Originally Posted by
Stokdgs
Metallman56 -
Welcome to an awesome place !
Thanks for the detailed background regarding your inquiries into the Detailing World for $$$
Help us out with some more info if possible --
Where are you located ? Snow there in the winter ?
What is the median income average in the area you want to get your work ?
What is the average prices for Detailing in that area/s ??
Have you found as many Detailing shops as possible around, and shopped their pricing?
What about your current Inventory of all the chemicals, pads, towels, equipment, etc., needed to do this work on a daily/weekly/etc., basis ? Are you already set up?
The expense to get seriously started can get up there if you are starting out from bare bones to fully stocked..
You mentioned Meguiars - what products are you most familiar with ? Tell us the names, we know them all...
I have never had the luxury of an indoor drain, and have been known to wash cars outside while it was cold enough for the water to freeze on the panels, unless I kept the water running on them.. Of course, it goes without saying that at freezing and snowing, etc., conditions, you just cant work outside too..
But there are products like Optimum ONR and others that allow washing inside too..
Yes, Liability Insurance is important to have, but it is expensive and not everyone buys it.. Sometimes, you just have to decide you are going to work with the level of Clients that have really nice cars to begin with, and are probably less apt to go lawsuit crazy on you if something happens.. Besides, you are going to take care of any damage you do anyway, so this should not be an issue...
Getting a Business License may be a requirement especially if you have one of those
NHOA`s (Nazi Home-Owners Assn.) where you live.. They may not even approve you working there at all anyway, if they are of the SGHOA (Super Gestapo Home Owners Assn) variety... Then, there is the idea of exactly how their rules can in reality be enforced...
If you get a Business License, then they are going to want you to report the Taxes you collect Quarterly, and make said Tax payments to the State, if your State has taxes..
Is your garage set up to run up to 20amp powered equipment, and have really great lighting??
Is your garage insulated, wired for extra electrical, and drywalled and painted white, to better help light reflection?
If this is going to be your future home workplace, it might be good to have it set up to allow you to work all hours, because that is what a Detailer who is busy and works alone does, and it needs to be able to be comfortable enough to work in and not freeze your chemicals, etc...
What have you learned from your experiences with paint correction using your Porter Cable ? What size backing plates and pads do you have?
What is you experience level Detailing Interiors, and specifically, how much experience do you have with plastics, leathers, cloth, carpets, headliners, door jambs, and glass?
What are your short term and long term goals, and how much time are you allocating to each ?
It is a lot of really hard work to do this line of work every day, and while it may sound like fun and exciting, that can all wear off quickly, if you are not financially, mentally, and physically prepared for it..
If you can tell us where you live, perhaps we may know some one here or on another Detailing Forum, that you can maybe talk with and get more hands on information, advice, etc...
We can talk much further and into more detail if you want to about this - Good Luck !!!
Dan F