Starting a mobile detailing service

stepup.stepout · 06-20-09, 07:15

Hello there, this is my first post in this forum, though I've been lurking here for awhile haha.
Anyways, due to a poor economy , my job at target not giving me ANY hours, and almost no jobs being posted in my city for a teenager (I have put over 100 applications out) I have decided to start a mobile detailing business to help make car payments and pay for gas for my BMW, and my parents are totally open to the idea. My parents are loaning me 1000$ to start it up and I will pay them back monthly with my earnings. This is the list of things I am planning on buying:
Pressure washer
200 gallon holding tank
CRSpotless system
Electrical pump
Misc chemicals from chemical boys , MF towels, etc etc... (though I have most of these, I will probably buy in bulk)
Pop up canopy
Carpet extractor (though this could wait)
What I already have:
Excursion that i would be able to use full time to carry materials
Generator to power pump for deionized water and other powered
Dual action random orbital (Meguiars G110)
Dry/Wet Vac
I will be posting up flyers for advertisement, and I might put up an ad in the local newspaper later on (Word of mouth is also great!

)

Now for some questions:
Is there anything else that I'm missing?
Would a mobile detailing job be possible with a 1000$ budget?
What services should I first advertise?
Whats a good pressure washer that I could buy in my budget?
Where could I buy a water holding tank about that size?

DefiningDetails · 06-20-09, 07:32

All you need now is the knowledge of how to use all the stuff you're about to buy! Just FYI, while starting up a 'car wash' operation is relatively simple, starting up a 'detailing' business isn't; and if you plan on actually using that G110 on your list, I would strongly advise that you practice for a few weeks or even months on your personal vehicles before taking it anywhere near a paying customers car, who has no idea you just bought the thing and have never used it...

Good luck...

stepup.stepout · 06-20-09, 07:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by DefiningDetails

All you need now is the knowledge of how to use all the stuff you're about to buy! Just FYI, while starting up a 'car wash' operation is relatively simple, starting up a 'detailing' business isn't; and if you plan on actually using that G110 on your list, I would strongly advise that you practice for a few weeks or even months on your personal vehicles before taking it anywhere near a paying customers car, who has no idea you just bought the thing and have never used it...

Good luck...

Yeah, I do know a little paint correction, though I wont be using it any time soon on customers cars :P

jeteast99 · 06-21-09, 12:07

forget the tank and pressure washer, just use ONR

stepup.stepout · 06-21-09, 01:13

I would be offering ONR to anyone who wants it, but I dont think everyone would want it, preferring a classic wash.

Aesop F1 · 06-21-09, 07:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by stepup.stepout

I would be offering ONR to anyone who wants it, but I dont think everyone would want it, preferring a classic wash.

Its on you to sell your product line.

Got Wax · 06-21-09, 08:13

IME, really depends on your target market. On our clients w/ highline cars, 100% of them have come from referral. I don't believe many folks are willing to hand over their $200k+ car for a $2000+ detail to someone they found on the net, Yellow Pages, etc.

Also, while ONR serves its purpose and has its place, I have far more clients that prefer the "Classic Wash" over a "Waterless Wash".

Just my 2 cents!

Andy

mshu7 · 06-21-09, 09:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by stepup.stepout

...my job at target not giving me ANY hours, and almost no jobs being posted in my city for a teenager (I have put over 100 applications out) I have decided to start a mobile detailing business to help make car payments and pay for gas for my BMW, and my parents are totally open to the idea. My parents are loaning me 1000$ to start it up and I will pay them back monthly with my earnings....

To me, it sounds like you just don't have your priorities right. A teenager driving a BMW that he's making payments on and trying to just pay for gas and now his parents are loaning him money that he will pay back with earnings he hasn't yet earned? Something doesn't add up here.

