Starting a Professional Detailing Business! Help???

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DetailnByDustn

New member
First off let me tell you what experience and expectations I have before asking for help:



1) High School graduate with about a year experience with a community college

2) Need a salary about $30,000 to about $80,000

3) I have over 2 years of detailing cars, and also about 4 months of threads and reviews on autopia.org

4) I can now do wet sanding, compounding, etc... paint corrections

5) Very good with a computer as far as ads and simple website



I'm graduating high school today, and in need of a career or job, Can I achieve a salary of 30,000 or higher detailing cars? I right now live in a rural area, but not far from Asheville, NC about 30 min and when buying a house can live almost 10 minutes from Asheville, There is a lot of untapped business in Weaverville NC area as far as detailing business, and weaverville area along side with asheville area, I can make a mobile detailing business along side with my current business, Right now I'm about a semi-professional detailer, I'm not perfect but very good from the help of autopia, I have a lot of repeat customers, and a great detailing setup right now, but wanting to expand my business and make more money.



I need help in deciding in continuing school (small business management, web design, etc..), and if its worth expanding my business to the next level,



I stay very busy in the set up I have right now, but customers don't want to pay over $150 for there car to be cleaned, I'm thinking moving closer to a large city I can raise my prices and advertise and make load of money, am I making a mistake in all this or would you go for it?



Also here is my website for more information about my current business:

Home Page ?(Detailing By Dustin)?



I'm making around $400 dollars a week on a good week, I was thinking hiring workers and paying them $8.00 a hour and charging customers about $20 a hour and making $12.00 on top on my personal detailing money.
 
There are people that will give you detailed business models, but your employee scenario is way off if you want to be a legal business. You have additional payroll taxes on top of their $8 for starters, not to mention some other overhead items like worker's comp, etc., etc., plus, if you want to be making more than $150 a detail, you're going to need to be more than semi. And what are your $8 grunts going to be doing? $50 details?



EDIT: PS, I'm not trying to be harsh. I just don't understand how people come on here and expect to up and start their own business and be making big coin with no experience at anything. If you said you were graduating high school and wanted to be an auto mechanic because you've been putzing around with your own cars for a couple years, and instead of starting by working at a gas station/garage/dealer, you said you were just going to start your own mobile mechanic business and expected to make 30-80K...well, that just woudn't be reasonable. College graduates with serious degrees are only starting at $30-40K and my neice went to an (edit) *really expensive* school and got out last year and she's a bartender...
 
^I agree, If you are paying them $8 an hour they will most likely be inexperienced and be doing $8-an-hour-quality work. Might want to just do it yourself unless you find somebody who you know is good and that you trust.



And again I agree, you ain't gonna make 80 grand straight outta high school. There are plenty of people who go to college for 4-6 years and get a job making $10 an hour, why do you think you should be making $20+? If you can do it, more power to you. I'm sure you can if you go to a big city. But don't EXPECT that just because you can detail you should be making more a year than half of the entire world at the age of 18. Like I said though, if you are good you can probably do it.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
There are people that will give you detailed business models, but your employee scenario is way off if you want to be a legal business. You have additional payroll taxes on top of their $8 for starters, not to mention some other overhead items like worker's comp, etc., etc., plus, if you want to be making more than $150 a detail, you're going to need to be more than semi. And what are your $8 grunts going to be doing? $50 details?



