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WELCOME<br />

TO MY<br />

NIGHTMARE


contents<br />

FEATURES<br />

12<br />

OPERATOR<br />

PROFILE:<br />

Never Give Up<br />

Against the<br />

odds, softwash<br />

entrepreneur Pat<br />

Clark achieves the<br />

American Dream<br />

18<br />

WELCOME<br />

TO MY<br />

NIGHTMARE<br />

One of the world’s leading landscaping<br />

and window cleaning influencers shares his<br />

nightmarish story of starting (and closing) a<br />

pressure wash business<br />

DEPARTMENTS<br />

3 Editor’s Letter: OMAHA!<br />

Gridiron advice for business owners trying to groom their<br />

employees for greater responsibility<br />

3 Industry Dirt<br />

A look around the exterior cleaning world for news and<br />

notes of interest<br />

3 Commentary: Flying Dogs<br />

Successful business owners have “dogs,” or better yet, a<br />

“pack of dogs” biting their hands<br />

Vol. 4, No. 2, Spring <strong>2022</strong><br />

Publisher: Jackson Vahaly<br />

Editor: Drew Ruble<br />

Design: Katy Barrett-Alley<br />

Pressure Wash News is published 4 times per year and is independently owned by Jackson Vahaly.<br />

All inquiries should be directed to: Pressure Wash News, 110 Childs Ln. Franklin, TN<br />

37067 | jacksonv@pressurewashnews.com<br />

Copyright © <strong>2022</strong> 2 Dollar Media / Pressure Wash News. All Rights Reserved.<br />

2 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong>


EDITOR’S<br />

NOTE<br />

Omaha!<br />

A friend of mine, a high school football<br />

coach, was talking to me the<br />

other day about grooming a young<br />

player to be his future quarterback.<br />

Listening to him, I thought it<br />

outlined some good advice for business<br />

owners trying to groom their<br />

employees for greater responsibility.<br />

It also well-defined the difference<br />

between being managed and being led.<br />

For a coach, a lot is riding on<br />

the development of one position in<br />

particular – the quarterback. So what<br />

do you do to mentor a 16-year-old<br />

kid who holds your professional fate<br />

in his hands?<br />

Well, according to my friend, you<br />

pray. And then you go to work trying<br />

to elevate the young man’s grasp of<br />

the game from “having” to “knowing”<br />

to “understanding.”<br />

Let me explain.<br />

When you are coaching or mentoring<br />

a quarterback, you are first trying<br />

to move them from a state of simply<br />

“having” or possessing something<br />

(in this case, their God-given talent<br />

and the playbook), to “knowing”<br />

something, meaning possessing sufficient<br />

familiarity with their abilities,<br />

shortcomings, and the playbook to<br />

execute plays.<br />

The next step is elevating them<br />

from “knowing” the playbook to<br />

“understanding” the playbook, a state<br />

where they are capable of synthesizing<br />

the concepts of the offense<br />

you are trying to run and (through<br />

education, experience, and a coach’s<br />

investment in their personal development)<br />

begin to produce novel new<br />

outcomes as a result of the architecture<br />

you put in place.<br />

So a talented freshman quarterback<br />

shows up on campus, and<br />

you hand him the playbook. That’s<br />

“having” both from a talent and materials<br />

standpoint. There’s really not<br />

much more to it.<br />

The kid gets to work and soon has<br />

a basic sense or awareness of the playbook<br />

or blueprint, and begins to run<br />

it with the second stringers in practices.<br />

In his sophomore year, though,<br />

you bring him out to practice, and<br />

you really start installing the offense,<br />

providing him a fundamental knowledge<br />

of the plays and objectives.<br />

This takes him from simply “having”<br />

to “knowing.” You accomplish this<br />

progress not by force feeding him<br />

information or endlessly running<br />

tasks but by asking him questions<br />

like ‘when you run this play, what are<br />

you looking for? What do you do?’<br />

to test his knowledge. His answers,<br />

when right, signal that he is learning<br />

– that he has indeed progressed from<br />

“having” to “knowing.” He can say ‘I<br />

know to do this and this and this,’ and<br />

he knows because you are asking him<br />

and engaging him.<br />

The final step, then, is “understanding.”<br />

This is the process of<br />

turning him loose in to the game<br />

and letting him read the defense and<br />

make decisions in real time based on<br />

the mentoring he has received.<br />

When a quarterback is walking<br />

to the line of scrimmage, correctly<br />

reading the defense, amending play<br />

calls based on what he sees<br />

and “understands,” and making<br />

touchdowns happen with the<br />

clock ticking down at the end of<br />

the game, that coach on the sideline<br />

has done their job.<br />

You should be employing the<br />

same approach in your efforts to<br />

develop your workforce – specifically<br />

your protégé. Because not unlike<br />

with a quarterback on the field, their<br />

outcomes will impact your company’s<br />

performance and your job security,<br />

determining if you win or lose at<br />

the game of business.<br />

It’s not about giving them tasks<br />

(yes, there are always tasks) – it’s<br />

about developing them as people<br />

so they go from having to knowing<br />

to understanding. At that point, the<br />

tasks will take care of themselves.<br />

Touchdown!<br />

Drew Ruble<br />

drewruble@gmail.com<br />

Editor | PW News<br />

VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong> | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | 3


