be electric or gas. You’ll have to weigh the cost of gas to run the pressure washer, versus the cost of gas to run a generator for an electric pressure washer. Customers, especially residential customers, may not be happy when you tap into their power to run your equipment.

Hot water units – At least 18 horsepower.

Wand tips of various angles.

High and low-pressure hoses.

Telescoping extension wands.

Cleaning soaps, chemicals and additives.

A generator – If you’re using an electric power washer and working at an off-grid site. A 2,000-watt inverter isn’t going to be able to handle the work; you’ll need a 5-6,000 watt generator, and the associated oil and gas for it.

Pressure washing gear such as protective clothing.

10 Steps to Starting a Pressure Washing Business

Before you consider the steps, consider your level of physical fitness and the climate where you plan to work. Pressure washing skills are challenging, physical work done in various weather conditions.

1. Learn the Required Skills for Power Washing

It’s not simple. Too much pressure for the job, and you could inadvertently strip paint or damage items.

Use the wrong cleaning agent or additive, and you could also damage a surface.

Practice with your equipment on your own property and on property owned by family and friends. Can you apprentice with someone who owns a pressure washing business? That’s not likely if you’ll be competing for work in the same geographical area.

2. Create a Business Plan

Creating a business model is a necessary step for all businesses. When starting a pressure washing company, you’ll need a business name and separate personal and business accounts at the bank. A separate business bank account can also help you establish your company’s credit history, when you’re ready to get a loan to expand.

You should also put pen to paper to write out a general plan. Don’t worry about too much focus on long-range plans. A plan is a moving target, that you can adapt to your needs as the business climate and your success rate change.

Research office or retail space, if you need it. Get a business credit card.

The preferred business structure is a limited liability corporation for your business, which will protect your personal assets. Personal asset protection is important, since you’ll be providing a service to items owned by others. You’ll need equipment insurance and liability insurance.

Think about who or what you consider as your ideal customer. Do you want to clean agricultural equipment? Residential decks and patios? Tailer your business plan to that customer.

Also, research CRM software. A great program can make life so much easier, with appointment scheduling, tracking expenses, keeping personal and business expenses separate, accounting and tax filing. All these things should be part of a business plan that is well thought out so it can answer the questions investors or lenders might have.

3. Price Pressure Washing Services

A lot of pressure wash services are priced by the square foot, especially for home siding. Prices range from .35 to .77 per square ft.

Some price the service by the job, with prices for house siding jobs ranging from $170 to $225.

For small jobs, such as decks, you may need to add a minimum service charge.

4. Get Licenses and Permits

Check with your local licensing office to see what’s required. You’ll be operating potentially dangerous equipment and there will be run 0ff, either onto land or into storm drains.

Here’s a basic list:

• Business license
• Bonding
• Sales tax registration
• Contractor permit
• Environmental permit

5. Buy the Necessary Equipment

You can start with inexpensive equipment but you’d likely have to replace or repair it in a short time.

Those in the business advise – Buy the best quality you can afford. If you can’t afford the best quality, save money towards the purchase and wait.

6. Hiring Employees

Based on the numbers, many businesses are sole proprietors. There are 135,000 businesses and 187,000 employees nationwide.

If you hire an employee or employees, you’ll need an employer identification number (EIN). Many hire seasonal employees during their busiest times.

7. Consider Joining Pressure Washer Associations

There are two main ones: Pressure Washer Manufacturers Association and Pressure Washers of America.

8. Market Your Business

You can set up partnerships with business owners to get your foot in the door with fleet sales, real estate, agriculture and construction companies.

No matter what segment you target, nothing tells a tale better than Before and After images. Be sure to post them on your website or FB page.

9. Make Sure Your Business Complies with OSHA Regulations

There are proper safety precautions to follow for pressure washing equipment outlined in OSHA regulations. For example, any piece of equipment with greater than 3200 psi must have a 24″ hose guard on the hose, closest to the operator.

