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

Donavin629

Donavin629

New member
Whats up everyone.. its been a while since I have been on here and I will now explain why.

.. well in a nut shell business was doing great.. customers loved my work and word of mouth has been spreading like a wild fire… well then it all hit the fan when I went into the hospital due to a stomach illness.. well im out now and surprisingly all my customers waited for me to be released before they had their cars worked on.. which is a big pat on the back for me.. I must be doing something right…



ANYWAY.. long story short.. im at a plateau with my biz now.. cause now im catching up on all my expenses that were piled up while I was in the hospital.. currently to cut my costs I am now homeless and living in the work truck with my girlfriend and dog… I will do what it takes to keep my business alive.. currently my girlfriend and I can put away 2 full details a day.. and we are making decent money but its not paying my personal bills and biz expenses.. so its obvious I need to grow.. but right now I cant afford to pay anyone else.. so that’s my dilemma.. I cant hire but need to get more business being booked.. at a crossroads and not sure where to go.. I cant cut anything else out of my life to save money.
 
wow man hope you get out of there or better, ask some government help, i know some people got it. Wish you the best, and hire people! when you cant handle that much cars yourself and your girl, emploee or two will make you more money.
 
this is pretty much a no brainer to me...



rent an apartment, have your girl go get a job for a steady paycheck, you work on the business, you possibly get a night job (restaurant/warehouse/cleaning), make ends meet without going out to eat, no unnecessary expenses, etc.



Once things turn around, then go back to how it was prior to your crossroads...



question though, was it the hospital bills that forced you to dump everything?
 
I'll politely suggest going the other way from the above thread and keep pushing. Either raise your rates to gain that profitability or start sticking some cash aside for the necessary equipment for a newby. Nothing worth having is easy to get.
 
TMD said:
I'll politely suggest going the other way from the above thread and keep pushing. Either raise your rates to gain that profitability or start sticking some cash aside for the necessary equipment for a newby. Nothing worth having is easy to get.
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Hey, your in Knoxville. I know someone thats looking for a Quality Detailer there. Do you have any pics of your work? If intrested send me a PM with your info





To the OP. Man sounds like a rough time 4 sure. I really do hope things turn around for you and your girl real soon. Keep your chin up and your expenses down



May GOD bless you during this very difficult time
 
D, its all temporary......"this too, shall pass...."

Hang in there! As Eric mentioned, if your GF has some admin skills, see if she can find something providing a steady paycheck. Then again, it sounds like your down to one vehicle, maybe thats not an option. If thats the case, press on, and expand your services, see if you can get it up to 3 details a day (which can be done with two of you) Ive often done 3 a day on my own, provided they werent trashed. And thats another option. Select vehicles in decent shape!
 
toyotaguy said:
this is pretty much a no brainer to me...



rent an apartment, have your girl go get a job for a steady paycheck, you work on the business, you possibly get a night job (restaurant/warehouse/cleaning), make ends meet without going out to eat, no unnecessary expenses, etc.



Once things turn around, then go back to how it was prior to your crossroads...



question though, was it the hospital bills that forced you to dump everything?
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Eric is correct in everything he has suggested. As for not being able to hire any help, if you're doing more vehicles and bringing in more revenue, then how can you not hire help ? Think of it this way (and yes, these numbers are skewed to show my point): You make $500 a day by yourself. With a helper, you make $700 a day. You pay your helper $180 a day in wages, and spend $20 more in materials. You personally still made $500, so you are no further ahead, nor behind. Had you not hired the help, you'd still be at $500 a day. If you think in this manner, then what's the downside to hiring help ?



donavin629 said:
oh god blessed me alright.. today he gives me more rain and 3 flat tires... hows that for some help
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Yeah, tell me about it.... I won't get into a god discussion here (that would simply spiral out of control), but I've had enough personal experiences that I firmly believe I'm on my own on this planet, no divine helper giving me any handouts.
 
donavin629 said:
oh god blessed me alright.. today he gives me more rain and 3 flat tires... hows that for some help
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3 flats in 1 day? How is that even possible



I understand your frustration, but getting pissed at GOD I assure you will not help matters. Maybe GOD is trying to get your attention about something you have been neglecting



Again, I wish you the best
 
Flash Gordon said:
I understand your frustration, but getting pissed at GOD I assure you will not help matters. Maybe GOD is trying to get your attention about something you have been neglecting
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.... OK, I know I said I wasn't going to get into this discussion, but this comment just sets off fireworks for me. So the OP gets sick, has to be hospitalized, loses his home, is strapped for cash, can't pay all his bills thanks to a beyond-capitalistic health care system, is having serious issues growing his business, and is living out of a truck. And this is all because GOD is trying to get his attention about something he has been neglecting ? Wow, what a slap in the face. I personally would be horribly insulted if someone told me that my life misfortunes were because I was neglecting something spiritual. Basically, you're telling the OP that it's his own fault that he got sick. Not to mention, YOU'RE the one who brought up that subject, not the OP.