Flying<br />

Dogs<br />

Successful business owners have “dogs,”<br />

or better yet, a “pack of dogs” biting their hands<br />

Editor’s Note: Chuck Violand<br />

founded Violand Management<br />

Associates in 1987. VMA is a<br />

leader in executive development,<br />

management training, and business<br />

performance maximization for<br />

entrepreneurial restoration and<br />

cleaning companies. As an author<br />

and popular speaker (including at<br />

past <strong>PWN</strong>A/CETA conventions),<br />

Violand is a respected authority on<br />

entrepreneurial small businesses,<br />

having spent more than 30 years<br />

as both a business consultant and<br />

an executive coach. He is a regular<br />

contributor to trade journals and<br />

newsletters and is the author of<br />

the popular weekly leadership<br />

series Monday Morning Notes. See<br />

violand.com for details or contact<br />

them at 1-800-360-3513.<br />

BY CHUCK VIOLAND<br />

Entrepreneurs can be their own<br />

worst enemy. Despite our best intentions<br />

and the dreams we have of<br />

building business empires, many of<br />

us continually shoot ourselves in our<br />

own feet … with our own gun!<br />

As a result, our businesses and<br />

the people we employ suffer. Sometimes,<br />

what we need most isn’t more<br />

sales or more cash or better systems.<br />

Sometimes, what we need is someone<br />

or something to take the gun out<br />

of our hands to keep us from hurting<br />

ourselves!<br />

Fortunately, there’s help on the<br />

way, and it comes in the form of a<br />

story from the airline industry.<br />

As the story goes, there was a<br />

passenger boarding a plane (pre-<br />

COVID) who looked through the<br />

open door to the flight deck and<br />

noticed that the only occupants were<br />

a pilot and a dog.<br />

Curious about this, he turned to<br />

the flight attendant who was greeting<br />

the boarding passengers and<br />

asked, “What’s up with the dog on<br />

the flight deck?”<br />

The attendant explained that<br />

autopilot technology had advanced<br />

to the point where planes actually<br />

fly much smoother and have a much<br />

better safety record when pilots<br />

don’t handle the controls but, instead,<br />

let the autopilot fly the plane.<br />

She added, “But, pilots are only<br />

human and have a high need to control<br />

their environment, so most of<br />

them find it impossible to keep their<br />

hands off the controls. Our airline<br />

devised a creative way to address this<br />

problem.”<br />

She went on to explain, “FAA<br />

regulations require that all aircraft<br />

have a pilot on board at all times.<br />

The dog is also highly trained and is<br />

there to bite the pilot’s hand if he<br />

tries to touch any of the controls.”<br />

“So, why have the pilot there at<br />

all?” the passenger asked.<br />

“He’s there to feed the dog,” she<br />

replied.<br />

Successful business owners have<br />

“dogs” on their own “flight decks.”<br />

In business, these dogs are known<br />

as managers, advisors, and spouses<br />

to name just a few. Just as with the<br />

airplanes in our story, these owners<br />

know their business performs better<br />

and they are a much better business<br />

leader when they actually listen to<br />

them.<br />

The best dogs are able to take the<br />

self-destructive gun out of our hands<br />

and then have us show them gratitude<br />

for doing so. They keep us from<br />

hurting ourselves and our business<br />

by repeatedly shooting ourselves in<br />

the foot. Some of us (this author<br />

included!) may require more than<br />

one dog to keep us in line.<br />

Outsiders are frequently in<br />

better positions than the owner to<br />

recognize when they would benefit<br />

from the presence of a dog. They<br />

can more easily observe the limitations<br />

placed on the business by the<br />

owner’s behavior and the decisions<br />

they make.<br />

Countless books have been written<br />

on the importance of building<br />

strong management teams in growing<br />

businesses. These teams are just<br />

another term for the pack of dogs an<br />

owner needs to help them stay on<br />

course and grow their company.<br />

The question that begs asking<br />

is why more business owners don’t<br />

4 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong>


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FLYING DOGS<br />

hire (and listen) to them.<br />

The first hire a business owner<br />

makes is oftentimes the trusted office<br />

manager/bookkeeper. Or at least<br />

it should be. This is one dog only a<br />

handful of pilots can do without.<br />

Yet many owners resist bringing this<br />

person on board, and despite all their<br />

pleading to the contrary, it’s usually<br />

not because they can’t afford them.<br />

In fact, most businesses can’t afford<br />

not to hire them.<br />

While many of us won’t say it out<br />

loud, one of the strongest underlying<br />

reasons we delay this hiring is because<br />

of trust. Or more accurately, a<br />

lack of trust. This is an issue that goes<br />

deep with business owners and could<br />

fill the pages of several articles.<br />

Some owners dupe themselves<br />

into thinking that if they manage the<br />

books themselves, they’ll suddenly<br />

discover a level of personal organization<br />

and detail that has eluded them<br />

until now (which is highly unlikely).<br />

My experience has shown that<br />

when tracking a company’s financial<br />

performance over time, you<br />

can almost see the date when the<br />

owner finally hired the right person<br />

to manage the office and the books.<br />

The company’s performance almost<br />

always visibly improves. Most important<br />

of all is that this person has<br />

the skills to manage the owner!<br />

This is a dog who knows when<br />

and how to bite the owner’s hand<br />

when needed.<br />

The whole scenario about making<br />

the right hire to manage the office<br />

and the books doesn’t end with this<br />

one position. It will repeat itself<br />

over and over in other positions as<br />

the company continues to grow. The<br />

need for additional dogs, sometimes<br />

with advanced skills, will continue.<br />

Another reason some owners<br />

resist bringing talented people on<br />

board is because they’re afraid those<br />

people will be smarter or better liked<br />

than they are. They also fear losing<br />

control of the company or having<br />

their authority undermined. After all,<br />

it’s not often that owners get petted<br />

on the head and told what a great<br />

job they’re doing.<br />

These justifications seem rational<br />

in the mind of the business owner,<br />

yet they place a significant constraint<br />

on the growth of the company,<br />

which is something most owners<br />

don’t see.<br />

Oftentimes business owners are<br />

unaware of the changes taking place<br />

in the markets they serve and within<br />

their own industry that can have<br />

disastrous effects on their business<br />

if they’re not recognized and addressed.<br />

A good dog can sense things<br />

an owner simply can’t. They have<br />

heightened sensitivities and a greater<br />

awareness of things within their own<br />

areas of expertise. No owner can be<br />

expected to have all these insights.<br />

I’ll even make a case that the best<br />

business pilots are the ones who’ve<br />

surrounded themselves with a pack<br />

of dogs. And not all these dogs<br />

have the title of manager or have<br />

an advanced degree as part of their<br />

pedigree.<br />

Having bite marks on their hands<br />

or receiving an occasional growl<br />

might make an owner think their<br />

dogs don’t appreciate them, but the<br />

opposite is usually the case. In fact,<br />

I believe these are indicators of the<br />

best dogs. They may cause pain in<br />

the short term, but they pay huge<br />

dividends in the long run.<br />

And it’s the best owners who<br />

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6 HNY80604 | PRESSURE PressureWashNews_March2021_HPH_SNC_VF.indd WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING 1 <strong>2022</strong><br />

2/9/21 2:40 PM


INDUSTRY<br />

DIRT<br />

A look around the cleaning equipment<br />

world for news and notes of interest<br />

Send your company news and press releases to drewruble@gmail.com<br />

Virtual Reality<br />

Pressure washing entered the multibillion-dollar<br />

video gaming realm in<br />

2021 when UK-based FuturLab's<br />

PowerWash Simulator game was<br />

created and launched to allow would-be<br />

pressure washers blast dirt into oblivion<br />

right from their desktop.<br />

The game puts a power washer<br />

in the gamer’s hands and lets them<br />

blast away on a dirty two-story house.<br />

Gamers try to achieve 100% progress<br />

on the task. Eventually the game maker<br />

created more scenes to clean, additional<br />

equipment, and even a chance to open<br />

your own pressure wash business.<br />

Now the game has received a software<br />

update with new features.<br />

Gaminglyfe.com reported that<br />

FuturLab released their latest<br />

update for Steam Early Access title<br />

POWERWASH SIMULATOR in<br />

early <strong>2022</strong>. Published by Square Enix<br />

Ltd, the 0.8 update features four new<br />

career jobs, Vintage Car challenges, and<br />

colorful cosmetics.<br />

According to Gaminglyfe.com, the<br />

POWERWASH SIMULATOR update<br />

now allws players who build their own<br />

power washing business now “unearth<br />

some of the town’s hidden history in<br />

the abandoned Subway Platform.”<br />

Players can also “take a trip to the desert<br />

and help Harper reveal the mysteries of<br />

an Ancient Statue.”<br />

Nerdstash.com highlighted other<br />

new scenarios in the game such as where<br />

players “lean off the eggy engine of a stunt<br />

plane” or “express your vision of cleanliness<br />

with the Fortune Teller’s Caravan.”<br />

You can even travel to space and<br />

pressure wash if you like by choosing<br />

the “Clean the Mars Rover” mission. Be<br />

warned, however; the hatch of Mars Rover<br />

is missing, and you’ll need to find it.<br />

Lead designer Dan Chequer also<br />

added new sprayer and character<br />

cosmetics, as well as “plenty of updates<br />

on the technical side” including “an<br />

unconventional fix to get save data up to<br />

date” and a “fix for the previously slipper<br />

ladders. In this new update, players no<br />

longer slide off the sides of ladders.”<br />

According to Nerdstash.com, the<br />

game “focuses on player escapism and<br />

relaxation.”<br />

For those readers who just can’t get<br />

enough real live pressure washing by<br />

day, PowerWash Simulator is available<br />

at https://store.steampowered.com.<br />

7 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong><br />

VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong> | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | 7


