How many people in S. FL?

Justin,

Sorry, I meant southeast FL or the WPB, FTL, and Miami area. I would like to drop by for the meet, but I will still be in Miami.



Dave,

I was living in Miami for a couple of years and still travel down to do leather repair. With gas prices, I am going to probably have to make a decision on one place or the other. I was maybe looking to pick some brains a little on everyones thoughts on working down there and a little networking. I do mostly furniture, as I just couldn't stomach going to the dealerships anymore. Anyway, I was thinking if some people might want to meet for lunch or something if we could pull it off. You can see my work at my website www.qualityleathrrepair.com
 
I just returned from Miami and unless something changes I think I am going to bid farewell to SFL. Unfortunately, I do love the weather.:)



Scheer,

Do you have a fixed location or are you mobile?
 
Quality Leather: What are you finding wrong with the S. Florida market?



What I think is amazing is that there are virtually NO fixed shops down here. Everything is mobile. I'd love it if someone put together a nice shop *in the right spot*. It would be a goldmind. If I wasn't married w/kids (wife's a stay at home mom), I'd seriously consider opening one up. It would kill.....



There's so many high end cars and clients that are forced to maintain their vehicles by the mobile hack n washers that have no clue on quality work. I see guys doing wash n waxes with interior clean ups for $30!! They're the ones killing this market.



What are people's ideas on fixed shops down here?
 
Dave,

A quick history of me. I bought a leather repair franchise in 1996 in Raleigh. I continued to learn about the industry above and beyond my franchise's limited knowledge base. After five years, I went independent until I hooked up with a leather chemical manufacturer. I helped introduce and develop the color computer for this industry. During that time, I met a lot of people across the US (apart from the ones I knew in my old franchise). Wanting to warm up and believing I could do better back on my own, I moved to Miami in 2003. I thought there was a vacuum there for leather repair. Also, I talked to several people across the US about how to maximize making money in this industry. Since I don't speak Spanish and don't really like dealerships, I decided to concentrate on the furniture side and retail side. After about two years of doing poorly, a furniture store owner told me that Latins don't like to fix their furniture. Before anyone says anything, this guy is Cuban and owned this store since the early 1970s. Anyway, the high cost of living and the relative lack of sales helped build up my debt and my need to find a cheaper place to live.

In answer to your question, I think I would need to do some dealerships to actually make it down there. I think everyone here knows the issues with dealerships, so I won't elaborate. Yes, there may be a way to make it without the dealerships, but I am all ears on how to do it.



As for a fixed location, I haven't looked at the market. Didn't that Tim Hardaway shop on 1 close down. There is another decent looking one right there in the Grove, but this isn't my area of expertise. Are most of these shops hack n whack? I know when I owned a glass business a lot of shops closed down and went strictly mobile as it was more cost effective.
 
Would WPB be a better location for you to set up shop? With the housing market Completely in the toilet (worse then most) you could find a good deal im sure. I have friends who have had their house for sale for about 2 years and knocked about 80k off the price just to get out (moving to NC)
 
BoostedMopar said:
Would WPB be a better location for you to set up shop? With the housing market Completely in the toilet (worse then most) you could find a good deal im sure. I have friends who have had their house for sale for about 2 years and knocked about 80k off the price just to get out (moving to NC)
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No, one of the reasons I moved to Miami was I thought there was a vacuum, but there is really not that much interest. Unless I did the dealerships, I think I am pretty much capped out at around $2-3k a month. WPB and FTL are ultra competitive. That doesn't mean I can't compete, but it would take awhile to break in. I think I am going to throw in the towel on SFL. If anyone is interested in adding a interior/leather repair business, then give me a shout. If I don't end up selling it, then I may return in a couple of years.
 
Quality Leather said:
As for a fixed location, I haven't looked at the market. Didn't that Tim Hardaway shop on 1 close down. There is another decent looking one right there in the Grove, but this isn't my area of expertise. Are most of these shops hack n whack? I know when I owned a glass business a lot of shops closed down and went strictly mobile as it was more cost effective.
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Hardaway shop closed down - now there is another one there. I have yet to see their technique as I'm not one for bringing my car to a wash. I've seen many nice cars going to the Purple Car Wash (Across the street from Hardaways) and they do an okay job. Interior first, then the auto car wash, then outside for the drying. . .which is what scares me. They use dirty towels to dry the car and the guys washing don't really care about the car's paint - its about drying, getting it done, etc. I had gone in there a few times with my jeep and they consistently left dirt, grime, etc on it - which means when they were drying it, they dragged it on the paint. I didn't have the knowledge of detailing I have now (which still isn't much) but I wouldn't mess with those places because I've become somewhat of a swirl nut. I haven't seen the new place (old Hardaways) but I would imagine they are the same. I just wonder what happens when you go in for the more premium wash. But - you get what you pay for - a $25 wash is going to be a hack n whack. The question is - what happens when you throw $100 their way . . . ? My guess - more hackin and whackin - They make money on turnaround and 90% of car owners don't appreciate their cars and the process of the wash like autopia members.





