one detailer that is giving up everything for his biz to move forward..need help!!!

[15951]

Bankruptcy laws were created for exactly this type of situation. If you have medical bills that you cannot pay without going homeless, I would suggest the following:



1. Stop paying the medical bills, immediately.



2. Get a roof over your head.



3. See a good (recommended) bankruptcy lawyer and discuss your options.



Healthcare providers are not legally allowed to make you an indentured servant because you got sick. Your priorities are turned upside-down right now, and it's time to right side everything and move forward in a positive way.



Best of luck!

 

[15951]

Do you think god is there to had out things to people when their down on their luck or they lose something like a place to live . You have no idea what you are talking about. It's a spirital thing not material . He's being tested and i'm sure he will pull through. And at no time did anyone say it was his own fault . It's a terrible story and i'm sorry to hear of his misfortune but i'm sure things will go his way,just stay strong and hang in there.I know you may not like this but "GOD BLESS"

So I'm reading this sermon and I look to the left and see your nice photo of soapy *** time. Nice.



Anyway, don't rely on God or anyone else to fix this - you can pull through this.

 

[Auto Finesse]

Wow this thread gets pretty deep, i feel for you guys who lost homes and stuff due to economy etc,

I thought it got bad in the UK but you guys really got hit hard. 2008 & 2009 where very bad over here

but 2010 seems to be much improved, any progress forwards is good and will give you something to aim for

and help you build a business but i still think if your taking someone else on while times are hard is not the answer.

 

[Donavin629]

Hey everyone.. sorry for the late response.. well here I am at 12:00am at applebees right next to sams club where I will be staying the night.. wish me luck…

Sorry for being so long but I wanna try to answer all of ya.



Just got done reading all your responses and thanks for everyone for trying to help out.



As far as the GOD situation.. it was just a comment.. not to be taken seriously.. was just saying that it was another kick in the nuts that I got 3 flat tires.. one had a chunk of metal hanging out and the other was old .. and one had a nail..



In response to doing the old 9 to 5 job thing till I get on my feet again .. then start back up the biz.. well here is where I am at right now ..

I did the 9 to 5 corp America bull crap for most my life.. living in the system..well all that hard work and just like most people today I was laid off and my job was sold to costa rica ..well it left a sick feeling in my stomach and from there I have been slowly moving further and further away from the normal every day life … not saying im gonna say screw it and not pay my debt and handle my bills.. im being responsible here..i just never wanna work for anyone again.. I may be struggling and homeless.. but I still have this feeling of freedom that I never want to give up again.. I will do what I need to do to keep that feeling …. And right now its being homeless.. so be it..



As far as the employee.. here is the deal… I currently have one person working for me.. she is my operations manager.. I guess you can say.. she is the girl answering my calls .. booking everything.. getting new prospects.. developing marketing strategies…I cant live with out this woman.. while im in the pits getting all dirty she is handling all my customer services and getting the word out about us.



Work is pretty consistent but like now we have a rain spell and im just sitting here on the laptop working on stuff.. or the 4th of july came as well and all calls stopped cause of vacations… these humps keep me from moving forward … and who will work for a guy that cant give them consistent work… also im very worried about showing my trade to someone and having them just take off on their own.. I know I cant keep doing it but it’s a worry of mine cause my customers here are really loving my work… so I get worried about someone taking my style and then undercutting me.



My goal by doing this is to cut my costs as much as I can.. pay off my debt.. keep the biz alive & growing and do my best to live my life simple.. Im getting sick of how things are today.. they way banks treat you.. the way businesses have poor customer support.. just the way its not easy to just live your life.. most people are on the struggle.. just for a nice home .. big TVs.. etc.. sorry but im tired of feeling controlled by people and things.. my girl thinks im crazy for the way I talk but.. the harder life hits me or the more bills that try to keep me down the harder I will fight to get it all straight and then vanish.. pay everything in my life moving forward with cash.. no more loans or credit.. I don’t want anyone else digging into my pockets again.



Well that’s all I guess for now.. will keep checking this when I can get online.

 

[Auto Finesse]

Ok now this might sound a silly idea but if you have no ties to the area your in, might it be a good idea to think about looking at a more affluent area ? moving? after all your home at the moment is wherever you park the van so if ever there was a time to do it, it might be now?

 

[Envious Eric]

yeah, Jake uprooted and is doing better from what I hear

 

[(901)]

Hey everyone.. sorry for the late response.. well here I am at 12:00am at applebees right next to sams club where I will be staying the night.. wish me luck…

Sorry for being so long but I wanna try to answer all of ya.



Just got done reading all your responses and thanks for everyone for trying to help out.



