Why not???

[dickie]

Okay I have a question for everyone!!!

I`ve wanted to detail more than anything in my life, ever since being on this forum I never second guessed it.

I want to open a business starting from doing basic washes, interior cleaning/conditioning/shampooing, and waxing.
I`m not wealthy I`m doing this all on my own. I have a 83 Chevy caprice and plan on using it for business.


Is this possible to do ? Or is this just going to completely fail??

[agentxc_02]

anything is possible dickie. Just because it seems not normal to do a mobile detailing from a car instead of truck/suv with maybe a trailer. We all had to start small to work our way up the business ladder.

[BLUELINE 1]

Sure it can be done. The only problem I see you having is finding a way to transport water, but if you can save a few hundred dollars a small trailer will take care of that. Good luck!

[flash gordon]

:cool:
Okay I have a question for everyone!!!

I`ve wanted to detail more than anything in my life, ever since being on this forum I never second guessed it.

I want to open a business starting from doing basic washes, interior cleaning/conditioning/shampooing, and waxing.
I`m not wealthy I`m doing this all on my own. I have a 83 Chevy caprice and plan on using it for business.


Is this possible to do ? Or is this just going to completely fail??
Dickie I have been in biz legit since 1981 And just about everyday of those 28 years I have 2nd guessed myself:thinking.If you are getting in this biz. to get rich,you will fail. If you are getting into this biz because you are passionate about detailing then you will succeed:love: I can honestly say now if I had it to do over again I`m 90% positive I would have gone into something completely different. I have several customers who make boat loads of $$$ and I know I am smarter than they are, yet I`m tha one with tha hose & bucket.:wall:wall:wall Now having said that I have met so many very influental people that I could have never met otherwise,and have Greatly benefited by knowing them. I have a 3br 2ba. house PAID 4 2 kids thru college and I can take time off that you just couldn`t do if I was an employee some where,and to me that is very important.:cool: :dcrules

[Mr. Clean]

Well. you sound motivated enough. So that covers the "want to". Get the "can do" and "will do" aspects covered and you`ve got a start.

Do you have a plan other than wanting to do this? The old axiom "He who fails to plan. Plans to fail." comes to mind. Add to that do you have any experience? Would you pay yourself for the quaility of work you can deliver? There are a myriad questions to be asked and answered before someone could say.

Tell us a little bit more about "the plan" besides your mode of transportation.

Edit: Found the "flyer thread". That explains a little bit more. I think you might need to work a bit on your organization skills. Think things through before initiating action. Work on communications skills. All of these things will help you to put forward a professional business appearance.

[Ronkh]

Stop worrying about obsticles befoer you hit em.
Then figure out a way to overcome them.

[tmacsad]

Stop worrying about obsticles befoer you hit em.
Then figure out a way to overcome them.

I like driving threw mine Ron :D

[newbug1]

Stop worrying about obsticles befoer you hit em.


I have to disagree with that. In business, you have to know what kind of obstacles you may come across, and have some sort of plan for it. I`m not saying to NOT worry about it, but if you plan ahead you can avoid many problems. Also you can`t let fear rule your life to the point where you don`t even try.

As Mr.Clean said above, if you fail to plan you plan to fail.

[tuscarora dave]

Almost daily I read somebodys post here that at the bottom of their post is a quote from Henry Ford. That quote says "whether you thik you can or whether you think you can`t, you`re right" There are optamistic and pestamistic people "everywhere" in this world. Keep your head up, Be positive, Just don`t throw caution to the wind. Read "every thread " in "every forum" on this entire site even if it takes a year to do it. Still all the knowlege in the world does,nt qualify one to be an excelent detailer, it takes experience that comes from putting the polisher to the paint. Expect to make some mistakes, sometimes costly mistakes. Where the reading comes into play is that you get to learn from other`s mistakes and not have to "pocket the expense" of learning only from your own mistakes.Pride and ego sometimes prevents "us" from posting directly "our" mistakes, You have to read between the lines to cut through this fact. Read the questions and then in the posted replies,Heed the warnings of more experienced posters here. When you read "you might not want to use this" or "I would`nt do that" what you are really reading is "we" have tried that and it caused "us" problems. I started detailing with a little common sense and a $30 walmart polisher and later learned that what I was really doing was wash and wax. I later aquired some proffesional quality polishers and products and a lot of knowlege from this site and then I went out and burned through the paint on a few cars and polished into the primer on a few more. The problem with me was I was stubborn, I thought just because I read all the posts here that I knew it all, What I really had was knowlege that was not backed up by experience. These mistakes set me back financially and otherwise so what I am saying here is "SLOW DOWN" think things through and practice on something like a 83 chevy caprice that you don`t have to lose money and reputation on if at first you fail. All of my failures cost me money but they also gained me experience as well. I have been doing this for $$$ for two years now and have a lot more experience now but I am still working out of my car. If I would have quit because someone told me that I could`nt do this, Well I would`nt be doing this today, Simple... You can do whatever you set out to do but you can`t get 30 years experience in three months so live this every day ,work hard and be smart about it and listen to the experience here at detail city. Good luck to you, TD

