More money in 09?

A

A.P.D.

New member
I have just started my third year in auto detailing (mobile). I still love it however I want to make more money/profit this year. I am thinking about doing car wash fridays $20-25 because i know a car wash with a new customer can lead to more in the long run. and saturday and sunday charging more because more people request these days ( interior $100 however monday - thursday= $80). what do you guys think I know friday is a good day to detail however if i was to focus more in the future i will be able to bring my full details from 160 to 200. PLEASE VOICE YOU OPINION. Thanks

-Andre K. Boyd:idea
 
Not a bad idea, people are always looking for a deal. What are your other methods of advertising? You may need to increase that as well. Another often forgotten way to make more profit is to become more efficient to reduce labor and/or costs.
 
i was told #1 way for new buisness is word of mouth then computer ads

i use internet ads and cl i also offer free washes to a owner of a famous rim shop so when his customers see me working on his nice cars they ask for a card or wash too
 
brwill2005 said:
Not a bad idea, people are always looking for a deal. What are your other methods of advertising? You may need to increase that as well. Another often forgotten way to make more profit is to become more efficient to reduce labor and/or costs.
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Exactly, the idea should be to use your pricing special to draw new customers. By offering this special and only having current customers benefit, you're only losing money that you would normally have.



Decide how many customers you need to get from this to outweigh the money you lose by offering the special to current customers(customers that will cost you more money now).
 
for $160:

motor

wash , clay, buff/polish( one step with high speed), paint sealant or wax, door jams hood jam and trunk jam cleaned, interior shampoo, leather and vinyl clean, leather and vinyl condition, head lights if needed, head liner spot cleaned and trunk vac , windows and all the other car wash steps
 
Sounds like you are doing quite a bit for $160. $20-$25 car washes sound too cheap as well, along with those free car washes that you're doing. Charging different prices based on the day, IMO, isn't the smartest thing to do.



I don't like the idea of advertising on Craigslist. A lot of times, cheap advertising = cheap customers. You also just have to be smart about how you advertise. Look into Google Adwords. Do you have a website? If not, get one and get some good pictures of your work on there.



To me, it sounds like you're not advertising in the right areas. You are also not targeting the right clientele (the type of people that will pay for quality detailing). By trying to sell your washes in hopes to get them to want a detail is the wrong approach. Go after people that want their cars DETAILED and then offer maintenance packages (wash, wash & vac, wash & wax).



If you do quality work, don't be afraid of charging what your services are worth. Be confident and go get the clientele you want.
 
thanks Mike

besides google ad words where else do people that want quality work look for our services?

wHAt if i have a standard full detail for $160 and a qualitiy detail for $250 would that make since to cater to the cheap crowd and the quality demanders?

THANKS FOR THE GREAT ADVICE I FEEL AS A AUTO DETAILER WE ARE ARE OWN BIGGEST PROBLEM ON WHY WE DO NOT ALWAYS GET THEM MONEY WE DESIRVE
 
A.P.D. said:
thanks Mike



wHAt if i have a standard full detail for $160 and a qualitiy detail for $250 would that make since to cater to the cheap crowd and the quality demanders?
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Thats always a good idea, if thats what your area demands. You have to cater to your surroundings...



I read your detail for 160...that should take no more than 3-5 hours...if that! Anymore time you wouldn't be doing justice for yourself, unless your happy with what your doing!



I only have 4 packages then an hourly package as well...i priced the packages where I feel comfortable and would be making $. That's the number one reason why people go into business.
 
A.P.D. said:
thanks Mike

besides google ad words where else do people that want quality work look for our services?

wHAt if i have a standard full detail for $160 and a qualitiy detail for $250 would that make since to cater to the cheap crowd and the quality demanders?

THANKS FOR THE GREAT ADVICE I FEEL AS A AUTO DETAILER WE ARE ARE OWN BIGGEST PROBLEM ON WHY WE DO NOT ALWAYS GET THEM MONEY WE DESIRVE
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No problem.



I would try to get involved in local car clubs and car shows. Find someone that does the car show thing and see if you can detail their car prior to a show. If they are happy with the job, they should have no problem bragging about you to other people at the car show.



Also, I want to be involved in my community because a) I want to help the community I'm in and b) I want people to know who I am and what I do. I'm member of our local where there are a bunch of community leaders and small business owners. When I'm there (or when I'm out in general), I always try to look and act professional, be courteous and respectful, and be very knowledgeable for those people that have questions about what I do. Showing confidence and excitement when you talk to people will also help.



Lastly, get involved in some automotive forums. For example, I own a Mazda3 so I play "resident detailer" on the forum I frequent. I also try to involve myself in other car forums where I don't own that particular car, but the type of people that would buy that kind of car are the people I want as clients (BMW's, Infiniti G35/G37's, Nissan 350z/370z, etc.).



I forgot to mention, get yourself some professional looking business cards and hand them out to everyone you meet in person. Once you have a website, business cards will become even more powerful because you can have your site address on there and they can read information about your services at their leisure.
 
Another thing I forgot to mention.....



You asked about packages. I would suggest 2-3 packages for new customers and 1-2 maintenance packages. For new customers, you could have a Express, Mini, and Full or Complete Detail. You can decide which services you want to perform for each and price accordingly. Once you've detailed their car, the key is to keep them coming back to freshen up the detail. I would suggest offering a Wash & Vac and a Wash, Wax, & Vac. Those are pretty self explanatory. Just don't under-price yourself.



Figure out what you need to make per hour, including your own wage, and price the packages accordingly, especially when it comes to vehicle size. You don't want to charge the same price for a Civic and a Suburban.
 
A.P.D. said:
for $160:

motor

wash , clay, buff/polish( one step with high speed), paint sealant or wax, door jams hood jam and trunk jam cleaned, interior shampoo, leather and vinyl clean, leather and vinyl condition, head lights if needed, head liner spot cleaned and trunk vac , windows and all the other car wash steps
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WOW! Like mshu7 said, that is a whole lot for $160. FWIW, I do everything you mentioned minus the motor and shampoo for $160 (on cars), and depending on the condition on of the headlights, I will charge $10-15 additional per light if they are really bad.



It is a good idea to target the cheaper or "economy" customers as well. Heck, target all that you can in your area, the more the merrier!
 
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