A Couple Huge Opportunities - What To Do

M

mcc

New member
So, I have stumbled upon a few opportunities in my area. They are huge because of the potential for volume work, but my dreams are often bigger than my abilities. So, I am coming to the board for some suggestions.



Opportunity #1 - I was recently contacted by the local AAA baseball team to take care of the players' cars. Yesterday was my first day, very disappointing because the clubhouse manager said the guys are very lazy and didn't even bother looking at the sign up sheet. I only ended up with 2 vehicles to take care of. Both were very happy with the results, just doing a little express detailing, and I hope that word of mouth gets around. But that is only part of the opportunity. I may also be able to get the front office personnel and open the offer to them, which could help some as well. Me and my ideas though, I was thinking, how cool would some sort of car wash night be? I have no idea what type of pain that would be to arrange, but I'd think that if nothing else, making some sort of car wash service available at the games to those wanting to have their vehicle taken care of while they go in and watch the game could be pretty cool. What do you think? Any suggestions? I'm just one guy, and my wife works with me at times. I also have a part-timer at my disposal if I want to use him.



Opportunity #2 - I have spoken with some local shopping malls in the past about offering a car wash service on site where shoppers can get their vehicle cleaned up while they shop. This is something I'd love to go for, but I have no idea what type of response I may get, and I'm worried that I could either sit there with nothing to do, or have way more work than I could handle. I have no idea what to be prepared for. The malls love the idea, but want to be paid up front for use of a spot in the lot, and aren't very helpful. However, with the way the economy is going, things may have changed up a bit, and they may be more helpful now because they may want something to set them apart from other malls in the area. People at the mall are there to spend money, and obviously aren't bargain shopping, the type of people that might like to have someone take care of their car while they're in the mall shopping. I would offer an express detail service and basic car wash.



Any thoughts on these ideas? Suggestions?



I tend to think big, am I thinking way over my head?



Thanks for any input!



Mike
 
Mike, Just do it....



If it gets too busy at either event, tell the folks you could not get to that they will be at the top of the list for the next event. Maybe book them to do the detail at their house or where they work.
 
Only advice is to not overextend yourself. Don't promise more than what you can reasonably deliver so that the expectations are clearly set. Otherwise, the customers could be disappointed when they were expecting much more.
 
Overextending myself is exactly why I say that I often dream bigger than my abilities. I can see myself standing in a parking lot with a line of cars and just myself and maybe one other person working our tail off and never getting caught up, with a bunch of disappointed potential customers that we can't get to. I don't want this to be a negative thing. At the same time, I can't afford to hire a few people with no real promise of work, because we could all end up sitting there like fools if interest is low. I have no idea how well received my ideas, particularly the mall idea, would be received.



I think fear of failure holds me back, as I'm just one guy, without deep pockets. I can't afford to really take a big gamble and lose big, so I'm trying to see what others think in the business.



Thanks for the input so far.



Mike
 
Great ideas! Some ideas for getting things started...



How about sign-up sheets at both venues, with a fixed number of slots to ensure against being overextended. You could take this further by offering specific services, and maybe even a 10% (arbitrary) discount for the first five people to sign up.



Maybe a trial with the local shopping mall? Full disclosure on your margins so you both understand what you need to make, and what their realistic revenue opportunities might be. Based on the success of the trial you can determine if migrating to their more traditional "rent our space for $x" would work for you, or if maybe they'd be willing to bend by setting a minimum, assisting with marketing, etc.



Good luck! I'm betting you can do this while protecting yourself from either too much work or financial pitfalls.
 
Nothing wrong with big dreams and hard work...That is what made this Country #1.Having the AAA baseball team alone is a very good deal, just show up when you are suppose to.Do the best job you can, and stay out of there way. Eventually the guys will start talking cars in the clubhouse and your name will come up.(These guys are no different than you and I really. Accept they are just one step away from signing multi-million dollar contracts. So if you got in with the right guy, who knows where it may take you....



As far as doing cars for patrons at the park.....That ones a little sticky, What I'm saying is Games are 3-4 hours long. So how much could you put out in that time(I could just see some guy doing "paint corrections" at the park) What I would offer is to get some jr./sr. high school baseball team that is trying to raise money and give all proceeds to them for $5-$10 car washes. In return you could get advertisment that would cost you thousands other wise.



As far as parking lots? That is another idea that may prove profitable(If management will agree)
 
i just gave my cards to my new neighbor who just moved in...he is the logistics guy fr the anaheim ducks!!! basically takes care of all passport issues, makes sure all the guys are eligible and will make the games, etc...



hopefully that turns into something huge for me at the end of the season and I can work my way into detailing a few players cars!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top