I need advice

[ChrisGav]

Hi everyone,

I am currently running my pressure washing company and it has been slowing down slightly. On top of being a little bored with the world being shut-down, I've started to set my sights on other things. I've come to realize I really want to get into real estate long term, as pressure washing began primarily as a stepping stone to learn more about the entrepreneurship world.

What I am ultimately needing advice on is: how do you know when it is time to move on to your next venture?

I've been thinking about wholesaling real estate, on top of a few other ideas but notice the "grass is greener" mentality arising within me. This causes me to kind of neglect my pressure washing company.

For real estate, I will need more knowledge/experience to be able to do it. How do you balance running your current company while learning/experiencing these other avenues?
Thought about getting a job in construction to learn the other aspect of real estate and price valuations, but still curious on how to juggle running my current business with that.

Thanks

 

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[PizzaOnTheRoof]

Start power washing for real estate agents and pick their brains.

NOTABLE! - What if you already know enough?

The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer. A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free”...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

[Ismail941]

Download the Deal Machin App. You just have to pay Monthy fees is $49.
This app made it easier because you can start direct mail campaign just with iPhone and fingertips.

 

[GravyBoat]

Well, do you have enough $ saved up to start something else?

Can you automate your pressure washing biz, or sell the leads?

Is your pressure washing biz sapping your time from another venture, or are you smoked after a day's work and don't have energy to work on other things?

 

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[ChrisGav]

Well, do you have enough $ saved up to start something else?

Can you automate your pressure washing biz, or sell the leads?

Is your pressure washing biz sapping your time from another venture, or are you smoked after a day's work and don't have energy to work on other things?

It’s more of along the lines that I can’t grow my pressure washing business and continue income if my sights are set elsewhere.
I tend to fall for the grass is greener logic, and I think being bored at home is fueling that fire.

 

[GravyBoat]

You shouldn't be bored ever.

Unless you have achieved every life goal you have, there's nothing but things to do to get there.

What's stopping you from growing your pressure washing business?

I ask this with legitimate concern, because for years, I chased the golden goose. Business after business after business. And guess what. They all lost me money, and above all, time.

If I were you, I'd grow the pressure washing business for a year, then reassess when you have more cash.

What you're feeling, I think, is:

I don't wanna have a pressure washing business. I want something cool and sexy. OR something that's authentic to me and that I love doing instead.

The reality is, once you have a business that's succeeding, you automate. Now, you have a stream of fuel for anything else you want to try.

You KNOW the pressure washing business works, so why not 10x that, then chase the wild ones that may or may not produce?

 

[ChrisGav]

You shouldn't be bored ever.

Unless you have achieved every life goal you have, there's nothing but things to do to get there.

What's stopping you from growing your pressure washing business?

I ask this with legitimate concern, because for years, I chased the golden goose. Business after business after business. And guess what. They all lost me money, and above all, time.

If I were you, I'd grow the pressure washing business for a year, then reassess when you have more cash.

What you're feeling, I think, is:

I don't wanna have a pressure washing business. I want something cool and sexy. OR something that's authentic to me and that I love doing instead.

The reality is, once you have a business that's succeeding, you automate. Now, you have a stream of fuel for anything else you want to try.

You KNOW the pressure washing business works, so why not 10x that, then chase the wild ones that may or may not produce?

You are right on many levels here.
I'm falling for the trap of the grass is always greener mentality. Trying to shortcut to success essentially.

Sometimes I stop and ask myself: "what am I not seeing?", the answer in this instance was: the process of growing this business will teach me many things I will need to apply to any business. Marketing, sales, etc.
I get nearsighted sometimes, and feel in a rush to get where I want to be, which causes me to miss the opportunities right in front of me. Thanks for this.

 

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[Einfamilienhaus]

What is your bigger vision with the pressure washing company?

If you don't have one, then this could be one of your problems right now. I don't know much about your current business but if your pressure washing company can pay for your cost of living, you should definitely don't throw your income away. As the people above have written you should find a way to automate your business, scale it and then maybe find something new.

But you will maybe face the same problem again: What is your bigger vision with real estate? Just making money won't keep you fulfilled in long-term and this mentality could destroy great opportunities you will get. Behind every bigger vision there is a personal desire to solve a big problem. So which big problem could it be you can solve with your real estate business? If you dont feel a truly burning desire to solve this big problem and you can't see yourself doing this in 10+ years, maybe you should stay at your current pressure washing company. This question you can honestly only answer by yourself.

 

[GravyBoat]

The real question is this: are you self aware?

Do you know what you're good at and bad at?

Do you know what you WANT to do?

This is what I want you to do:

Go buy a whiteboard and write down everything you love on it. Everything that's authentic to you. Everything that you'd do if money wasn't a thing. Everything you'd be EXCITED to wake up and go do.

Remember your last vacation. Remember how you couldn't sleep the night before you left because you were so excited. I want you to write down THOSE things. What would keep you up at night with unlimited energy to keep doing?

Now you have a list of your authentic passions. The next step?

Either figure out how you can monetize one of those, OR, find the quickest path to being able to do them.

One of my authentic passions is snowboarding. So, my goal is, go snowboarding 100 days a year. What's the fastest way I can get there? It might have nothing to do with snowboarding.

Right now, the fastest way is to build my current business to the point of A affording me time to do what I want (snowboard) instead of work. This means growth in revenue, and automation.

To me, that is the fastest path to being able to do whatever the F*ck I want.

I wake up daily and realize this. So I go work hard af. It's not difficult to go work, because I know I'm on the path to success (in this case, success being defined by me being able to snowboard 100 days a year).

You need to take my "snowboarding" and replace it with whatever you love doing.

Now how do you get there quickly?

 

[sparechange]

Why cant you grow the biz bigger?

