Power Washing / Exterior Cleaning vs Slime Brand, startup cost comparison, StartupLenz

Power Washing / Exterior Cleaning

Higher net

Mobile exterior cleaning. Homes, driveways, decks, fleets. Capital-intensive at the start, real margins once routes get dense.

Gross$6,859

Net profit$2,748

Margin40.1%

Orders/mo25

Crew wages$1,893 28%

Chemicals$449 7%

Card fees$199 3%

Vehicle (truck/trailer)$750 11%

Equipment payment$200 3%

Insurance$220 3%

Software + tools$50 1%

Marketing$350 5%

launch · 1–3$1,021

traction · 4–8$3,081

scale · 9–12$5,407

Strong service margins. Add a second rig and a part-timer before adding more marketing.

Small-batch slime brand — drops-based selling on TikTok Shop + Etsy. Materials, charms, temp packs, the works.

Gross$880

Net profit$-689

Margin-78.3%

Orders/mo44

Materials$260 30%

Containers$100 11%

Shipping supplies$111 13%

Temp packs$20 2%

Labor$360 41%

Carrier shipping$244 28%

TikTok fees$32 4%

Etsy fees$34 4%

Direct card fees$8 1%

Ad / gifting$400 45%

launch · 1–3$-547

traction · 4–8$-689

scale · 9–12$-825

Losing money per drop. Check labor minutes and temp-pack costs — these are the two often-underestimated lines.