You Think 53 is to Old To Start???

Beemerboy

Beemerboy

Just One More Coat
For the last several years I have thought about starting a mobile detail biz....The thing is that I am happiest when I am working on cars..I have the sales & marketing knowledge and understand how to promote the business, and have been self employed for 5 years until recently. I have given much thought to the business plan and looked at the start up costs. none are a deterrent.

The only thing the concerns me is my age.

I have no physical imitations other than I should loose some weight:D

So my question is what are your thoughts on this?

Thanks alot!
 
If you think you're up for it and think that it will make you happy, I say go for it. By the way, what type of physical imitations could you have and is your weight really that tight?
 
audiboy said:
If you think you're up for it and think that it will make you happy, I say go for it. By the way, what type of physical imitations could you have and is your weight really that tight?
Click to expand...

I could loose 30 pounds and that would make the work easier...nothing else is really limiting me....I was thinking that I would take this winter to get everything in place get my name out there and then launch in spring of 08
 
audiboy said:
If you think you're up for it and think that it will make you happy, I say go for it.
Click to expand...
I agree!! I wouldn't want you to look back in fifteen years & say "Gee, I wish I'd tried that." From what I've seen & heard of some of the details you've done, you certainly have the talent for the work, Dave!! :bigups . . . and personally speaking, I'd be more inclined to let a "mature" person of 53 touch my paint than some of the "youngsters" out there! :eek: (No, I'm not referring to anybody here in the City!!!)

Keep us posted & best of luck!! :cheers:

audiboy said:
. . . and is your weight really that tight?
Click to expand...
:lol2: :rofl (nice one, AB!! :bigups )
 
How long do you plan on doing it? At 58 I have a lot more pain, creaks, and groans than I did at 53. It doesn't stop me from detailing but there's no such thing a a "quick four hour detail" anymore. They take me all day to do it right and that's working in my garage not mobile.

Not throwing a damper at all, I'm all for you. Just thought I'd remind you it doesn't get any easier as age creeps up on you.
 
I don't think your age should be a problem, the first few years will be the most important so it will be nice to know you will be doing allot of the work yourself so you can set the standards for the shop. Then in a few more years if your did a good job making it a success you can sell it off for a nice retirement fund or take more of a desk position and oversee the business while others you trust get their hands dirty. Either way I think its not to late if you got the drive to see it through. :cheers:
 
Some of the most successful people made it big when they were in their fifties.
When you say "mobile detail biz",how many cars per day are you talking about?is it a one man show in order to make it more manageable? or are you planing to get bigger?
At any rate,since you enjoy doing this kind of work I'm sure it is more likely you would succeed .
Best of luck.:bigups
 
If it will make you happy, and you will be enjoying, then why not.

I'm sure that if you spend more time moving about working on the cars you will loose some of that weight that you are concerned about...So go for it

Good luck with either way you choose

"J"
 
Beemerboy said:
For the last several years I have thought about starting a mobile detail biz....The thing is that I am happiest when I am working on cars..I have the sales & marketing knowledge and understand how to promote the business, and have been self employed for 5 years until recently. I have given much thought to the business plan and looked at the start up costs. none are a deterrent.

The only thing the concerns me is my age.

I have no physical imitations other than I should loose some weight:D

So my question is what are your thoughts on this?

Thanks alot!
Click to expand...

are you kidding me Dave:eek: stick with the desk job and keep it a side biz :crazy:

people as old as us are moving out of the biz not into it :yikes:

have you been hanging out at your favorite watering hole again :cheers: :hmmm:

I know at least two people close to your age that have sold their biz and moved on to easier work.
It's one thing to do a car or two as a side biz, but bending and squatting everyday is for the young people out there :surrender :passout::passout:


If you really have the itch ..think about a shop and hiring and training some youngsters ;)
 
RTexasF said:
At 58 I have a lot more pain, creaks, and groans than I did at 53. It doesn't stop me from detailing but there's no such thing a a "quick four hour detail" anymore. They take me all day to do it right and that's working in my garage not mobile.

Not throwing a damper at all, I'm all for you. Just thought I'd remind you it doesn't get any easier as age creeps up on you.
Click to expand...

Amen to that brother :rockon
 
ok..I know what some of you are thinking :wow: i've known Dave for a long time now and we like to kid each other ...I wish you all the luck in the world if you really want to go down that road again :bigups

ps i know where you can get some detailing supplies :rofl
 
Poorboy said:
but then he has someone to blame :D
Click to expand...

As a mater of fact people in our age group can do well managing ,or delegating rather than doing the actual physical work.:lol2:
I work in custom metal fabrication and still at age 53 have to stand on my feet 8 hours a day 5 days a week,but to tell you the truth lately is becoming harder and harder to continue , sometimes I can hear my joints squeak.:rofl
 
distrbd said:
As a mater of fact people in our age group can do well managing ,or delegating rather than doing the actual physical work.:lol2:
I work in custom metal fabrication and still at age 53 have to stand on my feet 8 hours a day 5 days a week,but to tell you the truth lately is becoming harder and harder to continue , sometimes I can hear my joints squeak.:rofl
Click to expand...

i totally agree :rockon I have Pockets to do some of my heavy work ....ok when he shows up or he's not in school, but a real hard day now takes a day or two to recover :passout:
 
I say give it a shot too. Like someone else mentioned, you gots the skills my friend.

Ask yourself, however, if you did this for work would you continue to enjoy it as much? I ask myself that question every once in a while (when my real job gets me down and I want to say "screw it") and I think I would. I just haven't made that leap of faith yet.

Make sure your business plan is thorough and play the what if game for any/all contingencies to be safe.

I see many mobile detailers here and on other boards that seem to be making a pretty good living doing this stuff but again remember that it is work. Also, because it is work, you might find yourself losing that weight you say you could lose! I know I would lose a few lbs.

Good luck with whatever your decision is.
 
I'm 50 years old and I'm telling you doing a full detail(inside and out) on a car takes me all day(5 to 7 hrs) and wears me out.If it's really dirty(a lot of work) or I feel like I have to do it then it's no fun for me.
If you do decide to start your own business I wish you nothing but good luck.:passout:
 
Hell you more mature members are making me worried, I'll be 20 on Monday and I already feel old, mentally and physically :eek:
Wouldn't be so bad, the physical part that is, but I've had some naaaasty spills on dirtbikes, go-peds (believe it or not ;) ), snowboarding... and I already feel the pains from it all. I don't think I'll be doing this work at age 53, at least full time.

If it makes you happy then go for it, just do one car a day max if you want and just charge enough to make a decent living. You do great work and already have a steady client base, you should have no problem surviving :bigups
Heck we could bounce work off one another as well, if one of us is too busy for something urgent, or something like that :)

And if you're going to drop the weight, I know that "Planet Fitness" has lots, and lots, and lots, of "motivation" for you to look at, especially with SSU nearby :dnaughty
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top