Post your Detailing Business Goals for 2006

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imported_mirrorfinishman

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When it comes to operating a detailing business, sometimes we would just like to continue to do things the way we have always done them. It's easy to understand, it's almost always fun and it's the way we know best. Hey, doing things the way we have always done them got us this far. However, as our detailing businesses continue to grow we need to take time to set realistic goals and find ways of measuring whether or not we are meeting those goals.



Since we are all at different levels in this industry, we will all have different goals. Think about it; some are new to detailing, some weekend driveway detailers, some own detail shops, some do mobile detailing, some do only wholesale dealership work, some do only re-conditioning type detailing, some do car dealer washing and prep, some do recreational vehicles, some do boats, some do power washing of tractor and trailers, some do express detailing, some do extreme detailing, some offer equipment, some offer products, some offer services and information about detailing. Yes, we are all at different levels in this industry and we all come from different backgrounds. So of course, our goals will be different.



What are your detailing business goals for 2006?



ps - I am in the process of getting together my own business goals and will post them soon. Thanks in advance for posting yours.
 
My goal is to get my mobile business off the ground and do it full time by the middle of 2006. I have a full time job mon- friday from 7 a.m. till 4p.m. so its kinda hard to do it during the week.
 
Once 2006 hits, and it starts to get a little warmer around here, I'm going to hit detailing full time, as hard as I can. My goal is to have a steady stream of mobile work by June.



I'm going to advertise as hard as I can without breaking the bank. Maybe take up some ads with coupons and use them to advertise in the local business thing that's sent out to every house in the city. I might even call up some of the dealers that have nicer cars (there's a place around here that only sells Corvettes, for instance) and try to sell my services to them.



I hope to save up as much money as I can before getting married (which I hope to be fall of 2006). If I can't get detailing to work out next summer, I'm going to just get a full time job somewhere, sell some of my equipment, and forget doing detailing outside of a hobby - I have to get a steady income next year, so I suppose that's truly my goal.
 
My main goal for '06 is to stay focused and keep doing what I have been doing. This year my business really exploded with alot of business in so many different areas and with the addition of football season, I kind of lost focus on my business! :grinno:



Better record keeping and things of that nature are my main goals for improvement.
 
In 2005. . . .



I bought a cargo van, licensed myself with my county, got insured, worked my tail off, learned a lot about the business, learned a lot about many different vehicles, sought out further training and am still detailing full time as we enter December.



In 2006. . . .



I would like to get organized on the administrative side of things. My books are not what they could ("should" says my always unimpressed CPA) be; and my filing system needs an overhaul. Once I have remedied those issues I hope to fall into an effortless routine each evening. This will reduce stress in multiple areas of my life.



I will give more accurate monetary estimates in relation to the level of work it will take for me to complete a vehicle to my standards. I am guilty of selling myself short. I have noticed that I am very optimistic when adding up the time it will take with moderate to poorly conditioned vehicles in need of up to three polishing steps or heavy interior stain removal. I need to be more fair to myself.



I will pace myself through the summer. Last summer I was detailing by 7a and often times didn't get home until 9p. Breaks were taken as I filled my wash bucket, reeled my hoses and went back to my van for another towel. Not healthy IMO.



I would like to push more extensive "out of the box" services like Leatherique, thorough engine detailing, odor removal (via ozonator), and outsourcing services like chip repair and PDR. . . all to broaden my market while in some aspect, fine tuning it. I would like to further carve my niche.



I need to keep focused on why I started this company in the first place. . . because I enjoy detailing.
 
mirrorfinishman said:
Are you planning on supplying individuals or professional detailers?
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Both, I will be selling CGs and Optimum, both are more professional aimed but I want to introduce individuals to them, via car shows, get togethers, etc.
 
Pontman43 said:
Both, I will be selling CGs and Optimum, both are more professional aimed but I want to introduce individuals to them, via car shows, get togethers, etc.
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i hope there is a bay area and autopia discount
 
Goals... that's always a nice thing to write about and then find out you've only accomplised 50% of it. :) Shoot high... and reach it half of what it was is always great. I plan on marketing heavily selling products in the local area and continue throughtout the year. Introducing and getting people to use a specific product is always difficult. But with preserverance it should be done. If in 2006 I can move $50k of inventory I'll be happy.
 
proshine said:
My goal is to get my mobile business off the ground and do it full time by the middle of 2006. I have a full time job mon- friday from 7 a.m. till 4p.m. so its kinda hard to do it during the week.
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Your post reminds me of when I started my own mobile detailing business back in 1986. I also started out on a part time basis. I continued working full time and doing the detailing part time until 1990. Before I went full time, I had been working as a Quality Assurance Manager for a local car wash manufacturing company for 10 years.



