Thanks for the Info Already Recieved! My Introduction...

F

FantasiesCarWsh

New member
Good Evening everyone,

I've been casually reading autopia and autogeek forums for nearly two years now and am constantly googling the industry. It amazes me that the community in the detailing biz is so supportive - Cheers to all of you that provide such vital information.

I live in Ontario, Canada, but have been a nomad across the country. Since losing my job in 2008 when the recession became full-blown, I have moved to cities that I believe will be prosperous. I have taken many employment risks and they have not been financially rewarding. This time around, after working my tail off for a tradesman in a sales role and providing an exceptionally high revenue, I was informed that I will not get my bonus until February of 2017 (one full year from that point). I took my paycheques since then and have slowly entered the world of automotive detailing.

I am keeping the full-time job and have leased a garage that will only be open part-time after 5pm and Saturdays. Worst case scenario, I have a place to store my classic car that has been falling apart due to low income (this vehicle is also being used as part of my marketing and sales plan). I am hoping that you guys can steer me in the right direction...

It is difficult to purchase product in Canada. Exchange rates, duty charges, and the low Canadian dollar rob me. I was under the impression that Chemical Guys were my best option for washes and waxes. Can you guys pass along your wisdom regarding this? I want to offer PREMIUM and premium only to my customers. If you can suggest the wash and/or wax that has blown your mind or your experience with Chemical Guys, I will be in great debt to you. Thank you for your advice!


Ty
 
Welcome to the Forum, Ty !
Glad you have been enjoying your time here..

Sorry that the job market has not been supportive - I know exactly what you are talking about as well as many others here...

Detailing for a living is a really hard job, that not often pays the bills , so it would always be good to have another job going to keep the lights on and stuff...

I only purchase very few things from C/Guys; I like their CitrusWash Clear soap for the initial wash of a Client's vehicle, and it foams really well and cleans great..

Don't really care for their thousands of flavors of compounds polishes, etc., there is a new one about every month or something..
Not really sure how well they work either..

Their InnundateBlastYouMarketingStrategy is just too much and their pitchmen annoy the heck out me too.. :)

I prefer to purchase products from known-for-decades-companies that are as closely associated with the automobile manufacturers as possible...

These people invented some of those products even before any of us were born and they work very hard to make them better as the paint technology for instance, continues to change..

I know there are a lot of new companies in America lately that are and have been coming up with products that are marketed as premium, and perhaps they are and that will be good..

I also know that products from Europe have already been premium products for a long time and they are what many manufacturers use, so why take a risk at spending big $$$ on something new with no track record, when it was already invented and works really well today over there ? :)

I know from experience that when I tell a Client that I'm going to use only the best quality products from Germany on their German car, they really like that and of course, those products perform perfectly on their car...

There is a lot of road to cover to get started Detailing -
Lucky for you, there are a bunch of really, great, talented guys that have been doing exactly what you want to do and are a little bit longer down the road...

I am sure they will be happy to tell you their experiences in this new to them world as well...

Good luck !
Dan F
 
One suggestion I could give you to find products that are used and available in Canada is to scout out (AKA, covertly observe) professional detailing places in your area and ask what they use on vehicles. Some will let you know, most will not because it's their business and trade secret. But it doesn't hurt to try.

I would think that Meguiar's is a pretty commonly used (and available) product line. I would suggest using the Professional and Detailer lines because you can buy them in larger quantity sizes and they do preform very well for their price point (AKA, they're a good value for the job that they do.) Some of the products can be found at Automotive Parts Stores or Body Shop Supply Stores, if you are looking to buy them over-the-counter rather than online via the Internet and pay for shipping.

Another suggestion is to buy a detailing starter kit from an online business. You can get a lot of bang-for-your-loony this way and have a good collection of car-care chemicals, related brushes, pads and microfiber cloths/towels needed for all aspects of vehicle detailing.

Also, do not be afraid to buy used equipment, like buffers/polishers and extractors. It's a good way to obtain the necessary tools you will need without spending a large fortune that will take you time to recoup your investment. You can check out the resale section in this forum, but I am not sure how that will work for your situation in terms of customs "north of the boarder" from the USA.

Lastly, if you are becoming a legitimate business to make money, you will need to register with your local, provincial, and national government agencies and pay the necessary business and/or personal taxes on what your earn. It would also behoove you to have business insurance to protect your business and personal assets. This is one BIG reason why professional detailers who are legitimate businesses charge more that fly-by-night/underground/out-of-my-house-or garage businesses because it is an additional (an necessary) cost-of-doing-business expense that is factored into their services. You may think that this is not required because you are self-employed and are doing this on a "small scale" (IE, you're not making a huge amount of money) BUT one bad customer's experience can turn your fledgling detailing enterprise into a personal economic disaster, either because of some thing that happened to their vehicle that you detailed or they just don't like you and report you to the government Revenue/Taxation agency.
 
I agree with Lonnie try Meguires products. The Chemical Guys stuff isnt bad but in some categories you can get better. Their soaps get good reviews and the waxes are not bad, but if you are going into business then the bottom line is where you need to pay the most attention to. Get a gallon of Megs soap, APC, window cleaner, degreaser, etc. Get a Porter Cable or Griots Garage 6 inch polisher and all the pads you can afford (I would get the microfiber ones). Get the Megs 105 and 205 polishes, 2 buckets and a bunch of microfiber towels and practice, practice, practice on your vehicles before touching a customers vehicle and you are on your way to being just as addicted to this business as the rest of us on this forum. Welcome to the circus!
 
