What I Learned Starting a Business at 16
The lessons from my first pressure washing company that shaped everything after.
What I Learned Starting a Business at 16
When I started The Pressure King at 16, I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew I wanted to make money and didn't want to work at a fast food restaurant.
The Beginning
It started simple: a pressure washer, a truck, and a lot of door knocking. I printed flyers at the local library and went door to door in my neighborhood.
The first customer said yes, and I was terrified. I had watched YouTube videos on how to pressure wash, but actually doing it for someone who was paying me? That was different.
Lessons That Stuck
1. Just Start
The biggest lesson was that you don't need to know everything to begin. I learned pressure washing techniques while running the business. I learned sales while knocking on doors. I learned accounting while trying to figure out how much money I actually made.
2. Reputation is Everything
In a local service business, your reputation spreads fast. One bad job and the whole neighborhood knows. One great job and you get three referrals. I learned to over-deliver on every single job.
3. Systems Scale, Hustle Doesn't
At first, I did everything myself. But as the business grew, I realized I couldn't be everywhere. I had to build systems:
- Checklists for each job type
- Scripts for customer calls
- Processes for scheduling and follow-up
This is what eventually made the business sellable.
The Exit
In 2020, I sold The Pressure King to a private equity firm. It was surreal—this thing I started as a teenager was now worth real money to serious investors.
But the real value wasn't the money. It was the education. Four years of running a real business taught me more than any classroom ever could.
What I'd Tell My 16-Year-Old Self
- Start earlier - I wish I had started at 14
- Raise prices sooner - I undercharged for way too long
- Document everything - The systems you build are the real asset
- Enjoy the journey - I was so focused on growth I forgot to appreciate what I was building
This experience shaped everything that came after. Every company I've built since then has been informed by those early lessons in a pressure washing truck.