I didnt want to do this but....

[jdoria]

I really didnt want to do this. But I think I need to share where I got the idea of opening a detail garage. I recently took my car there and had it detailed for $300.00

Good luck to you all.



http://www.detailingdynamics.com/

[jdoria]

This is how the business is done.

[-KGB-]

Damn man you paid $300??

You would think that they would clean that building up a bit.

[jdoria]

Damn man you paid $300??

You would think that they would clean that building up a bit.

Unfortunately, that dirty building is about $5000 per month for rent.

[jdoria]

Inside it is spotless. They have a huge client base. Mostly collectors. My crappy Cayenne S was in there next to 2 360 spiders, 1 murcielago, and a 512tr. I was the welfare recipient in the crowd.

I heard from my friend that $300 was a "deal" for a Cayenne S.

[Crazy1]

So how did your Cayenne S come out? do they do quality work .

[-KGB-]

Unfortunately, that dirty building is about $5000 per month for rent.

It doesnt mean that you could not power wash the outside of it.

[jdoria]

Please note the car is a 2006 with 3200 miles. It is parked at a train station for 11 hours per day and occasionally driven into midtown.

I was very happy, I didnt want to drive it home. The car was spotless. Inside smelled like leather and was spotless. Engine was like new, the underbody was spotless. I live in NY and the weather stinks, I pulled it in the garage and it rained 2 days later for 7 straight days. Since this I spent $500 on Poorboys chemicals to detail it myself. My friend has 4 cars he take to thsi guy on a regular basis. He is way too busy to clean his cars himself, and I am lazy but make time to do it.

The dealer I bought it from got me the $300 price, I heard I should have paid $400 for a truck.

I think you go here like a woman gets a $500 haircut, just to say you did. It was really for collectors and exotic owners.

[GregCavi]

It honeslty looks like a very professional shop to me. Looks like they know what there doing from the pics. Glad everything worked out for you when you got your vehicle done.

Greg

[Beemerboy]

I really didnt want to do this. But I think I need to share where I got the idea of opening a detail garage. I recently took my car there and had it detailed for $300.00

Good luck to you all.



http://www.detailingdynamics.com/

I`ve talked with Mike at there Santa Clara location they also have one outside San Jose at Silver Creek Golf & CC and they rake it in out there...the Cc is a very good idea for detailers its done while the customer is on the course...I could tell that Mike really understood the business but have to say that I wasn`t overly impressed with his knowledge of product and detailing on the phone...maybe its just me

[jdoria]

It honeslty looks like a very professional shop to me. Looks like they know what there doing from the pics. Glad everything worked out for you when you got your vehicle done.

Greg

Nice guy, thanks.

I was out to dinner with some friends and they reccommended the place to me. The guy who mentioned it is someone I consider wealthy and I was concerned. I had my car in for service, as it always is, and asked the dealer. They did business with the shop all the time. I thought it was going to cost $200, dont tell my wife.

I just want you all to keep in mind that the money is out there. I paid $300 and was happy. Dont sell your work short.

[jdoria]

I`ve talked with Mike at there Santa Clara location they also have one outside San Jose at Silver Creek Golf & CC and they rake it in out there...the Cc is a very good idea for detailers its done while the customer is on the course...I could tell that Mike really understood the business but have to say that I wasn`t overly impressed with his knowledge of product and detailing on the phone...maybe its just me

Sonoma is big $$$, you must be raking it in also. I do business in San Francisco and always eat at Gary Danko downtown, then we get a car to Napa or Sonoma. (DWI not a good move) Stags Leap, Sterling, BV, Coppola.

You the man out there.

Dont forget Cakebread

[Crazy1]

Anybody here ever try there detail tools and chemicals they look like quality stuff .A little pricey for that sheepskin wash mitt $15.00 ouch!!

[Brenton]

I think I misunderstood the opening post. You decided to open a shop because they can charge $300 for a full detail?
If that`s your reason, think hard about it. These businesses, unless backed with a tonne of money and someone famous, take YEARS to build, and mostly fail along the way. A high class shop with opening ads in a small town in a building you DON`T have to change structurally is a $100k. If rent is low and you have a small staff, for a nice shop you are looking at $300-$500/day cost just to open the doors. And most likely for the first coupla years you`ll have to charge $125-$250 for a full detail just like everyone else.
But perhaps you were just being witty.

[jdoria]

I think I misunderstood the opening post. You decided to open a shop because they can charge $300 for a full detail?
If that`s your reason, think hard about it. These businesses, unless backed with a tonne of money and someone famous, take YEARS to build, and mostly fail along the way. A high class shop with opening ads in a small town in a building you DON`T have to change structurally is a $100k. If rent is low and you have a small staff, for a nice shop you are looking at $300-$500/day cost just to open the doors. And most likely for the first coupla years you`ll have to charge $125-$250 for a full detail just like everyone else.
But perhaps you were just being witty.

All true. Yes, I decided to open a shop because they can charge $300+ per car. If the money is there I am taking it, I don’t care what the business is.
Do the math:
$300 per piece @ 25 = $7500week
$7500 * 50 weeks = $375,000 annual
Monthly shop expenses at $12,000 per month
That’s a $255,000 pre tax profit. Not bad for a $100k investment!

Obviously the trick is to get the 25 clients per week to keep the place rolling. Now you know what you what your target is, your job now becomes hitting it. How can I generate 25 new clients per week? Or can I? This required demographics and a marketing team to analyze.

If you have the funding and plan anything is possible. Hence my investigations into these detailing forums. I have the funding and was developing a business plan with my accountant and attorney. I have spent approximately $10k and 3 months time already investigating the probability of opening a detailing business. At this point in time I think there are other businesses I could invest in and get a better return as an owner, not an owner/operator. I also considered opening this garage just to have it when I needed it, as long at it could pay its own bills and not cause a loss. Face it $100k to open a business is peanuts. Try to open or buy an automatic car wash in New York, you’ll be in it for $1 million + and years of city and county court time before you can make dollar one.
Keep in mind this shop is in a wealthy area, recently rated by Money to have the most millionaires per capita excluding their personal real estate of any county in the country. I think the average home price in my neighborhood, is up to $900k with $15k per year in property taxes, and I don’t live in the "best" area of this county. I`d also go as far to say that it is way overpopulated, my property is only 80` wide x 100’ deep and the house is just 2400 sq./ ft.
If a boutique service like this is going to make it anywhere, given these demographics, I think it can make it here, just who is the right guy to do it?