Michigan winters

[kzyman13]

Hey there,
Here's a question for all you northern pros... how is business in the winter? I know some people pick up detailing from car dealerships, etc... What are your thoughts on this? Pros and cons... I just started this year and wondered if I can expect to have regular business in the winter. Also the best I'll be able to do is closing down one of my car wash bays and putting in a propane heater or something... I'm not sure how feasible this is gonna be. I'm hoping I can keep it warm enought to do everything I wanna do.

So far I'm only part timing anyways and I'm goin full time to school till May of next year (supplementing my income with student loans) I work part time for my dad managing some small businesses as well as our car wash... so its a perfect time for me to tinker in this biz and see if I can make a go of it.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Michigan winters

Most people that detail cars in areas like yours also branch out into PDR, (Paintless Dent Repair), Window Tinting, accessories and just about anything they can offer that's related to detailing and appearance to help fill in for when it gets slow.

I had a detail business in Bellevue, Washington one time and my business pretty much washed away with the rain once we hit November and December.

Tough business where you have wet, rainy and cold seasons.

[Joe's detailing]

Re: Michigan winters

Business is always slower in the winter, you better have another source of income besides detailing...
As for heat, propane worked nicly for me just open door a little to allow fumes to escape...

[Joenok]

Re: Michigan winters

I´ve been thinking about looking into window tinting, but I don´t know...

Up here we have a lot of snow and they salt the roads, so I keep telling my customers that having wax is about twice as important to the paint in the winter months..

However, most people do want the cars to "shine" so they come around summer...

[mirrorfinishman]

Re: Michigan winters

Kevin,

As we all know, most businesses are affected by seasonal changes and the daily operations should be adjusted accordingly. Just like a farmer would not be able to go out there and plow their fields when the ground is frozen, they also see a slow down during the winter months. It is all part of the business cycle. Think about it. When you are in business it is usually either feast or famine. That is the truth.

In the northern part of the country, you can basically figure that most detailing businesses are not very busy during the months of January and February. Hey, who would want to have their car detailed with a foot of snow on the ground?

Once the weather starts to get a little milder by the beginning of March and the chance of snow, ice and road salt are gone, that is the time when detailing really begins to pick up again.

The demand for detailing in the northern states usually remains high until late August, right before schools open again. That bit of a slowdown usually only lasts a week or two until everything gets back to normal from summer vacations, etc. By the middle of September, the phone starts ringing again and does not stop until the holidays in December.

Autumn is the time of year when just about every detailing customer wants to protect their car from the upcoming extremes of winter weather.

Usually, December is relatively busy, however when the extreme cold weather comes a bit early, that can have an effect on demand at that time of the year.

The key is to go out there and make hay while the sun shines.

[kzyman13]

Re: Michigan winters

Thanks for the input everybody! This forum might be the difference between make and break for me.

You guys rock!

[nickery16]

Re: Michigan winters

im from michigan and there is no business in michigan in the winter unless your working directly from a car detailer. u will pick up in late summer early fall for the dream cruise but other than that in the winter ure done.

[AeroCleanse]

Re: Michigan winters

You might want to look into steam cleaning cars.

[mcox]

Mr

Hey Kevin,

Not that I'm a professional detailer by any stretch of the imagination, but you could move to southern Texas like I did.

[kzyman13]

Re: Mr

Hey Kevin,

Not that I'm a professional detailer by any stretch of the imagination, but you could move to southern Texas like I did.

Ha Ha! I've been talking bout leaving Michigan for years... hmmm... there's always something holding me back. Maybe once my son graduates from high school, but then my fiance probably wont want to be away from her family.... I hate winters.

[mirrorfinishman]

Re: Michigan winters

Kevin, just go south for the winter. A few of my good clients who spend their winters in Florida has been trying to get me to go down for the past couple of years. Hey, one client offered me a place to stay and another offered to line me up some detailing work. Sooner or later I'll probably take them up on their offers.

[kzyman13]

Re: Michigan winters

Hopefully I can find some clients who will offer me that deal!