Donavin: Pay no attention to such comments. Life sucks badly sometimes, it's the way it is. Anything any of us can do to help you out, be it advice or otherwise, just let us know. That's what this Autopian community is for.
 
WAS said:
.... OK, I know I said I wasn't going to get into this discussion, but this comment just sets off fireworks for me. So the OP gets sick, has to be hospitalized, loses his home, is strapped for cash, can't pay all his bills thanks to a beyond-capitalistic health care system, is having serious issues growing his business, and is living out of a truck. And this is all because GOD is trying to get his attention about something he has been neglecting ? Wow, what a slap in the face. I personally would be horribly insulted if someone told me that my life misfortunes were because I was neglecting something spiritual. Basically, you're telling the OP that it's his own fault that he got sick. Not to mention, YOU'RE the one who brought up that subject, not the OP.



Donavin: Pay no attention to such comments. Life sucks badly sometimes, it's the way it is. Anything any of us can do to help you out, be it advice or otherwise, just let us know. That's what this Autopian community is for.
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I'm happy I was able to provide you with free fireworks for the 4th of July :usa



Now, why don't you put your money where your mouth is and buy the OP a new set of tires, or perhaps pay for a hotel room for him and his gf for a month or untill they can get on there feet :bolt
 
or get back on track and drop the side convo...



TMD said:
I'll politely suggest going the other way from the above thread and keep pushing. Either raise your rates to gain that profitability or start sticking some cash aside for the necessary equipment for a newby. Nothing worth having is easy to get.
Click to expand...



"currently to cut my costs I am now homeless and living in the work truck with my girlfriend and dog"



Really, you would say to keep doing this??? That is a sign you are in a tight spot and should change things...at least it would be to me anyway. I am not criticizing the guy, he can do what he wants, but I for one would not try to make something work while living in my car! I would put the business on hold, get a 9-5 to pay more bills off and keep a roof over my head.



I am all for trying to make a business work, but in this situation, I would be hard pressed to advise living in your car...
 
also, work longer by yourself to get those two cars done, and have your girl get a job...you will profit more that way.



Was - you threw out the idea of hiring help which makes sense, but you are wrong...he is actually UP by hiring someone else because you didnt account for the 500 per day made MINUS the 20 for materials without help. 500-20 = 480. 700-180-20=500
 
Flash Gordon said:
Now, why don't you put your money where your mouth is and buy the OP a new set of tires, or perhaps pay for a hotel room for him and his gf for a month or untill they can get on there feet :bolt
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Hey since I didn't start this debate, why not use your route. Where's GOD to help the OP out with the new set of tires or hotel room ? Tell you what. I'm pretty broke myself, but if the OP wants to setup a PayPal account, I'll donate what I can, and I'm sure other detailers and business owners here would be glad to help out as well. And you know what, that will actually HELP. Trying to tell the OP that this is all his own fault and that god is trying to tell him something is nothing but rude and cruel.



toyotaguy said:
also, work longer by yourself to get those two cars done, and have your girl get a job...you will profit more that way.



Was - you threw out the idea of hiring help which makes sense, but you are wrong...he is actually UP by hiring someone else because you didnt account for the 500 per day made MINUS the 20 for materials without help. 500-20 = 480. 700-180-20=500
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Well, yeah, I was just trying to show that by hiring someone else, as long as he has the business, there isn't really any downside. In most cases, he'll be on the plus, but the important part (since he's broke) is that he won't lose any money at the end of the day. We all need to mitigate expenses to ensure we can make a decent living, even those of us who aren't in a dire situation.
 
Was, maybe the "God" reference was to have been limited to the fact he got 3 flats in one day, and that was "Gods" way of showing neglect......Dont be so harsh for cryin out loud. No one said his current dilemmas were all Gods fault. I seriously doubt your PayPal contribution, or those of others, are going to put him on a straight and honorable, profit making future, no matter how honorable. A very humane gesture, but what happens next week? SOMETHING has to change.....
 
