New to forum, have a question

[nicknd]

Well to start off, I`m 18 and have a huge interest in vehicles. I started to get into detailing ~2 or 3 years ago with my first vehicle. In these 2 years, I have learned my fair show, but have a lot more to learn, which is why I came to this site. I always liked going to the car dealer and seeing how "perfect" the cars look, but after looking around on here I can tell that dealers actually screw vehicles up when they detail them. I want something to make a little extra money, and I want it to be detailing.



So my question is, is the vehicle I drive basically my business card? Obviously I can`t be driving a $30k car, but I`m smart enough with my money and have saved enough to buy a nice, older vehicle under $7,000.

[Legacy]

Well to start off, I`m 18 and have a huge interest in vehicles. I started to get into detailing ~2 or 3 years ago with my first vehicle. In these 2 years, I have learned my fair show, but have a lot more to learn, which is why I came to this site. I always liked going to the car dealer and seeing how "perfect" the cars look, but after looking around on here I can tell that dealers actually screw vehicles up when they detail them. I want something to make a little extra money, and I want it to be detailing.



So my question is, is the vehicle I drive basically my business card? Obviously I can`t be driving a $30k car, but I`m smart enough with my money and have saved enough to buy a nice, older vehicle under $7,000.

Welcome to Autopia. Sure driving a nice clean and polished car would help. Lots of information..seach and read a lot.

[Richard Grasa]

It can certainly help to drive a perfectly detailed vehicle but it`s not always practical. I can tell you that after detailing other`s vehicles 10-12 hours a day, the last thing I want to do is detail my own vehicle and try to keep it looking that way. When someone does ask me why my car is all dirty I tell them I simply have no time to keep it up. Most people will understand that but if they keep asking I also say that a detailer with an always perfect car is not busy enough, if they were their car would probably not look that good because they would probably have no time to work on it. I think your "business card" in this sense would be other vehicles you work on for customers, not necessarily your own.

You could do what I did. I drive a `93 Volvo that was all scratched up when I got it, so I made half the hood look perfect and left the rest of the car alone and it makes an instant impact when I show someone the hood. So now I only have to keep half the hood looking good instead of the whole car .

[brwill2005]

I was in your position at one time, trying to make some extra money. If you are going to do it, do it right. Get licensed and insured. Read some books about business and marketing to avoid some of the mistakes I made. Don`t be one of the many people that gets into this industry for a "quick buck", only to get out in a year. All that does is give the industry a bad reputation. Bottom line is be committed and treat it like the real deal.



P.S.- Driving a clean car is definitely a plus. There is ALOT more to properly marketing a business beyond that though.