[flash gordon]

Almost daily I read somebodys post here that at the bottom of their post is a quote from Henry Ford. That quote says "whether you thik you can or whether you think you can`t, you`re right" There are optamistic and pestamistic people "everywhere" in this world. Keep your head up, Be positive, Just don`t throw caution to the wind. Read "every thread " in "every forum" on this entire site even if it takes a year to do it. Still all the knowlege in the world does,nt qualify one to be an excelent detailer, it takes experience that comes from putting the polisher to the paint. Expect to make some mistakes, sometimes costly mistakes. Where the reading comes into play is that you get to learn from other`s mistakes and not have to "pocket the expense" of learning only from your own mistakes.Pride and ego sometimes prevents "us" from posting directly "our" mistakes, You have to read between the lines to cut through this fact. Read the questions and then in the posted replies,Heed the warnings of more experienced posters here. When you read "you might not want to use this" or "I would`nt do that" what you are really reading is "we" have tried that and it caused "us" problems. I started detailing with a little common sense and a $30 walmart polisher and later learned that what I was really doing was wash and wax. I later aquired some proffesional quality polishers and products and a lot of knowlege from this site and then I went out and burned through the paint on a few cars and polished into the primer on a few more. The problem with me was I was stubborn, I thought just because I read all the posts here that I knew it all, What I really had was knowlege that was not backed up by experience. These mistakes set me back financially and otherwise so what I am saying here is "SLOW DOWN" think things through and practice on something like a 83 chevy caprice that you don`t have to lose money and reputation on if at first you fail. All of my failures cost me money but they also gained me experience as well. I have been doing this for $$$ for two years now and have a lot more experience now but I am still working out of my car. If I would have quit because someone told me that I could`nt do this, Well I would`nt be doing this today, Simple... You can do whatever you set out to do but you can`t get 30 years experience in three months so live this every day ,work hard and be smart about it and listen to the experience here at detail city. Good luck to you, TD

:cool:Dave, you really have a way with getting tha point accross:bigups.Now get to studying/practicing(on 83 caprice)Dickie.

[Ronkh]

I have to disagree with that. In business, you have to know what kind of obstacles you may come across, and have some sort of plan for it. I`m not saying to NOT worry about it, but if you plan ahead you can avoid many problems. Also you can`t let fear rule your life to the point where you don`t even try.

As Mr.Clean said above, if you fail to plan you plan to fail.

I didn`t say not to plan. What I meant is don`t think obsticles can`t be over come. (sorta like td said above about henery ford. when you think you can`t, you can`t)

Try to figure out what obsticles you may face and try to figure out a way around em. But don`t just walk away from it.

So in short.......... JUST DO IT !
Learn from problems, mistakes and successes.

[bigron62]

im in agreement with the other people in this post ... i would say if youre serious than go for it ....i started on this site knowing very little ...i looked at the equipment the professionals here use and got it ..i used a credit card and spent 3 grand on equipment like a pc and an extractor ...you need to pick a product line with tech support so you can learn to use these products to your max benefit. since youre on here pick a sponsor like detailcity /poorboys that will respond to you ..DONT BUY JUNK...you will be sorry ...ive done very well as a part time detailer ...lots of pocket money /vacation money ect ..plus you will make lots of friends and people will know you are the go to detailer in town ...i would stay away from a rotary polisher for now. you can get one later and practice on your own stuff .. its a skill that takes time and guidance to develop..i got the meguires video and it gave me confidence ....dont get discouraged by words of caution ..weve learned sometimes the hard way to build your biz slow.. also if you have no people skills you will go nowhere ...you must be CONFIDENT and knowledgeable to gain customer trust ... good luck...also if you want to make it you will !!!...my neighbors laughed at me for awhile but soon werent laughing when i was living way better than them soon after ....

[flash gordon]

im in agreement with the other people in this post ... i would say if youre serious than go for it ....i started on this site knowing very little ...i looked at the equipment the professionals here use and got it ..i used a credit card and spent 3 grand on equipment like a pc and an extractor ...you need to pick a product line with tech support so you can learn to use these products to your max benefit. since youre on here pick a sponsor like detailcity /poorboys that will respond to you ..DONT BUY JUNK...you will be sorry ...ive done very well as a part time detailer ...lots of pocket money /vacation money ect ..plus you will make lots of friends and people will know you are the go to detailer in town ...i would stay away from a rotary polisher for now. you can get one later and practice on your own stuff .. its a skill that takes time and guidance to develop..i got the meguires video and it gave me confidence ....dont get discouraged by words of caution ..weve learned sometimes the hard way to build your biz slow.. also if you have no people skills you will go nowhere ...you must be CONFIDENT and knowledgeable to gain customer trust ... good luck...also if you want to make it you will !!!...my neighbors laughed at me for awhile but soon werent laughing when i was living way better than them soon after ....

:bigups:rockon