How did you get started?

2wheelsx2

2wheelsx2

New member
A little background:



I have been learning more and more on this board in the last 6 months or so. I used to wash my cars once or twice a month, but since I have been on this board, I have been washing twice a week. I started out using carnubas, and (gasp) even Armor All. But now, I am using SMR, #20, and the like.



Anyway, lately, I have been doing more and more friends' cars, as they see what my car looks like. It's getting to the point that I am basically taking appointments. I have been doing it in exchange for products and meals, and gifts, but I think it's about time I made a business decision. This has been spurred on by the fact that I got laid off my full time job (hi-tech) a couple of weeks ago.



So, I was wondering, how did you guys get started? Was it a hobby turned into work? Or was it a pure business decision? How did you tell your friends that they must pay, now that it's a business, instead of getting freebies? And most important of all:



Have you lost any of the passion of detailing, now that it's work, and not a hobby?



Thanks for your input.
 
I started just like you. A 15 year old taking care of family cars. I had my first try of Armour All original protectant, Armour All paste wax (still got some, smells just like Platinum wash), Armour all wash (great wash, but I like Meguiars GC wash better), and some foam and terry applicators. Everyone has to start somewhere. I found this board and upgraded some of my products. I followed up with purchases of Meguiars #7 polish, Gold Class paste wax, and Meguiars #26 paste wax. Then came 3M IHG and Blitz wax. It just took off from there. It was a hobby turned into an obsession and people were asking me to do their car. I didn't charge at first, then people started giving me some nice tips. Easily spent $500 on product and stuff by then time I turned 17. I am now 18 with around $700 in detailing supplies, darn credit cards let you buy and buy without hesitation, but i keep it within my budget.)



I then found NY detailer on this board. This is my first detailing job and its pretty darn good. I mostly work on Sunday's and spend about 8 hours working (5-6 hours with my PC.)



I still love detailing even with detailing cars one day every week fro 8 hours. I have not lost my passion for it. I don't think I'll ever lose that. Theres just something about spenting about 5 hours on a car and turning it from a swirled and dirty mess to a less swirled (lightened, don't know how to sue a rotary yet, PC just will do so much on a neglected car) clean and shiny automobile.



Love for detailing + great job detailing + kick butt boss = Hobby Detailer for life.



I'm doing detailing for the spending cash (high school senior), but intend for my career to be in soldiering.



Jason
 
Very cool. Thanks, Jason. Unfortunately, I am a bit older than you (37) and am already on my second career. Geologist for twelve years, then when the gold market collapsed, I got into telecom, thinking that it was the bomb, but it too collapsed, which leaves me where I am now.



Hmm...I guess I better get that PC sooner than later.:)
 
Cool :up



The PC is worth its weight in gold! 37 is not old, once you break 45 then its middle ager, old is around 55-60 or so.
 
Business decision for me. The business I wanted to start would require too much overheard for me to be competative. I then was sitting there one day going, "Hmmm what should I open?" I then turned around and saw my detailing stuff and was like "YES!!! that is it!" So now I'm working on getting a detailing business started. I't actually just starting out with pro detailing so I don't know how it is going to work out. From what I've seen it is probably going to work out. Very labor intensive job though. Plan to have a fixed location in a few years with employees.



I mean, I wanna own a business so why not make it in a field I enjoy?
 
I was a restaurant manager and hating it (Denny's, which meant that no real restaurant was interested in me), so when I detailed my brother's car and he called me and said 4-5 people in his office were so impressed that they wanted me to do the same, I had a decision to make.



I started doing cars on the side to see if I liked it enough to make a career of it and if I could also make a living. I quit as a manager and went to work at another Denny's as a waiter at night, and slowly built up my business. Passed out flyers when I didn't have cars to clean and after about a year, I was able to support myself detailing.
 
So, when you guys all got started, did you have a price list? Or did you work by the hour? I find it difficult to estimate how much work a car would be. Sometimes a car that looks not bad because of all the dirt, turns out to be a nightmare because once the dirt is cleaned off, the bird drop etchings, tree sap and scratches all show and make it look terrible. I guess when it wasn't all shiny, it was tough to tell.
 
After commuting 2 hours each way to make big money, and working a job I hated, I was asked by my wife about staying home and taking care of my new-born daughter. I thought about it for a few weeks and decided that it was far more important to be with my first child then, risking being killed during rush-hour commutes! This goes without saying but; my wife makes great money and I'm very lucky to be able to have this resource to do what I wanted to do. Not everyone can do this.

