Where to get training?

1

1900 Driver

New member
I'm looking to get some professional training and open a part time mobile detailing operation. My current job (Which I'm just starting) will have me working 10 days a month, on call 10 days a month and off 10 days a month. This type of schedule will make it very hard to find any type of part time job working for someone else.

I'm looking to start with cars but hope to expand into airplanes as there seems to be nobody in the area doing planes. I found Attention to Detail on the internet, and they appear to have a first class operation with a 6 day class on cars/planes and leather repair. I'm also hoping to find some niche markets doing the leather repair, carpet dying, chip repair or something similar so as not to take work away from other guys, but to help generate more total business.

I would rather pay to get some training and get up and running sooner, than learn as I go and slowly expand the business. I would love to hear how other people got going and am open to all input that I can get. Thanks for reading my post! :drunk
 
Training is going to cost some bucks. Rightlook.com has training material you can purchase. DetailKing.com also has training classes. Or you could spend some quality time reading up on what to use and how to use it and save some bucks. :) Detail City is a good resource for that kind of thing. I've also written up a little thing on how to get started. Click here for my article. There are lots of ways to make some extra money detailing. A lot of what the classes will teach you is how to make a full time business work. Lots of information on marketing and that kind of thing. If you are just looking for instruction on what to buy and how to use it, then you can probably get that info on forums like Detail City.

Something that you might want to look at, although it may totally conflict with your current job, is a MARS kind of operation. www.marsinternational.com is the website for them. They provide the training and the material to do everything that you can imagine. MARS stands for Mobile Automotive Restoration Service. My goal is to have an operation like that in the future. Anyway, its interesting to look at.
 
Don't know where you live, but I'm taking a course offered by Detail King this weekend (27th & 28th) in Pittsburgh, PA. Class ran $299, with a max of 20 people/1 class. Hotel could be cheaper, but the one I'm staying at is $79/night. They have these classes regularly and I believe they have a CA location also.
 
What do you think the attitude of other detailers would be if I tried to get a part time job with them? Would they feel like they were just training their competition? I had thought about trying this route, but didn't know how other pros would respond. The comment of checking the local community college is good, I hadn't thought of that. I have a college about 5 minutes from where I live, but I'm not sure what they offer. I may be able to find some type of adult education classes as well, normally cheaper since you don't get any college credit.

I don't know anyone personnally who does this type of work. I live in Daytona Beach, Fl, but I am assuming that I will have to travel out of state to get some training. Speaking of Florida, anybody working here that could alert me to any potential pitfalls to be aware of (any specific regs, EPA stuff, insurance requirements specific to Florida)? Thanks for the input!
 
Not many part timers have the resources to hire extra help. I've never heard of any detailing classes being offered at any college, but I guess you can always check. Have you tried applying at any local detail shops or dealerships? Check your yellow pages and start giving them some calls. I'm sure somebody is looking for part time help and can teach you the ropes. I wouldn't tell them that you are just looking for experience, though. They aren't going to spend any time training you if they know you are going to quit in a few weeks. The turn over rate is pretty high at detail shops. They may not offer training at all unless you are going on full time.
 
Another place you could look for training is your local chemical suppiers . Some of them offer 1 day training . Adrex and Auto Magic I know have classes.
 
Some one man shops may let you train with them. Tell them that you will work for free and if need be, willing to sign a non-compete contract, so that when you go on your own, you won't go after their busines. Don't really think people will bother to go to that length, but you never know. I would love to have my son working with me (and pay him) just so that he will have skill in the future and learn about running a business at a young age. If you approach a one man shop with the enthusiasm to learn, you might be surprised that someone will take you on. Cheaper than going to a detailing class.
 
DETAILCITY :doh aside from having previous knowledge reading and reading helped me learn everything i know to day which is a lot more than when i first came across this site.
 
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