Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Pogras.
Hi Jonathan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, my dad was always self employed. Although we didn’t have a lot financially, we were always together as a family and he made sure that the important things in life came first. Work was very important in order to provide for the family, but it was never more important than our faith and family needs. So of course that training sunk in and made sense. My first job after high school was in sales. It was simple and allowed me to have the time for the more important things. But I quickly realized and experienced for myself that not all big corporate businesses have the same values as faith oriented people. So I knew that being self employed was where I would need to be in my future in order to grow in the direction I wanted to. Throughout the years after that, I would work as an independent contractor with many other business and people learning skills to help me be on my own. Later, I started working with a friend of mine who had a pressure washing business in Knoxville, TN. He had owned and operated this business for over 15 years. It was very successful! He trained me and I worked with him for two years. I loved all of it!! I like the satisfaction that comes from cleaning, I love being outside and I love being able to make peoples homes look good. I then took what I learned from him and started my own pressure washing business with my wife in Kingston. This was going to be a bit of leap for us, because it would be the very first time we, as a family, would run our own business. We did not notice any pressure washing services in our home area, so we felt it would be a good chance of some success. Getting the licensing and insurance and making sure we were following all legal laws was a lot of work. Starting completely fresh like this was scary!
But, immediately, we had a great response for the need to provide pressure washing services. Our community has been so supportive and we have learned so much!
Now. We both have a much better grasp on running a business than when we started. Jade has been an amazing support and a valuable second opinion making sure we make the wisest decisions. We now have more time to focus on improving our work and making sure we’re providing the highest quality, best service out there. We genuinely care about our neighbors and theirs homes! We love having a part in making the community look good a clean! Most importantly, Jade and I both have the control to manage our lives the way we need to. Putting the more important things first in our life. Taking care of our spiritual needs, family and friends first. We highly value our work because our work supports us taking care of our needs.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course not! Running your own business takes constant work. We started with simply the knowledge we were given. We did not have a proper work vehicle, we only had the funds to buy the basic equipment needed to start doing basic house washes.
Our biggest struggle is managing fair prices. We strive to provide the highest quality work, honest work. That is not cheap. But home owners are already flooded with high cost of living prices. When it comes to making your home look good vs having a home, the latter is more important. We understand this!
We do not want to be known as the business that does cheap work. We want to be known as the business who provides the highest quality work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We both are a “jack-of-all-trades”. We have learned many skills in our past. We have mostly been self-employed for our entire work history. We have worked for companies and other business owners as sole proprietors and this has helped us to officially run our own business today.
Our past includes, mechanical, welding repair, electrical, shipping, sales, construction, landscaping and a few other skills and professions we learned from.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Honestly, we never hold it for certain that our business will go in the direction we want it to. We want it to grow! We would love to support jobs for others locally. We would love to promise stability for our employees. But, realistically, that can not be promised in this economy. According to some statistics, the longer a business exists, the lower its chances of survival are. The biggest reason for a business’ failure is lack of market need.
Our market depends on home owners who can afford to maintain their homes. Life is getting harder every year for everyone. We understand this! So we take our business one year at a time, as best we can, being as flexible as possible with the constant shifting economy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pograspressurewashing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pograspressurewashing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PograsPW
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pogras-pressure-washing
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pograspressurewashing