On another note - anywhere you go - competition in this economy is going to be strong. Everybody is out there trying to survive and make the best of their business - its getting very cut-throat. There are a lot of people in this city which still allows for a lot of opportunity. You are going to have to break-in anywhere you go. Good luck in your endeavors!
 
Grave,

I just drove by those places today. The Hardaway place looked busy. I wonder if a commitment to excellence detail place could work.



Yes, competition is strong. The problem is there has to be enough demand at a high enough price point to make a business worthwhile. Miami as a stand alone area is not sustainable for leather unless you have a significant chunk of the dealers. One needs to service at least two of the three counties.
 
David Fermani said:
Quality Leather: What are you finding wrong with the S. Florida market?



What I think is amazing is that there are virtually NO fixed shops down here. Everything is mobile. I'd love it if someone put together a nice shop *in the right spot*. It would be a goldmind. If I wasn't married w/kids (wife's a stay at home mom), I'd seriously consider opening one up. It would kill.....



There's so many high end cars and clients that are forced to maintain their vehicles by the mobile hack n washers that have no clue on quality work. I see guys doing wash n waxes with interior clean ups for $30!! They're the ones killing this market.



What are people's ideas on fixed shops down here?
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I think that if the place looks nice, performs excellent work, and has knowledgeable/friendly staff, the place could do well.

Location wise, it would either need to be close to something where the clients can go screw around while they wait for the car. Or have a nice waiting lounge that is comfortable (so no crappy plastic chairs) and perhaps allows clients to see their car being worked on. Have information posters/brochures/whatever in the waiting room to educate the client. Perhaps something explaining swirl marks, paint correction, etc.



Another factor would be marketing. It should focus on educating the consumer about the shop's quality products, quality services, and quality care (emphasis on quality). This would also be aimed towards pointing out why a $30 full detail service is like sending a child to a drug dealer to learn math.

Is it the law to have a water treatment system at a shop? If so, it is worth mentioning in the campaign that the water gets treated before going back out in order to protect the environment and the Everglades. If it is not, then installing one is a must. It would show social responsibility, especially when it is marketed as a voluntary action.



The shop should cater to the individual car. So a basic wash/vacuum to determine the condition of the paint/interior, and then the staff can make suggestions as to what is needed/not needed. So have basic packages but where each item has its own price (away from customer eyes). I’m sure if a client pays $100, and the shop says: “We don’t think you need paint correction. We can perform it if you want, or we can leave it out and discount you $X.� the client will be more likely to return due to added trust. Extra services can also be suggested.



Client information should be stored, and invoices should have a “we recommended X, client deniedâ€� and “we recommended not doing X, client told us to do itâ€� type of thing. It may help settle a dispute if one were to arise. “My cousin’s room mate told me…â€� One can pull up a copy of the invoice and say: “We told you the same thing, you told us to do it anyway. There is your signature.â€�



Photos may be something interesting. I almost want to say that emailing clients a before/after photo set (before/after photo merged) may help. Front/rear quarter angles, side, interior from driver’s side, and anything really gross.

People love showing off to their friends, so they would probably show the before/after photos in amazement. This could have other people be sparked to check out the business.



People in SFL for some reason come across as total posers. I am assuming if the word got out that the shop is "top of the line", people would go just to say they had their car detailed there and therefore are better than everyone else.



I don't know much about the detailing business or its inner workings though.

I love detailing though, and study BA and Marketing…



Ewww this was pretty long, and my first post... :bolt
 
Good info FailSauce. Hopefully someone will put a state-of-the-art shop in down here. I'd love to be involved. :D

What kind of background do you have in detailing?









Hardaway shop closed down - now there is another one there.
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gravedigaditch / Quality Leather Where is this shop located exactly? I'd love to check it out.
 
Thanks :D



Detailing background...

I showed my daily driver for kicks a few times a long time ago. After the judges ripped me a new one at the first show for having a dirty car (I thought it was clean) I began to go nuts with detailing. It became an obsession, and eventually I ended up scoring perfect in cleanliness!. Out of five shows I ended up near last once, 5th once, 3rd once, 1st twice.

Since then I have just enjoyed detailing. :buffing:

Its quite relaxing, even if I do it at a quick pace. :D
 
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