INDUSTRY DIRT<br />

Keeping it Klean<br />

Last edition, we profiled Jacksonville,<br />

Florida-based Krystal Klean, a building<br />

care company - and a subsidiary of<br />

FLEETWASH - which had recently<br />

announced the finalization of two<br />

acquisitions -- Reflections Window &<br />

Pressure Washing of Jacksonville, Florida<br />

and Spray-Wash of Tallahassee Florida.<br />

These represented the 121st and 122nd<br />

acquisitions by the group.<br />

The moves came after Krystal Klean<br />

joined forces with FLEETWASH in<br />

June 2019. According to a press release,<br />

the organization leverages the significant<br />

reach and shared operational efficiencies<br />

to acquire and grow niche or smaller<br />

building care and cleaning companies<br />

throughout the United States.<br />

Well, Krystal Klean is at it again.<br />

The Southeast's leading building care<br />

company announced in early <strong>2022</strong> the<br />

finalization of an additional acquisition.<br />

The company purchased Window<br />

Doctors of Brunswick Georgia. The<br />

30-year-old, family-run business serves<br />

more than 2,000 customers in St.<br />

Simons Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Island,<br />

and Brunswick, Georgia. The acquisition<br />

adds solar panel cleaning services,<br />

window cleaning, stain removal, and<br />

gutter cleaning capacity to Krystal<br />

Klean's Southeast division.<br />

Krystal Klean's Jeremy Morgan<br />

stated at the time of the acquisitions<br />

that there will be no change for existing<br />

customers to either business and also<br />

that key personnel will remain with each<br />

company, including owners Jim and<br />

Nancy Catlett. "If you have a cleaning or<br />

coating business with annual revenues<br />

from $200,000 to $200 million, we'd<br />

like to talk," Morgan added.<br />

Krystal Klean offers a full range of<br />

painting, pressure washing, sealing and<br />

coating, window cleaning, and waterproofing<br />

services. With more than 90<br />

team members and a fleet of specialized<br />

equipment, Krystal Klean is equipped to<br />

service any type of building.<br />

For more information visit www.<br />

krystalklean.com.<br />

Case in Point<br />

Tom D’Agostino, an attorney and<br />

legal editor who has three decades of<br />

experience following employment law,<br />

disability law, and education law trends,<br />

and who is a graduate of the Duquesne<br />

University School of Law and a member<br />

of the Pennsylvania bar, published an<br />

article on HRmorning.com, an employment<br />

law outlet, answering the question<br />

“how far do employers have to go to<br />

keep their employees safe at work?”<br />

HRMorning.com, part of the<br />

SuccessFuel Network, provides the<br />

latest HR and employment law news<br />

for HR professionals in the trenches<br />

of small-to-medium-sized businesses,<br />

helping HR execs understand what HR<br />

trends mean to their business.<br />

In the case D’Agostino explored,<br />

C&W Facility Services, Inc. v. Secretary of<br />

Labor, No. 20-11789, <strong>2022</strong> WL 123113<br />

(11th Cir. 1/13/22), an employee<br />

drowned while pressure-washing a<br />

dock. At the time, he was not wearing<br />

a personal floatation device. The big<br />

question, D’Agostino asked: Did his<br />

employer have a legal obligation to make<br />

sure he used one? And what factors<br />

went in to arriving at the right answer?<br />

In a new ruling, D’Agostino reported,<br />

the U.S. Court of Appeals for the<br />

Eleventh Circuit provided some insight.<br />

Here was D’Agostino’s explanation:<br />

“For about a year, Johnnie Norton<br />

worked at the Tampa Convention<br />

Center in Florida.<br />

“One of Norton’s job duties was to<br />

pressure-wash a concrete dock that was<br />

approximately 290 feet long and 10<br />

feet wide.<br />

“The dock did not have any guardrails<br />

or barricades, and in some areas the<br />

water in the bay just off it was 19 feet<br />

deep. Norton used a pressure washer.<br />

“While performing this job task,<br />

Norton fell into the bay and drowned.<br />

At the time, he was not wearing a<br />

personal floatation device.<br />

“When the Occupational Safety<br />

and Health Administration (OSHA)<br />

learned about the death, it sent a<br />

compliance officer to investigate.<br />

“The officer learned that there had<br />

been no prior similar incidents. He also<br />

learned that two other employees who<br />

similarly pressure-washed the deck<br />

voluntarily wore personal floatation<br />

devices when they did so. The devices<br />

were available in an employer warehouse.<br />

“Also, an operations manager at the<br />

convention center told the officer that<br />

Norton answered in the affirmative<br />

when he asked if he could swim.<br />

“Following the completion of<br />

the investigation, OSHA cited the<br />

employer, saying it should have<br />

provided a personal floatation device<br />

to Norton and required him to use it<br />

while he pressure-washed the dock.<br />

“OSHA decided that the employer<br />

violated a federal regulation that says<br />

employers must provide protective<br />

equipment “wherever it is necessary<br />

by reason of hazards.” It proposed a<br />

penalty of $12,675.<br />

“The employer contested the citation<br />

before an administrative law judge<br />

(ALJ) who affirmed OSHA’s decision<br />

after a hearing.<br />

“The ALJ found that OSHA had<br />

the requisite knowledge of the danger<br />

to be held liable. More specifically, he<br />

decided that the employer had “clear<br />

actual knowledge that [personal protective<br />

equipment] was necessary under<br />

the circumstances” because the dock<br />

was unguarded and lacked ladders. He<br />

also placed great weight on the fact that<br />

two other employees wore life jackets<br />

while washing the dock.<br />

“The matter reached the U.S. Court<br />

of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit for<br />

further review.<br />

“The reviewing court explained<br />

that to hold the employer liable for<br />

a violation of the regulation, OSHA<br />

had to show either that the protective<br />

measure is an industry custom or that<br />

the employer had ‘actual knowledge<br />

that personal protective equipment<br />

[was] needed to protect its employees<br />

from a particular hazard.’<br />

“OSHA conceded there was no<br />

evidence that it is an industry custom<br />

to require employees to wear a life<br />

jacket while pressure-washing a dock.<br />

“That meant the only question<br />

was whether the employer had actual<br />

knowledge that there was a hazard<br />

requiring the use of a personal floatation<br />

device.<br />

“The ALJ misapplied the standard<br />

for actual knowledge, the appeals<br />

court ruled. Actual knowledge requires<br />

knowledge of both the hazard and the<br />

fact that it requires the provision and<br />

use of protective equipment. But the<br />

ALJ wrongfully found that awareness<br />

of the existence of the hazardous<br />

condition was enough, the court said.<br />

“There was insufficient evidence<br />

of actual knowledge in this case, the<br />

appeals court determined.<br />

“None of the factors that the ALJ<br />

relied on – the condition of the dock,<br />

the manager’s question about ability<br />

to swim, the other employees’ use of<br />

life jackets, and the obviousness of the<br />

hazard – showed actual knowledge of a<br />

need to provide protective equipment.<br />

“The other employees’ use of the<br />

devices showed only that their preferences<br />

were accommodated, the court<br />

said, and the manager’s inquiry only<br />

showed that the employer knew the<br />

task could be dangerous for those who<br />

could not swim. The obviousness of a<br />

hazard is not evidence of actual knowledge,<br />

it added.<br />

“The citation was vacated.”<br />

8 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong>


INDUSTRY DIRT<br />

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah<br />

Arlington, Massachusetts-based<br />

Zippity, a leader in field service software,<br />

announced in March <strong>2022</strong> it has<br />

raised $3.3 million in seed funding to<br />

expand their mobile automotive software<br />

to owner operators in the home<br />

service industry, allowing these operators<br />

to run their entire business from<br />

their phones. The round was led by<br />

York IE with participation by Schooner<br />

Capital, BP Ventures, LaunchPad<br />

Venture Group, and EmergingVC.<br />

There are more than 1 million<br />

owner-operated onsite service businesses<br />

in the U.S. alone. Yet, the majority<br />

of software ignores the owner-operator<br />

who needs powerful functionality<br />

made extremely simple, according to<br />

Zippity, and very little is being done<br />

to help these businesses with modern<br />

online booking, drive time reduction,<br />

customer management, automated<br />

chat, payment collection, or the other<br />

tools necessary to deliver excellent<br />

customer service while in the field.<br />

Zippity's app enables owner operators<br />

to compete with big businesses by<br />

giving them the most modern customer<br />

experience tools in the industry - all<br />

while being easy to use and letting<br />

them generate value in minutes.<br />

Zippity's app, originally designed for<br />

operators in the automotive mobile<br />

detailing and maintenance industries,<br />

will now enable owner operators in<br />

similar industries in the home service<br />

space, including power washing.<br />

"We originally founded Zippity<br />

Cars, which was a mobile car mechanic<br />

company," said Ed Warren, founder and<br />

CEO of Zippity. "We quickly discovered<br />

that no platform existed for delivering<br />

super modern customer experiences<br />

while on the go. So we built it. We know<br />

everything we've added to Zippity will<br />

help owner operators because we have<br />

been in their shoes and know the pains<br />

they're trying to solve."<br />

Onsite service is more complex<br />

than in-store service. Zippity's owner<br />

operator app enables businesses to get<br />

the following benefits without having<br />

to change their operating system:<br />

• Schedule new appointments near<br />

existing bookings to minimize your<br />

drive time<br />

• Unlimited text and email<br />

communication with customers,<br />

automatically updating them along<br />

the way, while also sharing photos<br />

and videos<br />

• Online booking optimized by<br />

technician based on service vehicle<br />

availability, drive time, and capacity<br />

• Collect payment information at time<br />

of booking so you never have to<br />

chase a customer again<br />

"Everyone, and I do mean everyone,<br />

has needed service in their home at<br />

some point," said Joe Raczka, Managing<br />

Partner, York IE. "We know the men<br />

and women who run these small businesses<br />

are some of the hardest workers<br />

around. But they need help with things<br />

like scheduling and customer interactions.<br />

Zippity is providing that help, and<br />

Ed and team are the right entrepreneurs<br />

to bring it to the market."<br />

Visit www.getzippity.com for more.<br />

The Job at Hand<br />

Toronto, Canada-based Jobber,<br />

the leading provider of home service<br />

management software, released its<br />

latest Home Service Economic Report:<br />

2021 Review in early <strong>2022</strong>.<br />

The report features expert insights<br />

and proprietary data aggregated<br />

from more than 160,000 residential<br />

cleaners, landscapers, HVAC technicians,<br />

window washers, plumbers, and<br />

more, who use Jobber.<br />

"The performance of the Home<br />

Service category has made the trades<br />

an attractive option for entrepreneurs,<br />

those seeking a career change, and young<br />

adults entering the workforce," said Sam<br />

Pillar, CEO & co-founder of Jobber.<br />

"2021 was a notable year as it demonstrated<br />

just how essential the Home<br />

Service category is with its high growth<br />

and unprecedented consumer demand."<br />

According to the report, spending<br />

on Home Service outperformed most<br />

major categories, such as Food and<br />

Beverage Stores, Clothing Stores, and<br />

Restaurants, throughout 2021, with<br />

growth exceeding pre-pandemic<br />

levels. Home Service revenue growth<br />

has been steadily growing since June<br />

2020. Year-over-year median revenue<br />

grew at a faster rate in Q4 2021, even<br />

while new work scheduled during<br />

Q4 2021 slowed, showing companies<br />

were able to make more per job.<br />

Here are some other top findings:<br />

• Contracting businesses benefited<br />

from increasing prices with 12%<br />

revenue growth in Q4 2021.<br />

• Recent growth in the Cleaning<br />

segment's new work scheduled<br />

was driven by a 16% year-over-year<br />

increase in contract jobs.<br />

• The Green segment, which includes<br />

outdoor services such as pressure<br />

washing, lawn care, and landscaping,<br />

experienced high growth in new work<br />

scheduled during 2021, while other<br />

segments slowed down.<br />

• The active real estate market,<br />

further heightened by the desire to<br />

purchase homes before mortgage<br />

rates increase, continued to create<br />

momentum and demand for home<br />

services.<br />

• The U.S. housing market is nearly<br />

four million homes short of buyer<br />

demand; the supply of newly built<br />

units has been unable to satisfy this<br />

ever-increasing demand.<br />

• With limited supply, homebuyers are<br />

turning to older homes or choosing to<br />

invest in their current home; as such,<br />

home improvement and maintenance<br />

expenditures are tracking toward<br />

double-digit growth in <strong>2022</strong>.<br />

• Home Service businesses have their<br />

own unique dynamics related to<br />

payment collection. Some businesses<br />

like the immediate liquidity of cash,<br />

while others prefer to take checks<br />

for a large job so they don't have to<br />

pay credit card transaction fees. That<br />

said, Jobber's data does indicate that<br />

adoption of payment technology is on<br />

the rise.<br />

• Online payments grew to 39% of all<br />

payments processed across all Home<br />

Service segments.<br />

• Green businesses, which showed the<br />

lowest percentage of online payments<br />

prior to the pandemic, has seen rapid<br />

adoption, climbing over 35%.<br />

• The challenge to hire skilled trade<br />

workers remains widespread, despite<br />

a significant opportunity in earning<br />

potential for those who choose to<br />

enter Home Service.<br />

• Half of the people who exited the<br />

labor market in 2021 were 55+,<br />

accelerating the rate of retirement—a<br />

macro trend that also impacted Home<br />

Service.<br />

• The ratio of hires to job openings<br />

continued to grow, such that job<br />

openings widely outnumbered positions<br />

being filled.<br />

"It's a testament to the resilience of<br />

the Home Service category that revenue<br />

growth can be sustained even when<br />

there's a drastic shortage of talent,"<br />

summed up Abheek Dhawan, VP,<br />

Business Operations at Jobber. "With<br />

Home Service demand at a record high,<br />

the category remains ripe with opportunity<br />

for those willing to enter it."<br />

Jobber is an award-winning business<br />

management platform for small<br />

home service businesses.<br />

10 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong>


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INDUSTRY DIRT<br />

Market Growth<br />

Chicago-based Arizton Advisory<br />

and Intelligence, which provides<br />

market intelligence reports and advisory<br />

and consulting services, released<br />

a study in February <strong>2022</strong> finding that<br />

the mobile pressure washer market<br />

by revenue is expected to grow at<br />

a compound annual growth rate<br />

(CAGR) of more than 4% during<br />

the period 2021−2027.<br />

Key highlights offered in the<br />

report included:<br />

• The global mobile pressure washer market would realize an absolute<br />

growth of 27.56% in terms of revenue in the period between 2021-2027.<br />

• The electric mobile pressure washer segment accounted for majority<br />

share of the global mobile pressure washer market in 2021 and is<br />

expected to grow with an 4.27% CAGR during the forecast period in<br />

terms of revenue.<br />

• The hot-water segment dominated the global mobile pressure washer<br />

market with a revenue share of 63.74% in 2021 and is expected to grow<br />

with a CAGR of 4.47% by the end of 2027.<br />

• In terms of output, 1,501-3,000 PSI segment dominates the global mobile<br />

pressure washer market in 2021 and is expected to add over USD 242.37<br />

million revenue during the forecast period.<br />

• The residential segment dominated the global mobile pressure washer<br />

market with a revenue share of 42.02% in 2021 and is expected to grow<br />

with a CAGR of 3.79% by the end of 2027.<br />

• Offline channel accounted for majority share of the global mobile pressure<br />

washer market in 2021 and is expected to grow with an 3.77% CAGR<br />

during the forecast period in terms of revenue.<br />

• Europe dominates the overall mobile pressure washer market with a share<br />

of 35.42% in 2021 in terms of revenue.<br />

• The growth of this market in Europe is mainly supported by the rising<br />

business investments, increasing commercial and residential construction,<br />

government spending on infrastructure, and the growth in the hospitality<br />

sector supported by the rise in travel and tourism in the region.<br />

• Rapid technological advancements in recent years have led to the emergence<br />

of new technologies for washing equipment. One such groundbreaking<br />

innovation in terms of professional cleaning equipment is the<br />

introduction of automatic pressure washers where digitalization, artificial<br />

intelligence, and robotics are technology mega trends.<br />

• Various research has indicated that the budget remains low for investments<br />

in Internet of Things (IoT) Solutions in several companies across industries.<br />

