I give up

Brenton

Brenton

aka PEI Detail
Uggh.

PC&D mag had an article that talked about the three necessary skill sets a detail shop owner must have in order to make it work:
1. Technician (detailer)
2. Manager
3. Entreprenuer

I'm quite a fine detailer, though I have years before I'd say I'm a top dog. I'm fussy, hard working,, skilled, and determined to do it.
I'm a decent manager, good boss, and the like.
But I am not an entreprenuer.

It was this article that made me realize why I've been so frustrated.

We had a pretty hard winter, but a great spring. Lots of work, guys hired to help. We are productive, increasing in efficiency, expanding our customer base, moving toward long term success.
As expected, it is slower this summer, but we are looking toward an excellent fall. Moreover, I must be doing okay, because my biggest commercial contract (Honda) keeps offering more money to run their detail dept.

But I still hate it. I think about cars and customers all night. I've lost all my creative energy. Every day, whether I know I'll bring in $50 or $500, I dread it. If I was a puker (which I'm not), I'd be puking. I've never experienced anything like this.

I'm sad to say, but I think this is the worst thing I've ever done. That's not bad, I guess, I've had a pretty tame life. But I've reached the point where I need to sell, get out.

The business has a franchise, a significant dealership, so it has value beyond my trained staff, client list, signage, inventory, tools, etc. I'm not sure how much energy I have to continue, honestly. I would actually sell at a significant loss right now if it meant I could get out.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share. This community was helpful to me in creating some of the systems I have in place and helping me grow the business. I just wish I had the stuff to see it through.
brenton
 
Breton

Think hard about your decision about selling out, starting a biz is not easy for anyone and you have come along ways

Good Luck in your decision
 
Does the offer from the Honda dealership (I assume) turn you off as well or do you see it as a possible way out?
 
I understand your pain. Having been in business for over 15yrs., I think we go thru this cycle once in awhile. I think your feelings are pretty normal and can be expected. What I keep reminding myself is: I am the boss and I answer only to my two bosses(wife and The Man upstairs). I know I would never be happy working for someone else-dictating my vacation time, family time and schedule. Remembering this, typically bounces me back. I will toss another thing out there for what its worth. Have you thought I turning the day2day operations to a manager and expand your services? i.e. pdr, interior repairs,paint chip repairs etc.... In doing so, some of the monotony is alleviated and obviously a new revenue stream. I found the time away from the stores is refreshing.
Keep your head up and out of the toilet(lol). But in the end go with your heart.Take care
doug
 
This is not good to hear. When Business started picking up opportunities came up we where all happy for you. Have you thought about letting others do the detailing while you supervise/manage the shop this could take a load of you and open up some free time. What ever you Decide i wish you and your Family the best of luck..

P.S. I have alot of Respect for you guys who do this to Earn a living as it is tedious hard work you earn every dime of your money. Congrats to All the hard working Detailers here..
 
joe.p said:
P.S. I have alot of Respect for you guys who do this to Earn a living as it is tedious hard work you earn every dime of your money. Congrats to All the hard working Detailers here..
Click to expand...

September will be 20 years that I've predominately paid my bills, raised my kids, and all in all got by, by pushing towels around cars (detailing); thanks Joe for this little acknowledgment. I accepted along time ago that I wasn't gonna have that big house on the hill, nor that fancy ride. I wasn't gonna have toys to brag about or excess shopping sprees at Nordstoms. Believe me there isn't a day that goes by when I don't think about throwing in my towels and doing something else.... anything else I wouldn't care that only pays me 3k+/mo. For me though this is what I know -- this is what I do -- I don't have much of a choice. For me, the last 6 months have been the hardest. Back in December my entire trailer and all my supplies were stolen. I've been recovering. This basically has had me treading water carrying a brick since. Insurance covered about 60% of it, but it didn't cover the month and a half of lost income nor did it cover the forever lost accounts. Christmas was pretty bleak. Anyway, I fully relate to when things pick up wanting to walk away -- This is greuling work and to those who say it's easy -- well just keep thinking it. What ever choice you make, brenton, I'm sure that it will be the right one and it'll everything'll work out in the end.
 
It's a "phase" we all go through in this biz, and I've sure as hell been where you're at now.

In my case, after doing this for so long, I had to ask myself what the hell else would I do?

Being an entrepeneur was never my strong suit either, until I decided to do LESS FOR MORE, and then things started to click.

I know each geographical market is different, so it's hard to sit here and recommend the "magic bullit" to you. But my sense of it is that you really are a good detailer, with a few tricks left up your sleeve.

Much Good Luck To You!!!
 
im sorry to hear that brenton, i hope that things start to look up again. Maybe a vacation is needed?
But whatever you descion im sure it will be the right one.The best of luck to you and your family, and remeber no matter the desion detail city, including myself will support you (as best we can being hundreds of miles away)
But good luck with the descion i wish you and yours the best

-mike
 
dr_detail said:
September will be 20 years that I've predominately paid my bills, raised my kids, and all in all got by, by pushing towels around cars (detailing); thanks Joe for this little acknowledgment. I accepted along time ago that I wasn't gonna have that big house on the hill, nor that fancy ride. I wasn't gonna have toys to brag about or excess shopping sprees at Nordstoms. Believe me there isn't a day that goes by when I don't think about throwing in my towels and doing something else.... anything else I wouldn't care that only pays me 3k+/mo. For me though this is what I know -- this is what I do -- I don't have much of a choice. For me, the last 6 months have been the hardest. Back in December my entire trailer and all my supplies were stolen. I've been recovering. This basically has had me treading water carrying a brick since. Insurance covered about 60% of it, but it didn't cover the month and a half of lost income nor did it cover the forever lost accounts. Christmas was pretty bleak. Anyway, I fully relate to when things pick up wanting to walk away -- This is greuling work and to those who say it's easy -- well just keep thinking it. What ever choice you make, brenton, I'm sure that it will be the right one and it'll everything'll work out in the end.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry to hear about your streak of bad luck. Many people come here to learn how to detail the right way then most get a bug(including me) to this part time or for a living and everyone here will assist us in everyway but,this thread is the real deal and what to expect for those thinking to do this part time or whatever. Be prepared to bust your arse and do this on the days when you don't want to get out of bed. One thing you feel good after a honest hard day of work and the end results sometimes make it all worth it when you stand back and admire your work. you guys are real true professionals.