WAS said:
Hey since I didn't start this debate, why not use your route. Where's GOD to help the OP out with the new set of tires or hotel room ? Tell you what. I'm pretty broke myself, but if the OP wants to setup a PayPal account, I'll donate what I can, and I'm sure other detailers and business owners here would be glad to help out as well. And you know what, that will actually HELP. Trying to tell the OP that this is all his own fault and that god is trying to tell him something is nothing but rude and cruel.







Well, yeah, I was just trying to show that by hiring someone else, as long as he has the business, there isn't really any downside. In most cases, he'll be on the plus, but the important part (since he's broke) is that he won't lose any money at the end of the day. We all need to mitigate expenses to ensure we can make a decent living, even those of us who aren't in a dire situation.
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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"
 
a.k.a. Patrick said:
Was, maybe the "God" reference was to have been limited to the fact he got 3 flats in one day, and that was "Gods" way of showing neglect......Dont be so harsh for cryin out loud. No one said his current dilemmas were all Gods fault. I seriously doubt your PayPal contribution, or those of others, are going to put him on a straight and honorable, profit making future, no matter how honorable. A very humane gesture, but what happens next week? SOMETHING has to change.....
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So god shows neglect ? I just find this while god thing (in this particular scenario) absurd. The OP has been through enough hard times, I don't think trying to lecture him about god is a good idea at this point. I also fail to see how helping the OP out is going to keep him from a straight an honourable future.... The OP isn't having financial problems because his business is doing badly, it's because he was in the hospital from an unforseen illness.



CCSS2005 said:
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"
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I don't think god is out there at all, doing anything, IMO. I'm all for spiritualness, I'm not close-minded by any means, and I don't have a problem if people choose to express that. But, it personally irks me when someone makes a thread like this (which I'm sure is not easy to do, being homeless isn't really something you enjoy telling others), and someone has to throw god into the mix. The quote is "I understand your frustration, but getting pissed at GOD I assure you will not help matters. Maybe GOD is trying to get your attention about something you have been neglecting". As far as I interpret that, GOD had a hand in this whole scenario in order to get the OP's attention about something he's been neglecting. If I'm reading that wrong, please, enlighten me.
 
donavin629 said:
.. so its obvious I need to grow.. but right now I cant afford to pay anyone else.. so that’s my dilemma.. I cant hire but need to get more business being booked..
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Employees are tools for making money. They should be used a such. Of course you can hire someone, why couldn't you? You need the help to be able to get more work done
 
Id say that is great advise, however id say if your working flat out and not making ends meet, the reality is your not charging enough, a business should sustain its own costs and pay you a wage.



i dont think taking on someone and another van is going to help at all right now.
 
ok time for my 2 cents. speaking from a point i was homeless myself about 2 yrs ago everything was fine then wham my wife lost her job due to illness, business slowed up due to economy, i went out and got 2 parttime jobs, laid off by 1, lost the other because they closed up due to economy. we were renting got kicked out lost most of all my belongings, had to move in with friends, and let me tell ya when u look at your kids and tell them u cant get them anything for xmas(not that im material kinda guy but u know kids), its enough to break a guy down. all i had left was my car and then that broke down for good i was thought this might be the end. like the movie evan almighty 1 act of random kindness, i have a friend who moved in back with his folks, but had paid for his rent for a month and 1/2 told me i could stay there for however long if i could pay the bills. i got another job, my daughter just turned 17 she got a job and we pulled together as a family and pulled through. slowly got stuff back like a tv, pots and pans, things we take for granted. well now im about to open up shop again within the next month and do what we do and thats detail! so my advice to you is whether u believe in god or not (i do) is he wont a path in front of u cant follow. its not going to be easy, its going to be hard, you may cry, (i hope this doesnt happen) u might even die. point is when u fall down get your *** back up everytime and keep trying and never give up. took me 2yrs to get back on my feet and still not there yet. You need to take of 3 things 1st, place to rest your head, food, and last clothing. start from rock bottom because you sound like thats where you are at. you cant build a building without a solid foundation. My wife now has cardic arrest attacks, and im now trying to lower my blood pressure from my 2 yr adventure. it affects you in alot of different ways. i will say a prayer for you and hope you can get back on your feet without the drama i had to go through. if i can do it any1 can do it. good luck
 
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