Owners: how long before the biz became your ONE source of income?

[navyblue2000]

I'm curious, and if anyone would like to share, how long did it take before running a detail shop became your sole source of income?

The reason I ask, is I got a huge demotivator today from my Father in Law. Granted I shouldn't take what he said to heart, but this came from a guy who with his brother and dad ran a Machine Shop for 5 years before it became their only job.

When asked about a detailing business, he said "A man would probably go hungry doing that"

The man knows hard work. He scrapped and saved to be able to partly invest in a machine shop, and then after that worked 80 hours a week between his 9-5 job and his machine shop. For him to say that...well... I dunno. It hurt.

Help me out here...how long did it take to become a REAL moneymaker?

[inthedetails]

A lot depends on you and your motivation.

Have a good plan is also a help.

I am just starting out and doing it on my days off from my "real job". With my schedule it works ok and the $$$ is extra.

I am sure their are other here that can give you a better answer, but I wouldn't let your Father in Law get you down either.

[Tom Claessens]

I guess it comes down to a few things:
- your skill level
- the market
- your motivation
- money you can invest

I'm not into pro. detailing but I can relate it somehow to my current job (graphic designer).

When you're starting out, all you do is giving out money. You have to rent a location (or perhaps can start in front of your garage), you have to buy your products, get registered as you are about to do official business, ...

Sure you need a lot of money but it's always a risky investment to start your own business.

Once you're settled, start spreading the word. What you want here is that people get to know your business, what you offer and what you don't offer. Get a website, the internet is cheap these days and for a wide audience. It's not just coincidence that a lot of companies are spending most of their advertisement budget to internet ads.

As you're starting out, you can't really get the big $ the key here is that you are cheaper than the others out there and that you deliver high (read: better) quality work than the competition.

Once you've established yourself as a value on the market, you can start to make changes. Perhaps move to a new location (where you have the ability to work on more than one car at once), get some personnel, etc. This way you are moving up, you can ask more. You can create customer packs. Like for instance: exterior detail = $300 and interior $250 but if you buy the "all inclusive" pack, you get an exterior and interior detailing for $500.

Ofcourse if there's not that much competition in your area, you can perhaps start a bit higher with your prices.

When I started out as a photographer, I spent lots of money on my first printed photograph. When I was satisfied, I contacted a company that prints photographs onto canvas and sold it for $250. I was then able to print some 5 more of those and on and on.

It's important however to keep yourself focused on the goal. You love detailing and make that your priority, if you like what you're doing, you'll do it better. But like your family told you, yes, it's a hard world out there and there's lots of competition all trying to get rich so you'll indeed face hard / tough times but no one ever said that getting rich was easy.

However I think that if your prices are fair and that you work it with a lot of passion people will notice it and you'll be able to live a normal life. Don't expect more from it; if it turns out to be a million dollar business, hey lucky for you if it doesn't, well, you tried to realize a dream and at least it was worth it, you've tried. A lot of us just sit and say "I wish I was as rich as Donald Trump" but just do nothing.

[mirrorfinishman]

Re: Owners: how long before the biz became your ONE source of income?

Originally posted by navyblue2000
When asked about a detailing business, he said "A man would probably go hungry doing that"

Help me out here...how long did it take to become a REAL moneymaker?

You would be very smart to listen to what your Father in Law is telling you. Like they say; 'he has been there and done that'.

Detailing is the kind of business where people want the service. They do not exactly need the their car car cleaned, it is just that some people like to keep a very clean car. It is a lot different than businesses where people need the service. For example; people need to eat, keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. People need a variety of health services. However, people really do not need to have their cars detailed. Just look around at all of the dirty cars. It is pretty clear to see that to many people; keeping a clean car is just about the last thing on their list.

Starting your own detailing business is basically about going out there and finding those people who will want and need your detailing services. It is not easy to build up a clientele overnight. It takes years. And yes, I would also agree that it could take five years.

Here's the good news. Since it basically takes years, if you plan it properly you can allow yourself plenty of time to make mistakes and still keep your business going. The key is to start out growing the business on a part-time basis. That way you can prove to yourself and everyone else that you can make it a successful, profitable full time operation.

That is the way I did it when I started out twenty years ago. I began getting new customers and working with the business on a part-time basis while I was working a full time job. I did that for four years as I continued to build-up my customer base. After a few years it was becoming clear that at the current rate my business was growing, I knew for sure that I could make it on my own. Been right so far.

