When 17-year-old Floridian Braidon English was tasked with pressure washing his grandmother’s house one summer day, he had no idea it would launch him into a successful business venture.
Today, at just 21 years old, he’s the owner of D&B Exterior Cleaning Pros, servicing major clients like Eglin Air Force Base and the University of West Florida (UWF).
Growing up between Gulf Breeze, Beulah, and East Hill in Pensacola, Braidon took an unconventional path after graduating from East Hill Christian School. Instead of heading straight to college, he followed his entrepreneurial instincts sparked by that first pressure-washing job at his grandmother’s house.
From Backyard Project to Booming Business
What started as a three-day project quickly evolved when Braidon’s grandfather became his second client.
“I had this awakening to the fact that you could make more than minimum wage per hour,” Braidon recalls, reflecting on the moment he realized the potential in pressure-washing services.
Braidon began networking through his high school, spending every weekend of his senior year cleaning his classmates’ family homes.
Building Professional Connections
Braidon’s drive for growth led him to connect with the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UWF, where he met business consultant John Emsing at a Pensacola Young Professionals event. This connection opened doors to valuable resources and networking opportunities, particularly in federal contracting, Braidon shares.
For this small business owner with big ideas, entrepreneurship means more than just running a business, he says.
“Being an entrepreneur means doing the work most people won’t do to achieve the goals set before you,” he explains. “We have to be leaders, create opportunities for others to work, and find passion in what they do.”
A Message to Young Dreamers
Between wakeboarding sessions and disc golf games, Braidon maintains a clear message for his peers: America is filled with opportunities for those willing to seize them. His advice to young people is refreshingly direct: start a business while you’re young, read voraciously, travel extensively, and never stop trying new things.
The success of D&B Exterior Cleaning Pros serves as an example of what young entrepreneurs can achieve with creativity, determination, hard work, and the right support system. Braidon’s journey from a teenage pressure-washer to a successful business owner demonstrates that sometimes the best opportunities start right in your own backyard — or in his case, his grandmother’s backyard.
For those interested in following Braidon’s entrepreneurial path, he highly recommends consulting with the Florida SBDC and Florida APEX Accelerator, which he credits for providing crucial resources, problem-solving assistance, and accountability in his business journey.
“I would recommend almost every business to sit down with the SBDC,” Braidon says. “The interview process used by the SBDC ensures each business gets the proper resources and help they deserve. The SBDC can aid you in finding funding, solve problems in your business, and hold you accountable for tasks.”
Braidon adds how John introduced him to Florida APEX Accelerator at UWF‘s Chip Wells when he expressed interest in the federal contracting space.
“Chip has provided me with resources and invited me to events to expand my network,” he emphasizes.
Learn more about D&B Exterior Cleaning Pros and connect with them on social media, plus be sure to check out their rave reviews.
Explore sbdc.uwf.edu for assistance with your business dream.