AppliedColors
New member
Winter is no time to relax. Work hard to prepare your shop for the busy season while you have the time. Preparing, repairing, organizing and training can ruin the quality of your work if done when your business is busy.
Equip.
Purchase and master use of equipment you plan to add for 2008. Examples could include: steamers, rotary buffers, Cyclos, extractors, generators, and ozone machines. A lot of this equipment is for sale used on Craigslist or eBay during the off season. Buy it and use it on your own vehicles until you are comfortable using it on your customers’.
Add necessary office equipment. Add credit card processing. Mobile detailers: consider adding credit card processing via your cellphone.
Hire.
Don’t train while you’re busy: your work and delivery times will suffer. Train help during the off season when you have the time to instruct trainees and correct their mistakes. Run free ads on Craigslist and you’ll get tens of applicants. Befriend workers at large car dealerships and ask to meet with hard working lot attendants�many of these attendants are hoping to move on to full time detailing. Hire with the agreement that pay during a 4 week training period will be minimum wage. If the worker shows aptitude and work ethic, hire him/her on and bump up wages a dollar or two. You’ll likely have to fire a few applicatants during the training period until you find a good one, but it’s the offseason, so no worries about lost productivity.
Reimage.
Look hard at your company’s image: logo, business cards, uniforms, letterhead, receipts, signage, and vehicle lettering. Get feedback from friends and family. If it’s time for updates, hire a good graphic designer off elance.com. You’ll get 5 – 15 bids on your work and a very fair price.
Update Your Website.
Add pictures. Remodel your logo. Remodel the entire site if necessary. eLance.com is a great resource for top quality work at competitive prices. Create and post a Craigslist ad. Create a Google adwords sponsorship. If your shop is located in Vallejo, CA, for example, pay 5 cents to have your ad displayed every time “Vallejo Auto Detail� is typed into Google. We see 2 – 3 jobs monthly off Google at a cost of $25 and an average ticket price of $230 per customer.
Add a New Service.
Purchase and master window tinting, windshield repair, paint touchup, or vinyl and leather dye. Vendors of these kits can be found on Mobileworks | Auto Detailing Business Information | Training | Supplies | Car Care Articles. Practice, practice, and practice more. Practice on your own vehicles. Photograph your work and post pictures to your website or portfolio that you display to your customers.
Repair equipment.
Treat any problems with your most important piece of equipment: your body. These might include your back, your joints, pulled muscles, etc. Now is the time to medicate and rest them. Be ready in spring with a healthy and strong body.
Take inventory of all equipment: air fittings, water fittings, hoses, spray triggers, brushes, etc. Replace and repair while you have the time.
Bring generators and air compressors in for service, inspection, and oil changes. You don’t want these failing on you in the middle of jobs.
Sell unused equipment on Craigslist and eBay.
Organize workspace.
Thoroughly examine your shop and work vehicle and reconsider your packaging. Invest in $50 of Rubbermaid containers and a $35 Brother P-Touch labeler. Repackage and relabel appropriately.
Digitize customer information.
Collect all notes, receipts, and check-in sheets containing customer data. Enter name, phone number, and address information into a central database. Outlook and Quicken are good programs. Outlook allows you to export address data to Word for automated printing of letters and envelopes.
Mail a postcard or letter to your customers 4 times a year reminding them of your services. You should have an automated system that allows the printing of hundreds of letters and postcards quickly.
By the way, be sure to a collect name, phone number, and address from every customer you service, onsite or at your shop. Have them fill out a check-in sheet that acknowledges pre-existing damage to their car and requires their contact info and signature. If they question why, let them know that occasionally personal items get left behind (umbrellas, business cards) and must be mailed to customers. We collect addresses with no objection 95% of the time.
Your customer book is one of your most valuable assets. Keep it organized.
Network.
Befriend service shops, performance shops, car dealerships, and car clubs. Offer free or reduced services to key referral sources: shop owners, managers, and club presidents. Well connected, vocal customers are worth their weight in gold.
Offer Gift Certificates.
Advertise gift certificates on your website or in any print advertising. Mail all your customers and ask them...�Would someone on your Christmas list like a professionally cleaned car?� Offer certificates in $50 increments and assure customers that any surplus will be refunded in cash to the certificates redeemer (ie, a $200 certificate on a $180 job will result in the redeemer receiving $20 cash when done). Be sure to place an expiration date of December 31, 2008 on your certificates. Mail your customers soon�it’s already December!
