Market saturated in South Florida?

Autopian Methods????





SOmeone wanna help me out with that?



15951 - Here in Palm Beach County it seems different than your area. I see about 5-7 hack detailers a day here. Yet the only outcome I see is a swirl marked cars driving around and people charging $40 to detail a car and $50 for trucks!!!!



Once again, if your driving around advertising $10 for a MOBILE wash, your a freaking moron. THen everyone has the pre-conceived notion about what "detailers" look like and are shocked when I show up in a Polo shirt with my company name and mine, tucked in, clean shorts or pants and my Occupational license visible in my truck window. Then to top the cake, I ask then if they want to be a certificate holder through my insurance....most of the time they don't but it helps.





So, people like me and you who are legit are "not" saturating the area - However $10 guys are!
 
envirocbr said:
Autopian Methods????





SOmeone wanna help me out with that?



15951 - Here in Palm Beach County it seems different than your area. I see about 5-7 hack detailers a day here. Yet the only outcome I see is a swirl marked cars driving around and people charging $40 to detail a car and $50 for trucks!!!!



Once again, if your driving around advertising $10 for a MOBILE wash, your a freaking moron. THen everyone has the pre-conceived notion about what "detailers" look like and are shocked when I show up in a Polo shirt with my company name and mine, tucked in, clean shorts or pants and my Occupational license visible in my truck window. Then to top the cake, I ask then if they want to be a certificate holder through my insurance....most of the time they don't but it helps.





So, people like me and you who are legit are "not" saturating the area - However $10 guys are!
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I ran into a friend today and he told me I was expensive $125 for basic detail on a mid size car), because he has a local guy do it for $40......hes like "they do my interior and everything". this of course on his black IS300 which was covered in swirls and whatnot.
 
I get that SOOO much. You have to walk them to their car and SHOW them. Only then do they realize their car is screwed.



I have done work for Derek and Justin Bell, I also do work for Paul Ozkean and his son Blaine. They can spot ANY imperfection. he understands that anything that involves cars is NOT easy. Sometimes giving them a little "Demo" on a panel helps them to see the light...without swril marks!
 
Saturated market does not really matter if your customers like "your" results. Word of mouth is the only way to really get regular customers.
 
Yes, that is true, however you have to get the "right"person. If you detail someones car who is not a totally social person...you are more and likely not going to get any references from them.



The same goes for the pressure cleaning side of my business. I have done work for some people, and there were plenty of other roofs in that area that needed cleaning....I told him if he got me a few customers I would send some money his way!



I never got a single thing from him...however I did a small job for one person and got about 6 others from it! It all depends on who you work for and how amazed they are with your work. If they think you do a mediocre job, they are just going to think that. If you show them things you do different and better, you could "dazzle" them and then they might be more obliged to refer you.



just my .02 cents
 
envirocbr said:
Autopian Methods????





SOmeone wanna help me out with that?



15951 - Here in Palm Beach County it seems different than your area. I see about 5-7 hack detailers a day here. Yet the only outcome I see is a swirl marked cars driving around and people charging $40 to detail a car and $50 for trucks!!!!
Click to expand...



You misunderstood me. We have tons of idiots doing hack jobs on cars. The market is NOT saturated with good detailers, though. I haven't found a single one yet around here.



If you don't know what I mean by Autopian methods, you need to read the message boards more often. I'm looking for someone that can wash a car without using a brush they just cleaned their garage floor with, and someone that understands that all cars don't have swirls.
 
Actually, I try not to get "too involved" with Forums these days, they all are kinda...the same...if you know what I mean.



If it helps, I don't use Buckets to clean the car, and once I use a towel to clean I put it away. I would NEVER use a brush on a car, and yes I know that swirl marks ARE NOT a part of the car.



I am not strutting around saying I am the greatest detailer alive...I don't think I ever will be, I will always be learning something new. But yes you are right, good detailers are hard to come by.



I will always say that my largest downfall is the fact that I use a product that is not a documented as other products, but I believe in what I use so I stick with it. :)
 
15951 said:
However, I still do it myself, because everyone down here is a hack.

