Opening an auto detail shop??!?!

Anthony Orosco said:
Trying to treat all customers as equals, in my opinion, is not realistic.



We have super demanding clients that are a pain to deal with but they pay well and never question the costs.



Then we have nice clients who are also a pain because they haggle every cost. Some will even go to other shops because they save $20 for a certain service.



Which ones do you think get.......shall we say, "more attention"? So face it, you're going to have favorites. For some clients you'll do things for but for others you may only consider it.



Some people you will tell to take a hike......others you will bend over backwards to keep.



Anthony
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Very good point.



Usually, by doing quality work, you can change the price hagglers into long term customers. Price isn't the selling point any more.
 
jhall629 said:
I am familiar with DP, Chemical Guys, and Meguiar's. and Sudz i am located in Cincinnati, ohio.... also a guy i know who started a mobile detail business, recommended starting out with AutoGeek's Pro Detailer Startup Kit #1 and then finding used buffers and carpet cleaners, and then restocking as I go. my concern is where i want to put the shop is in a high traffic area, where a lot of pass by on their way to work, or anywhere for that matter, so my concern is running out before my supplies get ordered and shipped to me.
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You are in luck if you are in Cincinnati. Great company there called Automotive International you can get product from. Their website is www.autoint.com
 
Yeah i was supposed to go over there this week and look at some stuff scotty...but we got a lot of snow, so i havent been able to make it over there.
 
jhall629 said:
Yeah i was supposed to go over there this week and look at some stuff scotty...but we got a lot of snow, so i havent been able to make it over there.
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Good stuff. I think he's semi-retired now but if he's there ask for Ron Ketcham or Tim. They really know their stuff and can help you a great deal with your business.
 
jhall629 said:
Twisted i wasn't sure where to post it, i didnt see this forum column til after i posted in the other one.. and wcd i wont charge more for higher end or upper class customers, im gonna view all my customers as equal..and what you said about cincinnati being cheap real estate...not exactly lol... im in a more upper class suburb of cincinnati, 2,000 a month to lease a 2 garage building that used to be a used car lot lol. I'm actually waiting on insurance quotes from a few places. taxes, i've talked to the city and got info on all the taxes id have to pay. as far as OSHA, ive been looking into that, everywher i look tells me something different, so im thinking i might just call OSHA haha. The location i want to use is a highly traveled road, its the main road that connects a lot of the cities together, its traveled allday long with a constant flow of traffic. I have already called ValuGuard, i plan on going over there on Monday. The detailing will be done by me, and my cousin, we got started together. Other services will be farmed out, such as paint touch up and such, i know a guy who has had his own paint touchup business for about 15 years, so i've been getting advice from him as well. I'm currently in the process of crunching numbers to figure out exactly how much ill need to get going, and figuring out what i can cut out to start at the beginning that i can add later...wow this is a long post haha. As far as the logo and color scheme, i have a friend who is really good with photoshop, he's been working on a few things for me, plus i have a friend who works for a local sign company here, but the signs and flyers, and banners can all be done once i figure out everything else.
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Bro do not! i repeat do not do business with your relatives!! its cool to do business and everything but when it comes to money later your going to have problems. :think2 My dad used to be in business (not a small one) and he always tells me that. Actually it better if 1 is the owner and 2 owners is not so good, your going to have more money, but when you have 2 owners he (your cousin) has to get half of your profit.But its your business so you do what ever you want.
 
Check out Stoner as well. They make good products and ship for free to east of the Mississippi. As others have said, the products are much less important than the business aspect of it.
 
Beth from AI just sent me my updated price list this week. Ron is living in his home-not too close to AI now, but posts here and there. Very educated on paint and everything in between.



I just restocked my shelves and 70% of it is AI, Omni, Fast Finish (I heard they are not making this anymore) and leather cond. and cleaner.



Anyway, it looks like you are doing a lot of things to start right. Make sure you have enough money to carry you for at least 3-5 months if you do NOT detail one car- this is the problem with restaurants...just enough to open, but not run.