EDIT: PS, I'm not trying to be harsh. I just don't understand how people come on here and expect to up and start their own business and be making big coin with no experience at anything. If you said you were graduating high school and wanted to be an auto mechanic because you've been putzing around with your own cars for a couple years, and instead of starting by working at a gas station/garage/dealer, you said you were just going to start your own mobile mechanic business and expected to make 30-80K...well, that just woudn't be reasonable. College graduates with serious degrees are only starting at $30-40K and my neice went to an Ivy League school and got out last year and she's a bartender...
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Thanks for the input, right now I have a small detailing business, Ive got experience, just wanting to know If its worth buying land building a garage and trying to make a living detailing cars, detailing cars is part time now, I want to make it full time, I enjoy detailing cars and running a business, I have an excellent personality, I know I can't just jump out and start a business thats why I asked you guys, what you have to say about starting a business, I noticed that in buncome (weaverville, asheville area) are there are no "big" detailers, with a few ads maybe billboards and good customer satisfactions I could have a very good business. But this is all an idea, moving to a "richer" and a more populated environment will benefit my business would it not? Scratch the idea of $8.00 an hour, I understand where your coming from, can you make more hiring workers to help you detail? That are properly trained and detail very well?
 
Ol' Red said:
^I agree, If you are paying them $8 an hour they will most likely be inexperienced and be doing $8-an-hour-quality work. Might want to just do it yourself unless you find somebody who you know is good and that you trust.



And again I agree, you ain't gonna make 80 grand straight outta high school. There are plenty of people who go to college for 4-6 years and get a job making $10 an hour, why do you think you should be making $20+? If you can do it, more power to you. I'm sure you can if you go to a big city. But don't EXPECT that just because you can detail you should be making more a year than half of the entire world at the age of 18. Like I said though, if you are good you can probably do it.
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I agree, I was just kind of brainstorming ideas what I can do in life, I'm a very hard worker and excellent people person, I have great ideas, just have doubts that it will work and if its just to much to try to invest in, the potential for a good detailing business is excellent, I also know that I have to start small and work my way up to more income. Like I said I have a booming business right now, Im always busy detailing cars, just isnt paying much as far as my target market, If I can focus my target market on a large income source with more customers.
 
Yes, having employees is the way to making bigger money, but the difference between their pay and what you charge the customer is not what you pocket...there's overhead.



There is nothing wrong with wanting to have your own business. But going from what you are doing now to a fixed location with employees is like buying an airplane and trying to fly it with no lessons. Have you detailed enough cars to be able to handle anything that comes in your door? Have you detailed enough cars to be able to tell your $8 helper what to do on any car that comes in your door and instruct them accurately enough to leave them alone while you are working on another car, helping customers, answering the phone, talking to the insurance broker, paying your bills, placing ads, etc. etc. etc.?



I remember a member wanting to debadge his trunk lid and his badge had mounting holes and he asked for advice on how to fill them. Accumulator suggested that he get someone to weld them up and sand them down flush...but his advice was to find someone who was experienced at doing that, and by experienced he didn't mean 5 or 10 times, he meant hundreds of times. Just like if you went to a dentist, you wouldn't want to be the first guy he ever put a filling into, or the 10th, or even the hundredth. You'd want someone who could do it in his sleep.



You don't want to be the shop owner who never polished a refinished panel before the picky customer's who you burned through, and is going to trash talk you to the whole town.



I'm not clear why you are saying you just graduated high school but you've got a year of CC...my advice is to go to school and keep being "semi-professional" until you are done with school...at which point maybe you'll be ready to be a professional detailer on more than one level.



Our departed buddy Relaited kept harping on the differences between being a "businessman" and a "technician". If you are going to run a few-man business, you need to be both, and good at both. I guarantee if you walk around the areas you are thinking of for businesses, and walk in and talk to some business owners, you're not going to find any (that stayed in business) who graduated HS and started their business the next week, month, or year. They worked for someone etc. until they were journeymen (look that one up). I don't know if they still have voc in school, but none of the auto mechanics, carpenters, machinists you are graduating with (if there are any...who works with their hands anymore) are planning on opening up their own garage, contracting business, or machine shop this year (if they have their feet on the ground).



