Today in < 10 minutes → We’re Going to Dive into:

1. Power Washing Porn – Yes I said P-O-R-N…
2. Supply & Demand – Aka People Need It You Provide It
3. Start-Up vs Acquisition – Which is better?
4. How much money can you make? – Show me the Benjamins.

But first a rant…

Contrarian Rant:

Well, I tweeted something and the internet got all frothy (what’s new). My point was the world in front of you is actually wildly profitable and itching for your uniqueness to add to its existence.

Here’s the deal. I write about contrarian ways to grow your brain, push against norms, AND unconventional ways to cashflow. These days I think one of the most contrarian things you can do while everyone is talking about the metaverse is instead, go analog.

What do I mean by that? I mean boring, everyday businesses that build communities, cashflow day one, and are you know…actually needed by your neighbors. Do they need another NFT? That’s arguable. Do they need clean, safe, homes, communities, and lives? Ya. At least until we all look like this…

I’m actually an optimist about our future if we continue to show up in the arena. Yet, I am slightly concerned that THIS GUY is the one determining how humanity will have social interactions in the future…

But I think one of the most Contrarian things you can do in this world that’s going mental is to go local. To take personal responsibility, to do the small things right, and yes to find the boring businesses that power our communities and turn them into the businesses of the future.

So this week, we talk about a business to buy for $440k that does $214k in annual profit OR a business to start with $500 and cashflow immediately.

After all:

Waste Management does $15 Billion in revenue, it started w/ buying small sub-par trash companies. Blockbuster was a $3B revenue company, it started w/ buying a crappy video store. AutoNation does $21 billion in revenue, it started w/ yes, M&A.

The moral of the story my contrarians is opportunity is simply all around.

I Love Watching Porn…

Maybe you are like me? And you’ve watched hours of r/powerwashingporn on Reddit. Get your head out of the gutters, Contrarians. I said Power Washing porn. Jeez.

I don’t know what part of the brain tingles when it sees before and after photos of pressure-washed houses, but I think it’s the same part that tingles when I sense a good money-making opportunity. Right now just FYI… I’m tingling.

So, let’s talk dirty and see if there is money to be made in a pressure-washing side hustle.

What I love about pressure washing is there is demand and opportunity in both commercial and residential spaces. You can also one of the businesses you can start cheap so there’s that. So let’s look at three macro trends going on in the U.S. that bode well for this side hustle.

First, homeownership is back on the rise. According to Pew, over 2.1 million people purchased new homes from the previous year. I guess being stuck at home for a year made 2.1 million people realize they hate where they live. But that’s good news for us.

Second, according to the US Census, residential construction is booming which means homeownership will likely continue to boom along with it.

Third, workers are starting to head back to the office which means the disaster that was commercial real estate will start to turn around…

Why does any of this matter?

Because we aren’t pressure washing cornfields. More houses, more homeownership, and more commercial real estate translates into more demand for pressure washing.

Next, if we know there is demand, then what does it take to get your piece of the pie? Surprisingly, very little.

Let’s start with the equipment. You can buy a high-end gas-powered pressure washer on Amazon for under $350.

Or you could go Unconventional Acquisitions style and buy an entire pressure washing business that cashflows $220k a year?

If you want to go the biz buying route… y’all already know where to go to learn biz buying… here.

But let’s say you’re going to start this biz because you’re cheap and want lower risk :). OR – you’re going to make your kid, Tommy, pay for the college education that’s increasingly ridiculously expensive propaganda by his damn self.

Tommy Starts a Pressure Washing Company

Where to begin? Well, you’ve already bought your fancy little machine for $350. Next, you’ll want to trick out your pressure washer with some additional accessories, and that can run you about $40.

Then we’ll need some pressure washer cleaner. Most cleaners run about $20 and will cover 6500 square feet.

Last, you’ll need a ladder and a 60’ hose. If I have to tell you how/where to buy a ladder or hose, I’m not sure this is the side hustle for you.

Breakdown:

$350 Power Washer

$40 Accessories

$20 Cleaner

$80 Ladder

$40 Hose

= Total of $530

So, for about $500 in start-up costs, you have what you need to make money.

How much money can be made?

Based on my research, you (ahem Tommy) can charge around $250 to pressure wash a driveway. Depending on the neighborhood and size, that can go up to $350-400. But conservatively, with only two driveways, you have paid for your pressure washing business.

But rarely does someone just need their driveway pressure washed. Based on the same research, to pressure wash a 2000 sq foot home, you can charge $800-$1000. Add their front or back porch? That’s another $400. So, a single home can bring in $1500 – $1800.

Again, all of this depends on the market, square footage, and the bigger the project, the more time, labor, and power washers you’ll need. But you can start to see how much cash one gas-powered machine can crank out.

Startup costs – $530

8 driveways a month – $2000

16 driveways a month – $4000

START LOW-PRESSURE WITH YOUR HIGH-PRESSURE BUSINESS

The smart play here is to start small and start local. Build your business and reputation on driveways. As I mentioned earlier, just 2 driveways can cover the cost of your equipment and you can knock out two driveways on a Saturday. You also can’t fuck up a driveway like you can the side of someone’s house. So perfect your craft with low-pressure jobs before moving on to higher money opportunities.

Make nice with realtors and your neighbors.

If you’ve ever sold a house, you know the first thing your realtor asks you to do is pressure wash the entire exterior. Why? Because it washes 10 years of age off your house. But it also makes their job easier and I’ve found 90% of the requests that come from my realtor all go back to making her life easier. If you can get in good with 4-5 realtors, you’ll be busy for months. The key with realtors is your ability to turn around a job quickly. If they have to wait 2 weeks for you, they’ll lose your number. If you can knock out the job within 2-3 days, they’ll let you name their firstborn child.

But the best customers are the ones you see on a daily basis – your neighbors. They know you. They trust you. And if you do a great job, they’ll tell other neighbors and those neighbors brag about you on my favorite place in the whole wide world – Nextdoor.

Nextdoor is perfect for two things – complaining about kids shooting fireworks in your neighborhood and asking for recommendations on small businesses.

It’s not just the most entertaining place on the internet, it’s the most profitable if you know how to use it.

Go to Nextdoor right now and search for pressure washing or power washing. I did and just in my neighborhood, there are plenty of people asking for recommendations –

Start your morning off with a cup of coffee and Nextdoor and chances are, you’ll find a business just waiting for you. Or hire your son, intern, or recent college grad and have them run it for you while you profit off it. That’s called the owner-operator model.

TLDR:

Pressure Washing has an incredibly low entry barrier, plenty of demand, and great margins. It’s also incredibly easy to scale. More pressure washers + hourly labor = a side hustle that could rival your day job.

Most people will say they can’t, but I know you, you will ask how can I apply this to myself. That’s how billionaires are made.

While they pay you, profit pressure washing,

Codie

I’m thinking of starting a Youtube channel.

Why? I see a hustler doing exactly that, like Ali Abdaal, who is a 7-digit business owner, YouTuber, and podcaster. Ali has his own free newsletter called Sunday Snippets where he shares advice on personal finance, productivity, and living your best life while making your first million on the side. A contrarian at his finest.