Try to automate it as much as possible, hire more employees (hopefully you are not treating this like a job!) and be as hands off as possible whilst generating income, in the meantime focus on real estate... whatever that means?

 

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[ChrisGav]

The real question is this: are you self aware?

Do you know what you're good at and bad at?

Do you know what you WANT to do?

This is what I want you to do:

Go buy a whiteboard and write down everything you love on it. Everything that's authentic to you. Everything that you'd do if money wasn't a thing. Everything you'd be EXCITED to wake up and go do.

Remember your last vacation. Remember how you couldn't sleep the night before you left because you were so excited. I want you to write down THOSE things. What would keep you up at night with unlimited energy to keep doing?

Now you have a list of your authentic passions. The next step?

Either figure out how you can monetize one of those, OR, find the quickest path to being able to do them.

One of my authentic passions is snowboarding. So, my goal is, go snowboarding 100 days a year. What's the fastest way I can get there? It might have nothing to do with snowboarding.

Right now, the fastest way is to build my current business to the point of A affording me time to do what I want (snowboard) instead of work. This means growth in revenue, and automation.

To me, that is the fastest path to being able to do whatever the F*ck I want.

I wake up daily and realize this. So I go work hard af. It's not difficult to go work, because I know I'm on the path to success (in this case, success being defined by me being able to snowboard 100 days a year).

You need to take my "snowboarding" and replace it with whatever you love doing.

Now how do you get there quickly?

Good practice, I like this. Currently doing it, but probably going to take me the course of a few days to think on it and really get an answer. I don't currently know something right off that I'm overly "passionate" about. (feel so cringey every time I say that word)

Thank you for this

 

[GravyBoat]

Good practice, I like this. Currently doing it, but probably going to take me the course of a few days to think on it and really get an answer. I don't currently know something right off that I'm overly "passionate" about. (feel so cringey every time I say that word)

Thank you for this

It's just a word describing what your goals are, what you want to be doing with your time.

I'm with MJ on the fact that your business does not need to be your passion, BUT, I think the more passionate you are about your business, the easier it is to grow it.

Or, the more clear you are on your path, and therefor goals, the more energy you will have to work in a business like pressure washing, which isn't our passion, but it's directly correlated to achieving freedom to only do what you want to do.

 

[ChrisGav]

It's just a word describing what your goals are, what you want to be doing with your time.

I'm with MJ on the fact that your business does not need to be your passion, BUT, I think the more passionate you are about your business, the easier it is to grow it.

Or, the more clear you are on your path, and therefor goals, the more energy you will have to work in a business like pressure washing, which isn't our passion, but it's directly correlated to achieving freedom to only do what you want to do.

I think the biggest struggle with pressure washing is not liking it. It's more of the thoughts "is there a faster way to be doing this than I am". Could I get to freedom in a faster vehicle than pressure washing. That's what steers me to go off in left field looking at other ventures.
Especially seeing some kids make big bucks playing around on tik tok or something silly..

 

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[Paul David]

I think the biggest struggle with pressure washing is not liking it. It's more of the thoughts "is there a faster way to be doing this than I am". Could I get to freedom in a faster vehicle than pressure washing. That's what steers me to go off in left field looking at other ventures.
Especially seeing some kids make big bucks playing around on tik tok or something silly..

Your mindset is very similar to mine and I completely understand where you’re coming from.

There is also some great advice in this thread.

I run Facebook ads for laser clinics but as they are closed due to lockdown I was thinking of moving into a new niche that can take on or book new work now. Pressure washing was on my list.

I can almost certainly get you a lot more work and I’d be happy to do it for free (you would just need to pay for ad spend $10 a day) in exchange for a case study.

If it’s something you’re interested in just send me a DM.

 

[GravyBoat]

I think the biggest struggle with pressure washing is not liking it. It's more of the thoughts "is there a faster way to be doing this than I am". Could I get to freedom in a faster vehicle than pressure washing. That's what steers me to go off in left field looking at other ventures.
Especially seeing some kids make big bucks playing around on tik tok or something silly..

Bro this is the exact same thing I'm talking about. I used to feel like this ALL the time.

Here's the deal. You need to pick something that you KNOW makes money (IE Pressure Washing) and SHUT OFF Youtube. Delete Tik Tok. Delete Instagram. Block YouTube. For the love of God delete Snapchat and whatever else you have these days.

That's not your path. For one, alot of it isn't what it seems. Social media is a highlight reel. You're not seeing the 16 hour days those people are putting in, IF they're even legit at all.

Trust me on this. Try it for 2 months. Put your head down. Delete ALL social media and bullshit. Do NOT go on any news sites. Only go on Fastlane forum but limit yourself to 30 minutes a day.

Just try it. You have nothing to lose.

I bet if you took every hour per day focused on comparing yourself to some random 18 year old "dropship guru" on YouTube, and spent it growing you pressure washing business, getting more leads, closing bigger deals, hiring a crew, etc, you'd be making more than alot of YouTubers are by the end of the year.

Trust me, I've done it. Your story is similar to mine. Was enamored by "18 year old makes 2M in 35 seconds!" videos, cut it all off, built a legit business that gives real value.

You're not missing a single thing. Shut all that stuff off right now. Give it 2 months. Then go back on. You'll realize that you didn't miss a single thing. Social media is designed to SUCK you in.

And don't make the excuse that you "need it for your business." You can get blockers that block FB news feed and that's the only social you should be using to advertise a pressure washing business anyway. Yelp, Thumbtack, Porch.com, Home Adviser, Google, Facebook ads, if you're not on EVERY single one of these lead sources pulling in multiple per day from each one, you're WASTING your time.

Go do all of what I said above before even THINKING about watching another YouTube video about a 15 year old "millionaire."