That was over two years ago. Fast forward to present time. I had bought a new car and when I took it to the dealership to get the plates put on, I was approached by another new car buyer about the condition of my car's finish. I told him I just liked keeping my cars in top shape. He and his wife had just bought a new BMW 7 series and wanted me to do a detail on it. I laughed at the suggestion, but relented after they would not leave my car alone. They kept touching it and feeling the glossy finish (Zaino will do that).

I told him I had no insurance, no real professional equipment and if that was not a turn-off in it's self, I'd do it. He said "Name your price" and that was that.

One of my friends has been doing detailing at a very up-scale body shop in my local area for many years (over 20) and told me I had a knack for using a rotary buffer and being very logical about my approach to detailing a car/truck.

After posing as a customer to several detailing outfits near my home, I soon found that I could do a better job then them, and turn a profit. I would also use high-end name brands instead of buying in bulk. I would advertise this fact and let my work do the rest. I also enjoy educating people in the correct way to treat a car, no matter how expensive or not it is. Even if I loose that customer due to them doing it themselves, they will tell several of they're friends or co-workers along the way.

Well, I got a business license, city permits for the places that require them, and insurance. Throw in a V10 E350 Ford van, a 125 gallon water tank, a gob of equipment and now I'm doing it for a living (<strong class='bbc'>may not get rich, but being your own boss is tops![/b]). Due to the climate I live in, I can see it being seasonal, but that will give me several months per/year to relax and spend time with my children should I want to.

So that's it, that's how it started for me. My suggestion to anybody wanting to do this line of work is simple; do the research, be polished when dealing with people, and CYB (cover your butt) get insured. If you don't your asking for trouble.

Here is a link to my website should any of you be interested: http://www.dksmobiledetailing.com

Regards gang!
 
This all started with taking care of the family cars since the age of 12. Then at the age of 19, I was a detailer for my parents' body shop and I did pretty good work despite not having a lot of the tools at my disposal. Currently, I am 34 and I am already thinking about starting my own detailing shop as well as bolster my current career in IT. :eek:



Ironically, I have people at my job who have seen what I did to my '94 Maxima and want me to do their cars. One guy has an older ('60's) Cutlass and wants me to come down to his neck of the woods and help him out.
 
So what do you then, give them a freebie? Or whip out a price list? I am just not sure how to start charging for stuff I have been doing for free. Everyone seems so incredulous that money can be made detailing. When I told several people I have been helping out that I plan to make it into a business, they are all like, "No way, no one is going to pay you that kind of money!"
 
man i must say i thought getting people to pay would be a hassle.. but it doesn't seem to be... i mean your every day average driver doesn't need or want a full detail.. but car people, people who know facts about the car they drive (like engine size.... and year) and people who invest time or care for their cars.. they'll pay. I just got $60 for doing a 5 hour job... the guy wanted to pay me a lot more.. i wouldn't take it... didn't feel right. I know some more people who want me to do theirs... they say the'll come in in a week or two when htey have the money.. i say not to worry about it and just to pay me for the products i use... they won't do it.. they insist on paying me very well for my services...
 
2wheelsx2, if you feel bad about charging your friends you'll never get a business off the ground. point is, don't feel bad about it, you're trying to start a business and it's nothing personal it's strictly business. if you still don't feel right, give your friends a discount or do what i do. if my friends bring their car to me i'll help them do it for free(using my products), but if i have to go to their house to do it, they're paying full price. one of my best friends didn't feel like bringing his car to my house, so i had to charge him for the work 'cuz i had to schedule him in and go to his house along with my workers(gotta be able to pay'em). he wanted the most expensive package i've got - $150. took us(3) about 2.5hrs. car looked great. anyway, if you want to run a business, you can't give anything away for free. otherwise everyone will take advantage of you. oh btw, when i started i did have a price list - i set them still to this day by what i would be willing to pay for the job and quality of job i do.



dr. jones, for 5hrs. of work and all the things you did for that person's car, you should've gotten at least $100 if not more. you should probably start your own part-time detailing business and set your prices accordingly. i'd say on average you'd want to make at least $15/hr per job.



anyway, if either of you have more ????, i'd be happy to discuss things with you further - just email me or pm me. i started out 8yrs. ago part-time as a hobby - now it's full-time with 2 employees and approx. 60 - 100 cars/month.:xyxthumbs
 
Knowing what to charge is difficult, but do not be afraid to name your price (how do you think Picasso would feel charging some one a bizzilion bucks for a crayola doodle he made on a breakfast napkin?)



