Not sure what to do

D

Detailing NY

New member
Well here is my situation.



I am a mobile detailer as you all know, but i am growing to big to be a mobile detailer. To many people call and went it done right away.



I have found a location, but not sure if i want to take it. It is in a good area with high traffic and lots of body shops around, but the rent is high 1,800 a month + utilities.



I do very well know with the detailing, if i take this shop on then i will not be doing so well as i need to pay rent. The best thing about being mobile is that there is no rent!!



should i go for it or what?



I should also mention that my PDR guys is going in with me. It seems to be good but there is always that big step you need to take. I have a good head for business and i know i will make the right choice, but wanted to get some opinions from other pro's before i take the step.



Thanks

NYD
 
NY detailer,



I am not a pro but I am a Realtor who also has experience with property management. How long is the rent/lease for? Is it for a set period of time or is it month to month? Look into all the details including how long you might be obligated to pay rent on your new location.

Good luck!



Cheers,

My Black 7 Series
 
NY Detailer ,



As you know I am in my new shop , I was mobile when I first started then I worked at a used Benz dealer that let me use a bay for their work and my retail work , after that I rented a small garage at a gas station , that didn't last long it was way to small.

Any how I am now in my new shop , it is also my house , I built it around the fact that it would be primarly used for work , it's not on a main road so to speak but I didn't want that. I looked at renting a garage but found it to be to expensive for me , it's a personal choice , personaly I don't want two mortages or rents. So thats why I combined the two. If you have the work and need the space go for it , just check all your bases , on a slow month can you make the rent and turn a profit? That was my biggest fear god forbid I had a slow month it would kill me. Hope it works out for you , good luck.
 
not sure what i will do, will be doing a lot of thinking over the weekend.



hey detail, lets get together at AC one night. If you are married or have a girlfriend bring her along as my wife loves AC.
 
NY detailer ,



I am married , don't do any gambling but wouldn't mind a night out , it would have to be in the future no funds right now:(

I have to dump a load of money into my truck this weekend , sad part is it's a 2001 , and I already have 70,000 mile on it already.:eek:





BTW Thanks for the continued help & imput.:xyxthumbs
 
Things to consider:



Do you have adequate funds to pay for rent?

Would you have to raise prices?

Could you stay up maybe four days a week and the rest do mobile detailing?



Have you written a business plan? I could help you try and find outside stages for funding. PM me if interested !
 
Brian,

Depending on your financial status/ piggy bank/ war chest, you may need partners. The $1800 rent is just the tip of the iceberg- you will need insurance (can be very high), utilities, permits, etc. Tread softly at first. You know, me, I'm not a car pro, but I am a business pro.

Other things to consider:

-what if any competitive advantage do you hold?

-will the location alone be enough, or will you need to supplement it with advertising, etc?

-how will this affect your current clients: they are your BREAD and BUTTER!

-how much are you willing to lose before you begin to make money? Meaning, how long can you stay in business while you build it up enough to be profitable?

Those are just a few, but if it feels right, do the math, and don;t be afraid.

Hey, I'd come to you- you do great work! Good luck!

John
 
Here are some questions you need to answer.



How many customers will you lose because you are not mobile anymore? Lots of people like not having to worry about getting their vehicles somewhere.



In you current configuration, will you make more money being in a shop or being mobile?



If you are paying $1800 + utilities, then you might have to have some more employees to make the same amount of money you are making now.



Just remember, if you do this, then take lots of pictures and post them :D
 
I'm not a pro detailer, but Intel just covered what I was going ask to a T! :up



Good luck in your decision NYD.
 
jcattarulla said:
Brian,

Depending on your financial status/ piggy bank/ war chest, you may need partners. The $1800 rent is just the tip of the iceberg- you will need insurance (can be very high), utilities, permits, etc. Tread softly at first. You know, me, I'm not a car pro, but I am a business pro.

Other things to consider:

-what if any competitive advantage do you hold?

-will the location alone be enough, or will you need to supplement it with advertising, etc?

-how will this affect your current clients: they are your BREAD and BUTTER!

-how much are you willing to lose before you begin to make money? Meaning, how long can you stay in business while you build it up enough to be profitable?

Those are just a few, but if it feels right, do the math, and don;t be afraid.

Hey, I'd come to you- you do great work! Good luck!