My one piece of advice would be to read this book:

Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover
I'm sure my post isn't what you want to hear, but read the book and then see what you think of my post.

stepup.stepout · 06-21-09, 10:40

I have been making payments to my parents, its just that money from my current job isn't coming in as fast as I would like it to at my current job at Target, so after paying my parents back for my car/gas I'm barely breaking even. So, my parents are allowing to loan me some money to purchase equipment for some entrepreneurial work that has better work than some dead end job.

edit:
Also, i am still trying to figure out my target market with pricing and such. I know I am not going to be doing any high end cars any time soon, so what I'm just going to plan on doing before doing any major work is getting my name out there for people to recognize my services.

Jakerooni · 06-21-09, 12:50

Ok the issue I see is you're really trying as hard as you can to live outside of your means. Unless you own the target franchise there you shouldn't be trying to drive a BMW and work at target. The one definatly dosen't pay for the other. (unless we are talking about a craptastic old POS BMW found on some corner lot somewhere with half a million miles on it) But that's my little soap box ditty. Adding some extra income by detailing is a good source of revenue as long as you really know what you're doing there. If you got the skills (and it sounds like you have the time) start with a couple of freinds cars and do referal work. The issue obviously is you only have $1000 for this venture. I spent over $15,000 on my initial set up and I still didn't have anywhere near everything I wanted. You can drop $1000 on just products in a heartbeat and not blink because it will all come in one small box. So you defiantly have to be very smart with what you start out with. Ask around a bit and see what people around you are interested in. If they want to see clean interiors but don't really care much about swirls and micro-marring removal skip on the paint correction stuff and focus on Interior's and visa-versa. Skip the machines all together right now and buy quality stock. You already have the G110. You don't need a PW or a Carpet Extractor. They are nice and make the job easier but you can definatly get by without for now. Good luck.

stepup.stepout · 06-21-09, 04:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jakerooni

Ok the issue I see is you're really trying as hard as you can to live outside of your means. Unless you own the target franchise there you shouldn't be trying to drive a BMW and work at target. The one definatly dosen't pay for the other. (unless we are talking about a craptastic old POS BMW found on some corner lot somewhere with half a million miles on it) But that's my little soap box ditty. Adding some extra income by detailing is a good source of revenue as long as you really know what you're doing there. If you got the skills (and it sounds like you have the time) start with a couple of freinds cars and do referal work. The issue obviously is you only have $1000 for this venture. I spent over $15,000 on my initial set up and I still didn't have anywhere near everything I wanted. You can drop $1000 on just products in a heartbeat and not blink because it will all come in one small box. So you defiantly have to be very smart with what you start out with. Ask around a bit and see what people around you are interested in. If they want to see clean interiors but don't really care much about swirls and micro-marring removal skip on the paint correction stuff and focus on Interior's and visa-versa. Skip the machines all together right now and buy quality stock. You already have the G110. You don't need a PW or a Carpet Extractor. They are nice and make the job easier but you can defiantly get by without for now. Good luck.

Yeah ahha I know what you mean with he whole target/BMW thing, but with 178k miles on it I got it for decently cheap, plus I make the car payments on time so that really isn't an issue (honestly, it was the cheapest car we could find without it being on cinder blocks). Anyways, I totally understand the part that 1000$ is a bit stringent. Thats just the amount that my parents are loaning me. I also have about 2-400$ that ive been saving ever since I started at target just for special occasions so I would be able to use that as well. Definitely the carpet extractor will be put on hold, I wasn't planning on buying that any time soon in the first place. The pressure washer I was kind of hoping on buying, though, though if it really isnt needed that something i could skip on.

About gaining a target demographic, there is a number of people in my parent's jobs that are willing to spread the word about my business because they have seen the work done, and they are willing to let me detail their cars as well. By the way I really appreciate the criticism

Aesop F1 · 06-21-09, 05:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by stepup.stepout

Ye Anyways, I totally understand the part that 1000$ is a bit stringent. Thats just the amount that my parents are loaning me. I also have about 2-400$

I started Premier Detailing with $700. The hard part was all the money I made had to go right back into the business so it could continue growing. If I were you I would be ordering 32oz product sizes and trying to get 1 detail a week and ordering more products. Slowly build the business and gaining clients while getting your money for bills on someone else's dime.