Are you a pro or in it as a hobby?

Just curious...are you mostly pros, or hobbyists?

  • I'm a professional detailer.

    Votes: 13 14.4%

  • I'm in it as a hobby.

    Votes: 56 62.2%

  • Both

    Votes: 21 23.3%
  • Total voters
    90
YNOT

YNOT

Poorboys Rules!
I'm just curious...are most of you members here professional detailers, or are you just into this as a hobby?
 
I don't know... I don't do it professionally (I'm in pursuit of another career), but I do get atleast 4-5 cars a month which are paid. I also undercharge, and even lower the price even more if the owner wants to help...I really really enjoy doing it. I look forward to the weekends, especially when its been a long work week.
 
I would like to consider myself as a pro but really this is a weekend gig for me...I would say that my results are as good as any shop in my area...I don't rely on this as my only source of income so saying that I am a pro would be untrue
 
This is how I feed my family and pay my bills, so I do it pro style.
Though I ALWAYS put my vehicles off...LOL I work all week on other peoples' cars, I just like to relax at the end of the week. haha
 
I would like to do it as a profession, but I haven't been gutsy enough to try it. For me I just don't think I could make enough to live on. So for now its a side gig, I enjoy doing it and if I can make some money at it, then even better.
 
I have a full time job as a network administrator, and in the evenign hours and weekends I have 3-6 details a week to do. I use to own a detail shop successfully, but winters were hell trying to squeeze by with money. So now I take my favorite hobby and professionally detail after hours.
 
I do this for a living but I'm also going to school, and since I'm young I'd like to call myself a pro but I'm far from it. It's how I pay my bills and how I make spending money. It did start out as a hobby and still is to this day. the money is nice but the satisfaction of your work is even greater
 
It's well beyond hobby for me, it's a true lifestyle. It's nice lifestyle where I can always pick up several hundred bucks here and there as needed too. :)
 
Long time detailer, short time as a professional. Meaning, I have been in business now 16yrs exclusively detailing(and related ventures);however, I would not say we were pros till about 10 years ago. I now have 3 physical locations, marine, mobile and pressurewashing divisions.Takes alot of time,education and effort to become professional. Still learning everyday.
 
For me it is also te way that I pay the bills. As said above it is not easy in those winter months but I truely do enjoy what I do far more than when I was working for someone. I am still learning and will continue to learn as I go along. I do have the 5 year plan and will strive to make that happen. Now am I a pro.........I like to think that I am good at what I do and my customers keep coming pack.
 
kbbiii said:
For me it is also te way that I pay the bills. As said above it is not easy in those winter months but I truely do enjoy what I do far more than when I was working for someone. I am still learning and will continue to learn as I go along. I do have the 5 year plan and will strive to make that happen. Now am I a pro.........I like to think that I am good at what I do and my customers keep coming pack.
Click to expand...

You should do well there its a real fast growing area...are you mobile?
 
I'm a professional hobbiest. :D I'd do it full time if the weather didn't suck for 6 months out of the year and caused nobody to care about their car. It is hard to sell someone a $150 detail when they know it will be covered in salt in a week anyway. I refuse to be a car washer to make ends meet, so I keep my day job and detail 'after hours' and on the weekends.
 
Depends on how you define a "Professional". To be honest, there isn't a true Certification on the market, just Franchises, Businesses, & Etc who show their work. True professionals are the ones who can standby their work, the right equipment, and understand Detailing to it's fullest.
 
I started off as most of us do, working on my own cars. That has spread to some paid work but I'm not a professional.
 
Me, its just a hobby. I work as a network admin in the city and in the weekend I get 2 or sometime 4 cars(if im lucky). An extra bucks to spend on the side:D
 
I'm looking for a new detailing job, but god "discharegd" from my old one for "changes in the company in shop". Whatever that's suppose to mean.

But I still do it most often as a hobby for right now. Sometimes I get one in that pays me, but it's mostly my own car since a lot of people seem to be interested until I mention that I don't wash cars for free.

I also get a lot of problems with a lot of peopel thinking a detail = wash.
 
I have a great full time job but really enjoy turning an abused vehicle into like new condition again. I always under charge because most of my clients have young children and could not afford to pay what an average shop would charge. Any money that I do make goes to restoring my mustang (which I bought to teach my kids how to fix up cars and work with hand tools rather than play video games).
 
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