However, with the growing popularity of smart devices, the investment is<br />

expected to witness a year-on-year growth, leading to significant growth<br />

opportunities for vendors in the mobile pressure washer market.<br />

• Moreover, several industries are also facing the unavailability of qualified<br />

workers, due to which several organizations are moving towards<br />

automation.<br />

• With the presence of many vendors the mobile pressure washer market is<br />

becoming highly competitive. The present scenario is driving vendors to<br />

alter and refine their unique value proposition to achieve a stronger market<br />

presence.<br />

• As international players continue to expand their footprint in the market,<br />

regional vendors are likely to find it increasingly difficult to compete with<br />

global players. Moreover, Nilfisk extended its presence in the Australian<br />

market by acquiring Kerrick, a heavy-duty, commercial, and industrial<br />

cleaning equipment provider. Nilfisk has also acquired China-based Viper<br />

Group to gain a leading position in the rapidly growing Chinese market.<br />

• The adoption rate of mobile pressure washers among end-users in the<br />

U.S. and Europe has been impressive. The competition among companies<br />

is intensifying, which will lead to the introduction of many innovative and<br />

advanced solutions in the market in the upcoming years.<br />

A Modest Proposal<br />

Ron Burkett, a photographer and<br />

videographer for the Trussville Tribune<br />

in Trussville, Alabama, caught the attention<br />

of media everywhere, including<br />

Southern Living magazine, when he<br />

pressure-washed a Nativity scene on<br />

his 85-foot driveway last Christmas.<br />

Burkett credited quarantine and<br />

time spent on YouTube for inspiring his<br />

creation. He had previously pressure<br />

washed a mountain scene on to his<br />

driveway. But media reports stated that<br />

his wife is a nativity scene aficionado, so<br />

Political Gains<br />

Kärcher, a German<br />

family-owned company,<br />

and one of the world’s<br />

leading makers of pressure washers and<br />

steam cleaners, formally asked French<br />

politicians earlier this year not to use<br />

its name to score political points.<br />

The company specifically objected<br />

to rightwing presidential candidate<br />

Valérie Pécresse taking its brand in<br />

vain. According to news reports, it is<br />

the latest of several similar complaints<br />

the company has issued in recent years.<br />

Pécresse, the candidate for the<br />

mainstream opposition conservative<br />

party Les Républicains (LR), said<br />

publicly earlier this year that it was<br />

time to “get the Kärcher out of the<br />

cellar again” in order to sweep drug<br />

dealers and criminals out from the<br />

country’s city suburbs.<br />

Pécresse, the French Press stated,<br />

was echoing her predecessor Nicolas<br />

Sarkozy who caused a stir in 2005<br />

when, as the Interior Minister, he said<br />

he planned to use Kärcher’s pressure<br />

cleaner to wash the louts out of the<br />

Paris banlieues.<br />

Burkett set to work.<br />

It seems every month nowadays<br />

that a national story pops up about<br />

some artist or would-be- artist pressure<br />

washing some type of art or scene on<br />

to a driveway, sidewalk, or other dirty<br />

surface. Perhaps those in the industry<br />

should take note and sharpen their<br />

artistic skills. Potential customers might<br />

pay good money for you to create a<br />

piece of artwork instead of clean their<br />

dirty property!<br />

Kärcher’s French<br />

division said Pécresse’s<br />

comments were<br />

“misplaced,” “inappropriate,” and<br />

damaging to the brand.<br />

“Kärcher asks political figures and<br />

the media to immediately cease all<br />

use of its name in the political sphere,”<br />

the company stated in a release. “This<br />

is damaging to the brand and to the<br />

values of the company…The Kärcher<br />

brand is not the ‘banner’ of any political<br />

party … the Kärcher group has<br />

been fighting for years to ensure that<br />

its brand is not exploited in the French<br />

political scene, where it has no place,<br />

and is opposed to it being associated<br />

with any political party or ideology.”<br />

It added that contrary to being<br />

good publicity, it was “harmful because<br />

it associates Kärcher products with<br />

violence and insecurity”.<br />

The company said it is “dedicated<br />

to cleaning” and noted it had just<br />

begun cleaning the Luxor Obelisk<br />

at Place de la Concorde – the oldest<br />

monument in Paris – in partnership<br />

with the ministry of culture.<br />

12 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong>


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INDUSTRY DIRT<br />

An Early Christmas<br />

An Indiana pressure wash business<br />

was among 30 small businesses<br />

selected from thousands of applications<br />

to receive funds ranging<br />

between $1,500 to $20,000<br />

from Toronto-based Jobber,<br />

the leading provider of home<br />

service management software.<br />

In all, Jobber provided<br />

$150,000 through its grant<br />

program, called Boost by Jobber,<br />

a first of its kind grant program<br />

to help recipients across North<br />

America further invest in their<br />

small businesses and the communities<br />

they serve.<br />

“From experienced entrepreneurs to those<br />

starting a new career in home service, all our Boost<br />

by Jobber recipients are unique—but the incredible impact<br />

they’re making on their local communities is something they<br />

all share,” said Sam Pillar, CEO & co-founder at Jobber. “Our<br />

team was truly inspired by the entrepreneurial stories and<br />

demonstrations of resiliency that were shared with us. Home<br />

service businesses are made up of incredible people and<br />

hometown heroes that deserve to have a spotlight on their<br />

work, their stories heard, and our continued support. This is<br />

our goal for the Boost by Jobber program.”<br />

The grant recipients ranged from pre-business entrepreneurs<br />

to experienced owners and represent a variety of home<br />

services industries, including tree care, lawn care and landscaping,<br />

plumbing, residential cleaning, HVAC, contracting,<br />

carpentry, pressure washing, and more.<br />

These funds will help support entrepreneurs in the<br />

home services category who keep homes and offices<br />

running smoothly, help their friends and neighbors build<br />

meaningful careers, and give back to the communities<br />

where they live and work.<br />

The application process involved written and video<br />

submissions, followed by interviews with Boost by Jobber’s<br />

judging panel. To select the recipients, Jobber individually<br />

scored applicants based on their community contributions,<br />

leadership style, business plans, and the overall impact the<br />

funding would make towards their goals.<br />

The top grant of $20,000 was awarded to experienced<br />

entrepreneur Joseph Gillingham, founder of Heritage Tree<br />

Care. Gillingham started his company, a full service tree care<br />

business, 15 years ago and now employs 20 people during<br />

peak seasons. The company has helped create interactive<br />

outdoor learning spaces for local schools and daycares by<br />

donating labor and repurposed wood chips, logs for seating,<br />

and large outdoor wooden building blocks for children to<br />

play with, all while maintaining 5-star customer service. The<br />

company also supports a network of community gardens and<br />

assists with emergency response for urban animals requiring<br />

rescue from heights.<br />

At least two exterior cleaning companies<br />

received grant money as a result of the<br />

program in 2021. New entrepreneurs<br />

Courtney and Burgess Heberer,<br />

owners of Santa Claus Exterior<br />

Cleaning, in Santa Claus Indiana,<br />

received a $10,000 grant.<br />

Courtney has been a middle<br />

school music teacher and<br />

Burgess previously worked as<br />

a scientist developing infant<br />

formula and childrens’ nutritional<br />

products. Santa Claus Exterior<br />

Cleaning donates 10% of profits to<br />

children in need around the holidays,<br />

and also cleans and sanitizes four local<br />

public school playgrounds at no charge.<br />

“The Boost by Jobber grant was really needed,” said<br />

Burgess Heberer. “We are at this point where we are ready<br />

to take things to the next level and move our business out<br />

of our garage and into its own dedicated space. This grant<br />

is going to help us do that. It’s a big step forward— and to<br />

know your hard work is acknowledged by a partner like<br />

Jobber is awesome.”<br />

Courtney added, “We took a big risk starting this business,<br />

so this is very reassuring. We can’t say enough good things<br />

about the team at Jobber.”<br />

On Facebook, the couple added, “We are so thrilled to<br />

share the news that Santa Claus Exterior Cleaning has been<br />

named the top grant recipient for the New Entrepreneur-<br />

Home Service Business category by Boost by Jobber! Out of<br />

thousands of applicants across the United States and Canada,<br />

it is an absolute honor to be recognized and awarded this<br />

grant. We are working towards building/identifying a larger<br />

workspace, training new staff, and preparing to add new<br />

services and crews. As always, 10% of our profits continue<br />

to help local children need. None of this would be possible<br />

without our amazing customers! Thank you!!”<br />

Kevin Long of Fall Creek Power Wash, LLC in Pendleton,<br />

Indiana was also selected for a grant. In a social media post at<br />

the time, the company stated, “We’re so excited to announce<br />

that Fall Creek Power Wash has officially been selected as<br />

one of 30 businesses across North America receiving a grant<br />

from Boost by Jobber, a program that rewards great work in<br />

home service. As entrepreneurs about to start our first home<br />

service business, we were recognized for our significant plans<br />

to play a positive role in keeping our community’s homes<br />

and offices safe and running, help hardworking people build<br />

meaningful careers, and give back to the community where<br />

we live and work. These funds will support us in launching our<br />

business, and we’re so excited to do great things for our future<br />

employees, customers, and community! Thanks Jobber.”<br />

To learn more about the Boost by Jobber recipients and<br />

their stories, and to watch for updates around next year’s<br />

program, visit www.boostbyjobber.com/<br />

14 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong>


SUPPORTOUR<br />

ADVERTISERS


INDUSTRY DIRT<br />

Taking Aim<br />

Last edition, we profiled Tampa,<br />

Florida-based private equity firm<br />

Osceola Capital, which is making<br />

waves in the pressure wash industry<br />

with acquisitions aimed at helping<br />

operators grow their business.<br />

Osceola acquired Colorado-based<br />