John
Click to expand...



well i already have insurance for the business, i would just need to get renters insurance which will be around 200 a year.

the location is surronded by body shops, and i know i will get all their work.

dont know what i will be doing yet.

thinking cap on the head as we speak
 
You might also want to provide some other services to get customers in the door such as: rustproofing, window tinting, alarms and remote starter installation. You could farm out those jobs so you are not stuck with more expenses. Carpet Dying, paintless dent removal, and Oil changes can help you make rent. Auto accessories could also be added in the future.



I imagine you would have to hire a few more guys, and you will probably find yourself doing more "express" wash and wax type jobs than before, but they will probably be more profitable in a shop setting than in a mobile scene.



Definitely poll your customers to find out if they will come to a shop of yours but be careful how you ask, because people will tell you what you want to hear.



One advantage to having a shop is having no downtime but that depends if you are busy or not. I really hope you go for it in the future if not now. I think you will be successfull if you can scrape buy through the first year.



You have a lot of support from the guys here. It also sounds like jcattarulla can be a very important friend to have right now.



Wishing you the best of luck!
 
Brian, since you suffer from incliment weather in the winter, a shop would probably be a good idea, provided you can muster up enough additional business to pay the rent and to cover the customers who would prefer to use a mobile detailer for convienence. If you will have a lot of body shops around you, then you should be able to recover what business you may loss by going to a stationary location.



For me, staying mobile is the way to go. Much lower costs when we get rainy winters, my customers love the convienence of the mobile service and honestly, I just don't want the headaches of a standing location.
 
Just a few more thoughts:



1) I think that polling your current clients is a great idea to make sure that you won't lose a big chunk of your steady buisness. If there are clients that are turned off by having to take their car to you, perhaps cutting your fee by a small amount may "soften the blow" and keep them as customers. My guess is that most people who can spend the $ on getting their car detailed aren't going to trust just anyone. I'm sure that you will discover that more clients are loyal to you than you may think.



2) Are there any other detail shops in the neighborhood? If not, than take a portfolio around to the local body shops that you mentioned. It sounds like you have a tremendous growth opportunity!



3) Think of all of the time that is wasted being on the road with a mobile operation. All the time in the car doesn't make you a dime. Being in one location is much more efficient. If, for example, you could detail 2 more cars/day, would that cover the rent? Just a few more calculations to consider.



4) Sometimes you have to think big to make it big. I'm sure that MAACO started out as a single, local store. If your good at what you do, people will seek you out and you will be successful.



Good luck with your decision. If you rent the place and need another client to get in the black, let me know and I'll bring my car up and help put you over the top :D

Rick
 
well to answer some question's



there are other detailers in the area, but they stink. All the body shops in the area already use me for detailing.



I already have PDR and carpet dyeing with me.



Alarms and window tinting are done already with me



I have a good friend that will be with me doing oil changes and minor mechanical work.



I think it will work, just need to be sure, I hate failure.
 
Brian, Failure is all a state of mind. You have got to belive that you will make it before you go any further. In reading your threads it already sounds like you are second guessing yourself. If you put yourself in this position before you ever start you will be doomed. We know that to be a mobile detailer in the northeast your days will be limited. My shop in Western New York is still going strong a week before Christmas. Over the years we have trained our customers that no matter what the weather be like outside they still would have the best possible protection money will buy. If we were mobile we would do about 1/2 the business that we presently do. Do what you love and love what you do. Then do it better than anyone else. People will beat a path to your door.Brian go for it.... Then just do what you have to do to make it work. Success takes alot of hard work, but it also takes brass balls. BEST OF LUCK
 
Well, I've read this with a great deal of interest, to say the least! As many of you know, I'm opening a fixed location Jan 2. I have NO customer base and need to build that rapport and reputation with local body shops, dealers and repair shops. I'm lovin' every minute.



Brian, if you like AC, you'll love this!



"Success takes alot of hard work, but it also takes brass balls." (Auto Care USA)



How many square feet for that $1800/month? In one way or another, I'm sure your PDR guy is taking a big part of that!



You seem to have your ducks, and body shops, in a row... lighten up, throw the dice!



I've moved location in the past (albeit in a different industry) and I found that I lost a substantial percentage of clients, but gained a whole new demographic. If you have a good product, you'll have success. Confidence, my friend, confidence (or brass balls!).



Jim
 
Hey man, good luck with the shop, if you decide to open it. It sounds to me that you've already made up your mind...



