We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Derrick Diaz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Derrick, thanks for joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

The idea started back in 2018, two years before graduating from college. I was honestly super broke and had so many tuition, insurance, and rent expenses, so I really didn’t want to get behind on it. Over the next few months I purchased a small machine and started door knocking in neighborhoods and closing any job I could possibly get. The goal was to get my name out there, secure repeat clients, and over the years increase the price knowing that the quality of my service has also improved. I started with getting basic business insurance, a small truck, and some determination.

Derrick, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My father owns a remodeling business, and he would always call me out to come and pressure wash some small things for him. Eventually I started buying easier equipment tools to get in and out faster, and realized I could do more jobs on my own, while still helping him out. Fast forward to going full time on my own in 2018, I saved as much as I could, and started doing research on Facebook, YouTube, and even TikTok to figure out how to speed up the process. I actually went to a few pressure washing conventions to network and to this day many of us grab lunch and talk business. It all came together eventually, to the point where I was able to master every single service. The next challenge was to work on my sales skills.

We provide exterior cleaning such as soft wash roof cleaning, house washing, window/gutter cleaning, & concrete cleaning. This year we added staining, exterior painting, and gutter guard installations! We service mostly in West Houston, but our main area is in Richmond.
Im very proud of how our reputation is here. We have been rated 5/5 stars on Google, Facebook, and NextDoor for 5+ years, and service over 500+ clients a year. Our main goal is to ensure a quality and reasonable priced service, so you don’t have to shop around. I’m also very proud of how far I’ve gone in this industry. We donate our services to school charity auctions, dog shelter organizations, and even offer free playground cleanings. We love our community, neighbors, and support from clients.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Funding can vary. I had a year where I spent about $2,000 to get some starter equipment, but when I switched to full-time and wanted to be more efficient, and diverse in the services, it totaled to an additional $25,000.00.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Satisfying videos. Who doesn’t love seeing concrete get cleaned? Mildew and dirt can create slippery spots for a homeowner, and grease stains if you’re in a commercial setting. Time lapses, posting funny content that is trending on TikTok is super important. Although I’m not a fan of most of the sounds they use, if you use the trending ones, you’ll probably blow up pretty quick (we went from 4000 to 15,000 followers in 5 months).

Post daily content! Post fun stuff, and eye grabbing content. Recording a video can be complicated, especially in all the wrong angles. post a selfie every now and then. Everybody likes to see a smile. Show off your new equipment or new project, you deserve to let the world know about what you can provide as a professional.

Contact Info:

• Website: Whpressurewashing.com
• Instagram: Whpressurewashing
• Facebook: @westhoustonpressurewashing
• Twitter: westhoustonpw
• Other: TikTok: whpressurewashing