WS Chronicle

A little over a year ago, Brandon Horne had a decision to make. He had recently been let go from his job due to the pandemic and had to choose if he was going to apply for another corporate job, or go all in as an entrepreneur. 

Horne chose to bet on himself and become his own boss and over the past year, his business has continued to grow. Brandon’s Pressure Washing Services was a side business initially for Horne, but once he was let go from his job, it became his new passion and he doesn’t regret the move.

“I got laid off from Baptist Hospital and I was thinking I had to figure something else out and then I got into selling insurance door to door, and that just wasn’t my thing,” said Horne. “I would be sitting in these marketing meetings as an insurance agent during the day and I hated being told, ‘Hey go out here and make this money for us,’ but then we were not getting any money ourselves.”

Horne says he found another position through a temp agency that landed him with Pinnacle Benefits. Unfortunately, they were soon bought out by another company, which was devastating to Horne.

“I knew I had a pressure washing business and if I put that much effort into making other people’s businesses rich, then if I put that same energy into my own business, I could grow it into an unimaginable magnitude,” he said about his business. “I had my business for a while, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that really pushed the nozzle for me.”

Horne, a 35-year-old Winston-Salem native, says when he was laid off in February of 2020, the biggest thing that was on his mind was his family and how he was going to take care of them. He says he didn’t have time to get down on himself or depressed because he had too many people counting on him.

“I was thinking how I was going to feed my son, because I had one son at that time, and I instantly just went to thinking how I was going to provide,” he said. “I knew pressure washing season was about to crank up, so I was thinking, ‘You know what, let’s just do this 100%.’

“There was no turning back and I had been applying for jobs that didn’t pay enough. It was really a game changer, but I’m glad it happened, because everything happens for a reason. It allowed me to spend more time with family as well.”

Initially there was some apprehension about putting all of his financial responsibility in his pressure washing business. “All I had was pretty much what I had saved, and it was just all or nothing at this point,” he said about having his business as his sole means of income.

Things started off somewhat slow for Horne due to the pandemic and people not wanting to be around others. The business began to pick up as Horne started to advertise more and believe in himself.

“I hired a business coach, Antonio McCoy, and my business grew like crazy due to the fact I hired a business coach,” he stated. “He showed me the importance of setting goals and he held me accountable, because at that point in my life I needed an accountability partner that would hold me accountable to the things I was not really fulfilling.”

Horne said at the time it didn’t seem like a blessing losing his job, but that was exactly the push he needed to get his business to the point he wanted it.

“I’m glad it happened, because if it wouldn’t have happened, I wouldn’t have explored the options of going 100% into my business,” he said. “Three weeks prior to being laid off, I started praying and meditating for God to get me out of this space, because I hated what I did for a living.  

“It was OK because I was making good money and I had my own office, but it wasn’t for me. I prayed about it and shortly after I wound up being laid off, so it actually worked out for me. They say be careful what you pray for and what I had been praying for came to fruition.”

Horne says he did not tell anyone he was laid off from his job initially, but eventually discussed the matter with his now fiancé. She told him to grow his business and that was the extra push he needed, he said.

Horne has also connected with Pastor Curtis Friday of The Love Church to assist with young men obtaining employment in his business, so they will have a trade upon graduating from high school. He also does consultations with future entrepreneurs to assist them with starting their businesses as well.

For those individuals out there that may want to start a business and become entrepreneurs, Horne recommends they should “just do it” and not be scared.

“I would just recommend to anybody to just get out here and do it,” he said. “I understand it can be a scary thing sometimes, but just pray on it and if your motives are right and your heart is right, it will work out for you. And you have to be ready when it happens, because there is no warning sign.”

To contact Horne about Brandon’s Pressure Washing Services or consultations about starting a business, please call 336-298-1039.