In summary, you would be very smart to follow the advice of your Father in Law. Actually, it sounds like he would be a very good source of information about what steps you need to take in order to get started in the process of growing your own detailing business.

Remember, when you are in the process of growing a business it is very important to take one step at a time. It is not about being in a hurry just to get to the finish. It is about doing what you need to do in order to enjoy the journey.

__________________

[STG]

Besides detailing skills, you need business and people skills.

Back in college, I worked with the Small Business Administration consulting SBA loan holders who were getting in trouble.

It was amazing. One guy was the best cook in town and decided to open his own restaurant. A great cook and a lousy businessman.

He didn't know about buying food from wholesale suppliers and didn't even have a freezer at his restaurant. He was shopping at the local supermarket. He also opened his restaurant without gettiung a conditional use permit and the city almost shut him down.


If you start a detail business, remember one thing:

YOU NEED TO BE A SALESMAN.

That means you have to be willing to talk to people and ask for the business. It also means you will get plenty of "nos" before you get a job.

If you don't like selling, if you don't like rejection, if you can't handle objections or problems, keep detailing a hobby.

[TrufflePig]

personally, i disagree with mirrorfinishman's reply. and yes i know you've been the biz for 20 years. CONGRATULATIONS on that note man. Seriously good on ya. but realistically we should support others, unless its really obvious they're wrong.

i mean, how do we know that the Father In Law wasn't told that same piece of advice when he first started. and that the Father in Law could care less about the business and more about HIS daugthers sake whom this guy is married to. and how do we know that this piece of advice wasn't given to the Father In Law and he just used it as motivation to prove people wrong.

i say you do the same. Prove to him and everyone else that you can do this. although you shouldnt hvae to prove anythign to anyone. does your wife support you? if so, that's all that matters bro.

who cares what he says. you do what you want.

yes people don't need to detail their car, but you can always show them and tell them why they should (i.e sell it to them) and more and more people will believe once you've established a good product.

i mean if you really want it that bad, go get it. and if you do want it that bad, dont let anyone tell you otherwise. because if you want it that bad, you'll do whatever it takes.

you gotat be smart about it though. start from your garage and then move upwards. save all the money you can at first.

dont let people tell you, you can't.

GO FOR IT MATE AND BEST OF LUCK!!!

[Totoland Mach]

Originally posted by STG
Besides detailing skills, you need business and people skills.

Back in college, I worked with the Small Business Administration consulting SBA loan holders who were getting in trouble.

It was amazing. One guy was the best cook in town and decided to open his own restaurant. A great cook and a lousy businessman.

He didn't know about buying food from wholesale suppliers and didn't even have a freezer at his restaurant. He was shopping at the local supermarket. He also opened his restaurant without gettiung a conditional use permit and the city almost shut him down.


If you start a detail business, remember one thing:

YOU NEED TO BE A SALESMAN.

That means you have to be willing to talk to people and ask for the business. It also means you will get plenty of "nos" before you get a job.

If you don't like selling, if you don't like rejection, if you can't handle objections or problems, keep detailing a hobby.

Well said STG... couldn't agree more. I've been an independent sales rep for 15+ years (commission only...expenses are mine to cover). Take the words of your father in law seriously, and you might ask him for tips and advice on how to get the detailing business to a full-time profitable state. You'd be surprised at the help he might offer!

I detail vehicles on the weekend (primarily started to feed my Meguiars "Jones" LOL) and now I'm getting a reasonable smattering of steady clients. I want to build my reputation in the next few years with the car enthusiast crowd and hopefully have a full time business going in 5-6 years...and I'm 62! Right now, I travel almost every week and don't want to maintain that schedule as age takes its' ugly toll.

If and when I go full time, I want to be able to have minimal expenses up front. That's why I'm not rushing in at this time.

Good Luck to Ya! Whichever direction you take, the work is long and tedious, but the road to success is fun.

Totoland Mach

[STG]

To get a reputation like Totoland,you've got to do crazy things like:

Polishing your ENTIRE stainless steel SLP exhaust.

Wax the centers of your replica Halibrand wheels. (They're rough-cast aluminum painted to look like magnesium.)


(How do you get the #21 in and out of those rough castings?????)




P.S.: Here's the paint used on our wheels, Toto. In case you need to repaint the centers. (Should be pretty painless - Just take Nxt Polysh to the rim for overspray!)

It;s Rallye Silver Wheel from Eastwood:

[buda]

You could ask that question about any new business one plans to start out.