Brenton hang in there. I think calgary said it right maybe you need a vacation or just some time away,, Ok i'm done being moooshy:)
 
I think the article was referring to the principles found in E-Myth Revisited. Check it out, if you haven't read it yet. It's a very informative read.

I don't know you very well and please don't take the follow the wrong way. I've been there before. I see you're kind of down about the business. Your situation sounds like the one covered in the book.

Why are you not an entrepreneur? What is your definition of an entrepreneur? Encarta defines entrepreneur as: risk-taking businessperson: somebody who initiates or finances new commercial enterprises.

I don't know your situation or your options. You might have a better opportunity awaiting you. Who knows. I assume you're your own boss. Can you work for someone else again? Talk about losing your "creative energy" working for someone else.

I hit a punch clock every week for my 40 hours. I wish I could have taken the chance to run a small business. Unfortunately I'm a punch clock worker. I'm not one to hustle (Honest labor but hustling to keep clients lined up) and make money. Some folks are, not me. I can relate to your situation. But with the security of the punch clock, comes a lack of "creative energy" required by my employer for employment. I'm just a number to the company that offers pretty much a dead end job. I'm new at my job now so it's cool. But one day I'll out grow the fish bowl.

I don't really understand your business model from your thread. If you could fill me in on it, I can talk more educated about what's going on. Check out the book if you get a chance. Maybe the information in the book might help you make your decision.

Good luck. Drop me a PM if you'd like. I'd like to talk to you about things if you wouldn't mind. Since I don't really have an outlet at work, detailing and detailing forums keep my creative juices flowing.
 
I've been detailing for 16 years for a living and this past year is the first year I have been able to relax. I feel your frustration. Being an entreprenuer is not easy. I can understand why some don't want this life. For me it started simple. I hated my old job and wanted to do something I loved doing. All I wanted was to replace my wage (about $10 an hour). That was the easy part, I quickly made much more an hour. The hard part was the times when things were slow or non existent. For several years I continued to hold a job as I couldn't let go of the security. Finally I did quit and never looked back. I wanted to do something I loved doing. I wanted my wife to be able to stay home. I wanted to be there whenever my kids needed me. I got all that and it was and continues to be wonderful. I also got sleepless nights, worried sick about how I'd pay the bills because it rained for days on end, snowed are was too darn cold. In the early years times were hard as hell. I lost everything I owned but refused to give in.
I don't know if I'll detail forever but I expect I'll be self employeed. I like the freedom. Knowing that I can leave work at anytime if there is somewhere more important that I need to be is a driving force for me to keep doing what I'm doing. When my kids are grown I may feel different.
Also I managed to solve my problems with eratic income with selling stuff online. Now I don't care if it rains for a day, a week or long enough to need an ark.
 
Brenton, why is it you decided to start your own business? Obviously you haven't gotten everything you want out of it, and what is stopping you? I just thought things were going well for you. Make sure you don't rush your decision.
 
Thanx for all the responses.

Calgary & Joe, I'm taking a vacation next month, but this is a little different.
DrDetail, I'm sorry about that. That is very tough, especially when you are not in one of those markets that just soak up this stuff.

I'm a little different, though. I have a choice (and to answer Maxima's question).

I'm a little strange perhaps. My wife and I worked hard, traveled the world, and waited to have kids. The result was we paid off university student loans, I got a masters degree, and I still had about $25k left over. I wanted to go on to do a PhD so I could teach at university, but $25k was not enough to get us in the door, really. And it limited our choice of schools to those of lower quality and without the right resources.

I was working at a used car lot, and they developed a detailing system that was quite innovative. As they franchised it out, I trained the shops and watched them really increase their bottom line. We were moving back home to PEI for 2-3 years for my son to spend time with his extended family, and I knew I needed some kind of work. I also needed a job that allowed me 10-15 hours/week development time for PhD.

We decided to take a risk.

Instead of stacking cans of peas and teaching p/t, we decided to see if we could increase our investment in the same time frame with this system.

Although I'm in the place in the next coupla weeks to start taking that 10-15 hours/week (and I did that in Jan-March), it has been a wasted year, and I am getting behind. We also lost an engine while travelling and had other personal costs. As it turns out, in our local economy I can only charge 40-65% what other shops are charging. It has been a rough year.

But besides all that, I know this isn't what I'm supposed to do. This is not my life. On top of that, my wife and I can have any more children the old-fashioned way. We would like to adopt overseas, but we are short about $20,000 to do so, though there may be cheaper ways to do it.

I never expected to get rich in our economy. It is not so much about failed expectations. It is that I feel I made the wrong choice, and I'm in something I hate, that takes me away from my family and my life path.

I'm only 30ish. We still have no debt, though we'll see at the end of this month (I'm still not paid on accounts from the winter), but we'll be fine. I could walk away at any time and be back where I was in 1999 before we started gearing up. But then our PhD goal and adoption goal are that much more difficult.

I've decided we are going to try to sell, somehow. I don't know how, since the "real" value is in the franchise. But there is something there, I think.

brenton
 
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