Autopia.org - View Single Post - Thinking of starting a detailing business

Jngrbrdman · 05-28-02, 02:14

Well, I've been hiding from Uncle Sam with my little "hobby" for over 3 years. One of these days I'll get a shop and go legit but for now I still need to eat. There are a lot of places that can help you get a business off the ground. First you need to determine if you want to go mobile or have a shop. I know a lot of detailers that will even make house calls for important clients. I make house calls to people that I know are going to refer me to their friends. Thats what makes them "important" to me.

Depending on where you live and what the climate is will have a great effect on what kind of business you do and for how long. Unless I had a fleet contract or did business for dealerships then I would sink after one season in Salt Lake. I do cars from about April through October. So I've got about 5 or 6 months of detailing a year. After October I don't make a dime. If I was doing it for a living then I would have to work my ass off during the summer so I have enough to coast off of for the dead season. In detailing there is only season you can detail and the one you can't. There isn't a "slow" season here in Utah. I'm sure its different in climates without a sloppy winter but its the reality in Salt Lake.

I work for about $35 an hour. I've gotten pretty good at guaging how long a car will take me to detail and I quote the price accordingly. Most of the small jobs I can do in under an hour so I'm doing fine there.

I just sort of built up my supply of things gradually as the years have gone by so I'm pretty well prepared to tackle any job now. The important thing for me is to save $500 for the beginning of the next season. First off in Spring I stock up on my supplies so I don't have to worry about running out on the job. I buy things in bulk or concentrate so I always have a ton of stuff. I'm soooooo glad to be moving into a house with a garage next week.

On the weeks that I actually go out and work my "hobby" I can make 2 or 3 hundred dollars. Not a bad weeks work for a few hours of labor. There have been a couple weeks that I've made more than that but I'd say the average is about $200 a week through the summer. Its slower in the spring and picks up in Aug and Sep for some reason. Not a bad little part time job. It pays for my toys and for the detailing stuff that I want to try out. I would love to do it full time and "be the man" but I wouldn't even think about doing it in Utah. I'd starve after the first season. I'll wait till I can move back down to Dallas or out to California.

05-28-02, 02:14	#2 (permalink)
Jngrbrdman Come on! Fhqwhgads!! Jngrbrdman is offline Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: -Salt Lake City- Former Deputy Dawg Posts: 6,021	Well, I've been hiding from Uncle Sam with my little "hobby" for over 3 years. One of these days I'll get a shop and go legit but for now I still need to eat. There are a lot of places that can help you get a business off the ground. First you need to determine if you want to go mobile or have a shop. I know a lot of detailers that will even make house calls for important clients. I make house calls to people that I know are going to refer me to their friends. Thats what makes them "important" to me. Depending on where you live and what the climate is will have a great effect on what kind of business you do and for how long. Unless I had a fleet contract or did business for dealerships then I would sink after one season in Salt Lake. I do cars from about April through October. So I've got about 5 or 6 months of detailing a year. After October I don't make a dime. If I was doing it for a living then I would have to work my ass off during the summer so I have enough to coast off of for the dead season. In detailing there is only season you can detail and the one you can't. There isn't a "slow" season here in Utah. I'm sure its different in climates without a sloppy winter but its the reality in Salt Lake. I work for about $35 an hour. I've gotten pretty good at guaging how long a car will take me to detail and I quote the price accordingly. Most of the small jobs I can do in under an hour so I'm doing fine there. I just sort of built up my supply of things gradually as the years have gone by so I'm pretty well prepared to tackle any job now. The important thing for me is to save $500 for the beginning of the next season. First off in Spring I stock up on my supplies so I don't have to worry about running out on the job. I buy things in bulk or concentrate so I always have a ton of stuff. I'm soooooo glad to be moving into a house with a garage next week. On the weeks that I actually go out and work my "hobby" I can make 2 or 3 hundred dollars. Not a bad weeks work for a few hours of labor. There have been a couple weeks that I've made more than that but I'd say the average is about $200 a week through the summer. Its slower in the spring and picks up in Aug and Sep for some reason. Not a bad little part time job. It pays for my toys and for the detailing stuff that I want to try out. I would love to do it full time and "be the man" but I wouldn't even think about doing it in Utah. I'd starve after the first season. I'll wait till I can move back down to Dallas or out to California. __________________ Obsessive Compulsive Detailing shouldn't be cured.... ...it should be Encouraged!