I can tell you that you will have at least one customer if and when you open your shop... :D



--Bob
 
You willhave to ask yourself a lot of questions and should write it all down to review over and over. Weather related slow down in the area will affect both mobile and a shop. Even with a shop the customers have to decide if they want to commit to their appointments in adverse conditions. They also have a habit of changing their minds since they often think that a detail is strickly for the appearance right after it is done rather than the long term benefits of having the exterior surface protected from the elements. Since I have a shop, we make it a habit to discuss the long term benefits of our work rather than how shiny it will be when they pick up their car. I let customers know that it will be easier to clean and care for once we have done our work.

Ask your present customers if they are willing to drive to your location and give the convenience of you coming to them. You'll be surprised at the honesty of many of them. One thought is that you were first chosen over a fixed location for the convenience, after which they stayed with you due to quality work and loyalty. Now you are asking them if their satisfaction with you is such that they are willing to give up some convenience by dropping off their vehicle and having to arrange a ride to work or home then get another ride to pick it up. This is not a small thing to ask. As a way to overcome this you may have to consider offering the service of pick up and delivery. This will help your clients but add cost to the bottom line. You will most likely have to add employees which is a huge expense. Payroll, taxes, workers compensation, auto insurance on a shag vehicle, insurance to cover you in case a customer car is damaged while in transport. Needing to check out any potential employees driving record and turning that info over to your insurance.

You mentioned needing only renters insurance. Check again, if the rent or lease is called triple net it means your responsible for alll expenses associated with the building, repair, maintenance, insurance, taxes. I have paid all these expenses for over 19 years. It can break your back in slow times. Read all the fine print as to what you are liable for once you sign a lease.

Once you hire an employee it is your responsibilty to train them, pay them, ste up their schedules, and to make sure that they have a safe working environment. The worker comp. insurance rate is based on experience, claims history, having safety meeting even if you have only one employee, keeping a record of safety training and meetings all affect your rates. We even picked out a preferred provider from the list in order to reduce rates. You have to make sure your employee knows how to read an MSDS (material safety data sheet) and understand it. You have to have an MSDS sheet on hand a placed in a accessable area with every single chemical in your shop. You will need to post emergency information for your employee to see regarding what to do if they are injured on the job, who to call , and how and when to report and injury within a period of time.

This is but the tip of the iceburg, but if you jump in unprepared it could destroy a good business. You can call the secretary of state and get the business division to send you a free packet which has everything listed anf most of the forms to start a new business. Most states even have a free class which is very informative regarding a lot of things that may not seem obvious to you.

The fact that you are very busy is a good thing and you may want to consider the fact that some people may just have to wait and a few may try the competitors, which is not always a bad thing. I've had many that went to competitors looking for lower prices and then came to us after a poor experience. If you decide to go into a fixed location plan on having enough of a financial cushion stashed away to live on for at least 3 months. It takes time to reestablish your customer base. Most fixed shops start off looking for commercial accounts which can pay a lot less in order to boost their volume.

Check out the location itself for proper drainage, sand trap and oil separator, floor drains, electrical service, lighting, office space, parking area, is location easy to find. What type of signage is allowed, how much does signage cost and how much to mount it up on the building. Is the location zoned for the work you will be doing. If upgrades are needed what permits do you need.

You mention another person getting involved doiong PDR, how well do you know this person and what is his financial status. If things get slow would he bail on you? Prepare for the worst so you can survive alone if necessary. Would you create a partnership. My first experience last one year with a partner, I left and sold my stake to my partner, then spent close to ten years and several court dates trying to collect on the debt. I did win a did collect but it was not worth the hassle. This all seems somewhat negative but only by bringing possibilties to mind can you start to see how much is needed to suceed.

I wish you all the luck and would be happy to help answer any questions. I have seem way to many fellow detailers fail and wish someone had given me the same advice years ago. I made it but it may have been a lot easier.
 
I dont think i am going to get the store front. Here are my reasons.



I have come to the conclusion that i dont really need it. Why would I want to take away from my profits by paying rent and other expenses.



I would need to increase the business to stay alive. It is just not worth it.



My customers like the system I have, and this is the reason they pick me to do the detailing.



It is just not cost effective for me right now. I have a friend who owns a fixed detail shop and he wishes he had the business I have. why take on more bills & headaches
 
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