Sorry, it's late and it's a pet peeve of mine about people who work at something just long enough to know enough to make themselves dangerous and then hang a shingle. And no offense, I remember the night you joined here, and 4 months of reading Autopia and polishing a few more cars doesn't make you ready to run a fixed-base detailing shop. You've got relatives in business, you should be able to get this advice from them...or maybe you already did and that's why you'd like a different answer here. I was young and impetuous once, too ;)
 
DetailnByDustn said:
I agree, I was just kind of brainstorming ideas what I can do in life, I'm a very hard worker and excellent people person, I have great ideas, just have doubts that it will work and if its just to much to try to invest in, the potential for a good detailing business is excellent, I also know that I have to start small and work my way up to more income. Like I said I have a booming business right now, Im always busy detailing cars, just isnt paying much as far as my target market, If I can focus my target market on a large income source with more customers.
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Man, I'm having wicked flashbacks to that night you and Flawless joined and you two thought you were the shiznits and you had no idea what you were talking about. And that was a few months ago.



I guess it depends what your definition of detailing is. If you want to be a car washer, you're probably already set, start your business and put me on ignore. If you want to be a serious corrective detailer, and charge hundreds of dollars a detail, $50+/hr for your time, like the members you young guys like to idolize, you need to have some serious understanding of finishes, your tools, pads, chemicals, and, oh...business. Tax, insurance, licenses, liabilty, ethics, but again, you don't need me for this, talk to your dad or uncle or whoever it is who owns the carwash.



BTW, Scottwax, who has serviced over 10,000 cars, mentioned recently that he's had his business for 15 years and still learns something almost every day on Autopia.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Yes, having employees is the way to making bigger money, but the difference between their pay and what you charge the customer is not what you pocket...there's overhead.



There is nothing wrong with wanting to have your own business. But going from what you are doing now to a fixed location with employees is like buying an airplane and trying to fly it with no lessons. Have you detailed enough cars to be able to handle anything that comes in your door? Have you detailed enough cars to be able to tell your $8 helper what to do on any car that comes in your door and instruct them accurately enough to leave them alone while you are working on another car, helping customers, answering the phone, talking to the insurance broker, paying your bills, placing ads, etc. etc. etc.?



I remember a member wanting to debadge his trunk lid and his badge had mounting holes and he asked for advice on how to fill them. Accumulator suggested that he get someone to weld them up and sand them down flush...but his advice was to find someone who was experienced at doing that, and by experienced he didn't mean 5 or 10 times, he meant hundreds of times. Just like if you went to a dentist, you wouldn't want to be the first guy he ever put a filling into, or the 10th, or even the hundredth. You'd want someone who could do it in his sleep.



You don't want to be the shop owner who never polished a refinished panel before the picky customer's who you burned through, and is going to trash talk you to the whole town.



I'm not clear why you are saying you just graduated high school but you've got a year of CC...my advice is to go to school and keep being "semi-professional" until you are done with school...at which point maybe you'll be ready to be a professional detailer on more than one level.



Our departed buddy Relaited kept harping on the differences between being a "businessman" and a "technician". If you are going to run a few-man business, you need to be both, and good at both. I guarantee if you walk around the areas you are thinking of for businesses, and walk in and talk to some business owners, you're not going to find any (that stayed in business) who graduated HS and started their business the next week, month, or year. They worked for someone etc. until they were journeymen (look that one up). I don't know if they still have voc in school, but none of the auto mechanics, carpenters, machinists you are graduating with (if there are any...who works with their hands anymore) are planning on opening up their own garage, contracting business, or machine shop this year (if they have their feet on the ground).



Sorry, it's late and it's a pet peeve of mine about people who work at something just long enough to know enough to make themselves dangerous and then hang a shingle. And no offense, I remember the night you joined here, and 4 months of reading Autopia and polishing a few more cars doesn't make you ready to run a fixed-base detailing shop. You've got relatives in business, you should be able to get this advice from them...or maybe you already did and that's why you'd like a different answer here. I was young and impetuous once, too ;)
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One of the best quotes and best advice I have ever read on Autopia, Thanks Setec.