Top Gun Pressure Washing, Inc. in<br />

August 2019 and has subsequently<br />

grown the largest pressure washing<br />

company in Colorado to the next level<br />

through add-on opportunities.<br />

In April 2020, Top Gun acquired<br />

Bob Popp Building Services (BPBS).<br />

Founded in 1975 and based in Denver,<br />

BPBS provides high-rise, mid-rise,<br />

and ground-level window cleaning<br />

services for commercial businesses<br />

across Colorado.<br />

In May 2021, Top Gun announced<br />

that it had acquired Zoneez Power<br />

Washing & Window Cleaning in<br />

Phoenix, Arizona.<br />

In May 2021, Top Gun made<br />

yet another acquisition, this time<br />

of Denver-based Emerald Isle<br />

Landscaping, expanding the company’s<br />

suite of services into the commercial<br />

landscape market.<br />

Now, in January <strong>2022</strong>, Top Gun<br />

announced that it has acquired two<br />

additional facility services companies:<br />

American Striping Company and Apex<br />

Pavement Solutions.<br />

Concurrently, Top Gun Facility<br />

Services announced it had rebranded<br />

as Tendit Group, representing the<br />

company's comprehensive offering of<br />

exterior facility maintenance services<br />

to commercial businesses, property<br />

managers, and municipalities across the<br />

Mountain West.<br />

The businesses will continue to<br />

operate independently under their<br />

respective brands but share best practices<br />

across all functional areas including<br />

marketing, purchasing, technology, HR,<br />

finance, and accounting.<br />

American Striping Company<br />

(ASC), headquartered in Centennial,<br />

Colorado, is a provider of roadway<br />

and parking lot striping and pavement<br />

marking services. ASC's service<br />

offering includes permanent striping,<br />

temporary striping, marking & striping<br />

removal, specialty applications,<br />

and traffic services. The company's<br />

customers include commercial<br />

businesses, property managers,<br />

municipalities, airports, and government<br />

agencies across Colorado and<br />

Wyoming. Visit www.americanstripingcompany.com<br />

for more.<br />

Apex Pavement Solutions (Apex),<br />

headquartered in Golden, Colorado,<br />

is a provider of asphalt and concrete<br />

maintenance and repair services. Apex's<br />

service offering includes asphalt overlay,<br />

slurry seal, seal coat, infrared patching,<br />

crack seal, roto-milling, and concrete<br />

repair. The company's customers<br />

include commercial businesses, property<br />

managers, HOAs, and municipalities<br />

across Colorado. Visit www.apexpvmt.<br />

com for more.<br />

Alejandra Harvey, CEO of Tendit<br />

Group, said, "The completion of these<br />

acquisitions and the launch of the Tendit<br />

brand marks a significant milestone in<br />

our company's history. These will allow<br />

us to offer a complete suite of services<br />

to our valued customers and serve as a<br />

launching pad to accelerate growth in<br />

Colorado and the Mountain West."<br />

Ben Moe, Managing Partner at<br />

Osceola Capital, said, "We continue to<br />

partner with the best exterior facility<br />

services brands in the Mountain West.<br />

Each brand has an outstanding culture,<br />

and we are excited about the continued<br />

organic and acquisition growth of the<br />

Tendit platform."<br />

Visit www.tenditgroup.com for<br />

more information.<br />

CETA Corner<br />

The Cleaning Equipment Trade<br />

Association (CETA) is a non-profit<br />

organization providing networking,<br />

education, training and regulatory<br />

influence to enable profitable growth<br />

to distributors of power cleaning products<br />

in North America.<br />

• CETA is currently seeking nominations<br />

for Board members on the<br />

CETA Board of Directors. First-time,<br />

returning after an absence, and<br />

successive-term board members and<br />

trustees bring important perspectives.<br />

All voices are needed and welcome.<br />

The deadline April 30th, <strong>2022</strong>. Visit<br />

CETA.org to make a nomination.<br />

• The CETA Board of Directors and the<br />

CETA Scholarship Trustees will meet<br />

in Bloomington, MN, June 7-10, <strong>2022</strong><br />

for a face-to-face meeting. If you are<br />

interested in joining them on June<br />

9th for a day of touring and to get<br />

an update on how Small Off-Road<br />

Engines (SORE) legislation can and<br />

will effect your business, contact the<br />

CETA office at 800-441-0111. Limited<br />

space is available.<br />

• The CETA Scholarship Foundation<br />

annually provides scholarship awards<br />

to students of CETA members and<br />

their employee’s and families. Since<br />

its inception in 1996, the Scholarship<br />

Foundation awards an equal number<br />

of scholarships for each CETA eligible<br />

membership class— including<br />

Manufacturers, Supplier and<br />

Distributors—based on applicant<br />

rankings supplied by any independent,<br />

accredited university. The goal<br />

is to recruit and train future leaders<br />

in the industry. One of the many<br />

benefits of being a CETA member is<br />

the ability for you, your employees,<br />

and immediate family to be eligible for<br />

the Scholarship Program. The CETA<br />

Scholarship Foundation will award<br />

a total of nine scholarships in <strong>2022</strong>.<br />

The scholarships will be awarded in<br />

the amount of $2,000. The deadline<br />

for application is April 30, <strong>2022</strong>. Visit<br />

ceta.org/scholarship-foundation for<br />

an application.<br />

• POWERCLEAN <strong>2022</strong>, CETA’s annual<br />

conference, will be held at Rosen<br />

Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, FL<br />

October 12th-15th, <strong>2022</strong>. This will be<br />

CETA’s third show co-locating with<br />

Power Washers of North America<br />

(<strong>PWN</strong>A), with the goal of making the<br />

industry stronger together. CETA is<br />

in its 32nd year and <strong>PWN</strong>A will be<br />

celebrating its 30th anniversary at<br />

PowerClean this year. With the technical<br />

issues we are all facing, bringing<br />

the industry together and becoming<br />

stronger are crucial. Strategizing<br />

about optimal approaches will include<br />

sharing ideas and best practices on<br />

the new world post-pandemic. That is<br />

in addition to industry leading exhibitors,<br />

equipment training, seminars,<br />

networking, great speakers, seminars,<br />

technical updates, round tables, and<br />

fun. Attending PowerClean in person<br />

will be refreshing and overdue.<br />

Following months of virtual interaction<br />

everyone looks forward to the realworld<br />

connection. And, yes, some of<br />

that interaction will take place in less<br />

formal settings. The PowerClean golf<br />

tournament and Women of CETA are<br />

two events everyone looks forward<br />

to for networking and having fun.<br />

While both associations will remain<br />

independent and have events on their<br />

own, CETA and <strong>PWN</strong>A feel that these<br />

two great associations can combine<br />

efforts to work towards a common<br />

goal: Two Teams. One Vision.<br />

Advancing the industry forward.<br />

16 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 1 | WINTER <strong>2022</strong>


Never Give Up<br />

Against the odds, softwash entrepreneur<br />

Pat Clark achieves the American Dream<br />

Editor’s Note:<br />

Hester, marketing manager at J<br />

Racenstein, is the former Editorin-Chief<br />

of eClean Magazine. J<br />

Racenstein & Co. is a preeminent<br />

distributor of window washing<br />

supplies, tools and equipment in<br />

the United States. JRC has been<br />

in the business since 1909 and<br />

is nationally recognized as the<br />

comprehensive solution to the<br />

window washing cleaning industry.<br />

BY ALLISON HESTER<br />

Patrick “Pat” Clark is a well-known<br />

name in the soft washing industry,<br />

and for good reason. Pat’s multi-million-dollar<br />

company, Precision<br />

ProWash, has several locations located<br />

across the East Coast. He is also the<br />

founder of Gutter Butter (a company<br />

he runs with the help of his wife and<br />

four young children), a small business<br />

coach, and creator of the “Motivation<br />

Monday” Facebook video series.<br />

While Clark’s success is impressive<br />

in and of itself, his story of how he<br />

achieved that success is a true example<br />

of the American Dream.<br />

■ A HUMBLE<br />

BEGINNING<br />

As a young child, Clark lived in a<br />

trailer park in Dover Plains, New York,<br />

with his grandma and his mom, who<br />

suffered from schizophrenia.<br />

“Mom didn’t want me to go out at<br />

night or be gone for long because she<br />

heard voices telling her someone was<br />

trying to kill me,” Clark said. His father<br />

left when he was born and never had<br />

contact with Clark or his mom again.<br />

When he was 10, Clark’s grandma<br />

passed away, leaving Clark in charge of<br />

watching over his mom and keeping<br />

her out of trouble. For instance, he once<br />

had to run to rescue his mom from a<br />

man in the trailer park who was pointing<br />

a shotgun at her head for calling his<br />

African-American daughter a colorful<br />

name.<br />

His mom received a small check<br />

from social security to pay the rent.<br />

The rest went for food – primarily cereal<br />

and snacks – and cigarettes.<br />

“Kids would make fun of my house,<br />

and they didn’t like coming over,” Clark<br />

said. “My mom would smoke a lot and<br />

the trailer had a buildup of cigarettes. A<br />

friend also witnessed that we once had<br />

very large slugs in our pantry.”<br />

Clark’s mom kept him home<br />

from school a lot because he would<br />

get picked on for being in Special Ed<br />

courses and he would regularly get into<br />

fights. Early tests showed Clark had an<br />

IQ of just 56 (equivalent to mild mental<br />

retardation), but with all that was<br />

going on at home, the bigger problem<br />

was that he couldn’t stay focused or<br />

apply himself.<br />

Then one day, when Clark was in<br />

the seventh grade, the school principal<br />

and two police officers showed up at<br />

his house, telling his mom to make him<br />

go to school or he would be sent to foster<br />

care.<br />

“I ended up punching the principal<br />

in the nose,” Clark said.<br />

A few days later, several police cars<br />

pulled up to the trailer park’s community<br />

center where Clark was playing<br />

basketball. An officer then escorted<br />

Clark to a white Chevy Cavalier – “you<br />

know, the kind social workers always<br />

drive” – where indeed a social worker<br />

was waiting for him. They were moving<br />

him to foster care.<br />

“My heart dropped,” Clark recalled.<br />

When the social worker drove<br />

him home, Pat found his mom fight-<br />

VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong> | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | 17