If you're a legit detailer that practices Autopian methods in my area, PLEASE PM me.
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15951 said:
I'm looking for someone that can wash a car without using a brush they just cleaned their garage floor with, and someone that understands that all cars don't have swirls.
Click to expand...



FYI - I PM'd you yesterday.
 
i just looked into starting a mobile auto detailing business myself... i detail friend/family cars right now... but once i detail one car i have 3 more people wanting details... is there any licenses or insurances needed to start this? Thanks for any comments. I'll be detailing in the Coral Springs Area but already have 2 large clients that want me already.
 
Well of course your gonna have to get a licensed. Depending on your location you may have to get a City and County Occupational Licensed.



Before that however, you must go to www.sunbiz.org - Home and register a ficticous name if you plan on using one. From there I recommend becoming an LLC or Inc - You want to seperate yourself from liability.



Insurance...I would go with Prime Rate Financial - Low prices, great service.



That should be it.



If you plan on going Mobile Detailing you will need the equipment. I spent about $12,000 on a truck with a 200 gallon Poly tank, 13HP Honda Pressure washer 4000 psi 4GPM - 200' pressure line on a summit Reel, and 125' Garden hose on a Summit Reel.



Then there is your prodcts, so your gonna need some capitol to start and then make sure you have money and or credit for the slow times.



Just my .02 cents.



PM me if you need some help and I can guide you through it all.
 
Prime Rate Financial is an average insurance agency at best. They were a financial only firm that started getting into small insurance dealings when the market laws allowed them. They lack enough markets to give you enough choices and services when it comes to biz insurance. As for going to Sunbiz and registering a fictional name....It is absolutely not needed. It is recommended, but not needed as you say.

Separating your persons from your business is something most people should do, but keep in mind, you are not entirely separating yourself from the liability as you stated. You are still going to be listed on the state records as the custodian of said company. Sometimes a simple SP works just as well for individuals.
 
Sole Propieter (SP?)



Wouldn't that still mean the person is held liable if someone were to sue them?



Yes I know I am listed as the custodian of the company along with my partner. Why would someone want to tie in their personal assets with bsuiness shoud something go wrong with being a SP?



As far as prime rate is concerned, they were the most affordale insurance out there, there are a few others that were within the same price range, although they were difficult to deal with and hard to get in contact with when a customer wanted to be listed as a certificate holer.



TO each their own when it comes to selecting a insurance company though.



The fictinous nameis required in my county to get an occupational license if your using a name OTHER than your own.
 
Affordable insurance is not always the greatest thing out there. You have to find something (especially in FL) that is on "A Rated" paper. That is the ONLY thing that matters with insurance. As far as being held responsible? You need to speak with your attorney again, because if you think that you are NOT responsible because you are a corp, that is not entirely the case. SP's can have very similar rights. You need to do a little more research on the corp thing before you just dive in. Dont forget as a corp, you cannot just deposit funds into a personal account. You will be taxed TWICE on all funds. Once when paying yourself, and once for your corp. You cannot comingle funds. That is embezzlement. It is much more serious than just paying the $77 for an LLC or S Corp. This is exactly why most corps go out of biz.
 
From what I understand, LLC allows a "Passthrough" if that is what it is called. Although I cannot find the correct papers or link to it, but with an LLC you can still claim all profits to yourself you have to file a form with YOUR taxes...forgive me if I do not know that forms number, nor do I care enough to call my CPA and bother her for it.



The bottom line is this, if you come to the internet for advice on this, your a bloody moron and need to go and talk to a attorney or CPA and plan the best course of action. In my case, since I have employees, LLC was the way to go.



BTW, YES I have three accounts for everything. One for personal, two for business. Having a business bank account should be just plain common sense.
 
Its not the biz bank account that I was speaking of, it is the fact that many do not want to inc because they dont want to pay taxes twice on the same money. All corps must do this. You will pay once when you personally receive a pay check, and again on your quarterly payroll taxes. With an LLC you are still required to be taxed twice. You can claim all profits to yourself, but it is just not as simple as you are letting people know...And you personally, cannot because of the fact that you have employees. Then of course you have the law that states if a company has more than 3 employees, you have to have W/C insurance.
 
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