As far as the GOD situation.. it was just a comment.. not to be taken seriously.. was just saying that it was another kick in the nuts that I got 3 flat tires.. one had a chunk of metal hanging out and the other was old .. and one had a nail..



In response to doing the old 9 to 5 job thing till I get on my feet again .. then start back up the biz.. well here is where I am at right now ..

I did the 9 to 5 corp America bull crap for most my life.. living in the system..well all that hard work and just like most people today I was laid off and my job was sold to costa rica ..well it left a sick feeling in my stomach and from there I have been slowly moving further and further away from the normal every day life … not saying im gonna say screw it and not pay my debt and handle my bills.. im being responsible here..i just never wanna work for anyone again.. I may be struggling and homeless.. but I still have this feeling of freedom that I never want to give up again.. I will do what I need to do to keep that feeling …. And right now its being homeless.. so be it..



As far as the employee.. here is the deal… I currently have one person working for me.. she is my operations manager.. I guess you can say.. she is the girl answering my calls .. booking everything.. getting new prospects.. developing marketing strategies…I cant live with out this woman.. while im in the pits getting all dirty she is handling all my customer services and getting the word out about us.



Work is pretty consistent but like now we have a rain spell and im just sitting here on the laptop working on stuff.. or the 4th of july came as well and all calls stopped cause of vacations… these humps keep me from moving forward … and who will work for a guy that cant give them consistent work… also im very worried about showing my trade to someone and having them just take off on their own.. I know I cant keep doing it but it’s a worry of mine cause my customers here are really loving my work… so I get worried about someone taking my style and then undercutting me.



My goal by doing this is to cut my costs as much as I can.. pay off my debt.. keep the biz alive & growing and do my best to live my life simple.. Im getting sick of how things are today.. they way banks treat you.. the way businesses have poor customer support.. just the way its not easy to just live your life.. most people are on the struggle.. just for a nice home .. big TVs.. etc.. sorry but im tired of feeling controlled by people and things.. my girl thinks im crazy for the way I talk but.. the harder life hits me or the more bills that try to keep me down the harder I will fight to get it all straight and then vanish.. pay everything in my life moving forward with cash.. no more loans or credit.. I don’t want anyone else digging into my pockets again.



Well that’s all I guess for now.. will keep checking this when I can get online.

I have been praying for you several times a day since I first read your thread. One day you will be able to look back on this experience and laugh about it.... I promise you will :xyxthumbs



I think its a very smart idea from this point on to start paying cash for everything. Nothing worse then being a slave to a lender, and as you have found out we never know what tommorow may bring :nixweiss





BTW what area of the Country are you in, just in case I run across someone looking for a hard dedicated detailer? If you would rather keep this info private PM me if you would like :hide:







I will continue to keep you in my prayers FWIW

 

[Donavin629]

Ok now this might sound a silly idea but if you have no ties to the area your in, might it be a good idea to think about looking at a more affluent area ? moving? after all your home at the moment is wherever you park the van so if ever there was a time to do it, it might be now?

Well I already been down that road.. started the biz when I was laid off in NJ..biz was going well but when that cold weather hit.. BOOM I was sitting around doing nothing… so I decided to grab my dog and move here to Austin Texas.. I do love it here and there is so much business potential here.. my business has been solely on word of mouth on yelp and its been doing really well for me.. so I have not advertised yet because im afraid of getting to big with no capital to cover it.. or the manpower.



i feel im at a crossroads and not sure where to turn.. but my personal debt is weighing me down..as well as biz expenses.. i cut everything out and the last thing i could cut was my lifestyle....

 

[David Fermani]

I'd abandon the debt & employee and focus on making as much money as possible on your own. Have your girlfriend get a mainstream job for some steady cash. Concentrate on reducing your overhead and thinking smart. Make a list of needs and wants and try not to stray from it. Keep positive, stay focused with integrity and be sincere as possible to your customers. Try growing your client list by prospecting with your existing ones. Good luck and God Bless!

 

[Donavin629]

well things have not gotten any better really .. work trickles in here and there.. and customers rave about my work on review websites.. but i just cant get a steady flow of customers enough to pay the bills.. i have been off all week.. im working on getting my current customers on a VIP monthly payment plan so i can have some steady income at least... just trying to figure out a way to reach out to new customers without spending the bank on advertising.. so far word of mouth has been working wonders .. but its not enough..



little help?

 

[15951]

well things have not gotten any better really .. work trickles in here and there.. and customers rave about my work on review websites.. but i just cant get a steady flow of customers enough to pay the bills.. i have been off all week.. im working on getting my current customers on a VIP monthly payment plan so i can have some steady income at least... just trying to figure out a way to reach out to new customers without spending the bank on advertising.. so far word of mouth has been working wonders .. but its not enough..



little help?

