Do you know your stuff?

[Troy@Protekt]

The question I am asking is not necessarily do you know how to properly detail a car. My question is do you have the knowledge to run a successful business.

If your answer is anything but a definite "yes", then you are setting yourself up for failure or at minimum you will struggle much more than you would with good business sense.

The detailing profession is full of poor detailers. Not just poor in their detail knowledge but also in their ability to run a successful business. You can be a bad detailer and still have a successful detailing business because believe it or not there is a market for bad detailing. On the other hand, you can be the best detailer in the world and still have a failing business if you aren`t running it properly.

Seeking out how to run a business advice on here is good but taking a class on business management is much better.

Remember, confidence plays a big part in success. Being a confident detailer is important. Being confident in your ability to run your business is vital. You can`t be confident in what you do if you don`t have the necessary knowledge.

All I can say is I wish I had someone saying this to me when I started because it would have made a world of difference.

[tmacsad]

That`s good advice Troy!

[southerndetail]

WOW, its like a sign lately(these winter months) I have been falling behind and its because of my detailing. I started my buisness knowing how to detail but having no buisness savy, over the past three years I have noticed there is so much more to it than "car cleaning". I worked at a succesful detail shop before starting mine and the work they churned out was aweful, but he did well with the buisness. This thread is going to shed some light on my next move, my sister in law called today and told me to come up with a solid buisness plan and in a couple of months if all my ducks are in a row, she would come down and give a loan to open a shop. Bigger is where I want to go but bigger also means more paper work, advertising, employees, and everything that comes with success. I have not a lick of college to my name, but I fully believe that alot of business knowledge comes from alot common knowledge. I also believe that if your not great at a certain aspect you outsource. I know that there are some succesful buisness owners on this forum, and hope they can give young bucks like me some good advise.

[GothamAuto]

The best advice that I can give the "Young Bucks" out there is to take the time and polish your image. All of my repeat customers know what I am going to look like then I get to their house. I`m going to be wearing a gray shirt, blue cargo pants and a blue baseball cap.
Another important aspect is your printed material. You want it to be proffessional. It may cost more up front for nice brochures and business cards, but it will pay off in the long run.

[Stephan]

Excellent advice...thats why I give alot of credit to anyone out there who runs their own business successfully. Also this is why I only do this on the side. Because I am not yet preparded to take this on.

..and a good point on there is work for the bad detailer...which in turn provides work for the good detailer...its the circle of life.

[Sheila@detailcity]

The best advice that I can give the "Young Bucks" out there is to take the time and polish your image. All of my repeat customers know what I am going to look like then I get to their house. I`m going to be wearing a gray shirt, blue cargo pants and a blue baseball cap.
Another important aspect is your printed material. You want it to be proffessional. It may cost more up front for nice brochures and business cards, but it will pay off in the long run.

Yes, looking respectable is very important, in my opinion. For whatever it`s worth!

[Poorboy]

WOW, its like a sign lately(these winter months) I have been falling behind and its because of my detailing. I started my buisness knowing how to detail but having no buisness savy, over the past three years I have noticed there is so much more to it than "car cleaning". I worked at a succesful detail shop before starting mine and the work they churned out was aweful, but he did well with the buisness. This thread is going to shed some light on my next move, my sister in law called today and told me to come up with a solid buisness plan and in a couple of months if all my ducks are in a row, she would come down and give a loan to open a shop. Bigger is where I want to go but bigger also means more paper work, advertising, employees, and everything that comes with success. I have not a lick of college to my name, but I fully believe that alot of business knowledge comes from alot common knowledge. I also believe that if your not great at a certain aspect you outsource. I know that there are some succesful buisness owners on this forum, and hope they can give young bucks like me some good advise.

my advice would be to go to a local junior college and sign up for a few evening business classes... knowing how to run a business is very important and does not come with common knowledge or sense.
I have known too many people over my years who are great at their job, but can`t run a business.
Some were mechanics, some were painters, plumbers and believe it or not an accountant!!!
Education is priceless and Pockets will be going to take these classes too if he ever hopes to run Poorboy`s

The best advice that I can give the "Young Bucks" out there is to take the time and polish your image. All of my repeat customers know what I am going to look like then I get to their house. I`m going to be wearing a gray shirt, blue cargo pants and a blue baseball cap.
Another important aspect is your printed material. You want it to be proffessional. It may cost more up front for nice brochures and business cards, but it will pay off in the long run.

sorry i disagree, image is only skin deep, if you can`t do the job and you can`t run a business, it doesn`t matter how pretty you look

[Beemerboy]

Great thread and subject Troy!


A business plan is essential if you really plan on making a go of the detailing industry....its the road map.

[GothamAuto]

sorry i disagree, image is only skin deep, if you can`t do the job and you can`t run a business, it doesn`t matter how pretty you look

Well, obviously there is more to it then just a good image, but if you are as good or better then the next guy at the art of auto detailing, your image will help you get thew clients over the next guy who prints up their material and photocopies it on a printer and shows up wearing ripped jean shorts and a beat up Mets shirt. (like one of the other mobile detailers in my area.)
Knowing how to detail and run a business I figured were just givens if you want to be successful.

[Troy@Protekt]

Knowing how to detail and run a business I figured were just givens if you want to be successful.

As I said before, knowing how to detail properly is sadly not a factor of success depending on the target customer. There are lots of detailers in my area that know very little about detailing and have had successful businesses for years. I can`t tell you how many "professional mobile detailers" I run into that don`t know how to buff a car.

[Joe's detailing]

Dime a dozen detail shops are on every corner...
Be the best, go beyond the customers expectations or go HOME.!!!!

[Fishpimp]

In addition to business classes I would recommend some audio books on sales/marketing. The problem some of us have is that we are good at what we do but are not good at selling our services.

Zig Ziglar is an excellent read.