I can remember when I started my power washing business I worked seven days a week. I would work days, nights and weekends, I was a “Power Washing Whore”. I did anything and everything I could get my hands on. But when I tore my rotor cuff and then developed carpal tunnel syndrome in my right wrist, I came to the conclusion that I could not do this alone.
Don’t be like me and work so hard, you don’t have to be a workaholic. You just need to start working smarter instead of harder.
Ask yourself this, why am I doing all this, what am I killing myself for? All this hard work takes a toll on your body, your arms and shoulders, back and your whole body starts to go. Stay out of the workaholic trap and to learn to put systems in place and start living the life you want.
One of the biggest challenges we as power washers have is we try to go it alone, you don’t have to be a “Lone Ranger” or a “Super Hero” and take on the world by yourself. In fact, the lack of delegation skills, not having a support team, and working alone will limit your ability come up with new ideas, explore the different kinds of power washing or uncover those areas of improvement that will streamline your business. By having access to a community of like minded power washers, like those in the Power Washers of North America who are committed to our industry’s success, you will grow your business ten times faster. Every convention attendee I talked to said the same thing, “I wish I came to these conventions earlier”. They all regretted not networking with all the successful power washers sooner. Join an association today and become part of the successful power washers leading our industry.
Why not talk to the people who have already figured it out instead of wasting time and money on things that just don’t work. You don’t have to be bigger to make more money you just have to work smarter. It’s real easy to add overhead to your business and the next thing you know you are losing money, which happens all the time. Money is coming in and you add positions, you want to put someone in the office or add another person to the crew, it is very easy to add the positions but a lot harder to get rid of them. You lose one big account and things start to go down are you going to be able to cut and show a better profitability. Don’t let your ego get in the way; you need to look at it as a business with a profit and loss.
Every successful business owner has a team that they delegate work to and they trust that team to run the business. Learn to let go of control and trust the managers and workers of the company.
The best book that you can read to further you business is the E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber; there is currently three different versions of it out there right now. The book talks about systemizing you business and working ON your business and not in your business. I can tell you right now, the millionaire power washers do not work in their business they work ON their business. I know this is a mindset shift that most power washers will have to go through in order to understand this fully. I know we are all control freaks or we wouldn’t have our own business, but in order for you to grow as a business you need to let go of control and trust the people you hire.