So many Powerwashers and rigs for sale

Its amazing how many people get into this business and before you know it there ready to get out.

It may be me but it seems that there are more then the usual amount of people getting out of the business this time of year then there were this same time of year over the last few.

As for me next spring will be my eighth year in the bus. and I don't plan on selling out, maybe buying more in the new year if I can get more Commercial accounts.

Has anyone notice that with all these PW/rigs for sale you don't also run across any contracts for sale.

I know that most of these people that are selling there setups were obviously not successful with there business but you figure at least a couple of them would have some Commercial accounts that they would be willing to part with. Unless they are alot more unsuccessful then I thought all accross the board with Commercial & residential.

I am always keeping my eyes wide open for possibly purchasing some Commercial accounts it they ever pop up.

As for Residential I don't need anymore customers then I already have except for Gutter cleaning(Don't know if I want to keep this part of my business. I might let this go kerplunk like my Residential window cleaning).

As for used rigs I always like to look at them but unless I can expand I don't look to purchase one.

There are a lot of reasons for it.
1. It is that time of the year. A lot of people in many parts of the country set December as a deadline to prove that they can be successful to their significant other. Usually they are not as patient as some of the future entrepreneurs.
2. The economy is down. A lot of people assuem that since the economy is down that htey mus tbe going broke. So they sell tehir rigs.
3. They need money for Christmas, so that they can buy Junior the new whatsit.
4. Some people do change rigs every year. They are always looking for the perfect machine.
5. Some times people might be unloading an extra rig because for some reason or another they lost a major account.
6. After a full season, they might decide that it is no fun coming home from work, cold, wet and dirty.
7. Sometimes people suddenly realize that, No, You don't get to keep all of the profits. That there are Taxes, and expenses to pay, and the fastest way to keep the tax people off of your back is to sell your equipment.
8. Then again, it could be someone that found a machine for a great price, and is reselling it, Or replaced an older machine with soemthing newer.


Scott

Alot of reasons. Nobody ever said being in business is all fun and games but the Reward if one can stick it out can be substantial or at least satisfying knowing that you can float a business.

Like Jimmy Valvano the ex basketball coach of NC State and since passed on said "Never give up, Never ever give up". Of course in business if it aint working and you gave it your best then you may have to give up. IT just seems that to many people give up to easlily when they don't do as well as they expected the first year or two in business.

nothing here

well john there is nowt for sale over here i wish one of the full setups that go over there for 4 or 5k would come on the market here.........hot pressure washers are like hens teeth to get over here secondhand......but you never know i might get a email about one now

paul.

I've been doing this business part time for 6yrs. now.
Each year I make a little more than last year. Now I 'm starting to make more than half what I make at my full time job.
I only wonder what I could do if I put 100% behind it.
I think I might give it a go this year!
I'm doing a lot of wood care that keeps the repeat customer base going.
I hope i'm not going to be on of those guys selling my equipment .

Well, I was one of the unsucessful ones for a while.

1st year gross 2450.00 back of pickup truck cold water
2nd year gross 6500.00 same rig
3rd year gross 12,841.00 trailer mounted mobile system cold water
4th year gross not done yet and 26,000.00 same rig
5th year (next year) accumulated enough capital to purchase my new hot water skid mobile rig

If the trend holds next year will be profittable. I am one of the fortunate ones that can grow my business and still draw a salary from another company. If not I would have had to sell out. I take most of my gain from the previous year after taxes and reinvest to grow my company. My customer base is growing by leaps and bounds and Ive landed a couple of commercial contracts. Just keep pluggin and diggin and do it as you can afford it. I see so many guys borrow big money and lose their ass. It is tough to start out and build a customer base. After 4 years most of my previous customers call me every year and plus all my new ones. I have built it from the ground up and have established a good name for my company and have 3 commercial accounts lined up allready and plan to submit many more proposals upon purchase of the new rig. I have many commercial contacts through my other job and have been communicating and working deals that I haven't hammered out yet. All the above income was strictly residential with a few trucks and one contract for a dryvit building. I would say a new business with pressure washing as your sole income would have to gross a min of 48,000.00 to make it after all expenses and taxes and a salary of say 29,000.00. If the trend holds for this comming year I hope to find out.

Mike Smith,
I'm like you are. I have another job to draw my salary from and use my powerwashing money to expand and grow my business and also to have extra money to keep the wife home to take care of the kids on a fulltime bases.

I started my powerwashing business 7.5 yrs ago and I had a set up that was similiar to your first setup where I had everything in the back of my Ford Flareside(Small bed) pickup.

The first year I grossed a little over $12,000.

Today I gross 3-4 times more then my first year. I usually only powerwashed the most 7-8months a year. Now that I'm starting to branch out Comercially I hope to be able to powerwash 10-12 months per year.

Eventually I may just powerwash fulltime if I can continously grow my commercial end.

If I had to guess, one would have to gross at least $90,000/yr powerwashing fulltime to survive in NY where High taxes are the norm along with overpriced homes etc. etc..

I guess I didn't do too bad then my first year. I have been power washing for 4 years although I count this one as my first. This is my first year power washing and nothing else. The first 2 years I power washed brick for a masonry company I worked for. Last year I just did it here and there for some extra cash. This year I went all out with a trailer, tanks, and hot water unit. I made about $36,000 this year. That is from putting a small ad in the newspaper and advertising in two yellow pages. The yellow page ads didn't start until June so I didn't get full benefit form them. The only thing I did to bring in extra business was I wrote a few letters to masonry companies to see if they needed any brick washed. I did not put out flyers, go door to door, make calls, give demos, or anything like that. If you condense all my work time I worked for about 5 months this year. All my equpiment has been paid off. I think I did alright. I think next year will be even better. Most of my income comes from brick washing. I average about 40 cents a sq. ft. plus equpiment rental and supplies. I can wash 2000 sq. ft. a day so that is pretty good money. My biggest competition around here went into a car detailing business. He asked if I wanted to take over his car lots. He has a building where people come to him for detailing so he doesn't want to do car lots anymore. I would like to make $50,000 a year. That is my goal. I am not out to work 80 hours a week and make $150,000 a year. I like making enough money to get by and have some extras and spending time with my family. I can't see how guys do it working fulltime jobs and then another 20 hours a week power washing. That is too much for me.

I remember the days where I made $30,000 a year. That was good part time money, and yes, it helped my wife stay home with the kids.
Now I make significantly more than that, and next year I hope to increase it by about 25%. The only way I am going ot be able to do that is by making sure that all of my customers are taken care of, and expanding my horizons a bit. I think that it is possible. I know that my first year, I think that I only made $12,000, and theat woud be a stretch, but I sure ahd a good time doing it.

Scott Stone

Always rigs forsale