A 2 car location here would be about $4500 per month in a good location. A local is selling his 4 car garage for 1.2 million on a busy street. A bit too much for me..actually, a lot too much for me. Costs should be associated with location- a good location will get drive-bys, while the alley will have no visibility. Pay for the location and work it with signage and image.



I'll be in Dayton in the summer so if you are up and running, I'll try to to get down there and visit.



Rob
 
Well you mentioned mid to high end customers, I may be able to help here. I use Swissvax, RaceGlaze(uk), Menzerna, Scholl, Chemical Guys, and some others. Pretty much anything like APC, Soaps, Wheel Cleaners can be found at Chemical guys. Polishes and pads can be sourced in various places. Swissvax from Detailers Domain, and Race Glaze from Autowerkes Exclusive.



We have a few wholesale suppliers around here. The products are just a bit sketchy in my eyes. My best example of this was one local rep was talking about his products with me, and had a hard time telling me what was actually in them. I know there are a lot of good companies out there that are subject to brand snobbery, however high end customers love to know exactly what is going on their car. When you have some brand power in the likes of Swissvax or some other it really helps.

Thats just my opinion on this. I feel its either quality or quantity in the business. Its up to you to decide which one you want.
 
David Fermani said:
Holy crap - $4500 for a 2 bay. That's crazy. You could never make a profit.
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I called/emailed on a couple places a while back...wanted 3k for a small 1200sqft place with no drainage setup...basically would have to water reclaim and wash mat setup in the back and move all the cars indoors for the surgery work. I didnt really like the fact it wasnt big/wide enough to at least fit 6 cars 3 wide and 2 deep...Cali is a joke for storefront/shop locations.



Maybe now is a better time to search a year later...
 
Even @ $3K, you gotta have some decent amount of cash flow to support it. I'd be willing to bet commercial real estate prices are going to start dying harder than residential.
 
youre telling me...I was looking to get into something for just 1200-1500 per month and cant really justify it unless I was relatively close to a dealership to hopefully get some recon work! But its highly unlikely that will happen. Plus, I would have to find some help and possibly partner up with someone to get it going properly so that I am not doing both technical and business ends
 
I was saying the cheap rent wasnt going to happen. I looked at another place and it was 2500 per month. Getting cheaper, but still not worth it IMO. thats about 13 details @250 a piece just to pay rent, utilities, supplies, etc...
 
If you're planning on being a one man show I wouldn't even consider getting into a fixed location.



On the other hand if you're trying to build and own a detailing business I think a fixed location is the best option. A properly set-up two bay operation can gross more then $200K/year rather easily. By 'easily' I mean that $250-300K isn't out of the question either.



$2,500/month for a good location isn't really all that bad. Keep in mind that a good location, properly signed with good eyeball will bring in business on it's own w/o advertising dollars.
 
MichaelM said:
If you're planning on being a one man show I wouldn't even consider getting into a fixed location.



On the other hand if you're trying to build and own a detailing business I think a fixed location is the best option. A properly set-up two bay operation can gross more then $200K/year rather easily. By 'easily' I mean that $250-300K isn't out of the question either.



$2,500/month for a good location isn't really all that bad. Keep in mind that a good location, properly signed with good eyeball will bring in business on it's own w/o advertising dollars.
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I completely agree. It's easy to look at the numbers and say, "It'll only take "X" number of $250 jobs to cover the expense of rent", but that equation fails to account for taxes, insurance, and utilities. Then add in your other expenses like marketing/advertising, cell phone, tools & product, etc. All this before you can take home the first dollar. Also, what happens when it rains for a few days and you lose a day, two, maybe more of work? The rent and other expenses that are tied to the building still have to be paid even if you aren't bringing in the money.



A shop is a great thing, but it takes a lot more money than what most people realize to not only run it, but to make money with it.
 
I'll just keep this going here...



one man operation, possibly a two man team

maybe a two bay, or enough floor space to fit 3-4 cars

wash mat outside, or drainage inside (ideal)

working both paint correction and one steps



Think I should take the plunge? I mean, its going pretty good right now, I am just thinking that I want to expand a little and get some passerby traffic and let the shop space do some advertising for me as well.



I dont know, I want to, but the risk is pretty big considering, but then again, location is key and I am in a pretty good area.



Thoughts?
 
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