I started as a part-time mobile detailing business in 1986. For years I had worked as a quality assurance manager for a local car wash manufacturing firm. During that time I came upon two realizations that helped me to launch my new business.
First, I began to realize that there was a growing need for specialized automobile detailing services. 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 did not jump right into the detailing business. I 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 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 really believe that professional detailers need to concentrate on business principles even more than they 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.
Too often, many detailing businesses fail because the owners are too busy taking care of the technical side of the business. These guys may be good detailers, however, that does not necessarily make them good business owners.
My detailing ability comes naturally from my father. My ability to do detailing was the result of my dad taking the time to teach me everything he knew about how to properly clean, polish and wax a vehicle,� he says. He always had a clean car and he always did all of the work himself. It was only natural for me to follow in his footsteps.
My detailing business is strictly a mobile detailing operation where all of the cleaning, polishing and waxing is done at the customer’s business or home. I learned early on that in order to become successful you must constantly be focused on meeting the needs of your customers. My customers are now like family and friends. Our mutual respect for one and other goes well beyond the scope of detailing.
Professionalism is the key to operating a successful and profitable detailing business. Of course, customers expect to see good results; however, they are equally concerned with all of the things that you do that adds up to creating an overall good experience. For example, since I operate a mobile detailing business it is very important that I arrive on the job at the agreed time of the appointment. I also dress in clean, professional-looking, color-coordinated work cloths. Matching work hat with embroidered company name, etc. All of this makes a professional statement with the customer.
I constantly try to look at everything from the customer’s prospective. I treat my customers the same way I like to be treated. I use only the finest professional products because that is what I would use on my own cars. I understand that my customers are not interested in just getting the lowest price. They are much more interested in knowing they are receiving high-quality service and getting their money’s worth.
Too often, detailing businesses fail because they are constantly trying to compete with other detailers and constantly lowering their prices. In the detailing business, that is simply a mistake. A low price may matter when you’re doing wholesale restoration work for a dealership; however, most retail customers care more about getting a high-quality job and they are not afraid to pay a much higher price for that kind of service.
As with most small businesses, I have experimented with a number of marketing avenues before finding something that worked. In my case, customer referrals are what worked the best. My customers just love telling their family and friends about my detailing service. They are constantly sending me new customer referrals. I have also found that just talking with people who own an expensive car often yields good results too. That is why I always carry a couple of business cards with me. You never know when someone is going to ask about my detailing services.
The main thing to becoming successful is to learn how to operate a business. You have to create a strategic plan that will help to identify the customer and why that customer needs the service being offered.
Remember, when it comes to detailing, it’s not about price. It’s more about offering a high-quality service. Finally, always remain focused on meeting the needs of your customer. If everything else fails just providing professional services and meeting the needs of your customer can make you a success.
Too many detailers spend way too much time worrying about the competition and how everything relates to their own personal needs. Doing that is a sure recipe for failure. For a detailer to be successful they must remain focused on constantly giving the customer much more than they expect. They must remain focused on meeting and exceeding the needs of their customer. To be successful the customer must truly come first.
I think the major growth of my detailing business will continue to come from specializing in the care and appearance maintenance of more and more high-end vehicles, such as exotic sports cars, antique and classic cars.
