Help A Newbie Out!

[Nagz]

Hey guys, I'm in the process of developing a plan to start a small detailing business and I was hoping you guys could help me out with a pricing question. Spring is coming up and I want to become legitimate before I start working, and so I don't work under the table



What do you guys think of this plan? For the exterior the prices are totals. So for a 1-step, the total is 200-300 including the two previous steps. Are these prices fair?



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Services:



Exterior

Wash and Wax: $50 (+25 for claybar to remove bonded contaminants, +25 for paint cleanser, enhances gloss, removes light defects, and helps bonding of wax)

+1-step Light/Moderate Swirl Removal: $200 - $300 (depending on car size)

+2-step Heavy Swirl Removal: $300 - $400 (depending on car size)



extra: +10 paint sealant

+10 wheel sealant



All steps include an extremely thorough wash/degrease of the car body, wheels, wheel wells, tires, windows. Also includes tire dressing, wheel waxing to fight brake dust and dirt bonding, window clean, as well as dressing for vinyl and rubber too.





Interior

Full Interior: $50 - 100 (depending on current condition)



-Includes: Carpet/upholstery dirt removal, clean all plastics, door jambs, windows. Dress plastics, dash.



extra: +30 leather.



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~Thanks Guys

Jack

 

[brwill2005]

Very confusing with all the a la cart stuff. Design a few (3 or so) detail packages, and maybe a few add on's, such as carpet shampoo, paint sealant etc. As for your pricing, what are your costs going to be? Have you looked at what others in NOVA are charging?

 

[Nagz]

Very confusing with all the a la cart stuff. Design a few (3 or so) detail packages, and maybe a few add on's, such as carpet shampoo, paint sealant etc. As for your pricing, what are your costs going to be? Have you looked at what others in NOVA are charging?

Thanks for the quick response, I'll start planning packages and doing research on other detailers in the area. I'm not sure I understand your question on what my costs are going to me, can you be a little more specific? Are you referring to how much it will cost me for supplies on one car?



~Jack

 

[WAS]

I'm not sure I understand your question on what my costs are going to me, can you be a little more specific? Are you referring to how much it will cost me for supplies on one car?

As the retail industry calls it, COGS (Cost of Goods Sold). In other words, the total cost of material you will use based on each service sold. For example, say a clay bar will last you 10 vehicles on average and your clay cost you $30 to buy. COGS on the clay bar, per clay service, would be $3. There's lots of factors you can put in as well, even the gas it will cost you to go get a new clay bar when yours runs out.



Marketing money, insurance, rent / lease / mortgage on a physical location, business license fees, taxes, electricity costs, heating costs, banking fees, POS transaction fees, property taxes, etc. There are lots of costs one needs to calculate carefully when figuring out cost and profit.

 

[Nagz]

As the retail industry calls it, COGS (Cost of Goods Sold). In other words, the total cost of material you will use based on each service sold. For example, say a clay bar will last you 10 vehicles on average and your clay cost you $30 to buy. COGS on the clay bar, per clay service, would be $3. There's lots of factors you can put in as well, even the gas it will cost you to go get a new clay bar when yours runs out.



Marketing money, insurance, rent / lease / mortgage on a physical location, business license fees, taxes, electricity costs, heating costs, banking fees, POS transaction fees, property taxes, etc. There are lots of costs one needs to calculate carefully when figuring out cost and profit.

Keep in mind that I'm not looking to own a shop, hire workers, etc. I'm moving into a new house soon with a huge garage so that'll be perfect for me. Unless I'm mistaking, I think i would need a business license and insurenace to get something going? I just need the bare minimum to turn a hobby into something legitimate.



I'll have to go physically measure how much of everything i use in one sitting to figure out costs. As for packages I just did this:



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Basic Exterior: Wash, wax, dress. ($50)

Exterior Plus: wash, clay, paint cleanser, wax, dress ($100)

Exterior Rejuvenation: wash, clay, 1-step polish, prewax cleanser, wax, dress ($200 - 300)

Expert Shine: wash, clay, 2-step polish, pre-wax wax cleanser, dress ($300 - 400)



Extras: Paint sealant, wheel sealant.



Basic Interior: vacuum, dress vinyl/plastic, clean windows ($50)

Interior Plus: vacuum, spot removal, dress vinyl/plastic, clean windows ($75)

Interior Rejuvenation: vacuum, shampoo upholstery/carpet, dress vinyl/plastic, clean windows ($150)

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Thanks for the helpful advice so far!

 

[brwill2005]

Cost being your expenses of running the business; marketing, equipment, supplies, insurance, car expenses (if mobile), and taxes. How much your costs are should have some determination on how much you charge. Keep in mind that the higher the price, the lower the quantity demanded by people.

 

[WAS]

Keep in mind that I'm not looking to own a shop, hire workers, etc. I'm moving into a new house soon with a huge garage so that'll be perfect for me. Unless I'm mistaking, I think i would need a business license and insurenace to get something going? I just need the bare minimum to turn a hobby into something legitimate.



I'll have to go physically measure how much of everything i use in one sitting to figure out costs. As for packages I just did this:



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Basic Exterior: Wash, wax, dress. ($50)

Exterior Plus: wash, clay, paint cleanser, wax, dress ($100)

Exterior Rejuvenation: wash, clay, 1-step polish, prewax cleanser, wax, dress ($200 - 300)

Expert Shine: wash, clay, 2-step polish, pre-wax wax cleanser, dress ($300 - 400)



Extras: Paint sealant, wheel sealant.



Basic Interior: vacuum, dress vinyl/plastic, clean windows ($50)

Interior Plus: vacuum, spot removal, dress vinyl/plastic, clean windows ($75)

Interior Rejuvenation: vacuum, shampoo upholstery/carpet, dress vinyl/plastic, clean windows ($150)

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Thanks for the helpful advice so far!

Looking much better. Watch your wording "clay" since most folks don't know what claying is. A commonly suggested term to use is "paint decontamination".



And yes, figure out what your "per sitting" cost of materials is.



If you're going to do this out of your home, you for sure need the following:



- Business License - usually an annual fee to allow you to operate

- Trade name registration - so you can operate as XYZ Detailing instead of just your own name

- Insurance - basic commercial liability should be good

- Marketing - everything from flyers to newspaper ads to radio ads to Google Adsense.



I'm sure there are things that I'm forgetting to mention, but that's what comes to mind so far.