10. Scale Your Business

Set fees for common jobs such as driveways, houses and decks.

Have an adjustable budget for your business, making room for equipment maintenance and purchase.

Tips to Run a Successful Pressure Washing Business

Here are a few quick tips to running a successful pressure washing business:

• Use promotions and packages, advertising and promotions to attract new customers.
• Stay in touch with customers, reconnecting with them after the job.
• Use top notch CRM software. The cost will pay off in high profit margins, since you’ll have more time to work on getting new business.

What is the average business income?

The average income is $40 to $60 an hour and about $28,000 a year (after expenses).

In good markets, the top salary range is close to $40,000.

What is the best pressure washer for a pressure washing business?

Gas washers have more power. The range for consumer power washing equipment is from 1200 to 2500 watts, and these are used for jobs such as washing fences and grills.

Commercial pressure washers range from 3,000 to 4,000 psi. Those can handle boats, siding, driveways, industrial equipment and paint/graffiti stripping.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, “How to Start a Pressure Washing Business” was first published on Small Business Trends

Thanks to https://smallbiztrends.com/2021/11/email-signature-examples.html

Email signatures are a crucial part of a business email and have a lot of importance. The presence of an email signature can tell a recipient who you are, what you do, and the best ways to get in touch with you. A well-crafted, relevant email signature can have a lot of benefits for your business. We’ll look at what an email signature is and why it’s important, plus examples of email signatures to help you create your own.

What is an Email Signature?

An email signature is a combination of text and images that goes at the end of every email you send. Depending on your email client, you can create an email signature that adds to every email you send.

If you pay attention to your emails, you’ll likely see that most professional emails have some kind of a signature at the end as a sign off.

Why do I Need a Business Email Signature?

There are many reasons why a business email signature is helpful. The easiest way to think of it is as a type of business card. It tells the recipient who you are, where you work and how to get in touch with you. And don’t forget to keep email signature best practices in mind. Here are a few reasons why you should consider a business email signature:

1. Contact information: It’s an easy way to provide all your contact information in one place, rather than having to type it out every time.
2. Promotion: Your email signature works as a marketing channel since it includes key information about your company and serves as a form of brand awareness.
3. Personal touch: An email signature adds a more personal element to your email and creates a connection with the recipient right away
4. Professionalism: An email signature is a way to build trust, especially if you haven’t contacted the recipient before, as it shows that you are part of a company.
5. Encourages action: Depending on the structure of your email signature and email, you can use email signatures as a call to action tool to encourage recipients to get back to you.

What Should my Business Email Signature Include?

There are some integral components that go into creating an email signature block, such as:

• Name
• Job title
• Your company name, company logo, and even your department if appropriate
• Contact details such as a direct phone number
• Secondary contact information such as other direct lines, work phones, etc.
• Social icons that link out to relevant social media pages for your company
• Any awards you or your company has won
• A call to action (if relevant)

Simple Email Signature Examples

We’ll look at some simple email signature examples to help you get started.

Example 1:

Name

Title

Company

Phone

You can use this example for your personal brand as professional email signature templates usually contain this information at the minimum.

Example 2:

Name

Title

Company

Website

This is a basic email signature that best if you’d rather not provide a phone number or for email inboxes monitored by multiple people.

Example 3:

Name

Title

Company

Phone

Website

A more comprehensive email signature that can work well as a marketing rep email signature and for other professional services.

Note that you can add a business logo to these email signatures if you’d like, but it’s not necessarily a requirement if you’d like to keep them simple.

Funny (But Professional) Email Signature Examples

For those looking to add a little wit and sass to their email signature, you can find some email signatures examples here that could be useful.

The best way to add a funny saying to your email signature is to use one of the examples here, and add a funny saying or phrase to it. They can be a great addition for departments such as customer service and marketing where a more personal connection needs to be established.