Never Give Up<br />

ing the officers.<br />

“I ran up and told my mom that it<br />

was going to be ok. This had to happen.<br />

Then I gave her a big hug. We<br />

were both crying, and both knew there<br />

was nothing we could do,” Clark said.<br />

He was told to get a week’s worth of<br />

clothes, socks, and underwear, and then<br />

they took him away to an emergency<br />

foster home.<br />

■ ENTERING THE<br />

FOSTER SYSTEM<br />

Although Clark had always had<br />

food to eat, it wasn’t healthy food, and<br />

he was in fact malnourished. One of<br />

the first things foster care workers did<br />

when he entered the system was try to<br />

make him eat.<br />

“I was in a new environment, scared,<br />

sad, and trying to figure things out,”<br />

Clark said. “It suddenly felt like someone<br />

was stabbing me in the chest. I told<br />

them I didn’t feel good. That I might<br />

need help.”<br />

In reality, Clark was having a panic<br />

attack. But because he wouldn’t eat, he<br />

got in trouble and was sent to his room.<br />

That was the beginning of his monthlong<br />

stay at a group foster home.<br />

After a month there, Clark was finally<br />

sent to his first foster home.<br />

“The dad looked like a biker dude –<br />

a large guy with a bald head and beard,<br />

and he had a bad shoulder,” Clark said.<br />

The boy was immediately put to work,<br />

cleaning floors, doing laundry, and<br />

building a fence.<br />

“I felt like a slave,” he said.<br />

When he started going back to<br />

school at his new home, his foster parents<br />

made him wear a buttoned-up<br />

shirt and nice pants with a belt.<br />

“Everyone would look at me weird<br />

and make fun of me,” Clark said. “One<br />

guy even threw me up against a locker.”<br />

In another instance, Clark tried to<br />

make friends with a neighbor kid up<br />

the street.<br />

“He got some bamboo and just<br />

started hitting me,” Clark said. “Things<br />

turned out bad.”<br />

Clark’s foster parents weren’t much<br />

better. He got in big trouble for waking<br />

his foster mom from a nap because he’d<br />

gotten in some briars and was breaking<br />

out in a rash. Another time, his foster<br />

dad cracked the remote over his knuckles<br />

for changing the TV channel, and<br />

Clark’s hand hurt for days.<br />

■ “JUST THE DUDES”<br />

It took about four months, but<br />

Clark’s uncle Rick eventually gained<br />

custody of him, and he moved to Katona,<br />

New York, where he and his uncle<br />

shared a one-bedroom apartment.<br />

Clark and his uncle Rick started having<br />

some “awesome times.” They’d play<br />

billiards almost every day at the American<br />

Legion Post 1575. They’d also eat<br />

TV dinners and hang out with their<br />

friend John, who owned the apartment<br />

– “just the dudes.” Uncle Rick encouraged<br />

Clark to make good grades, and<br />

Clark started doing better in school,<br />

even getting some awards for helping<br />

new kids in class. He joined the football<br />

team, where he quickly became known<br />

as “Butter Fingers.”<br />

“[Playing] tight end wasn’t going to<br />

work out after all,” Clark said.<br />

Clark also got his driver’s permit<br />

and a job working at the local grocery<br />

store. He saved up enough money to<br />

buy a Chevy Cavalier – and no, not the<br />

social service worker type.<br />

“This one was a blue, two-door RS,<br />

with a nice sound system,” Clark fondly<br />

remembers. “My friends all thought it<br />

was cool!”<br />

However, uncle Rick ‘s work as a<br />

carpenter started slowing down, and<br />

his drinking at the American Legion<br />

increased. Additionally, the apartment’s<br />

owner John passed away, and John’s<br />

daughter didn’t care much for uncle<br />

Rick. Soon evicted, they had no place<br />

18 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong>


Never Give Up<br />

to go except back to the trailer park<br />

with Clark’s mom two hours away.<br />

After returning to the trailer park,<br />

Clark would drive two hours to his old<br />

school all alone with only a learner’s<br />

permit. He was falling asleep in class<br />

and his teachers soon found out what<br />

was going on. There was talk of sending<br />

him back to foster care.<br />

Facing that bleak possibility, Clark<br />

told his uncle he was going to live with<br />

his friend Eric Sloss and Eric’s family<br />

closer to school. This made uncle Rick,<br />

who had been heavily drinking, really<br />

mad. Clark tried to get to his car to<br />

leave, but his uncle chased him down.<br />

Afraid of his uncle, Clark punched<br />

him in the stomach, then jumped in<br />

his car and accidentally ran over uncle<br />

Rick’s leg.<br />

“I remember it started to pour rain<br />

like I’ve never seen,” Clark said. “I was<br />

speeding 80 miles per hour through<br />

the park, hitting curbs, not stopping at<br />

stop signs, thinking I just ran my uncle<br />

over and I was going to jail. At that<br />

point, I didn’t care if I died.” (Luckily,<br />

Uncle Rick was actually not injured in<br />

the incident.)<br />

Unable to see clearly and sobbing<br />

uncontrollably after everything that<br />

had just happened, Clark continued his<br />

drive toward the Sloss’ house, which<br />

was about 30 minutes away.<br />

“I was going around a corner, not<br />

five minutes from their house, when<br />

my car went sideways past a ‘slippery<br />

when wet’ sign,” Clark recalled. “I remember<br />

seeing two headlights pointed<br />

right at my driver-side door and the fear<br />

in the lady’s eyes.”<br />

Clark closed his eyes and punched<br />

the gas, heading straight for a rock wall<br />

and a row of large trees.<br />

“I still to this day do not know how I<br />

missed the wall and the trees, but God<br />

was watching over me and had greater<br />

plans in store,” Clark said.<br />

The stated granted the Sloss family<br />

guardianship of Clark. Clark’s mom<br />

moved to a mental health facility. His<br />

uncle Rick, sadly, died from cirrhosis<br />

of the liver a short time later. Clark<br />

was the one to find him lying face<br />

down on his bloodied trailer floor. It<br />

was a huge loss.<br />

“I never got to say I love you and I<br />

was sorry,” Clark said. “He never had<br />

kids and did the best he could. He did a<br />

lot to help my mom and me. He taught<br />

me a lot growing up.”<br />

■ A NEW<br />

BEGINNING<br />

By now, Clark was in 11th grade, going<br />

to high school, and going to church<br />

with the Sloss family. He needed a job.<br />

So, he stopped by Eddie’s Auto Repair<br />

every day to ask if Eddie was hiring.<br />

One day, the persistent Clark asked<br />

if he could clean the parking lot, and<br />

Eddie gave him the ok.<br />

“I cleaned that parking lot like no<br />

other!” Clark said.<br />

Because Clark did such a great job,<br />

Eddie asked him the next day if he<br />

wanted to paint all the curbs red.<br />

Before long, Clark was pumping gas,<br />

checking oil, and putting license plate<br />

covers with Eddie’s logo on them on<br />

every car that came through the station.<br />

“That was my marketing idea,”<br />

Clark proudly states.<br />

When Clark finished high school,<br />

though he planned to become an auto<br />

mechanic, he decided to follow an<br />

amazing girl named Shielagh whom<br />

he’d met at church to Bob Jones University<br />

in Greenville, South Carolina.<br />

“I almost failed!” Clark recalls of his<br />

college adventure.<br />

More important than his studies,<br />

he proposed to Shielagh that year on a<br />

rock by the Hudson River.<br />

“Man, did my dreams come true<br />

that day when she said yes!” Clark said.<br />

The newlyweds returned to South<br />

Carolina because it was cheaper and a<br />

lot warmer than New York. Clark had<br />

a job lined up with a friend whose dad<br />

owned a home construction company.<br />

“I did whatever needed done,” Clark<br />

said. “I was making $500 a week, and<br />

had a kid on the way.”<br />

Then one day, Clark noticed the<br />

painter was pressure washing the<br />

houses right before they went on the<br />

market. He asked his boss if he could<br />

wash them instead and would charge<br />

$100 per house. His boss agreed. Clark<br />

bought a Dodge truck with an 8-foot<br />

bed and a “little red pressure washer,”<br />

then started washing two houses per<br />

week for extra cash.<br />

“These houses would take my wife<br />

and me eight hours to clean in those<br />

days,” Clark said.<br />

Clark also started washing his boss’s<br />

trucks as well, which led to an idea: mobile<br />

auto detailing.<br />

“No one that I knew of was doing<br />

it in that area,” Clark said. So he put a<br />

water tank in the back of his truck and<br />

would gravity feed his pressure washer<br />

to wash cars. He also bought a long<br />

hose for his shop vac.<br />

“I designed my own flyers and started<br />

looking online and at YouTube to<br />

learn how to buff, etc.,” he said.<br />

It was 2007, and the economy was<br />

about to implode. Soon, the construction<br />

company Clark worked for went<br />

out of business. Clark turned full-time<br />

to mobile auto detailing to try to make<br />

ends meet. He admits he didn’t know<br />

much about washing, and knew even<br />

less about running a business.<br />

■ “NEVER, NEVER,<br />

NEVER GIVE UP!<br />

It was hard, but he made it work.<br />

Still, 2009 was an especially tough one<br />

for the Clarks and their family business.<br />

In fact, they debated throwing<br />

in the towel on the business altogether.<br />

Shielagh said she remembers how<br />

scared she felt when she realized there<br />

was no money to buy groceries.<br />

Around that time, Clark just happened<br />

to hear an old Winston Churchill<br />

quote on the radio: “Never, never, never<br />

give up!” said the voice of the former<br />

British Prime Minister famous for his<br />

inspiring speeches. By happenstance,<br />

that very same week, Clark saw the exact<br />

same quote printed in a magazine.<br />

Even more incredible, his mom, though<br />

she was oblivious to his struggles, gave<br />

him a plaque she had found at a thrift<br />

store with that very same quote on it.<br />

Clark said confident that the Lord<br />

wanted them to stick it out, they<br />

trudged along with the business.<br />

In 2010, the Clarks attended an industry<br />

round table hoping to find the<br />

missing ingredient to fuel their business.<br />

They couldn’t afford the hotel, so<br />

they placed a mattress in the back of<br />

their Astrovan and slept there.<br />

“Some people were kind enough to<br />

let us come shower and get cleaned up<br />

in their room,” Clark said.<br />

That’s where Clark first heard about<br />

soft washing and roof cleaning. It’s also<br />

where he met AC Lockyer of Softwash<br />

Systems, who had just started a consulting<br />

business.<br />

Clark decided to hire Lockyer to<br />

help shepherd his business to success.<br />

“I didn’t know how we were going<br />

to pay him,” Clark said. “We were living<br />

off of rice and beans. My office was<br />

in a closet. We couldn’t afford to pay<br />

our electric bill. But I knew I needed to<br />

learn, so we skimped and saved.”<br />

On December 15, 2010, when<br />

Lockyer came to Clark’s home, Clark<br />

paid him his consulting fee then turned<br />

to him and said, “That was my last<br />

$4,000. Where do we go from here?”<br />

Little could he have dreamed where<br />

that leap of faith would land him.<br />

■ THE<br />

TURNAROUND<br />

Clark could clean, and he could talk<br />

to people. The problem was, he knew<br />

very little about running a business.<br />

Lockyer taught Clark all about marketing<br />

a softwash business and helped<br />

him set up a business plan. Clark took<br />

the plan and ran with it. In January<br />

2011, he put out about 1,000 flyers per<br />

week. That January, Precision Pro Wash<br />

LLC brought in $15,000 – more than<br />

triple what they had previously grossed<br />

in a good January.<br />

But that was just the beginning.<br />

That January 2011 success was the<br />

start of a “paradigm shift” in Clark’s way<br />

of thinking. He was no longer just a guy<br />

who knew how to clean; he was a business<br />

owner and entrepreneur. Through<br />

his work with Lockyer as well as other<br />

coaches – and through a lot of lessons<br />

from what he deemed the “school of<br />

hard knocks” – Clark learned how to<br />

overcome numerous business-related<br />

hurdles. Here are just a few:<br />

1. Money: Clark realizes now he<br />

was initially afraid of growth,<br />

and that his money mentality<br />

19 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 1 | WINTER <strong>2022</strong><br />

VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong> | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | 19


Never Give Up<br />

stifled his business early on.<br />

“Money honestly kind of scared<br />

me,” he said. “I didn’t want<br />

people to think differently of<br />

me if I started making money.”<br />

But money is a big part of<br />

business, so it was something<br />

he needed to embrace. “I<br />

learned a lot by messing up,<br />

such as not managing my<br />

money or spending too much in<br />

marketing,” he said.<br />

2. Hiring Staff: Early in his company’s<br />

growth, Clark hired some<br />

“not so good people” who didn’t<br />

care about the company or the<br />

company’s vision. “I’d never<br />

hired anyone before,” Clark said.<br />

“I was always an employee. I<br />

didn’t do background checks<br />

at the beginning. I was hiring<br />

family, then whomever I could.<br />

You’re breathing? Good! You’re<br />

hired.” He also hired some truly<br />

bad people “who didn’t seem<br />

bad at the time,” including some<br />

sketchy technicians. “You know,<br />

the ones who later call you up<br />

and say they’re going to meet<br />

you at the office with a baseball<br />

bat,” he said. As a result, he<br />

also had to learn how to let<br />

people go. “That was another<br />

huge business lesson,” he said.<br />

Today, he’s reworked his hiring<br />

processes, using programs like<br />

Ask the Seal and DISC (personality)<br />

profiles before hiring.<br />

3. Management: Hiring a good team<br />

was only half the battle. He also<br />

had to learn to manage them.<br />

“I am young but I look even<br />

younger,” Clark said. “I actually<br />

grew a beard to help me look<br />

older so my employees would<br />

take me seriously.” Especially in<br />

the early days, Clark made sure<br />

his team saw all the hard work<br />

he put into the business every<br />

single day. That’s part of what he<br />

calls “casting the vision” for his<br />

employees – making sure they<br />

are properly and regularly trained<br />

on every aspect of their job and<br />

the company’s vision. He also<br />

holds regular staff meetings to<br />

keep his team on the same page<br />

and on board with the company’s<br />

vision.<br />

4. Sales: “I was the worst person<br />

in sales ever,” Clark said. “I<br />

wanted to help everyone, and<br />

I thought everyone was my<br />

customer.” So he would listen<br />

to sob stories and take jobs for<br />

a fraction of what he needed to<br />

charge. He eventually learned<br />

that not everyone was going<br />

to be his customer, and not<br />

every customer was going<br />

to care about him personally.<br />

“I needed to develop thicker<br />

skin and I needed to serve my<br />

business,” he said. “It took me<br />

awhile to recognize my business<br />

was actually a dot-com, not<br />

a dot-org.” By improving his<br />

business in this way, Clark said<br />

he now actually better services<br />

his customers and community.<br />

“For me, it’s never been all about<br />

making money. At the end of<br />

the day, it’s about the customer,<br />

serving the community, and<br />

helping people,” Clark said. “At<br />

first, I didn’t want to rip anyone<br />

off. Now I see that I’m actually<br />

serving them at a higher level<br />

by being able to afford better<br />

equipment, better staff, better<br />

chemicals, and better customer<br />

service. My business is my<br />

ministry, but there are other<br />

ways I can serve through my<br />

business than by taking every<br />

job that comes my way.”<br />

5. Systems: Clark admits he made<br />

a lot of mistakes and had a lot<br />

of setbacks, but he also says<br />

the most important thing is that<br />

he’s learned from them all. After<br />

a mistake occurs, he stops to<br />

study what can be done to keep<br />

it from happening again – then<br />

he sets up a system. “Every<br />

time we made a mistake, we<br />

would learn, become a problem<br />

solver, then put another form in<br />

place,” he said. Today, because<br />

of having solid and reliable<br />

systems in place, Clark’s business<br />

is largely turnkey. In fact,<br />

last fall, Clark broke his leg in a<br />

biking accident and was out of<br />

the office for 10 full weeks. His<br />

company continued to flourish<br />

in his absence. “If that had<br />

happened three years ago, it<br />

would have likely been the end<br />

of us,” Clark said.<br />

■ LESSONS<br />

FROM LIFE<br />

Remember how Clark was tested<br />

in elementary school and told he<br />

had an IQ of just 56? Today, he runs a<br />

multi-million-dollar business.<br />

“Looking back, every little thing I<br />

went through was a building block to<br />

where I am today,” he said.<br />

Here are some of his most cherished<br />

takeaways from his life in business:<br />

• From His Business Coaches: “I’ve<br />

learned to seek the people out<br />

who are already where I want<br />

to be. I can pick their brains to<br />

learn what they’ve done already<br />

so I don’t have to recreate the<br />

wheel. I’m in the trenches and<br />

can’t see the big picture. My<br />

coaches help me step back<br />

and see that what often seem<br />

like huge problems from the<br />

trenches are actually just minor<br />

setbacks.”<br />

• From His Wife: “Shielagh taught<br />

me to believe in myself. She<br />

grounded my dreams without<br />

crushing them, and helped me<br />

pave a way through the difficult<br />

times. She taught me that to<br />

win you have to keep moving,<br />

even on the hardest days. We<br />

have both pushed through some<br />

really hard stuff in our lives; the<br />

secret is just taking that next<br />

step. Honestly, my success is<br />

largely due to Shielagh kicking<br />

me out of bed those mornings I<br />

wanted to give up.”<br />

• From Eddie’s Auto Repair:<br />

“I remember one cold day, I<br />

was sitting with my hands in<br />

my sweatshirt pockets, waiting<br />

for the next customer to arrive.<br />

Eddie came over and stapled<br />

my pockets shut. He said, ‘I’m<br />

paying you. You need to look<br />

like you’re doing something, not<br />

sitting around with your hands<br />

in your pocket.’ I’ve passed that<br />

wisdom on to my employees.<br />

Don’t stand around looking like<br />

you’re doing nothing. They’re<br />

paying you so find a way to<br />

stay busy. It shows them you’re<br />

100% invested in doing the job<br />

right for them.”<br />

• From the Trailer Park: “As<br />

a kid, I loved riding my big<br />

wheel, even though the wheels<br />

were flat.” I used cinder blocks,<br />

and would get up early in the<br />

morning to ride. Our neighbor<br />

started hiding the cinder blocks<br />

so I wouldn’t wake him up at 6<br />

in the morning riding. It didn’t’<br />

matter. I’d make it happen some<br />

other way. I’ve applied that same<br />

determination to my business.<br />

It didn’t matter what was in our<br />

way, we’d figure out how to<br />

overcome it. Yes, it hurt. Yes,<br />

I’d get road rash. But I’d still get<br />

back up and push forward.”<br />

• From Uncle Rick: “I learned that<br />

hard work has to be consistent<br />

to pay off and that pleasure<br />

needs to be moderated. He<br />

loved well, he worked hard, and<br />

he fought harder. But he didn’t<br />

have balance. I rarely drink<br />

because of my family’s history of<br />

alcoholism.”<br />

• From His Mom: “Despite her<br />

mental illness, my mom worked<br />

hard and taught me to give<br />

110%. My mom was always<br />

my biggest fan. She told me<br />

every day ‘if you put your mind<br />

to it, it will happen. You can do<br />

anything.’ I can’t tell you how<br />

much that inspired me.”<br />

Today, Clark considers himself to be<br />

“super blessed” as he’s faced and overcome<br />

so many challenges over the years.<br />

“Growing up in a trailer park, I never<br />

imagined this is where my life would<br />

be,” Clark summed up. “I figured I’d just<br />

have a job working for someone somewhere.<br />

I wanted to be a diesel mechanic.<br />

It’s amazing where I’ve ended up. I<br />

truly believe if this could happen to me,<br />

it can happen to anyone.”<br />

20 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong>


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WELCOME<br />

TO<br />

MY<br />

NIGHTMARE<br />

One of the world’s leading<br />

landscaping and window<br />

cleaning influencers shares<br />

his nightmarish story of<br />

starting (and closing) a<br />

pressure wash business<br />

BY DREW RUBLE<br />

Keith Kalfas is one of the world’s<br />

leading landscaping and window<br />

cleaning influencers and one of the<br />

most watched and followed personal<br />

development coaches in his industries,<br />

He has had more than 2,500 students<br />

take his courses through Keith Kalfas<br />

Academy.<br />

Kalfas has been featured in Turf<br />

Magazine, Window Cleaning Magazine<br />

UK, and has spoken at The Huge<br />

Convention, the UAMCC, IWCA,<br />

Powerwash Expo, IGNITE, CSA, and<br />

several other industry events. He also<br />

hosts his own live event each year in<br />

Michigan called the Marketing ROI.<br />

Kalfas has also written two Amazon<br />

best-selling books, including How to<br />

Start a Landscaping Business and The<br />

Window Cleaning Blueprint.<br />

A few years ago, Kalfas went on You-<br />

Tube to tell his harrowing story of the<br />

time he decided to start a pressure wash<br />

business – and the calamity that ensued.<br />

Needless to say, Kalfas has since<br />

left pressure washing to the experts.<br />

The following is a lightly edited<br />

script of Kalfas’ video, which racked<br />

up hundreds of thousands of views<br />

(in total, his video content has racked<br />

up more than 50 million views) and<br />

nearly 500 hilarious comments from<br />

pressure wash pros who enjoyed his<br />

candor -- and his tip of the cap to the<br />

real professionals in pressure washing.<br />

Enjoy!<br />

(Oh, and visit www.keithkalfas.<br />

com for more!)<br />

22 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong> VOL. 4, NO. 1 | WINTER <strong>2022</strong> | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | 22


