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  1. #16

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    Re: Victim of my own success

    Quote Originally Posted by Stokdgs View Post
    4u2nvinmtl -- JBM --

    Ref - "" Detailing someone`s vehicle is akin to re-doing their mulch beds or even painting their house. Anyone feel like doing that for free or below what you would make at your day job?""

    Certainly, we all would love to make what we are worth all the time... And we need to strive to do this for our future and the future of our families...

    But with Detailing, there IS a certain amount of Love for the Craft that goes along with this for some of us...

    We love it to the extent that we hate to see something - that one last little thing go undone, and we (I) will do it even though no one may notice - but we will...

    And then for me anyway, I have this artistic part I believe, that extends to the yard, the trees, bushes, everything - (especially Detailing), where I have to see it all looking very natural and full, not regimented, and it all has to have balance..

    Dan F
    For family, sure I get that. Im a stone mason who does one off custom stuff. I get the "craft" part, but no thanks on detailing just for the feel goodz. But w/e everyone is different. Im not a spring chicken anymore either.
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  2. #17
    dansautodetailing.com Stokdgs's Avatar
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    Re: Victim of my own success

    Quote Originally Posted by JBM View Post
    For family, sure I get that. Im a stone mason who does one off custom stuff. I get the "craft" part, but no thanks on detailing just for the feel goodz. But w/e everyone is different. Im not a spring chicken anymore either.
    My Friend, JBM -
    I am sure that the years of being a stone mason have been hard on your body.. But I bet you do dynamite work !

    My younger brother roofed a few decades and that about ruined his back from going up ladders with 90lbs of shingles on each shoulder and then squatting and kneeling all day on a pitch laying them out...

    I am all for making some money for this work and there are those that will pay for it and really appreciate it as much as we do when we do it...
    All I am saying is that if you really love the work, then sometimes, one can give some of that back from time to time..

    I have had Clients (and I am sure you have too), that come in really nice, and wanting to get a good job done, you can tell pretty easily what their spirit feels like, and sometimes you just end up doing something a little something longer or more of, just for that time...

    And then when they come, they are really appreciative, and absolutely love what you did - that is the best, most rewarding part of this entire thing we speak of here, at least for me...

    I get that excitement - I have had it since I was a little kid.. I remember being able to sit on the bed on the back porch ( my brother and I never had a room inside the house - there were 5 of us kids in a 2 bedroom house), and I could tell by the sound of the car, what kind of car it was.. Yeah, I know, what was Wrong with me??

    So, if I can just help them get that little spark back with my efforts, then I am so good for all the work it took to help bring that to pass...

    That is why, (I have known for eons), that I will really never get "Rich" doing this work - monetarily - but I will get far more Blessings for making that little sacrifice...

    Lastly, my friend, I am probably the most senior of any citizens on this forum !!! It has been a long, long, road, with so many ups and downs - sometimes, I wonder how I made it this far.... Then I remember my dear Mother, who prays for all of us, by name, each day and has never missed a day...
    Dan F
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  3. #18

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    Re: Victim of my own success

    Quote Originally Posted by Stokdgs View Post
    My Friend, JBM -
    I am sure that the years of being a stone mason have been hard on your body.. But I bet you do dynamite work !

    My younger brother roofed a few decades and that about ruined his back from going up ladders with 90lbs of shingles on each shoulder and then squatting and kneeling all day on a pitch laying them out...

    I am all for making some money for this work and there are those that will pay for it and really appreciate it as much as we do when we do it...
    All I am saying is that if you really love the work, then sometimes, one can give some of that back from time to time..

    I have had Clients (and I am sure you have too), that come in really nice, and wanting to get a good job done, you can tell pretty easily what their spirit feels like, and sometimes you just end up doing something a little something longer or more of, just for that time...

    And then when they come, they are really appreciative, and absolutely love what you did - that is the best, most rewarding part of this entire thing we speak of here, at least for me...

    I get that excitement - I have had it since I was a little kid.. I remember being able to sit on bed on the back porch ( my brother and I never had a room inside the house - there were 5 of us kids in a 2 bedroom house), and I could tell by the sound of the car, what kind of car it was.. Yeah, I know, what was Wrong with me??

