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Does anyone here own a car detailing business? Have a few questions for you.
Posted on 3/12/17 at 4:24 pm
Posted on 3/12/17 at 4:24 pm
I'm looking at trying to start up a small mobile car detailing business as a way to bring in some extra income. I already have a sponsorship with a detailing product company(Smart wax) that takes care of all the shampoos/polishes/waxes/etc and some basic tools for the job. I know I'll need a big water tank for the pressure washer, insurance, and a apply for a business license with my local county. I'll need to purchase a truck or van. My question to you guys is how long was the process and how much was the total start up cost for you. Have you found it worth it as a secondary income? What are some business insurance companies I should look at. I have a decent following base and have been doing some minor detailing already so client base isn't a huge concern.
3
Posted on 3/12/17 at 4:38 pm to 7thWardTiger
I don't but I buy and sell and detail my own vehicles. If you can add dent pulling and touch up paint to your service , particularly on older model cars, you'd be doing something not many people do.
Posted on 3/12/17 at 6:07 pm to carguymatt
quote:
I don't but I buy and sell and detail my own vehicles. If you can add dent pulling and touch up paint to your service , particularly on older model cars, you'd be doing something not many people do.
Or if you could do something like what Dr Vinyl does and make small upholstery repairs of things that are too minor to take to an upholsterer. I know someone that used to do that and made a killing.
Posted on 3/13/17 at 1:58 am to 7thWardTiger
There's a lot of completion out there in this business now because people are lazy and won't do it themselves.
Friend A has one for side job and he does mostly commercial fleets and makes a pretty penny because he holds those contracts and washes fleets all weekend. The hell with that but if that's something you'd be willing to do, then go for it.
Friend B strictly does detailing for small paint repairs and upholstery work. She makes a killing doing this because she beats every dealership in price by a large margin. If you could do this and advertise yourself well, you could end up doing pretty well. Barely any competition. I buy used cars and resell them and take all cars to her to fix minor things that cost me at most $1000 and I can then markup car a few extra thousand just by doing this.
To each your own, but if I ever got into this business, I would do Friend A or B. Not the regular hey bring your car to me to wash for $50. There's so many of those now a days.
Friend A has one for side job and he does mostly commercial fleets and makes a pretty penny because he holds those contracts and washes fleets all weekend. The hell with that but if that's something you'd be willing to do, then go for it.
Friend B strictly does detailing for small paint repairs and upholstery work. She makes a killing doing this because she beats every dealership in price by a large margin. If you could do this and advertise yourself well, you could end up doing pretty well. Barely any competition. I buy used cars and resell them and take all cars to her to fix minor things that cost me at most $1000 and I can then markup car a few extra thousand just by doing this.
To each your own, but if I ever got into this business, I would do Friend A or B. Not the regular hey bring your car to me to wash for $50. There's so many of those now a days.
Posted on 3/13/17 at 6:04 am to 7thWardTiger
Don't know what your current schedule is like, but there's a pretty sweet business at my office. Tuesdays and Thursdays, they are set up in one of our parking garages. Offer everything from hand wash/interior cleaning to clay magic and carpet shampooing. Drop it off like you're at a valet and go about your day.
I never do it since I'm always on the road at other offices, but it's very convenient and people are always doing it...enough for them to keep a booth set up. I find it very overpriced as well (I can get a detail and wax for 85 near my house on a Tahoe and they charge 135), but they still make money. And I'm sure the other days of the week they are in other garages. If you can make those contacts, the money would come to you.
I never do it since I'm always on the road at other offices, but it's very convenient and people are always doing it...enough for them to keep a booth set up. I find it very overpriced as well (I can get a detail and wax for 85 near my house on a Tahoe and they charge 135), but they still make money. And I'm sure the other days of the week they are in other garages. If you can make those contacts, the money would come to you.
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