Trying to get started?

**Van185** · 03-06-2012, 10:02 AM

I`ve been detailing vehciles for the past several years, but mostly just friends and family members. One of my friends recently called a detail shop and got put on the waiting list to have his vehicle detailed and made an appointment for the first available time which was July 20th of this year. We discussed the possibility of opening a part time detailing shop and have decided on a location and a building. I usually detail with all different brands and usually get the BOGO offers and use those products. I think that I want to stick with one line of products and I`m not really sure what all I will need for a part time business. I know that I will need Swirl Remover, Pre-Wax Cleaner, Poish or glaze, and sealant and wax. I will need interior cleaner and protectent, glass cleaener, and something to make it smell good. I have looked at the prices of the hot water extractors and have not decided if it is worth the price right now. My question is what all products would I need to start a part time business, how much of each product, and what brand would be the best to go with? I like Wolfgang and Pinnacle but they are expensive and may not be the beat for what I`m trying to do. All help would be appreciated.

**Orinda Auto Detail** · 03-06-2012, 12:56 PM

Hi That`s awesome your gonna "swing the bat", I did my own thing out of my garage for ever and I LOVE Menzerna everything. So I found bulk suppliers for all the stuff I was spending a ton of money on, tire dressing, wash soap, micro fibers, spray bottles, degreaser, wheel cleaner..ect the things you use a ton of VS the things that compromise quality when your detailing and insure you get the results you want. But just starting out you may wanna look into HD Uno it really is an amazing all in one with a little practice and can be big cost saver off the bat. Also look up P&S dealer in your area they have bulk stuff thats ok, alot of it sucks but their enviro citrus degreaser is nice for interiors and waters down 30:1, bonus 5 gal is like 60$ last for ever, Pearl wash soap is great ph balanced soap its super cheap to. Anyway best of luck, I litterally just did the same thing like 8 months ago and its going well so if I can help let me know, Also some great minds here too.

**Old Pirate** · 03-06-2012, 06:31 PM

I would take a look at the Meguiars Car Care Products line to start a small detail shop. With so many products you can save money in getting some of them with your forum discount ( 10% ) or maybe get them on sale at the AutopiaForums Car Care Store.

**Concours.John** · 03-06-2012, 07:02 PM

I don`t know if you`ve gotten this far yet. Have you figured the amount of hours needed to cover fixed expenses. Rent, insurance, utilities. This will determine the amount of hours you have to be there. Now is a good time to put pen to paper. It`s hard to cover overhead and profit part time. Two people do help.

Wave Accounting is free and offers special discount for business related expenses. It also gives you invoice options and up to date reports; you can Google it. It is a simple to use accounting system.

Make sure you set up a separate checking account and EIN before you start putting money in it. This can insure you don`t lose deductions during tax time. Keep personal and business separate to keep from alot of extra bookkeeping.

As far as product Angelo is right Meg`s has bang for the buck plus quality. Don`t over spend on product quantity. You dont want to have to deal with invetory tax wise. Keep it simple. You can go between bulk so you can monitor how much you are using. You won`t recover the expense over buying to much product. A simple weigh in weigh out before and after will give you an idea of your average product usage and cost. You`ll need to figure in the weight of the container to deduct. This may seem like a hassle at first. It will though help you figure your COGS and profit/loss.

I have posted Interior and Exterior checklists. One use for them is to document time spent on each area. It will make your estimates more accurate. Use them for your worst, average, and best to get an idea of time spent.

I`m not the expert; just giving hard learned advice I hope helps.

**mrclean81** · 03-07-2012, 12:10 AM

I`ve gotta agree with everything John said. Products and process is important for sure,but knowing how to run a business is another. Take it from me..Uncle Sam is a sob and he makes it very difficult to stay afloat. You`d might as well count on $20 from every $100 you make going to him. Then you have to figure in your overhead, insurance, cost of supplies, advertising costs, not to mention upkeep and renovations to the shop and general shop maintenance and etc. Granted, this is sort of a hypothetical list, but if you started getting big this is stuff you would need to be prepared for. Running a fixed location business is stressful and very expensive. Its way cheaper to be mobile, but that presents its own set of problems. Uncertainty with the weather and a constantly changing work environment is the biggest 2 for me.

**Beemerboy** · 03-07-2012, 10:14 AM

I`m going to concur with John, starting a detail business is not just slapping wax on a car.

IMO I would start much smaller and work the business up. Rent a fix location to start is way risky.