It's not like I didn’t know what to expect when I opened my mobile detailing business in 1986. It was during my years at the car wash company that I came upon two realizations that helped me launch my business.



First, I began to realize that there was a growing need for specialized automobile detailing services. Remember, back in the mid 1980's most people thought getting your car detailed meant getting pin stripes put on your car. Second, I also began to realize that I could earn extra income doing something that I really enjoyed. Since I had always kept my own vehicles cleaned and polished, it was only natural to start to offer the same service for other people.



When these thoughts started coming to me, I didn’t jump right into the detailing business. I began to seek out much needed education about how to start and operate a successful business. I got started by attending entrepreneur small business courses at Rutgers University in Camden, N.J., and followed that up with advertising and marketing seminars at Drexel University in Philadelphia.



One of the very first things I did after attending a few of these business courses was to begin to write a business plan. I still write down everything. Every idea, every thought still gets documented. Actually the original mission of my business is still the same as I had written it back in 1986.



I believe that the key to operating a successful detailing business is to simply concentrate on business principles even more than you concentrate on detailing principles. I would say that 80 percent of the educational effort should be focused on learning more about what it takes to own and operate a successful and profitable business. The other 20 percent should be learning more about the actual process of detailing.
 
HomicidalSloth said:
Once 2006 hits, and it starts to get a little warmer around here, I'm going to hit detailing full time, as hard as I can. My goal is to have a steady stream of mobile work by June.



If I can't get detailing to work out next summer, I'm going to just get a full time job somewhere, sell some of my equipment, and forget doing detailing outside of a hobby - I have to get a steady income next year, so I suppose that's truly my goal.
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Don't discount the fact that detailing is a great part time business. Having a steady income from a full time job allows most of your income from detailing part time to go for all of the extra things you want to buy. It's a great combination when you're first starting out.
 
mirrorfinishman said:
Don't discount the fact that detailing is a great part time business. Having a steady income from a full time job allows most of your income from detailing part time to go for all of the extra things you want to buy. It's a great combination when you're first starting out.
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Yep, thats how I am now(except part time job and school). I bought my headers from the money I earned detailing, but my other part time job pays for a lot of extras too.
 
One of the goals that I am planning for next year is to promote the celebration of being in business for 20 years. Yes, 2006 will be the 20th anniversary of starting my own detailing business.



Actually, I still remember the day my neighbor walked across the street and asked me about cleaning his car. He said he had noticed that my own cars were always so clean and he wondered if I would be willing to polish and wax his Chevy Malibu. While I was cleaning his car I got to thinking that it wouldn't be that difficult and it wouldn't cost that much to place a small ad in a weekly shopper paper and see what kind of response I could get. Well within a few weeks I was beginning to attract a few new customers. Those customers told other friends and family about my new business and before long I had more than enough business and no need to do any further newspaper ads.



Here are a few things I am in the process of with regard to promoting our 20th anniversary.



1- New shirts, hats and jackets with our new 1986-2006 logos have already been ordered and received.



2- Special gold foil 20th Anniversary Seals have been purchased, received and are already being used.



3- New calenders announcing our twenth year anniversary have already been purchased and started to be mailed out.



4- New business cards and all other printed materials are currently being updated to include information about our 20th year in business.



5- Special '20th Anniversary Thank You Cards' are currently being designed and they will be mailed out to each customer after they get their car detailed in 2006.
 
My goal this year is to increase my business by offering interior detailing. Up until now I've only done exterior details because thats what I enjoy doing, but I know I'm throwing money away. So I will invest in a shampooer and offer a full service next year. Another thing I'm doing is using gift certificates to increase business. I read a post not long ago that talked about giving out gift certificates to new customers. I put the gift certificate on the back of my business cards and give the customers 4 or 5 cards. The gift certificates are worth $35 to new customers and the referral is woth $30. So the customer I gave 4 or 5 business cards to gets $30 off any detail for every referral they send me and the customer they send to me gets $35 off a detail. On the back of the card where the gift certificate is there is a "referred by" spot for the customer to write thier name so I know who's referred them. I haven't used this yet as we are in the winter months, but I look forward to trying this next year.
 
mirrorfinishman said:
I believe that the key to operating a successful detailing business is to simply concentrate on business principles even more than you concentrate on detailing principles. I would say that 80 percent of the educational effort should be focused on learning more about what it takes to own and operate a successful and profitable business. The other 20 percent should be learning more about the actual process of detailing.
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So true, Frank. There's no shortage of unique ideas. It's all in the execution. ;)
 
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