How Nice of a Living Can Be Made in Detailing?

M

MaksimumAuto

New member
I'm 17 years old and own a small detailing business. I'm wondering if later in life I'll have to ditch detailing for a more profitable business. I plan on getting my MBA and starting a company or two. Maybe start a detailing chain but in Baltimore, it's a seasonal business. So my question is, what kind of living can be made as a successful detailer or as an owner of a detailing shop? And what parts of the country the successful detailers are located. Please pitch in as much as possible. I want to know if it's possible to make atleast $200k in detailing somehow some way.
 
Sure, I guess it's possible to make $200K with a chain of detailing shops, or a single large operation. What makes you think it's a seasonal business? Car dealers are always taking in trades that have to be cleaned up for resale. There are members here that state that the only way to make any serious money is to have a volume business.



Of course your question is basically flawed...as with anything, like "can you make money in computers?" can range from the guy with the little computer repair shop who barely makes ends meet, to Bill Gates/Steve Jobs/Michael Dell.



Making $200K puts you in what, the top 5% of income? That's a pretty high goal, no matter what business you're in. Are your scholastic achievements at 95th percentile or higher?
 
no one is going to tell you how much they make...thats a rude question to ask



I will say this, you get what you put into it! if you want to make 200K then you better put forth that kind of effort! at 200 per car, thats 1000 cars a year, and you still have to deduct expenses..
 
As others have said, that's a very open ended question with many variables.



Most detailers work for themselves and are not on salary to where they are guaranteed a certain income each week, they work hard for their money and to retain and gain clients everyday.



You're young...if detailing appeals to you take it up as a side job or hobby. Go to school, get an education and then make a decision later on in life to determine what makes you happy and can support your lifestyle.
 
MaksimumAuto said:
I'm 17 years old and own a small detailing business. I'm wondering if later in life I'll have to ditch detailing for a more profitable business. I plan on getting my MBA and starting a company or two. Maybe start a detailing chain but in Baltimore, it's a seasonal business. So my question is, what kind of living can be made as a successful detailer or as an owner of a detailing shop? And what parts of the country the successful detailers are located. Please pitch in as much as possible. I want to know if it's possible to make atleast $200k in detailing somehow some way.
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You need to finish college first.
 
If you're wanting to make 200k a year, I don't think detailing is the easiest way to do it. I'm sure the guys that own PBMA, Mothers, Meguiar's, etc. all make that or more... but that's a super rare thing.



The easiest way to make that sort of money is to become a specialized doctor. Most MBA degrees are worth about as much as the paper they're printed on, and are more of a way to justify a hook up from someone you know "in the biz". Most specialized doctors make 200k a year or more without much of a problem. Neurosurgeons start at around 450k a year.
 
Paul Dalton does 25 cars @ $8K=$200,000.00 plus he lends his name to a wax that sells for $800.00 I'm guessing he makes $792.00 per sale since it only cost $8 to make. :secret
 
Wait till universal health care kicks in, doctors will be detailing cars to make up the lost that's going to hit them.
 
I do some detail work for people i know and i don't charge through the roof but i make a amount on each car i do maybe 2/3 cars a month if i feel like it and of course mine... i am in college this is not the business to be in if you are going to college it is very time consuming if you really want to go and get your M.B.A (Which i think is a good move) you will want to be getting good grades. I would try detailing on a small scale for fun and sooner or later the people you have asking about your car and others that you have done will grow keep it as a side job. I personal do not think there is any way you will be making 200 K a year you would need large multiple sites if you wanted to make that much i know detailers that make 40 K on a good year it is not guaranteed at all one year you can be making bank the next you are losing money hand over fist. If you want to make that kinda of money go in LAW or the Medical field not detailing. Like i said i am a college student and when school starts i barely have time to detail my car let along other peoples car's. Then again i maintain a 3.98 GPA. This is not the field to make bank in and it is nothing is guaranteed



Just my $ 0.2
 
I bet that there are some who do betteer than others just like any occupation. Any good business will have competition. Know you market, make sure your capabilities are at the higher end of the spectrum. Compete on quality, not price. There are alot of ways to skin a cat. At 17 i thought my Dad worked too hard, and that i would find a better way to support my family. Guess what i am 43 years old and the best thing you can learn is to bust your but at whatever you do. Try to give 110% percent and keep your head down and work hard through the bumps and set backs and when you look back you will have suceeded. it not a quick process.



I would also suggest you not target making 200K but target growing the business X% each 1/4 or year. That will get you more income and allow you to set realistic and achievable goals.
 
MaksimumAuto said:
How about specific examples? Like what full time detailers make and so on.
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You need to research Professional Car Wash and Detailing trade magazine. There, you'll find more answers and also some issues have with laws and personnel, equipment, rent/lease etc



Deanski
 
Don't chase a number, chase a goal. The money will come.



$200k as annual personal income equates to about $600k in annual business income in the most efficient model.



After expenses of tax, rent, employees, electric, insurance, supplies.



If you can build a business model that dumps 50k per month in your business account, you are there.



So work backwards from there and see how many cars you need to do. Might not work out...





Or you can just get a job that pays in the 200-250k range a few years after your MBA and detail for fun money

It is possible..
 
jdoria said:
Don't chase a number, chase a goal. The money will come.



$200k as annual personal income equates to about $600k in annual business income in the most efficient model.



After expenses of tax, rent, employees, electric, insurance, supplies.



If you can build a business model that dumps 50k per month in your business account, you are there.



So work backwards from there and see how many cars you need to do. Might not work out...





Or you can just gat a job that pays in the 200-250k range a few years after your MBA and detail for fun money

It is possible..
Click to expand...





QFT!!!! Making $200,000 detailing and keeping $200,000 are compeltly different numbers here. I had a 1 bay volume shop when I first opened I easily made over $100,000 a year there. However I kept very little of that because of the cost of doing business. Now that I gave up the shop and I'm just doing it out of my own garage I make much less but I find myself able to actually keep more ot it. Just because you have a business that earned a million in gross sales dosen't mean by any means that your a millionaire ;) 200K at a volume shop with the right account should be a cake walk. (Dave F. was pulling in half a mill with his shop when he had it) but the little bit you actually get to keep after paying all the bills is a harsh reality check no doubt.
 
What is "QFT"?









Here is something for the younger guys looking for money:



I always maintain 2 income streams. No jobs, ever. I try to have a main income generator running and taking my attention from 7am-5pm, then a secondary running 5:01-9:00pm. Having two really makes both more enjoyable as the pressure is not as high. I also find myself taking insane leaps and gambles, which make my wife cringe with fear, that generally work out because I have a lot less to lose if they don't. I do work 7 days per week at times, but it doesn't feel like work at all because there is a personal purpose and personal rewards. You just find yourself saying, "is it Sunday already"?



I am not smart enough to have some magical business that makes buckets of money with no effort when I am not working. Maybe my kids will figure that out.
 
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