What you need to do is develop a business plan or you are a ship without a rudder in the sea of business. You do not know who you are; where you are going or how you are going to get there and if you have enough fuel to get there too.

First, how much do you need to make per month to support yourself?
What will health insurance benefits costs. A business must pay for these.
What about a vacation? Sick leave? Retirement contribution?
Then profit. A business that does not make a profit is a job, not a business. Businesses make a profit.

Once you know what YOU need to have then you begin with costs to setup and operate the business.

Then you determine how much business you are going to have to generate to meet your financial needs and your operating costs.

Part of the costs are a good deal of money for advertising and promotion. This is always greater at the start up of a business than later on, once you are established.

Also, I hope you are more than a technician? You have to be an entrepeneur; manager and technician. Actually, you do not even need the technician, he will hurt your business.

Go to www.amazon.com and buy the book, "The E Myth - Revisited" by Michael Gerber. Every small businessperson needs to read this book whether they are starting their business or looking to improve it. New it is $7.50 on amazon you can probably get it for less than $5.00 used. It is read in a night, 1/2" thick. Best investment you will ever make.

There is no set time frame as to how long it takes to make money in the business. What if you started and got a dealer account that would pay you $125 a car and give you 5 to 10 cars per day. You would be set.

You need to develop a realistic business plan which will tell you how long it should take and that tells you how much money you need to set up and operate the business until it can support itself and you.

Good luck

Regards
Bud Abraham
DETAIL PLUS SYSTEMS

[plainredtruck]

Just a few random thoughts . . .

I agree with the "E-Myth Revisited". Also look for Gerber's "E-Myth Contractor". Read it often. Check out resources at your local library, www.amazon.com , trade magazines, etc.

Develop a business plan. "Business Plan Pro" and others are available. The SBA, Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), and many states have small business organizations that will review your business plan and introduce you to financing alternatives, grant programs, etc.

SET GOALS- first, third, and fifth year goals. Revisit them often and revise as necessary. A good business plan gets updated every 2-3 years at least. Some need to be updated more frequently depending upon growth, market changes, depth of initial planning, etcs.

MARKETING STRATEGY - Most folks in most small businesses in general will tell you that word of mouth is the best advertising. That is very true - up to a point. You need to determine the risk:benefit for yourself and decide how to approach your local/niche market. There may come a time when advertising is necessary if you want to continue growing the business.

Be a businessman first. If you truly know the detailing industry, don't think you can go out there and succeed. Know the business and the industry, not just how to detail.

Research the competition. Know who is doing what in your area and for how much. Check the semi-automated car wash joints in the area. See what they offer and what they charge. Find one that doesn't have a detailing department and approach them with a plan.

If you approach a dealership or other auto-related business then talk with them about their detailing department & other contract detailers. Talk about customer satisfaction, value-added services, and up-sells, Explain exactly what you can offer them. Many guys in the business today are really good at a few specialties, but offer a lot of services. Many guys in business know their "jobs" very well, but do not know just how big the automotive care industry opportunity really is.

Is there a market for other services? Do the customers/dealerships expect such things as "painless dent repair", window repair, touch-up paint, underhood, interior & exterior work, etc.? If so, develop a relationship with someone who does those sort of services and set up referrals.

Friends and family are either full-price or they're free. Either way any pats on the back, concerns, complaints or 2x4s upside-the-head you get from them you can, in good conscience, tell them they got exactly what they paid for and you can fix it knowing your integrity is not in question.

ALWAYS LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES - My dad has been in and around the classic car business for 20+ years, mostly as a hobby. He is good friends with two of the classic car dealers in the area. One of those dealers has sold cars around the world and to some big names. He's co-owner in the local Harley dealership. That's a great resource if I ever wanted to start up something locally.

EXIT STRATEGY If you find out it's not working, know when and how to get out. If you find out it's working really well, know when you've become something other than a detailer and how to take that next step.

Make certain you and your family understand the level of commitment, financial investment and risk involved. How much time it will take and that hours probably won't be 9-5 - EVER. Make certain you and they understand the benefits of owning your business. Take advantage of those benefits to the "n"th degree (taxes, education, etc.).

As was stated earlier, know how to sell - your self, your services, and your business. Service-oriented business live and die on their reputation.

Almost all small business live and die on cash flow and NET profits.

Schedule well, and take time off. You will thank yourself for that later.


Wish you well.

[N.E.W.car]

I just started my business a couple months ago...and I am already full-time. While I am not the sole bread-winner in the family, my income is a GIANT part of what we depend on.

