A few questions for the pro`s at Autopia :)

[MongooseGA]

first off, to the moderator: if this is deemed OT, please feel free to move it to the off topic forum. :wavey





ok:



i am a boy scout an am finishing off this last merit badge to become an Eagle Scout. (for those who dont know, this is the highest award you can recieve in the BSA, and only 1 of 800 +/- people ever achieve it.) the badge is Personal Management (Eagle required) and it deals with finances, careers, etc...



one of the requirements is to select a job you might be interested in, and interview a profiessional in this field. i chose detailing, and i figured that the professional section at a great detailing website might be an excellent place to start an interview. (no pro detailers around here that i know of.)



some questions i have are:





What got you into the business? where/ how did you get started?



What have you done to improve business since you`ve started?



Does the job give the rewards you expected when you first began?



Are you happy with the job?



what reccomendations would you make to somone looking to get into the detailing business?



is detailing a main job or a side job for you?



if you could start your career over, would you still choose detailing?



is the work you put into detailing worth it`s payoff?



if anyone can think of any more ?`s that would fit in an interview, please let me know.



thanks in advance for any help at all. :up :) :D

[DaGonz]

What got you into the business? where/ how did you get started?



I am a clean car fanatic, and I started doing it as a business when a friend of my wife asked me to detail her van. She told two friends, and so on. the guys at trhe firehouse also noticed how nice I kept my vehicles and they also asked me if I would do their cars and trucks. Most of my clientele are cops, firefighters and paramedics.



What have you done to improve business since you`ve started?



I`m not out to get rich doing this, for me, it`s more like a paid hobby. I have invested in polishers, a pressure washer, an extractor and a good wet/dry vac. I wiould have done this anyway for my own cars, so it`s all good!



Does the job give the rewards you expected when you first began?



I like to see the client`s eyes glaze over when they see just what their cars looked like under the dirt, haze and scratches. The money is okay, too! ;)



Are you happy with the job?



If I wasn`t happy, I wouldn`t be doing it!



what reccomendations would you make to somone looking to get into the detailing business?



It`s hard work. There are many hackers out there who think they are detailers because they own a polisher. Take the time to learn your craft, use quality materials and build your client base one detail at a time.



is detailing a main job or a side job for you?



It`s a paying hobby. I am professional firefighter.



if you could start your career over, would you still choose detailing?



As a paying hobby, yes. Don`t get me wrong... I love detailing, but I also love firefighting and I do make a good living at it. I have 22+ years on the job and hold the rank of Captain. The work schedule is great and allows me time to detail.



is the work you put into detailing worth it`s payoff?



Yes. I work out of my garage, so I don`t have a high amount of overhead. I can charge less than some of the so called "pro" shops ( I have corrected many of their "details") and my clients are happy!



if anyone can think of any more ?`s that would fit in an interview, please let me know.



Ask how many detailers the successful pros have seen go into and out of business.



thanks in advance for any help at all.



You`re welcome!



PS: congrats on going for your Eagle Scout. I wish I had stayed with it (I was on my way to earning Life Scout when I dropped out of scouting. I was a scout adult volunteer when my son was in Scouting and had a blast doing it)



__________________

[imported_Lawdog]

I thihnk the numbers are actually 1 out of 800 Scouts, and 1 out of 20,000 when you count general population.

[MongooseGA]

Originally posted by Lawdog

I thihnk the numbers are actually 1 out of 800 Scouts, and 1 out of 20,000 when you count general population.



WOW! i didnt know that. it sounds that much more impressive now, huh? thanks for the info. are you in scouting as well?





Gonzo: thanks for the answers! i`ll be sure to use it to finish off this last, uber boring badge... :rolleyes:



btw, i cant imagine you were a very good scout. scouts love to make fire, and play with it. you get paid to put it out! ;) :p



thanks again

[imported_perry]

I`m an Eagle Scout, got it about 12 years ago. My project was a blood drive for the Red Cross; figured out something for yours yet?



I think my final badge was Environmental Science.. One of the requirements was to just sit outside and watch nature or something like that. I get too bored sitting around doing nothing so I kept putting it off. I remember Personal Finance being a bear as well.



Keep at it. Gives you a nice feeling to finally get it after working for on it for so many years. "Eagle Scout" on your resume looks pretty nice too; I`ve had a few hiring managers and recruiters comment about it.



Not a pro detailer, so I can`t help you with your questions :(

[MongooseGA]

i did envi sci. last year. our counselor hated it too, so he tried to make it as painless as possible... ;)



im gonna finish my write up tonight when i get back from a friend`s house. thanks. :wavey

[imported_Intel486]

Originally posted by Lawdog

I thihnk the numbers are actually 1 out of 800 Scouts, and 1 out of 20,000 when you count general population.



It my area most people just quit as soon as you got to high school. All my friends who stayed in it got Eagle though (three of em)...



I made it to star, just had the service work left for life... then I joined JROTC and then I lost interest in Boy Scouts...

[SilverLexus]

Mongoose,



Good luck with your Eagle Scout achievement. I made it to Life scout and wished I had finished it out. People definitely notice Eagle Scout achievers....

[MongooseGA]

thanks for the good word :wavey

[imported_Lawdog]

Originally posted by MongooseGA

WOW! i didnt know that. it sounds that much more impressive now, huh? thanks for the info. are you in scouting as well?





Gonzo: thanks for the answers! i`ll be sure to use it to finish off this last, uber boring badge... :rolleyes:



btw, i cant imagine you were a very good scout. scouts love to make fire, and play with it. you get paid to put it out! ;) :p



thanks again

I was a Scout in my younger days, and now am an Assistant Scoutmaster with my sons troop. Having as much fun this time around as I did when I was young(If I can just get them to quit writing on my truck everytime it gets dusty:nono :nono :nono

[MongooseGA]

our SPL (star) and JASM (Eagle) got yelled at for writing on my dad`s truck when it was dirty... by me :rolleyes:



once i get my PC and the Sonus pad kit i`ll give the ol` girl the attention she deserves. shes put up with scouts crawling all over the leather since the weekend we bought her new in `99. :(

[imported_Lawdog]

I`m sure my scouts think I`m a broken record......Don`t lean on the vehicles, load from the back and not over the sides............Don`t lean on the vehicles, load from the back and not over the sides.............Don`t lean on the vehicles, load from the back and not over the sides:nono :nono :nono :nono :nono