How many pros deal with this?

Scottwax said:
The main problem I see is the lack of work ethic in so many people. It is about the paycheck only. I like getting paid too, but I also take personal pride in the job I do, whether it is detailing cars now or trying to be the fastest fish dropper when I worked at Long John Silvers in high school. I've always wanted to excel in what I do, no matter the monetary rewards.



I've always thought if you love what you do and strive to do it well, the money will follow.
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No kidding about work ethic. I had a young guy work for me since last summer and he just turned 16. Minimum wage for anyone under 18 here is $6.25 and he started here at $7.00 and just got a raise to $8.00 but quit because his "friends" told him he was a sucker and working for nothing. Young kids expect everything without having to work to achieve it. I found a really good article in a magazine about this and should post it. It's in the lastest issue of details magazine if anyone buys that.
 
"Details"?



Is that a magazine about auto detailing? If so where are they sold?



This whole issue of "employees", "work ethics" and hiring people is a great topic to branch off into because I believe it goes hand in hand with the main theme of this thread.



If anyone has tips and advice on hiring, training and KEEPING helpers I am all ears.



Anthony
 
Anthony Orosco said:
"Details"?



Is that a magazine about auto detailing? If so where are they sold?



This whole issue of "employees", "work ethics" and hiring people is a great topic to branch off into because I believe it goes hand in hand with the main theme of this thread.



If anyone has tips and advice on hiring, training and KEEPING helpers I am all ears.



Anthony
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Unfortunatley it isn't a detailing magazine - it's a men's magazine available at any newstand. It just has a interesting article written about how younger people feel "entitled" to high pay, good jobs etc... and don't want to have to prove their worth or earn their keep so to speak.
 
Anthony you are in an interesting area where expanding your business changes your role in the business and how it is run. I remember a scenario I was studying in business school that could make you think a little. A carpenter was working for a company, he was their best employee mostly due to his passion for building and the way the customers appreciated what he did. Over the years he was thinking that he was a big reason for the company's success with his boss driving the nice car and having the big house. So he breaks out, starts his own business, no boss, and is extremely happy to work his way under his conditions and have the customers recognize his work. After taking a little while to get off the ground his work is in high demand. He starts hiring employees, after a few years he has many crews working, and has no choice but to assume more of a manager/supervisor role. Business is great he is making money but of course the quality of work isn't up to his standards as his employees are primarily there for the check and have no passion for their work as long as it is decent. Over the years the owner is continually unhappy even though the company is successful. He realized that he never wanted to be a supervisor or even a pure businessman, he just wanted to be a carpenter, and doing the work was what made him happy.



There is nothing wrong with being a businessman and there is nothing wrong with making money from your profession, but there is a disctinction between being a "craftsman" or "business oppotunist." The point is to be happy and enjoy the challenges that your profession brings.
 
You are correct. I belive it is good you think this way, because you will be pushed to do better. And there is always a way to do something better. Have you tried different ways to achive a common task. Like a new tool or product? How about tring new things on your time off like on your own vehicle or a family members? Just some ideas.



Ryan



P.S. Autopia isn't the only place to learn and get new ideas.
 
Shineshop......



A "mens magazine" eh? I am guessing then it has bodies in it but not of the automobile type :) Best then if I leave that one at the book store!



Thomas,



Great story and as I read it the other day I took a day to just reflect on this whole thing and realize that while I love what I do with a passion, and could for the most part be fine going the way I am going just being a one man show (with the help of my very loyal and hard working assistant) I also realize that more and more people are wanting me to maintain their cars and I just can't be everywhere at the same time unless I can clone myself :)



For instance this week alone I have already done a full detail yesterday, started full detail #2 last night, a client that moved has his Porsche here in town for service and wants a full detail plus another client left for vacation gave me the remote to his garage and wants his Yukon detailed and his Porsche spruced up.

This does not include the regulars I have throughout the week.



Next week I am meeting with the administrator of a new building just about ready to open up and they have reserved a place for me in the parking area to detail the cars of the 60 or more physcians. Now not all 60 will have their cars done by me but I can count on at least 20. I am not complaining at all but I am going crazy trying to think about managing all this.



My conclusion, after thought and prayer, is that if this be of the Lord then it will all work out. Plain and simple, perhaps too simple and that might be the reason why I am loosing sleep over the whole idea of growth, employees and managing.



I'll keep all informed of what happens and how things work out, if I succeed and better myself or if I end it all by working at McDonalds draining french fries!!!



Anthony
 
Anthony Orosco said:
Shineshop......



A "mens magazine" eh? I am guessing then it has bodies in it but not of the automobile type :) Best then if I leave that one at the book store!



Thomas,



Great story and as I read it the other day I took a day to just reflect on this whole thing and realize that while I love what I do with a passion, and could for the most part be fine going the way I am going just being a one man show (with the help of my very loyal and hard working assistant) I also realize that more and more people are wanting me to maintain their cars and I just can't be everywhere at the same time unless I can clone myself :)



For instance this week alone I have already done a full detail yesterday, started full detail #2 last night, a client that moved has his Porsche here in town for service and wants a full detail plus another client left for vacation gave me the remote to his garage and wants his Yukon detailed and his Porsche spruced up.

This does not include the regulars I have throughout the week.



Next week I am meeting with the administrator of a new building just about ready to open up and they have reserved a place for me in the parking area to detail the cars of the 60 or more physcians. Now not all 60 will have their cars done by me but I can count on at least 20. I am not complaining at all but I am going crazy trying to think about managing all this.