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my nightmare<br />

As I got back to this job, the<br />

ladder is lying on the ground,<br />

he's laying sideways on<br />

the ground with the power<br />

washing wand in his hand<br />

laying on top of the ladder<br />

and he was slowly getting up.<br />

I’m like ‘what are you doing?<br />

When I first started power<br />

washing, I would do<br />

anything to make a dollar.<br />

I had a buddy who did it and he<br />

was like ‘oh, dude, you'll never go<br />

wrong with the power washer, you're<br />

literally just selling time.’<br />

So, I did a couple jobs with him<br />

and then I started doing it on my<br />

own. I bought this Honda power<br />

washer -- it was nothing, like four<br />

hundred bucks -- and I started offering<br />

to my customers that I would do<br />

their whole house for $100 and $85<br />

for the garage. I didn't know what to<br />

charge.<br />

Then we would be power washing<br />

these houses all damn day for<br />

no profit completely drenched and<br />

soaked in water.<br />

I bought the [ __ ] rain suit and<br />

you're out there and it's 90 degrees<br />

and you're in a [ __ ] rain suit<br />

sweating your [ __-ing __ ] off. Then<br />

you say to yourself, ‘I'm gonna hire<br />

somebody to do this.’<br />

So, you do, and then those [ __ ]<br />

people -- you go look at a driveway<br />

they did and they say it looks good<br />

but to you it's not even close to<br />

right, there's a little bit of dirt here,<br />

a little bit there, and the fading isn't<br />

right.<br />

I had this kid working for me. We<br />

literally just got started and I wasn't<br />

licensed or insured -- everything was<br />

not legit at all -- and I was terrified<br />

just trying to make some money so I<br />

could get legit.<br />

He's got the power washer in<br />

hand and I had to leave to go do<br />

another quote. I come back and this<br />

[ __ ] had been power washing the<br />

side of this tall garage and he had<br />

been standing on the top of the ladder<br />

with the wand with a zero tip.<br />

As I got back to this job, the<br />

ladder is lying on the ground, he's<br />

laying sideways on the ground with<br />

the power washing wand in his hand<br />

laying on top of the ladder and he<br />

was slowly getting up. I’m like ‘what<br />

are you doing?’<br />

It ejected him.<br />

Then we come around to the<br />

front of the house and I'm power<br />

washing. It blows the [ __ ] white<br />

chip paint off this lady’s bay window<br />

area. It blows the paint right off the<br />

[ __ ] house and I wasn't even using<br />

a zero tip, I was using a fan tip, and I<br />

was standing at least eight feet away<br />

just going back and forth. But the<br />

paint was so old, it just comes off<br />

like nothing.<br />

So the next thing I know I'm<br />

coming back on a Sunday with my<br />

wife in the car and we're supposed<br />

to be going to a family event but<br />

instead I'm like spray-painting this<br />

lady's [ __ ] house.<br />

I'm so stupid.<br />

Then we were doing another job<br />

power washing this guy's two-story<br />

house with big walls of siding. And<br />

there's all these nasty stains on there.<br />

I didn't know what would come<br />

off or what wouldn't but it was [<br />

__ ] disgusting. And the siding was<br />

already like wavy.<br />

Suddenly, it just blows right off<br />

this guy's house. Like two pieces fall<br />

on the ground and another piece is<br />

just hanging there.<br />

So, I'm on a ladder with my knees<br />

shaking, calling my buddy who does<br />

roofing, going ‘dude how the [ __ ]<br />

do you put siding back up?’<br />

And you're sitting there [ __ ]<br />

looking on Google and you're scared<br />

[ __ ]-less and you're trying to put<br />

siding back on someone's [ __ ]<br />

house and you’re realizing it was<br />

already all [ __ ] up anyways and<br />

now the customer is going to blame<br />

you for this.<br />

So, you're having like a panic<br />

attack trying to do this.<br />

I’m literally stupid.<br />

Later, the customer calls me up.<br />

He's like ‘You do a [ __ ]-y job.’<br />

I'm like ‘Dude, we were there all<br />

[ __ ] day, I seriously did the best job<br />

we possibly could.’<br />

You know what happens. I go<br />

back to this guy's house on another<br />

Sunday and I [ __ ] stick the power<br />

washer literally a foot away from the<br />

wall with a zero tip on it and with<br />

this guy standing there next to me to<br />

witness. And I'm spraying this green<br />

[ __ ] right in front of him and it will<br />

not come off for nothing. Then I take<br />

a bucket and wash it with trisodium<br />

phosphate and I put on the scrubbers<br />

and I'm scrubbing like a slave in<br />

front of this guy and it will not come<br />

off, it's like permanently bonded, and<br />

that's what I said to him.<br />

He goes ‘[ __ ] it, okay.’ Only<br />

then did he believe me and he finally<br />

[ __ ] paid me.<br />

24 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong>


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press releases, and story tips to<br />

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Jacksonv@pressurewashnews.com


my nightmare<br />

On another job, we used the<br />

zero tip and it's shooting water up<br />

into the siding of a house and going<br />

behind the siding and running inside<br />

the walls of the house.<br />

Then, we’re power washing the<br />

back of this same house, I just remember<br />

this guy's door was so nasty,<br />

so I power washed the door and the<br />

water went in between the door jam<br />

-- which I know now you should<br />

never do that -- and sprayed water all<br />

inside of this guy's house, all over his<br />

[ __ ] walls.<br />

He opens the door and goes<br />

‘What the [ __ ]?’ Actually, he didn't<br />

say that but his face said that.<br />

So, I go to my [ __ ] trailer and<br />

I have a bunch of window cleaning<br />

towels -- some dirty, some clean<br />

-- and also grab all the blue towels.<br />

I'm literally wiping down this guy’s<br />

walls inside his house, I'm sucking<br />

up water in there, and blue fibers are<br />

getting all over his [ __ ] wall.<br />

I'm melting in an anxiety attack,<br />

anxieties so bad that I would rather<br />

just drop dead at that moment. I’m<br />

praying ‘God, please let my body<br />

just drop dead so I can get away<br />

from this.’<br />

Finally, one day we borrowed<br />

a buddy's very, very expensive,<br />

heavy-duty, industrial power washer.<br />

And we power wash this dude's<br />

house with these big huge plate-glass<br />

windows. The whole house was filthy<br />

--beautiful place -- but filthy.<br />

I'm so glad the customer wasn't<br />

home when my worker hit the<br />

windows with this powerful washer.<br />

The whole [ __ ] house was shaking<br />

like a bass speaker and it sounded<br />

like he was going to blow the [ __ ]<br />

windows out.<br />

I ran out and yelled ‘stop, stop,<br />

stop, oh my God, you're literally<br />

about to blow those [ __ ] windows<br />

out, just do it from a little farther out<br />

and use a different tip on this!’<br />

That's when I realized that my<br />

buddy who originally told me ‘oh<br />

yeah, you make money all day power<br />

washing, it's [ __ ] easy’ was dead<br />

wrong.<br />

My other buddy, who's a mentor,<br />

I'd be like ‘This is what happened.”<br />

But someone who's a mentor of<br />

yours or somebody who's making<br />

good money and who does it right<br />

and has already been through all<br />

that stuff, it's almost like they forget<br />

about those fears and frustrations<br />

that they went through and then<br />

they're like ‘that stuff doesn't even<br />

happen to me, what are you talking<br />

about Keith? Like, you're an alien.<br />

I'm crushing and I'm making $1,500<br />

a day. What the [ __ ] is wrong with<br />

you? You're breaking people's windows<br />

and blowing paint. Like, you're<br />

a [ __ ] idiot. You seriously need to<br />

stop, dude.’<br />

You feel lost and you're up all<br />

night searching on Google and going<br />

through all these forums and trying<br />

to find out what the [ __ ] you're doing<br />

wrong, why paint is blowing off<br />

the [ __ ] house, what are the different<br />

tips, and then you realize -- this<br />

pressure washing is an entire thing.<br />

I think that's what drives guys<br />

into these pressure washing associations<br />

and events to get schooling and<br />

training on all this because any nitwit<br />

like me could go out and buy a power<br />

washer and [ __ ] up somebody's<br />

property.<br />

I took the whole power washer<br />

and I set it outside next to a dumpster<br />

and the next day it was gone.<br />

I got humbled real quick.<br />

Thinking that we can just get into<br />

something and make money being a<br />

half-wit is a really stupid approach in<br />

learning.<br />

Thinking you're going to get into<br />

anything and it's going to be easy is<br />

smoking your own brochures.<br />

It's really [ __ ] hard even if it<br />

sounds easy and there's tons of safety<br />

and training and protocol out there<br />

and having the proper everything<br />

and knowing what you're doing and<br />

being able to know how to deal with<br />

the mistakes when they happen,<br />

well, it's a whole learning curve.<br />

I think the guy who has been in it<br />

forever and they understand all those<br />

protocols, they don't go through<br />

those type of issues because they<br />

would never do those stupid things.<br />

The problem was with me.<br />

I see that so clearly now.<br />

Team Up:<br />

Why You Should Join an<br />

Industry Association<br />

Don’t be like Keith! Join an organization serving the<br />

pressure wash industry!<br />

Membership in an industry association offers numerous<br />

benefits. It keeps business owners on top of important,<br />

ever-changing issues, trends and legislation within their<br />

marketplace – not to mention the chance to influence<br />

legislation.<br />

It allows for tremendous networking opportunities and<br />

camaraderie among members.<br />

Associations keep you abreast of what’s going on in<br />

your industry through newsletters, access to seminars,<br />

conferences, and association events, and even access to<br />

members-only offers.<br />

Associations importantly also provide educational,<br />

training, licensure, and certification opportunities to its<br />

membership.<br />

Membership in trade association projects a positive<br />

image of your firm to your customers.<br />

It shows a business’ initiative, its engagement in a<br />

particular trade, and its commitment to quality.<br />

Most business failures occur in firms that are not<br />

members of their trade association.<br />

Here are just a few associations in the<br />

pressure wash industry that you should join.<br />

The Cleaning Equipment<br />

Trade Association<br />

ceta.org<br />

The Power Washers<br />

of North America<br />

pwna.org<br />

The United Association of<br />

Mobile Contract Cleaners<br />

uamcc.org<br />

Pressure Washers<br />

of America<br />

pwoa.org<br />

Pressure Washer<br />

Manufacturers’ Association<br />

pwma.org<br />

International Window<br />

Cleaning Association<br />

iwca.org<br />

26 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 4, NO. 2 | SPRING <strong>2022</strong>


3<br />

1 9 8 9<br />

.<br />

2 0 1 9<br />

THE POWER OF<br />

EXPERIENCE<br />

PLUNGER PUMPS<br />

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VACUUM PUMPS<br />

ACCESSORIES<br />

AR BLUE CLEAN<br />

POWER WASHERS<br />

Annovi Reverberi full<br />

range of piston pumps<br />

meet a large variety of<br />

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Annovi Reverberi offers<br />

solutions for low to high<br />

pressure spraying needs.<br />

Battioni Pagani superior<br />

line of rotary<br />

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pumps.<br />

Low to high pressure<br />

accessory parts,<br />

components and<br />

attachments.<br />

One of the finest<br />

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To learn more visit www.arnorthamerica.com<br />

E-Mail: info@arnorthamerica.com<br />

Phone: 1-800-893-4235 · 763-398-2008

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