I was in the real estate business before this, and the insurance business before that - and I jumped into the deep end with my detailing business.

While I pretty much agree with all that has been said so far - there is one more thing that was a large part of it for me...

When you are only doing something on the side, it's hard to put your full focus on it - which in turn makes it hard to REALLY grow your business. I jumped in with both feet, and just went into full-time detailing and prospecting. Obviously, you NEED to have a 2-3 months cusion in the bank - but other than that I say run with it. I did, and it is working out great.

My first piece of advice for you just starting out is find some clients with MORE THAN ONE vehicle. Business owners are great, especially car dealers - because a lot of them are car guys, and they will have multiple cars and will usually understand the benefits of having a pro detail their vehicles.

One of my first clients was the owner of a industrial door company. He had me detail two Yukon Denali's first. Then I ended up doing both his and his partners SRT Ram trucks - as well as a company truck and his new BMW 7-series.

It can happen like that - one client and a weeks worth of work.

So, in my opinion - weigh out your options and needs (the most important being how much money you need to stay afloat) and if you feel like you can do it - DO IT.

Good things take time - great things happen all at once.

Hope this helps man.

[soss]

Nicely said Nate...the more i read about personal experiences like yours and others on this board, the more i want to go ahead with my plans of mobile detailing. I know of a huge potential market that is expanding fast right now in southern cali, plus a lot of friends in the actual area that i could start with.

Now to figure out how much it would run to get a decent site, cards, and supplies.

[Jimmy Buffit]

Took me just less than six months...

But, I took the big leap and signed a lease for retail space upfront - just had a a part time gig to make the house payment... I did have 6 months stash, just in case.

That eliminated all/any pressure.

Four years later, we're doing just fine, thank you.

Good Luck!

Jim

[shortd81]

Hi members,
Well for me I've been detailing for income for the past 7 years. I just recently ventured into my own business straight for a full time effort. I was working at a body shop getting paid $15/hour which is awsome where I am at. But after a while it gets a little discouraging. A whole year and no raise, no comissions or anything. Didn't want to pay overtime NOTHING.

I've always thought about starting my own detail business but always was scared of jumping out there. I couldn't do it on a part time basis because of my internet businesses so what I did was quit my job, brought ALL my chemicals and supplies, brought a trailer, generator, 2 pressure washers, air compressor and a water tank. I did all this with the money I saved up and from my income taxes.

I spent just about $9,500 including the truck. I then designed me a logo for my business, brought the domain name registered it and start building my site. Went down to Plexius in my home town which is a graphics place that do full wraps and got my designed printed out to put on my trailer and brought 2 magnets. I ended up paying $130 for everything and it should've cost $475. I exchanged a full detail for the rest of the work which I will post on here.

I've been in business now for about 2 months and it is taking off. I've gotten about 10 customers from my website which I didn't think was gonna happen, because google had already did a pr update. Got a real estate agency under my belt, only because they almost NEED their cars looking nice (if they are selling any houses/property). I got 5 on a weekly basis and they have referred customers to me.

Honestly this week here is the best, I've been busy all week and making a nice bit of cash for just starting out.

I would say this to you. Scared Money Doesn't Make Money. If you start second thinking it, you will set yourself up. You MUST be motivated and REALLY enjoy what you do. Not only that, you need to know how to be a Business man. Knowing how to detail is one thing but knowing how to deal with people and all the aspects of a business is another thing.

I wish you luck and keep us posted. I'm not totally done with my website but you can check it out www.polished2perfection.com I tried to go the professional route instead of just a plain website with pictures.

1 last thing which I use everyday, is something my uncle told me we I played on his baseball team. "You might not be able to play like a professional, but you will dress and look like one".

BE AS PROFESSIONAL AS POSSIBLE
Most of these detailers just out in t-shirts (nothing is wrong with that) but if you had a uniform it looks alot better.

[OctaneGuy]

I'd like to relay one bit of advice that will affect your sanity. If this is really something you want to do, consider the impact of your decision on your wife/family. My wife never forgets to ask me every day when I'm going to stop detailing and getting a "real job".

While the money is there, she knows I could be making 2 or 3 times that in a corporate environment.

While the work is great and I've got tons of customers, it really doesn't matter. In her eyes, even if I got 20 cars a week, the fact I'm away from the family working is bad.

I'm not trying to discourage you, but it's something to consider, since it affects my mood greatly about what I'm trying to build when the person closest to you doesn't believe in you and is expecting you to fail all the time. Maybe something similar to you and your father in law.