How to begin a side detailing business...

K

Kolokefalo

New member
So I did my first ever paint correction on my car over July 4 weekend. I sent me brother some pics I took and he brought me his cts-v to do this past weekend. I did a 1 step correction with Hd UNO and orange pad. Washed, clayed, and sealed with poxy. He was very happy about the results (for free of course)



Now he tells me 3 guys he works with want me to do their cars. A f150, ford ranger, and a ford Taurus.



While I would someday like to make detailing a side business for extra cash. After having all of 2 cars experience under my belt, I don't really want to risk doing a poor job on someone's car and/or having some type of real mishap without being properly incorporated.



So the question is do I do these jobs at a cut rate and completely make these 3 guys awarenof how inexperienced I am, or just pass on the jobs until I have run through my wife's, fathers, mothers, and uncles car so I get some more experience?
 
I am not a pro so take this advice with a grain of salt. I would do the jobs to get experience, but start slow and take your time. Ford paint is usually very hard so you don't have as much chance at a major screw up. If you just do a polish it is pretty hard to screw up. I recommend don't do a full correction on you first jobs. Again start slow and then go to the more agressive polishes only when you need to.



I did a job for a friends 83 mecedes this weekend and it had the softest paint that I have ever seen. I started a test area with a polishing pad and Megs 80 and that left a terrible haze. Had to go down to the off the shelf Ultimate Polish and a finishing pad to get the haze off the paint. He didn't want a full correction because of the old paint and questionable thisckness. Ended up just claying and waxing with Autoglym HD
 
If you think you have a solid basic understanding of detailing, I would say go ahead and detail their vehicles, as long as they are ok with knowing you are just starting out and not insured, etc. Most people will understand about you just starting out, unless their vehicles are very high end. Find out what the local detailers in your area are charging and charge these guys around half that. Take your time and like TedFred said, don't go for full correction, I would do a basic one-step on these vehicles like you did for your brother. I've never used Uno so I can't advise you on that, but Meg's D151 or a similar one-step product/orange LC pad would be a good combo to start with. Or I also like using M205/orange and then a separate LSP. Both would be a good mild polish that won't get you into any trouble but still give some decent correction for a one-step. I'm sure Uno would work for you as well, but I'm not really familiar with it.



Best of luck.
 
ExplicitDetails said:
Take your time and like TedFred said, don't go for full correction, I would do a basic one-step on these vehicles like you did for your brother. I've never used Uno so I can't advise you on that, but Meg's D151 or a similar one-step product/orange LC pad would be a good combo to start with. Or I also like using M205/orange and then a separate LSP. Both would be a good mild polish that won't get you into any trouble but still give some decent correction for a one-step. I'm sure Uno would work for you as well, but I'm not really familiar with it.
Click to expand...

I would also make sure that you use a DA. I have induced Holograms with D151 with a rotary on a dark blue car
 
I also say go ahead with it. My guess is they will end up being better than your previous vehicles because there is more pressure on you because they are people you do not know. If you feel comfortable with the basics and take precautions to help avoid any mishaps then you should do it.



Find out how these potential clients maintain their vehicles... do they care for it like it is their baby or their red headed step child? If they take it through car washes and get the car wash "detail special" then you have nothing to worry about, you will wow them and they will love the work done.
 
My first year of detailing was spend doing friends cars for free. Everyone knew that I was starting out and that this was purely for the experience. I went VERY slow, took my time and didn't try to get too fancy with correction of paint. I am in my sixth year of business and absolutely LOVE what I do. I have been booked through mid-Ocotber since the beginning of July and am very blessed to be able to do something this fun for money! Take your time and learn everything you can. Ask questions here on the forum and read everything you can about detailing. Chances are whatever question you have has been asked before. Good luck!
 
I believe I have done four, maybe five, cars among family/friends during the last year or so, all for free.



In the last couple of months however, I've had my first paying gigs, three of them. I'm still learning too. I vote that you do them for pay.



Any time I detail a car, it's pretty much the first time I've ever corrected that particular paint. So for any past, present, and future car that I may do, I always type it out in the search box here, and on google as well (and even on google, many search results come back here anyway, but sometimes I do find threads at other forums). From members here, I've already learned how I will attack the complex-to-me Mercedes Benz hoods (the folding curves on the sides), by using a very large pad. I got two 7.5" curved white pads, just to be prepared for when I do one. I also learned that Mitsubishi EVO paint "sucks, sucks, sucks" and is super thin; I was offered 60 microns only, as a guess.



I pre-research the above, because of expressed interested from others. I don't know if they will happen, and/or when. But I'm still going to charge them. It's still hard work, and most of the premises are the same, car to car. In return, as appreciation of their trust and business, I just try to quote a price/product value that is high, and I try to do a bang up job (I consider myself to be a meticulous person).



Basically, I think you and I are in the same boat! I'm just a couple of months ahead of you, hehe.



Good luck!
 
I'm right at the step where you are. Practiced on a couple family cars, but now I have other people wanting business. One I'm pretty sure is a pickup, so I'm not worried there, other is an Audi S5 so gotta be more careful. I don't know what levels of detailing they want though, so I might not even have to worry about polishing. I would say go for it though. Chances are you won't make anything worse. Just be careful and don't cut corners.
 
Like others have said, do a few family vehicles. I've come to realized a lot of people say they have people coming your way, but they either take forever to come, or they are just flakes.



When you do meet them, make sure you explain and outline everything! Make sure they have the same expectations you do or less and then one of the biggest things I like to do is, "under commit, and over deliver."



Basically never over committing to something and saying that all of these scratches can be buffed out and everything will be 100%, give them realistic expectations and then when/if your job is better than expected the customer is overly happy.
 
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