This is becoming all too common, inexperienced guy joins, sees posts on making $70 an hour, and details a few cars and interacts on a forum and then claim to be "a step above detailer" -using that term lightly.



No disrespect to anyone intended.



But most of your heroes on Autopia have put in years of hands on and learning to deserve to be called Autopian level.



I started in this business May 17 1987 deoxidating paint (new word) and have learned more in the last 5 years then the many years before.





I am not trying to discourage any one, but it is not an easy business to retire off.
 
If you want to make tons of money, concentrate on wash & waxes. More bang for the buck and down the road you can hire Pepe with a green card and teach him to do a decent job. I've met 3 W & W business owners here in S. Florida that make more money than 99.9% of Pro Detailers. Doing 15 mediocre $45 washes everyday adds up quickly and your back can last for a long time. Having multiple sub-contractors locked in at multiple locations around your city doing 50 of them everyday can set up your retirement.
 
Dustin, I think you are asking the right questions. I would also try to find a local mentor who you can discuss things with.



If you are detailing in Asheville area, you should be able to get more per detail since it is definitely a "richer" area. With all the pricey B&B's, etc, there is definitely potential customers and many out of town people..like I will detail your car while you tour Biltmore.



As for your web site, I would change the tone to be a bit more self-confident rather than defending yourself on pricing, etc. Your work (keeping a portfolio) will help sell your skills.
 
Personally I think you're trying to put the cart in front of the horse. you say 2 years of experince already yet you seem to lack even the most basic of skills based on all the question's you've posted on here recently. If you really want to make a go at this you need to learn the proper ways. The only way to do that is by actually doing it. Reading on here does not make you an expert in any way shape or form. Find a true Master detailer and apprentice with them for at least 5 years minimum before thinking you can venture out on your own on the level that you want. And that's a HUGE vairable on price . $30-$80K??? That's not even in the same tax bracket. Good luck getting even half that with only the high school diploma. Continue with the education. You never know when the bottom will fall right out of this feild. The more you know the better you are in anything in life. Never stop educating yourself. Wether its college or just classes or a trade school or apprenticeship. You should always be striving to learn something new every day your on the job.



There's just no subsititute for a good foundation. Can't take short cuts and expect to achieve it all. In this feild or any other. You have to put the time in to learn everything you can. 2 years in Detailing is just about good enough to call you a run of the mill wash boy at best. You really need to put the time in... And serious time at that.
 
This was going to be my exact response (Jake and I must be old!!??). $30-$80k is a HUGE dichotomy! Reading posts here is certainly great for gathering information and gathering knowledge on products and application, etc. However, THE ONLY WAY you will truly become proficient is to apply this knowledge. I think at this stage, you would be best served apprenticing under someone with professional experience. Then, and only then, thinking about setting out on your own. Hell, I have cars older than you! Not a slight, just thinking about how some of my clients might react to turing their $200k car loose to an 18 year old. I see visions of the Ferris Bueller Ferrari in the hands of the valet scenario.



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Andy

Jakerooni said:
Personally I think you're trying to put the cart in front of the horse. you say 2 years of experince already yet you seem to lack even the most basic of skills based on all the question's you've posted on here recently. If you really want to make a go at this you need to learn the proper ways. The only way to do that is by actually doing it. Reading on here does not make you an expert in any way shape or form. Find a true Master detailer and apprentice with them for at least 5 years minimum before thinking you can venture out on your own on the level that you want. And that's a HUGE vairable on price . $30-$80K??? That's not even in the same tax bracket. Good luck getting even half that with only the high school diploma. Continue with the education. You never know when the bottom will fall right out of this feild. The more you know the better you are in anything in life. Never stop educating yourself. Wether its college or just classes or a trade school or apprenticeship. You should always be striving to learn something new every day your on the job.