I costs the same time an effort to sell a $100 Service as a $10, so go for the price range you expect to get and provie service accordingly. A $15 wax "while-U-Wait" is what it is, a $150 detail cost more, but the customer gets more.



IMHO "Friends" are your worst cutomers.



"Friends" cost the most to please, they want the best job possible at the lowest price, Free is best for them



After you are finished with the job with little or no profit, they keep on coming back for you to "touch up" a spot you missed and sometimes act disapointed on the results.



it is ok to say, "I make a living out of this, you do not expect to work for free and me neither"



If they are your friends, they will give you all the business they can and get you plenty of referrals.



my $0.02
 
I've been charging some of my friend hardly anthing mainly because they are getting me lots of referrals, which is great for me.



sonnydaze, what product line do you use?
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by 2wheelsx2 [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Very cool. Thanks, Jason. Unfortunately, I am a bit older than you (37) and am already on my second career. Geologist for twelve years, then when the gold market collapsed, I got into telecom, thinking that it was the bomb, but it too collapsed, which leaves me where I am now.

Hmm...I guess I better get that PC sooner than later.:) [/b]</blockquote>
Funny you should mention this. I'm 45, on my 3rd career and been thinking that when Nortel gives me the boot I'd go do something I enjoy and gives me personal satisfaction (and won't affect my UI) for the summer :) .

Figured Ottawa was a good place for a detailing business, just don't know how to get started. So I'll send this TTT for ya.
 
To all who are new to the business. I have been in the auto field for over 30 years. I started in the backyard of my home. I learned along time ago you don't detail friends or relatives vehicles if you plan on making this a carreer. They will want your hard work for nothing. Anyone in this business knows that this work is way to hard to be given away. I have professionally polished over 70,000 vehicles in over 30 years. My passion has always been to be the best. Knowledge.... you better know the nature of the business, and average will never do. If you cannot perform a service better than the average backyard detailer forget it. If you are serious about the business get trained and I mean trained right. Find out who is the best in your area. Now go and work for him, even if only for a year. You have to know marketing, products and most of all the skills to make it a career. This business has gone from the backyard to high tech and running a business is so much more than detailing your friends and relatives vehicles. My web site is 855buff.com check it out. If you have any personal questions that you would like to ask e-mail me at [email protected]
 
Joe,



I checked out your site - you do perform some miracles, that black E.B. Expedition looked great after you detailed it.



But, I have one question, and I'm not trying to be a sm@rt @ss or anything, I'm just a little bewildered. You've done over 70,000 cars in 30+ years - holy cats! That's a lot of cars.



70,000 cars / 35 years = 2000 cars/year



2,000 cars/year = 166 cars/month



166 cars/month = 5.55 cars/day (30 days/mo) <- working everyday



$100/car = $555.55/day



$555.55/day = $16,666/month



$16,666/mo = $200,000/year



$200,000/yr = $7,000,000 income



Hmmmm, me thinks me needs to get faster at detailing and then place my order for that ever elusive Ferarri! :)



I'm assuming you have employees that account for some of those 70,000 vehicles? Just curious, and no flame intended, just curious.
 
Joe,

I am sure your company does excellent work.



But I question your knowledge when I see statements like this on your website, "At Joe Kennedy’s we use a wax which is formulated especially for us. Each hand crafted jar is comprised of nothing but 100% natural ivory carnauba wax." If your wax were 100% Carnauba it would be as hard as a brick and would be unuseable. There are solvents and oils mixed in to make it useable and help with shine.



I also read on your site where you advise people to ONLY use water when washing their vehicle. Yikes!!--this scares the hell out of me. I believe you should use some kind of car washing solution to provide some lubricity that water alone cannot provide.

What do you tell people to do who are having water restrictions due to drought conditions? Certainly they will not be able to flood their car multiple times with water to loosen up dirt and contaminants.
 
HEY autocare usa, i am sure you know what you are doing when you detail a car, and we all take pride in our work.

In every post you reply to you say " I have been in business for 30 years and detailed over 70,000 cars" I think we got it.:sosad

Dont want to have any bad feelings or anything but reading the same thing over and over and over again can be a little annoying.

I am a professional detailer as well, I take extreme pride in my work and maybe one day i will detail 70,000 cars at 125.00 each and then i can go a buy a island with the 937,500 i just made and name it autopia and invite all my friends from autopia to come and live on the island where it never rains and we can argue all day about klasse, pinnacale & zaino

NYD
 
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