Is it possible to make 50k +a year owning a mobil detailing business?

Reflctn Perfctn

Reflctn Perfctn

Reflection Perfection
Hey guys within the next year i am starting a mobil detailing business located in ny 30 minutes north of NYC and was wondering is it possible to earn 50k a year or more????
 
Think about how much you will charge for an average detail and divide that into 50,000... that will tell you roughly how many vehicles you will have to detail a year... AND IT WILL BE A LOT! :D

Then, starting think about all the expenses... vehicle, gas, tools, products, insurance, benefits... Etc.
 
For a single operator and the fact your in NY where winters aren't the kindest to mobile detailers . I would venture to say I doubt it very much . Weather is the mobile detailers biggest problem. Living in the north east our season is shorter by about 2-4 months , so in actuality we're working 10-8 months a year.
 
I think if you were in a spot with a good market for detailers and you could offer a quality of detail that the others cant offer than you could. Also your customers would have to be willing to pay for a higher priced detail for you to make that much after supplies and expenditures.

#MY ADVICE#

Find a job you love and you dont have to work a day in your life. If detailing is that job then do it. But i think the most important bit of advice I coudl give would be find yourself a wife who can make some serious money and then you can detail haha.

Greg
 
I generated over $90,000 a year as a mobile detailer. By the time Uncle Sam takes his chunk (nearly 50% as a self employed person) and then you take out for all of the operating expenses like insurance (you have to have that if you are going to do this seriously) it cut me down to somewhere around $40,000 a year. Not a bad living, but when you consider that its more than half what I generated, its kind of small.
 
The Fuzz said:
I generated over $90,000 a year as a mobile detailer. By the time Uncle Sam takes his chunk (nearly 50% as a self employed person) and then you take out for all of the operating expenses like insurance (you have to have that if you are going to do this seriously) it cut me down to somewhere around $40,000 a year. Not a bad living, but when you consider that its more than half what I generated, its kind of small.
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Mullet who does your taxes? It seems uncle Sam is taking a lot of money away from you. If your expenses are most than your gross, your business didn't make a profit.
 
I've been thinking about incorporating. Can this greatly lessen the taxes you end up paying out at the end of the year by balancing your books out (bonuses, buy another vehicle, etc...) . Then you're just an employee and not technically self employed, right?
 
The Fuzz said:
I generated over $90,000 a year as a mobile detailer. By the time Uncle Sam takes his chunk (nearly 50% as a self employed person) and then you take out for all of the operating expenses like insurance (you have to have that if you are going to do this seriously) it cut me down to somewhere around $40,000 a year. Not a bad living, but when you consider that its more than half what I generated, its kind of small.
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Yeah but did you do it in New York ? Living in the southern states or where the weather allows you to detail 12 months you won't have a problem making 50k. Its kinda hard to detail a car in 12" of snow. :D
 
You can earn that amount or more quite easily if you live in an area where the weather is temperate year round. But you being in New York, you will have a hard time operating a mobile business between October and March....too cold and rainy/snowy!

SC~ who lived back east for most of his life.
 
Just remember the snow, ice and rain is what brings in the customers. If you charge the right amount you could take the winters off and make a nice living like a teacher only without the great health benefits.
 
The way things are going now, I'll be at around $45-50k for just the detailing side of my business. It's actually not that much based on the hours I put into it.
 
actually when it snows business is goin to pick up like crazy! As soon as SALT hit the roads my friend sold 14 wash and vac pakages on a saterday alone.
 
Hey, "theoretically speaking" if one of you were to do a detail job and was paid in cash....would you claim all of it toward your profits or just claim a lesser amount and pocket the difference???? Not all the time of course, but I'm sayin' "occasionally" :)
 
That would be illegal! :P

Theoretically you could report only a percentage of your cash transactions if you desired. But it is a fairly common practice amongst cash based businesses.
 
onemeanmachine said:
Hey, "theoretically speaking" if one of you were to do a detail job and was paid in cash....would you claim all of it toward your profits or just claim a lesser amount and pocket the difference???? Not all the time of course, but I'm sayin' "occasionally" :)
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We put everything on the books. We even use the tips to make up another invoice. We want our sales as high as possible so we don't hide a thing.

James
 
Honestly, it just depends on who you answer to at the end of the day. If you feel good about yourself skimming profits to avoid paying taxes on them then that is between you and yourself. The definition of stealing is taking something and hoping you don't get caught. If that is what you are doing then you might want to reevaluate your business practices. There are a lot of ways to legaly avoid paying Uncle Sam all of your profits. Get a smart tax man who knows all about business deductions and you'll find that a lot of your expenses are tax deductible. By the time you pay off your employees and your overhead you can still pocket quite a bit of money without skimming a dime. The $40,000 a year I walked away with was considering I had a crew that I had to pay as well as all the overhead. I never stole a cent from what was supposed to be paid to taxes and Uncle Sam can audit me anytime he wants. All my deductions were legit. :bigups
 
Uncle Sam taking 50% of your money that is stealing. I don't mind paying my fair share of taxes but there not going to get 50% of my money.
 
I knew a person who lived in NYC. He told me about a operation that was running over there. All they would do is express details. Wash, Vac, Windows,
and maybe a few different things. He was talking to one of the guys who was co owner. He said they did about 30 - 40 quickies a day they charged $25 - $40 a car with 2 vans they grossed about $260k a year now take about 50% off that for all expences that is not a bad years work so it is possible you just have to plan on busting but every day 6 - 7 days a week to make what you want. A fixed location might be a better bet if your looking to achieve that kind of payday. You take weather out of the picture. But plan on slower winters.


Jay
 
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