New business help

S

SubyDude

New member
Hello all,



I have been checking out your forums for a little while now. I think its awesome that there is a place like this to come and talk about the business. So I want to tap into everyones experience if you all would be so kind.



I am turning my passion and hobbie into a business. I have looked around a bit and found a lot of information but I want to ask a few specific things and hope you all will help.

I'd like to know from all you mobile guys how it was when you started off? I am a bit scared about leaving the steady 8-5 to open my own business. So I am wondering how quickly you all started making a steady income. Did you start off with clients? How many cars you had a day or week? I have family and friends who will refer me, but I don't really have any clients to start with. So I'm just a bit nervous. I believe in myself to do this and my quality of work. Also want to know a little about insurance. I looked into an association for this trade and found that it has shut down. So wondering where I can go to find protection to do this kind of work.



I think thats all I want to ask right now. I feel pretty good about all the equipment and the logistics of the business. I am mostly worried about the starting out. So please let me know what you all think. I would love to hear about these topics and anything else you would like to say about starting out. I am super green with all of this stuff so be gentle ;)

but pile it on....I want to hear everything.



Thanks in advance!
 
Detailing isn't really a business you HAVE to quit an 8-5 for is it? Start out with side jobs, when the side jobs get to be too much, ditch the 8-5.
 
That is a good point and I have been thinking about starting with weekend jobs. Still a lot to think about I guess.
 
I do have a business plan, but I am still working on the projections. Its kinda hard to project. It will be more of a goals statement that projections I think. So that is in the works right now, and is what lead me to post here to glean some information.
 
SubyDude said:
That is a good point and I have been thinking about starting with weekend jobs. Still a lot to think about I guess.
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Yeah, if you start off detailing on the weekend and after 5:00 and then once that becomes too much move it up to full time. I would wait until you get a good client base established first and this will help you see if this is something you for sure want to do for the long haul.
 
You cant really project with out market knowledge. You'd have to test the waters first, part time.

You could buy demographics to collect:

population count, age, annual income, and home value of your surrounding area

DMV registration data on the cars in your area

This data can assist you in your projection.



I think the only way to really make it in the detailing business (as we know it) is word-of-mouth. You need that one customer that tells everyone he knows about what a great job you did for him.

I do it part for one one exotic car restoration shop. I will take no retail customers or daily drivers ever. This shop gives me every paint job they do to wet-sand and detail.
 
JoshVette said:
I'm also curious.



Full time detailers, what kind of overhead can be expecter, per month per year etc....
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Overhead is purely based on region and volume of work passing throught the shop.



This is a very simple list of what you could expect to pay monthly:

Rent

Chemicals/supplies

Electric

Insurance

Salary(ies)

Advertising

Water (if not in rent)

Phone/Cable/Internet



In lower New York state, I'd gamble on $7,000-10,000 per month before you pay yourself or make a profit.
 
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