There's just no subsititute for a good foundation. Can't take short cuts and expect to achieve it all. In this feild or any other. You have to put the time in to learn everything you can. 2 years in Detailing is just about good enough to call you a run of the mill wash boy at best. You really need to put the time in... And serious time at that.
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Okay thanks everyone who posted, I agree on apprenticeship with a more "experienced" detailer. What should I do when talking to a "more experienced detailer" as far as wages and working hours, ex: $ a hour or $ based on cars condition? I know Ive only been on here since feb, I also know that when I joined I was very unaware of all the nationwide products and procedures people use when detailing cars, I will always be learning, Lets say a little down the road like 10 years could I start my "own" detailing shop?



When did you all start operating a detail business?
 
I wouldn't worry about the pay by any means. Worry about leaning the craft. Money will always follow skill. The more you master the more you'll make. Let whoever you apprentice with determine that part since it will be his business plan in play.



I've been detailing since the early 90's (91'-92' timeframe) and I just got to a point a couple of years ago that I thought I was ready to go out on my own. It was a HUGE learning curve. Because while I was a very good detailer there was alot about the business side of things I simply didn't know. You really have to be very very good at both to make it. Learn all you can about the craft and take as many business classes as you can possibly fit in between to get a grasp of that side of things. Being a top notch detailer dosen't garuntee a succesful business venture.
 
Jakerooni said:
I wouldn't worry about the pay by any means. Worry about leaning the craft. Money will always follow skill. The more you master the more you'll make. Let whoever you apprentice with determine that part since it will be his business plan in play.



I've been detailing since the early 90's (91'-92' timeframe) and I just got to a point a couple of years ago that I thought I was ready to go out on my own. It was a HUGE learning curve. Because while I was a very good detailer there was alot about the business side of things I simply didn't know. You really have to be very very good at both to make it. Learn all you can about the craft and take as many business classes as you can possibly fit in between to get a grasp of that side of things. Being a top notch detailer dosen't garuntee a succesful business venture.
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Okay, what should I keep in mind when learning the trade? dent repair, paint corrections, wetsanding, paint chips?
 
I'm gonna chime in then leave you to your vices. First, at least as far as where I fit in; we do only detailing. No chip repair, dent repair, clear bra, etc. -strictly detailing. And, as for where you should focus; as Jake mentioned, working as an apprentice is going to mean you leave it up to who it is you apprentice for. If you believe you are going to bring your limited experience and step up to compunding, polishing, etc - prob not. I would guess you are going to start right off washing and cleaning. At the end of the day, that's where it all begins. If you can't master the basics of getting the car to a pristine starting point, you'll never become an accomplished detailer. Find someone willing to put you to work and who is willing to take you under their wing. From there you need to learn everything from cleaning tires up and being ent about moving on. Don't be surprised if you find yourself cleaning a wash bay, filling and restocking chemicals, etc. Business begins at the begninning.



Okay, I'm done!
DetailnByDustn said:
Okay, what should I keep in mind when learning the trade? dent repair, paint corrections, wetsanding, paint chips?
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I'll try to make this as simple as I can to understand. learn your products, Learn your canvas (yes this is an art form) When you can do it all no matter what someone puts in front of you without having to log on and ask a bunch of questions you've made it to "Detailer" status. But you absoultly have to know what products you use. What they are meant for, What they say they can do, And what they can actually do. Then you absoultly need to know what you're dealing with as a surface and what it takes to get that surface back to "like new" condition. From Single stage paint, to soft clears to hard clears and ceramic clears and every other possible scenerio. Enamel paints react differently than laquer paints. Knowing which cars would even have laquer paints is also a must. When do you use wool? When is foam the best option? And why? What abuot the knap of the carpet? Plush and fluffy vs. cheap industrial hard knap that dosen't want to release anything. Leather vs. synthetic New cloth vs. old cloth. Headliners and the many forms they tend to come in. What about the glass? Tinted or no? What product is the correct choice? Is there more than one product in your arsenal that's correct? Red stains and black scuffs? How to handle them. Sand in the carpeting? Bleach spill? hazards like spilled gas or vomit. (you'd be suprised) how do you handle that? Rubber seals and engine bays. electronics. and the other various surfaces that are trickier than most. And then the thousands and thousands of other things that can and will pop up when doing this professionally. The way to become a detailer is get very very good at all this... The way to become a master is to niche yourself into something very specific and do it better than anyone else could.
 