Funny email signature example 1:

Name

Title

Company

Phone

Funny saying here

Funny email signature example 2:

Name

Title

Company

Funny saying here

Website

Professional Email Signature Examples

Including professional email signatures to your email is incredibly crucial for both business owners an employees. Corporate email signatures are key for recipients since they can quickly understand what you do and how they might know you. Here are some professional signature examples that you can use.

Example 1:

Name

Corporate logo, Title and Department

Company

Website

Social media links

Example 2:

Name

Corporate logo, Title and Department

Company

Phone

Website

Social media links

Example 3:

Name

Company

Title and Department

Phone

Website

Social media icons

Personal Email Signature Examples

For those seeking something a little more personal and perhaps something casual, email signatures can be reworked to be less formal. Here are some of the best examples of business email signatures that don’t feel as business-like.

Example 1

Name

Title

Phone

Example 2

Name

Phone

Website

Example 3

Name

Title

Phone

Creative Email Signature Examples

Certain professions may need a different kind of email signature. For example, a graphic designer email signature may need a more visual touch compared to other professions. There are also funny phone signature ideas you can use, for your smartphone or tablet. Here are some creative email signature ideas to get you started:

Example 1

Brand logo

Name

Title

Company

Phone

Website

Social media icons

Example 2

Brand logo

Name

Title

Phone

Portfolio link

Example 2

Brand logo

Name

Title

Phone

Website

HTML Email Signature

For a more dynamic and visual email signature, HTML formatting can help. Although it might seem complicated, there are many HTML signature examples that can be used with most major email clients such as Gmail and Outlook. This is more of a custom option to make it your own signature, and add more details such as making an email signature banners, using more graphics, and more. You can find email signature examples for HTML here that you can customize accordingly.

Email Signature Template

You can create email signatures using signature generations, an email signature maker, and signature templates. You can also use a free email signature generator to create your signature. If you’re looking for email signature templates, we can help. You can use the template below and add items or edit as needed to make it your own.

[Company’s logo on the left side]

Your Name

Your title | www.yourcompany website.com

Telephone: XXX

Mobile: XXX

Email: yourname@yourcompany.com

Address: Business address here

[Social media icons below, linked to relevant company pages]

How to Add an Email Signature to Your Email

Most major email clients let you set up an email signature in just a few clicks, so it’s a simple step that can have a significant impact on your business.

Here’s how to set up up your email signature, including Gmail email signatures and

For Outlook email signatures:

1. Navigate to Settings in your Outlook and select ‘view all settings for your Outlook.’
2. Select Mail and then select Compose and Reply
3. You’ll see an option for ’email signature’ where you can set up your signature and format it as needed.
4. Once the entire signature is formatted, you can select whether you want the email signature to appear only in new emails by choosing the ‘Automatically include my signature on new messages I compose.’

For Gmail email signatures:

1. Navigate to settings and select ‘See all settings.’
2. You’ll then see a ‘Signature’ section where you can format and add your signature, including multiple signatures as well, if you’d prefer.
3. Once you have formatted your email signature, you’ll just need to click ‘Save changes’ for it to take effect.

Tips for Creating the Perfect Email Signature

Creating the perfect company email signature is about recognizing the individual while balancing the company’s brand requirements and marketing potential.

Here are some tips on how to create the perfect email signature:

1. Add a logo: Adding your company logo can make your email signature look more professional, as adds a visual element to make it more interesting.
2. Incorporate a marketing campaign: Where possible, try to incorporate marketing campaigns taglines, articles, and even a recent blog post to create more visibility for the brand.
3. Promote your social media: You can add links to social media sites by using social media icons is a creative way to market your brand while building out your email signature.
4. Be consistent: If you are adding an email signature, encourage other employees to do so to ensure that each team member presents themselves professionally with up to date information using the existing signature structure.
5. Include different types of contact information: Not everyone prefers to respond to an email, so having other contact information, including a direct line, ensures that recipients can get in touch with you.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, “27 Email Signature Examples” was first published on Small Business Trends