In my opinion, your priorities for bill paying need adjustment. Priorities should be as follows:



1. Rent for a roof over your head;

2. Utilities for above; and

3. Food.



Not necessarily in that order. Stop paying hospitals and creditors immediately. You need to go see a bankruptcy lawyer and get the other items discharged. Our laws and society do not expect you to go homeless so you can pay a large hospital bill in full. I want to be crystal clear here: Bankruptcy laws in this country were set up for EXACTLY this type of situation!!!



Reorganize your priorities, get a roof over your head, and stop giving your life over to creditors. I think if you take those steps you'll find yourself better equipped to deal with growing your business.

 

[Donavin629]

my med bills credit cards and student loans have all been on hold..i spend my money on food drink and the essential bills like my car loan..without the vehicle im out of business so i need to keep the essentials.



as far as filing for bankruptcy.. trust me i looked into it.. even contacted a lawyer and i just dont really want this on my record for like 10 years now im hearing.. it has been a rough road but im doing my best to stick it out and keep the ball rolling with the company.. trying to make progress every day.. if im not working like today im in the library where i can hang out for free and read up on marketing and read these forums to educate myself.. trying to make a positive step every day.. even if its just reading one post on this site i feel i have accomplished something today.

 

[imported_dfazekas]

I'm sure you're probably focusing on trying to do a lot of professional type details, but have you considered going around to some offices in there area and trying to get wash jobs?



Its a great way to stay busy when you're first starting out and I know people that have made a small fortune by just going around and doing wash & vacs.



Its not really my favorite thing to do, but I still do high volume work a couple times a month. Its a quick way to make a few hundred bucks. And the businesses I go to let me use their water and electricity, so i really don't even have to take that much stuff with me.



You can also use it as a platform for up-selling and get some real detailing work out of it.



Might be worth looking into...

 

[swan]

You have to know when to cut your losses. The rich are constantly taking advantage of bankruptcy laws when their business ventures fail only to come out stronger than they were. It stays on your record for 7 years not 10. Something to think about.

 

[WAS]

In my opinion, your priorities for bill paying need adjustment. Priorities should be as follows:



1. Rent for a roof over your head;

2. Utilities for above; and

3. Food.



Not necessarily in that order. Stop paying hospitals and creditors immediately. You need to go see a bankruptcy lawyer and get the other items discharged. Our laws and society do not expect you to go homeless so you can pay a large hospital bill in full. I want to be crystal clear here: Bankruptcy laws in this country were set up for EXACTLY this type of situation!!!



Reorganize your priorities, get a roof over your head, and stop giving your life over to creditors. I think if you take those steps you'll find yourself better equipped to deal with growing your business.

I understand what you're saying here, but this is rediculous. There is something wrong with your society when you have to go bankrupt because you got sick. It disturbs me even more that you feel that bankruptcy is your society's way of dealing with an un-payable hospital bill. I hope, for all Americans, that one day you will be able to enjoy universal health care, as we do up here in Canada.





Donavin: What's your girlfriend doing at the moment ? Still just helping you ?

 

[Alexshimshimhae]

I'm sure you probably looked into it--but the whole settlement of debt is the way to go.

(unfortunately I learned from having a credit-retarded brother; no reflection on you) Normally if you explain the situation, and you ask for some kind of settlement--most of the time they cut down your debt to a portion along with a reasonable payment plan.

IF that still doesn't cut it--bankruptcy would be my route. (honestly I'd rather deal with bad credit than more bad health and living conditions)

I get the feeling that you're assuming that you have no one to help you out, but I'd hope that you'd be able to take an inventory of people that you know and perhaps the people that they know (bus 101: networking) and maybe you can figure something out(for instance someone with a body shop has a little extra space in their lot--maybe you can cut a deal--his clients + space for small rent that's beneficial to you)



In terms of food--honestly, aquaponics would be my best bet for you. Texas has lots of sun so you can purify the water--rain water harvest makes that water free and the system takes care of itself. (I read about a guy who made it all with pieces he picked up from a junk yard, dumpster diving, and the like the only thing I think he bought was a photovoltaic setup and a water pump--total rpice i think was something like 100 bux BUT cut out i think 300 bux of groceries a month or some obnoxious number)



Maybe you can have like a referral system--esp since your gf can handle the books--like for every 5 NEW car detail customers referred, the client gets 1 detail half off or something... maybe post up a craigs list for some HS kid who needs the cash to help out with the simpler tasks.

 

[dmw2692004]

First of all, I want to wish you luck.