**Todd@RUPES** · 03-07-2012, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Van185

I`ve been detailing vehciles for the past several years, but mostly just friends and family members. One of my friends recently called a detail shop and got put on the waiting list to have his vehicle detailed and made an appointment for the first available time which was July 20th of this year. We discussed the possibility of opening a part time detailing shop and have decided on a location and a building. I usually detail with all different brands and usually get the BOGO offers and use those products. I think that I want to stick with one line of products and I`m not really sure what all I will need for a part time business. I know that I will need Swirl Remover, Pre-Wax Cleaner, Poish or glaze, and sealant and wax. I will need interior cleaner and protectent, glass cleaener, and something to make it smell good. I have looked at the prices of the hot water extractors and have not decided if it is worth the price right now. My question is what all products would I need to start a part time business, how much of each product, and what brand would be the best to go with? I like Wolfgang and Pinnacle but they are expensive and may not be the beat for what I`m trying to do. All help would be appreciated.

While it is good that the shop has a long waiting list (there is obviously demand for the service they offer) you have to make sure there will be a demand for the service you offer. John`s post was, as always, informative and excellent.

**Concours.John** · 03-07-2012, 08:41 PM

I`d like to thank Todd, Beemerboy, and Mrclean81 on their comments first.

My post was not meant to discourage you but to put deep thought into it. Think of it this way, if you had a client approach you who had 30 exotics and said "I want you to handle my collection". Could you take care of him and also handle the aspects of the business? Understand they will want a discount for that agreement. Yes it seems like you have constant work but are you going to hurt your cash flow of consistent work? Those vehicles will be worked on occasionally. Starting out many of us willl take on anything and make deals.

You need to know your costs. Large accounts may not end up being profitable in such cases. They can be if the owner understands your value.

You dont want to set yourself apart enough that people think they can`t afford you. When people think they can`t afford you they don`t uderstand your value. This is only based on your statement of part time plus the overhead you are talking about taking on. If you can put together a plan on how you will maintain the operation or grow it (if you want to) it will greatly help you. Maybe you and your friend can sit down and write some goals down (dream big; work backwards) of where you want to be it will help.

Sit down and take the time to plan. Focus on this like it was the ultimate car to detail and cover all the details; you`ll be fine. Best of luck to you honestly.

**mrclean81** · 03-07-2012, 08:48 PM

Something that helped me when I started getting serious was putting together a solid "official" business plan. A real business plan takes a huge amount of time, thought, math, and the ability to see the future of your business. Look at some samples and try your hand at it. Plus, if you ever need a banks help, they will require you to have one.

**Van185** · 03-08-2012, 05:16 PM

Thanks for all the davice so far. I agree with it will take a lot of work and thought. Right now with another full time job that actually takes a lot of my time this will mostly be a weekend worrier type of venture I think and see how things go. I have several friends that operate car dealerships and I`m sure that I`ll get enough business from them to stay as busy as I want to. I will let you know how it goes once I get started. All the info is very helpful and greatly appreciated.

**Todd@RUPES** · 03-08-2012, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Concours.John

I`d like to thank Todd, Beemerboy, and Mrclean81 on their comments first.

My post was not meant to discourage you but to put deep thought into it. Think of it this way, if you had a client approach you who had 30 exotics and said "I want you to handle my collection". Could you take care of him and also handle the aspects of the business? Understand they will want a discount for that agreement. Yes it seems like you have constant work but are you going to hurt your cash flow of consistent work? Those vehicles will be worked on occasionally. Starting out many of us willl take on anything and make deals.

You need to know your costs. Large accounts may not end up being profitable in such cases. They can be if the owner understands your value.

You dont want to set yourself apart enough that people think they can`t afford you. When people think they can`t afford you they don`t uderstand your value. This is only based on your statement of part time plus the overhead you are talking about taking on. If you can put together a plan on how you will maintain the operation or grow it (if you want to) it will greatly help you. Maybe you and your friend can sit down and write some goals down (dream big; work backwards) of where you want to be it will help.

Sit down and take the time to plan. Focus on this like it was the ultimate car to detail and cover all the details; you`ll be fine. Best of luck to you honestly.

Great advice John, you are an extreme asset to our (the member`s) community!

**rwright** · 03-08-2012, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by Todd Helme

Great advice John, you are an extreme asset to our (the member`s) community!

I second that. I love the fact that each response was very professional, from all posters. Thanks to all involved. Now to find those checklists...

**rustytruck** · 04-01-2012, 02:56 PM

Starting a detail business takes a little more on the business end than I thought. On the detailing end that`s not so bad. just owning a polisher and some professional chemicals can give you a professional look that the average consumer can`t produce..but the business end can be tough meeting with the account,with city hall,with the bank,setting up a web site ordering uniforms,meeting with insurance agents,getting an account with a chemical manufacturer etc... It,s no wonder why people skip all these steps and just give away their services on craigslist.