    So, if I can just help them get that little spark back with my efforts, then I am so good for all the work it took to help bring that to pass...

    That is why, (I have known for eons), that I will really never get "Rich" doing this work - monetarily - but I will get far more Blessings for making that little sacrifice...

    Lastly, my friend, I am probably the most senior of any citizens on this forum !!! It has been a long, long, road, with so many ups and downs - sometimes, I wonder how I made it this far.... Then I remember my dear Mother, who prays for all of us, by name, each day and has never missed a day...
    Dan F
    I appreciate loving what you do and wanting to give customers the shock and awe experience! Its part of what makes my phone ring as well!

    I have a friend who taught himself the stock market and has 800k in it right now from a 10k investment some years ago. I wouldnt ask him to manage my money for free or even for almost free.

    I wouldnt hesitate to work with someone on their car for a time, as long as they did most the work. This stuff is openly available for the world to learn. Love your car, pay up or learn it on your own, like painting your house.

    If your in the biz working with your hands you have to do what makes the most sense and money. Sometimes doing very high quality work without charging someone is the long game, sometimes going really fast and hitting a middle road somewhere is the best strategy for a short game. As a biz owner our responsibilities are to maximize efficiency as well as strengthening our reputation to ultimately retire without worrying about money.

    I dont really do jobs now "for the glory of it", that mentality seemed to fizzle out in my 30s, ive done it all. Id rather just go play catch with my 10 y/o.
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  4. #19
    South of Atlanta cardaddy's Avatar
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    Re: Victim of my own success

    Yeah, I can relate to the art part, to the OCD part, to the never getting it just perfect part, and many more. But for me at least... it`s the cathartic part that gives me the most. It`s a Zen thing for me more than anything else.

    That brings the question, should you get into production detailing? How can I say it.... uh.... uh... well.....

    H E - double - L no!!!!!!
    Not if you ENJOY detaiing!

    But hey, I`m an ol` fart (59), retired.... and while I *CAN* get paid what I want when doing jobs, I`m not about to go out there and want a job day-in day-out. I`ll take 1 a month, maybe 2, but don`t care if it`s half a dozen a year. My passion for what I do pays for the passion (buffers and supplies). Making money at it is secondary.


    I`d say if you WANT to get into it, (and knowing what little I know about your description of your OCD`ness when doing it) you should find out who the most expensive guy is within 90 minutes or more of you and price your services higher, maybe as much as 20% higher. Building a customer base of guys that WANT the best, and are willing to PAY for the best is FAR better than going in with $30 wash-n-wax jobs and beating yourself to death. You`ll end up hating it inside 6 months (if not the first month).

    Lots of guys think you have to pump out by the hour to make money, and that holds true..... to a point. But I`d rather take my time, work on my schedule, and just get paid by the job. I know, I know... many will blast me for that. (I USED TO NOT THINK THAT WAY, trust me.) But with old age, and daily back pain I just can`t get around like I`d like these days. Heck... I *ALWAYS* tell a client that a paint correction is a week long deal. Why? Because I might indeed knock it out for 8, 10, 12 or more hours on one of those 7 days, then the next day I can`t get out of the freaking bed. It`s HAPPENED!!!! So either way, they think I`ve worked on it for 7 days, and they look at my prices, and they think I got robbed. Works for me! Being as it`s paying for the obsession, it`s all gravy.

    But say you are charging $1000 and up for paint correction, and you are taking 5 days to do it. Working maybe 6 hours a day? That`s still $200 a day, nothing great, but it`s also $30 an hour, and you can do it AT HOME. Plus as you said, working from early till late, you could knock it out in 3 days. Now you`ve made $333 a day. Once the word gets out, the high-line guys will pay $1500~$2000 for a paint correction and not blink. Oooops.... now you`re making over $650 a day on those 3-day stints.

    Of course it is still a business, IRS will tell you that based on my returns. LOL Don`t care if it always shows a profit either, just way too many ways to write off expenses in a personal business, being as I`ve owned one or another since 85.