My conclusion, after thought and prayer, is that if this be of the Lord then it will all work out. Plain and simple, perhaps too simple and that might be the reason why I am loosing sleep over the whole idea of growth, employees and managing.



I'll keep all informed of what happens and how things work out, if I succeed and better myself or if I end it all by working at McDonalds draining french fries!!!



Anthony
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You'll be fine Anthony. This is a very hard way to make a living but it is possible to very successful if you work hard, use your head and learn as much as possible. Good luck and keep a positive attitude.
 
Anthony Orosco said:
My conclusion, after thought and prayer, is that if this be of the Lord then it will all work out. Plain and simple, perhaps too simple and that might be the reason why I am loosing sleep over the whole idea of growth, employees and managing.
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Amen, Anthony, amen!



A good place to place your trust.



One way to look at it is that you can always turn some of the business away. If you are making what you need/want, then why not recommend someone else you know who is good and needs the business?
 
Anthony just a thought for you. I decided a while back that I was going to set myself apart from other detailers. I would focus on being the absolute best auto detailer I could. I would charge more than anyone else and I would make a great living doing so. From what I read here Anthony you can charge whatever you want and you will still be busy. Business are busy because they are the best or they are cheap, period. How many detailers do you know charge very little for there service? These guys charge what they feel they are worth and that is usually very little. I know I am better than anyone around and I charge accordingly. I believe if you charge more for your details you will retain 90% of your customers. Remember most people expand their business because they want to make more money. In your case charge what you believe to be a fair price for superior work knowing that your customers cannot go someplace else and get the same quality of work.You will make more money and have far less headaches .Don't let all this get to you. As you said just pray on it. Amazing things will hapen when we put things in Gods hands and take them out of ours.
 
Auto Care,



Great minds MUST think alike because my wife and I have been talking about things and my wife said, "Why don't you just raise your prices and do less work for more money?"



This is an option that I will most likely implement at the first of the year. I'll increase my prices across the board because actually I have not raised my prices in at least 2 years. By the way when I wrote that great minds must think alike I meant yours and my wifes obviously, and not mine and yours :)



Thanks again,

Anthony
 
Hello Anthony,



How about this, I am going to talk about something ancillary to your other favorite subject.



ShineShop gets a 10 for his response Anthony and other responses to you have hit the target rather close to the bull’s-eye. As you know Anthony I am an analyst however I also owned my own business, rather I was part of a family owned business and I understand exactly the frustration that goes with growing a business. Auto Care USA said it best however – “Anthony as you delegate more work to your assistant I can only advise you that no matter how much you delegate to other people if they don't share our passion your in trouble.� So what do you do? Today I have a successful business as well as my contract with the Navy via a private company I work for, all due to something I learned years ago growing up. If you want to be successful, seek out and immerse or surround yourself with successful people who you feel closely resembles your beliefs, moralities and importantly your personality, then learn from them and emulate what they do. This does not necessarily mean they have to be in the same business.



I regret not going to college but life simply got in the way however, I did search out and identify successful people and learned as much as I could from them. And if I couldn’t get all the information I wanted from them, I simply read a lot. One of the most successful business people I have recently met up with is Jim Bland. He is president of Peak Performance Business Solutions, Inc. No I am not part of his business solutions business; I met Jim through a friend who was asked, as it so happened, to go to work for him. On Jim’s business card it reads “The Competitive Edge for Business Development�. Jim has successfully started several businesses and then went on to sell them for substantial profits. Jim has travel throughout the country lecturing on business development and has been sought after for advice for years. He began his present business for, in part, the points you stated at the beginning of your thread. The other reason is to give either new business owners or flailing businesses a competitive edge with education and proper tools. And you know as well as I, the failure rate of new businesses is astronomical. The reason these new businesses fail? Technically they know what they are doing but from a business perspective, they haven’t a clue and this very important aspect is what gobbles them up.



There is no reason you cannot contact Jim either by phone at 301 737-4400 or visit his website at www.peakperformancebusiness.com. It won’t cost you anything to call Jim for information and who knows; you just might help either other detailers or that new fledgling by what you learn when you contact him.



Best of luck to you Anthony.



Bruce…..
 
I am also never satisfied. I stop because I promised the vehicle in 4 hours and on am going into 6 now!!



I am great at delagating work. I have decided to expand. I have been no more than a two man show for the last 13 years. So who better to train detailers to detail just right than me.



It is going to be hard to trust them but I am killing myself doing it all by myself.



I call it a curse. I can't even enjoy buyng a car (ne wor used) because I see all the flaws in it-- UUUUUGH!
 
Bruce,



Thanks for the info and well wishes, appreciate that.



Superior,



I hear you on the "killing myself" part! I am not sure about the rest of the pros reading and contributing here on this thread but my kness, wrists, fingers and especially the toes in my right foot really ACHE!!



As for buying cars, well I notice that same things but I just see it as another challenge. Detail the car then take it back to the dealer and tell them this is how it should look when someone drives it off the lot!



I detailed a black BMW the other day but was really unsatisfied with the results so I told the client to bring it back to me next week. He was understanding and agred to drop it off with me next week sometime. It is mainly the hood and trunk that I would like to go over.......for another 3 hours, :)



Anthony
 
Superior Shine. I too have been detailing for 15 years now. 5 years working for others and the other years for myself. I have met some great people in this business and have been fortuneate to keep in touch with them. It helps alot to know a few good people who unserstand what it's about. If you are feeling a little tired of "hauling the load" you probably should find new customers who appreciate you more or can pay a higher fee for you work. Dont allow a customer to pay less for a service you can provide well. You will be doing us all a favor.



Ryan
 
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