I think I’m going to agree with all those who say cut your losses and go find a 9-5 job to establish a solid base. You can’t go wrong with it. You have little to no liability and if you get laid off unemployment is always an option(though not a very nice one). One thing I’ve learned from detailing for profit is that you need some type of capital always available to you(as it is with starting and running any business). You never know when people want a specific service, or product or something that you may have to order, not to mention the constant restocking of products, insurance, incorporation and other expenses. Living job to job based on details is never good, especially if your schedule isn’t full. If you want to keep busy go dealership hunting and start offering “volume” discounts or “fleet maintence” packages. If you want to use detailing to pull yourself out of your “slump” volume/bulk is the way to do it. Otherwise I would go with a 9-5 job.



Again, I wish you the best.

 

[jeteast99]

I suggest working on your website for SEO. I was unable to find your site using the terms "auto detailing austin" or "mobile detailing austin". In my opinion your site needs to be cleaned up and a little better organized. Also, there was a thread about being added into google maps that you should also do along with bing and yahoo.

 

[Alexshimshimhae]

yup yup--and if you do well with your online site--you can see about setting up like an e-store for people for side cash AAANNNDDDD if you do ok with that you setup an ad thing with google--where they pay you for ad-space on your site--just something to think about

 

[Donavin629]

I'm sure you're probably focusing on trying to do a lot of professional type details, but have you considered going around to some offices in there area and trying to get wash jobs?



Its a great way to stay busy when you're first starting out and I know people that have made a small fortune by just going around and doing wash & vacs.



Its not really my favorite thing to do, but I still do high volume work a couple times a month. Its a quick way to make a few hundred bucks. And the businesses I go to let me use their water and electricity, so i really don't even have to take that much stuff with me.



You can also use it as a platform for up-selling and get some real detailing work out of it.



Might be worth looking into...

Yeah I do I have like one corp account that I do washes at.. but sometimes I feel I waste more money and time on these washes..cause I use the no rinse process it does not go that fast.. cars turn out great.. but some customers are worse than others.. and even though it’s a quick vacumm of the interior.. I cant leave eye sores… just not my style.. so I do extra to give the customer that great first impression when they come back to their car.. so im spending more time. Which in turn wastes more money cause I cant pump that many out.. im a two person team.. just me and my girl.. I usually handle all the exterior work.. she handles the interior.

I understand what you're saying here, but this is rediculous. There is something wrong with your society when you have to go bankrupt because you got sick. It disturbs me even more that you feel that bankruptcy is your society's way of dealing with an un-payable hospital bill. I hope, for all Americans, that one day you will be able to enjoy universal health care, as we do up here in Canada.





Donavin: What's your girlfriend doing at the moment ? Still just helping you ?

It is rediculious that I have to be subjected to the streets because of medical bills and credit debt.. the work truck almost got repossessed the other day.. if it wasn’t for mom bailing me out at the moment I would be in deep you know what…. But taking money still from mom at age 34 is a kick in the nuts… so that’s why I chose to cut my costs and live out on the street.. I have this much invested into the company now.. there is no turning away.



My girlfriend is still working with me helping me out doing all the interior work.



We have been looking for part time jobs here and there.. something that would not interfere to much with my customers time.

I suggest working on your website for SEO. I was unable to find your site using the terms "auto detailing austin" or "mobile detailing austin". In my opinion your site needs to be cleaned up and a little better organized. Also, there was a thread about being added into google maps that you should also do along with bing and yahoo.

The site is on hold at the moment because of the events leading up to now.. it has been a roller coaster ride and the dust is just starting to settle where I have a daily routine and I have access Wifi and can manage my emails and phone calls in a day.

I have a site guy that works with me but I have not had a chance to get the changes all finished for the site.. so I had to put that on the back burner… im just trying to create more customers right now with no budget for advertising… yelp has been my best marketing tool and customers have stated when they enter google key words for auto detailing my yelp site comes up.. they see my great reviews and call…. I tried to look myself on google but was unable to get to my yelp site really..so im trying figure out what keywords my customers are using… but im working on the online stuff.. also have a couple of free fund raisers hopefully in the works to advertise and give back to the community using my detailing as bartering to make the payments for the event.. if im just sitting on my butt at the library without a customer detail.. then I might as well use the time as bartering for things I need or to help the business… that’s the road I been taking.. work is work.. bartering or money.



Anyway..its another sunny day here and my appointment just rescheduled so I will be plugin away in the library all day.



Thanks for all the support guys.. im not letting the system beat me.. the more it tries to hold me down the angrier I get to beat it.. I am going to achieve a simple life after I catch up on things.. just want my girl.. my dog and my company.. the rest can go kiss my *** lol