    I`d say if you`re considering it, then try it. But don`t go in cheap. Don`t EVER sell your services based on price. Sell on QUALITY. Make sure you ALWAYS under promise and over deliver. They`ll come back, and they`ll pay more. Then if it`s the golf club crowd they`ll all try to outspend the next guy, God knows why... but they do it, they ALWAYS do it! LMAO

    I used to have a Home Theater business in the 90`s through when I retired in 03. I`d go into a neighborhood and do a job for a guy, he`d spend whatever... say $20K. Then his neighbor up the street would see it. He`d call and want to know what he could get for $30K, which would turn into $35K. Then the first guy would call back and want to "upgrade", then the guy around the corner. Then their work buddy, or golf buddy would see it... next thing I know I was doing dedicated rooms @ $100K+. Average ticket was $50K and didn`t hurt my feelings at all.

    One couple (well a couple of guys.... but they HAD money) were living in-town and wanted a theater on the second floor of a 70+ year old wood frame home in a historic district. We knocked the back wall out, added a 8` x 16` addition to the back of the house (bumped out a 12` wide bedroom and closet) that cantilevered over the kitchen below, framed in a new roof, multi-level floating floor, the works. That was a HUGE job, and all from hanging around a forum... go figure.

    I did all this while I was owning/operating a towing business full time.

    So if it`s your passion, and you`re good at it, doesn`t hurt to at least try it at a level that you are comfortable with.
    Later,

    Cardaddy aka/Tony
    DetailedReflection@charter.net
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  5. #20

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    Re: Victim of my own success

    Hi, I don`t have the experience in detailing business but from a business perspective I would be very weary of taking on side work for 6 figure vehicles out of your garage for cash.

    From your OP you have a lot of experience but on a narrow scale as far as vehicle make/model/color/age/condition is concerned. What happens if you do ten perfect details then make a mistake on a 200,000$ classic and the owner becomes disgruntled?

    I know you are experience but maybe take on a part time gig with a detailer that is insured to get some volume and diversity under your belt? With your experience you can probably dictate the terms of your employment and choose what you want to work on so you don`t have to do camrys.

    I don`t know if my input is helpful but my hope is to give you a different perspective.
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  6. #21

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    Re: Victim of my own success

    4u2n...congratulations! Every time I had a mid-life crisis, it cost me a young fortune. Yours might be profitable. Maybe I was wrong about what my momma didn`t raise. At any rate. good luck with whatever you decide to do, you are obviously talented.
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  7. #22

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    Re: Victim of my own success

    Wonder how 4u2nvinmetl is doing, he`s been MIA here for ages. Hope he`s doing OK and that his wetsanded-smooth clear hasn`t failed.
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  8. #23

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    Re: Victim of my own success

    I have had this happen to me too. Most are people I meet as cars and coffee. They look at my car and say who does your car and I say I do. Had one guy say why don’t you just say, I’m not telling you who does my car because I’m afraid he will get too busy and can’t do mine ! To which I said I really do my own car. If you don’t believe me that’s fine.

    Got most of my clients after they say my car.

    I took on a few select clients over the years I have more requests than I have desire or time and I send those to pros I know who will do the right job.
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  9. #24

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    Re: Victim of my own success

    Every car is do is video taped slowly. I email or text a copy to the owner. My voice notes document any issues. I also get a signature that I am not responsible for anything. I can’t be responsible for poor body work, paint for a clear that’s compromised. I do my best but I’m not looking to be left holding the bag. I’d thry can not tolerate it. Fine with me. Go somewhere else. I’m not in the business so insurance is not worth it to me. Just some extra $ if the car , job or person strikes me right.

    I don’t drive the car off property or they drop off or I do it at their place. And if It at my home and move it in and out of the garage it’s video taped the whole time anyway.

    So far so good.



    Quote Originally Posted by siceci View Post
    Hi, I don`t have the experience in detailing business but from a business perspective I would be very weary of taking on side work for 6 figure vehicles out of your garage for cash.

    From your OP you have a lot of experience but on a narrow scale as far as vehicle make/model/color/age/condition is concerned. What happens if you do ten perfect details then make a mistake on a 200,000$ classic and the owner becomes disgruntled?

    I know you are experience but maybe take on a part time gig with a detailer that is insured to get some volume and diversity under your belt? With your experience you can probably dictate the terms of your employment and choose what you want to work on so you don`t have to do camrys.

    I don`t know if my input is helpful but my hope is to give you a different perspective.

 

 
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