Jakerooni said:
I'll try to make this as simple as I can to understand. learn your products, Learn your canvas (yes this is an art form) When you can do it all no matter what someone puts in front of you without having to log on and ask a bunch of questions you've made it to "Detailer" status. But you absoultly have to know what products you use. What they are meant for, What they say they can do, And what they can actually do. Then you absoultly need to know what you're dealing with as a surface and what it takes to get that surface back to "like new" condition. From Single stage paint, to soft clears to hard clears and ceramic clears and every other possible scenerio. Enamel paints react differently than laquer paints. Knowing which cars would even have laquer paints is also a must. When do you use wool? When is foam the best option? And why? What abuot the knap of the carpet? Plush and fluffy vs. cheap industrial hard knap that dosen't want to release anything. Leather vs. synthetic New cloth vs. old cloth. Headliners and the many forms they tend to come in. What about the glass? Tinted or no? What product is the correct choice? Is there more than one product in your arsenal that's correct? Red stains and black scuffs? How to handle them. Sand in the carpeting? Bleach spill? hazards like spilled gas or vomit. (you'd be suprised) how do you handle that? Rubber seals and engine bays. electronics. and the other various surfaces that are trickier than most. And then the thousands and thousands of other things that can and will pop up when doing this professionally. The way to become a detailer is get very very good at all this... The way to become a master is to niche yourself into something very specific and do it better than anyone else could.
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Thanks for that post, Dang that a long post haha! I need to investigate on the different paints esp ceramic clears, and red wine spills, black scuffs as in shoes? What can you do for bleach spills Dye?
 
OMG, really?!?!?!?!? I guess you are NOT LISTENING to what anyone is suggesting!!!! You are NOT going to become a detailer by reading posts on this forum!!! You need to gain experience from someone who has experience. Sounds like you are currently doing work for$$?! I imagine it will be only a matter of time that your inexperience brings you to the Forum asking what it is you can do to correct the damage you have caused to a client's car because you have no clue what you're doing??? Considering that and the possibility that you may not be properly insured: this is the exact scenario that turns people against the industry! :hmph:
DetailnByDustn said:
Thanks for that post, Dang that a long post haha! I need to investigate on the different paints esp ceramic clears, and red wine spills, black scuffs as in shoes? What can you do for bleach spills Dye?
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Wow, I think we've come full circle. A lot of us here were 18 once, I came at this from the angle of in most cases you can't learn a craft/business/vocation instantly and own your own business the day you graduate from high school. On the other hand, to have a detailing business you don't have to have the equivalent of 10 years of higher education like you're going to be a doctor.



Dustin, isn't there a middle ground here somewhere? I forget which relative owns the car wash, and I thought you worked in the detail shack there? Can't you negotiate a slightly different niche, where you take the higher end/higher expectation clients from that business? Under a different EZ-Up? In that way you aren't working for the cheapskates who don't know what a detail is and you aren't burning trim on a Gallardo that TH should have been working on. You can progress slowly, keep learning here and elsewhere, maybe even go to college at the same time. When you've got a few hundred more details under your belt, an established clientele, then maybe it will be time to move out to your own place.



I'm sorry I and others rained on your graduation-day parade. It's essential to have dreams and aspirations, it's just as essential to keep your feet planted on the ground. Just give it a little time, it might be a year, 2, or 3, or it could be longer. Nobody is suggesting you give up on your dream, to the contrary, get going on making it happen, just realize it won't be an overnight thing. That's the old joke about actors and musicians talking about their "overnight" success that took 15 years...
 
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