Several Aragon juniors became entrepreneurs when they created Pressure Pals in 2020, a small business bringing affordable pressure washing services to local Bay Area residents.
Founder and junior Leo Levitt was initially introduced to pressure washing when he saw satisfying pressure washing videos on Youtube. Encouraged by his father, Levitt eventually bought a pressure washer with his own money, working jobs for family members before expanding his business to the Bay Area. As requests piled up, Levitt recruited co-founders and juniors Jeremy Gosch and Henry Platz as well as graphic designer and junior Luke Phillips to his team.
“[Levitt wanted to] complete these jobs, but he just didn’t have the time,” Gosch said. “So, he started giving [some jobs] to Henry and I and we did those jobs. They were awesome.”
To find clients, the team posts an advertisement designed by Phillips on Nextdoor. Next, the quartet embarks on what consumes approximately 70% of their time: booking consultations with potential clients to examine the area and negotiate prices. Finally, the Pals complete the job. Recognizing the effects of pressure washing on the ongoing California drought, they devote 10% of all revenue to the Pacific Institute for its efforts in drought research and alleviation.
As the team progressed in advertising through increasingly popular Nextdoor posts, they acquired the attention of several notable customers, ranging from hard-to-find realtors to residents with tennis courts.
“We like to have the motto that we can get anything done because we truly believe that if we put our minds to it, we can help people with any project,” Levitt said. “I believe we’re really good problem solvers and we like to have that motto to keep ourselves going.”
Though the tedious nature of pressure washing combined with the challenges of being young entrepreneurs can be trying at times, each team member’s motivations are clear.
“[Taking] the jobs, actually pressure washing and seeing the difference that you make is super satisfying,” Gosch said. “It doesn’t really feel like working and just feels like you’re helping out [and] making their place look better.”
Being a part of a teen-owned business comes with its own unique perks.
“It doesn’t really feel like working and just feels like you’re helping out”
“There’s a lot more freedom with my schedule, and [it] allowed me to make money,” Platz said. “It’s more fun than a [typical] job and I’m [also] interacting with my friends and learning important skills.”
As projects and customer interactions bring out their persistence and passion, Phillips’ progress in advertising and branding has also introduced important lessons to the teen entrepreneurs.
“[The job has taught] me to be [more] resilient because our first Nextdoor post didn’t do too [well], [but] we changed how we wrote it, and we ended up getting a lot of business from that,” Phillips said. “Sometimes stuff [doesn’t work] on the first go around, but you [usually] just [have to] be resilient.”
As the Pals’ business rounds out its second year, the members look toward growing in the future, perhaps reaching out for new employees, expanding to different neighborhoods or venturing into the world of social media advertising.
“We show our clients what young people can do,” Levitt said. “It’s cool for them to see that kids out there are taking initiative, which is a trait we pride ourselves on.”
Following an increase in project demand over the summer, Levitt plans to expand the business and recruit more members.
Written by: Grace Tao