Equip.
Purchase and master use of equipment you plan to add for 2008. Examples could include: steamers, rotary buffers, Cyclos, extractors, generators, and ozone machines. A lot of this equipment is for sale used on Craigslist or eBay during the off season. Buy it and use it on your own vehicles until you are comfortable using it on your customers’.
Add necessary office equipment. Add credit card processing. Mobile detailers: consider adding credit card processing via your cellphone.
Hire.
Don’t train while you’re busy: your work and delivery times will suffer. Train help during the off season when you have the time to instruct trainees and correct their mistakes. Run free ads on Craigslist and you’ll get tens of applicants. Befriend workers at large car dealerships and ask to meet with hard working lot attendants�many of these attendants are hoping to move on to full time detailing. Hire with the agreement that pay during a 4 week training period will be minimum wage. If the worker shows aptitude and work ethic, hire him/her on and bump up wages a dollar or two. You’ll likely have to fire a few applicatants during the training period until you find a good one, but it’s the offseason, so no worries about lost productivity.
Reimage.
Look hard at your company’s image: logo, business cards, uniforms, letterhead, receipts, signage, and vehicle lettering. Get feedback from friends and family. If it’s time for updates, hire a good graphic designer off elance.com. You’ll get 5 – 15 bids on your work and a very fair price.
Update Your Website.
Add pictures. Remodel your logo. Remodel the entire site if necessary. eLance.com is a great resource for top quality work at competitive prices. Create and post a Craigslist ad. Create a Google adwords sponsorship. If your shop is located in Vallejo, CA, for example, pay 5 cents to have your ad displayed every time “Vallejo Auto Detail� is typed into Google. We see 2 – 3 jobs monthly off Google at a cost of $25 and an average ticket price of $230 per customer.
Add a New Service.
Purchase and master window tinting, windshield repair, paint touchup, or vinyl and leather dye. Vendors of these kits can be found on Mobileworks | Auto Detailing Business Information | Training | Supplies | Car Care Articles. Practice, practice, and practice more. Practice on your own vehicles. Photograph your work and post pictures to your website or portfolio that you display to your customers.
Repair equipment.
Treat any problems with your most important piece of equipment: your body. These might include your back, your joints, pulled muscles, etc. Now is the time to medicate and rest them. Be ready in spring with a healthy and strong body.
Take inventory of all equipment: air fittings, water fittings, hoses, spray triggers, brushes, etc. Replace and repair while you have the time.
Bring generators and air compressors in for service, inspection, and oil changes. You don’t want these failing on you in the middle of jobs.
Sell unused equipment on Craigslist and eBay.
Organize workspace.
Thoroughly examine your shop and work vehicle and reconsider your packaging. Invest in $50 of Rubbermaid containers and a $35 Brother P-Touch labeler. Repackage and relabel appropriately.
Digitize customer information.
Collect all notes, receipts, and check-in sheets containing customer data. Enter name, phone number, and address information into a central database. Outlook and Quicken are good programs. Outlook allows you to export address data to Word for automated printing of letters and envelopes.
Mail a postcard or letter to your customers 4 times a year reminding them of your services. You should have an automated system that allows the printing of hundreds of letters and postcards quickly.
By the way, be sure to a collect name, phone number, and address from every customer you service, onsite or at your shop. Have them fill out a check-in sheet that acknowledges pre-existing damage to their car and requires their contact info and signature. If they question why, let them know that occasionally personal items get left behind (umbrellas, business cards) and must be mailed to customers. We collect addresses with no objection 95% of the time.
Your customer book is one of your most valuable assets. Keep it organized.
Network.
Befriend service shops, performance shops, car dealerships, and car clubs. Offer free or reduced services to key referral sources: shop owners, managers, and club presidents. Well connected, vocal customers are worth their weight in gold.
Offer Gift Certificates.
Advertise gift certificates on your website or in any print advertising. Mail all your customers and ask them...�Would someone on your Christmas list like a professionally cleaned car?� Offer certificates in $50 increments and assure customers that any surplus will be refunded in cash to the certificates redeemer (ie, a $200 certificate on a $180 job will result in the redeemer receiving $20 cash when done). Be sure to place an expiration date of December 31, 2008 on your certificates. Mail your customers soon�it’s already December!