Well as a fellow Canadian and fellow detailer I welcome you to the forums and wish you luck in your detailing endeavours.

Personally, I faced the same issues as you with importing products (now I just drive down and pick up large orders). At first, I tried Chemical Guys products and most didnt work to my liking especially when compared to the more talked about products on the forums (just my opinion).

Theres a lot of great detailing e-stores in Canada:
  • Olde Town Auto Spa
  • Eshine
  • Auto Obsessed
  • Carzilla
  • Wisdom Detail
  • Amazon Canada

If I were to go into detailing professionally Id stick with mostly Meguiars Detailer series of products (Hyper wash, APC, rinseless wash, quick interior detailer, glass cleaner, etc.). This product line works very well and can be bought in bulk at very fair price.

Microfibers and DA pads is where it got tricky and expensive (all microfibers in Canada are like 2-3x the price of American sites, pads are about twice as expensive). In the end, I traded products I no longer use for the DA pads I needed using the trading section of the forums. People were really generous and it was nothing but a pleasant experience to trade with fellow forum members. The problem is you need a US shipping address because no one wants to pay shipping to Canada.

Where in Ontario do you live? Maybe I can help...
 
Welcome to Autopia ... our products are available in Canada from

  • Eshine
  • Auto Obsessed
  • Carzilla

if you need assistance in getting set up, i know all three of these owners and they are all great people ...
 
Thanks for the response Dan! Although I detailed for many years during highschool and college, I just used the products that were handed to me - I didnt think much past that. Can I ask who you would recommend as far as German products? I know that BMW and Porsche drivers will be coming by because I am close to a dealership. Thanks again!

Ty
 
Thanks for the info Lonnie! I like your "scouting" idea as I have been doing that, but more so in terms of marketing, number of employees, and customer base.

Ive used Meguairs products that are available off the shelf and have not been very impressed. From what Ive seen though, Canadian retailers (Walmarts and such) only have their lower-end-fancy-word product. I may have to order directly from them for a better line-up. I love the "bang-for-your-loony" term lol. Im guessing youve been up to Canada?

Hmmm, I had not considered what would happen if a customer were to attack my business while it was still in the initial stage. I know that I need the business license and insurance, but Ill have to quicken my pace now that I have your example in mind. Thanks for posting all of that!

Ty
 
Wow - Just looked at Megs Canada and their head office is in my city lol. I may have to try the soap at least! Is there really a difference between any of the suppliers of microfibre towels? I figured all microfibre towels were created equal lol. Thanks for your input and Im glad to be part of the circus!
 
Whoa - your list of suppliers just opened up so many more doors. Now I have a lot of reviews to look into! And I had not visited the trading section, but would not be able to get down to the US often enough.

Im in London Ontario. Beautiful city - Im quite fond of it so far. Enough so that Im willing to sign a lease lol. I appreciate any info that youre able to pass along!

Ty
 
Hey there Poorboy! Im looking into those three companies as 4u2nvinmtl suggested them. Once I finish running through the sites and reviewing products, we may be able to put something together. Thanks for the suggestions!
 
FantasiesCarWsh said:
Thanks for the response Dan! Although I detailed for many years during highschool and college, I just used the products that were handed to me - I didnt think much past that. Can I ask who you would recommend as far as German products? I know that BMW and Porsche drivers will be coming by because I am close to a dealership. Thanks again!

Ty
Click to expand...

Hello, Ty -

I have over 10 years experience with the Einszett ( 1-Z) product line -

Their Deep Plastic Cleaner and Cockpit Premium products are just perfect in any German car I have Detailed..

They also make a very nice Leather Care product, an absolutely necessary Gummi Pflege Stift product for all the rubber seals in German Cars,

A very good Vinyl-Rubber spray for those areas..

I have had great results from their Klima-Kleen product that cleans the A/C main duct and condenser really well, leaving vehicles with neglected or malfunctioning A/C units drain hoses smelling clean again..

This product produces a foam that gets down on the little a/c condenser and kills all the mildew, etc., that sometimes forms there.. Especially happens in Bimmers..

Einszett also makes a great windshield de-icer and cleaner for those cold freezing winters...

Again, years of experience with the Menzerna Compound line, way back when they had a really simple numbering system for all their products... :)
Their compounds and polishes are first rate, work very well, are very predictable, and I have never had an issue with any of them..

I like that Menzerna was born before any of us were, and because of all those decades, they have progressed into a very forward thinking, innovative company that even figured out they could even do better by actually milling their own line of abrasives for their compounds so they could perfectly determine the result consistently..

Menzerna was the company that collaborated with Mercedes way back when Mercedes developed this very hard paint clearcoat called Cerami-Clear for their customers who were complaining that their black cars scratched too easily..

Then with the new harder paint, how were the people on the Assembly Lines at Mercedes going to be able to correct defects as the new vehicles went down the line??

Menzerna worked closely with Mercedes and developed compounds that would quickly and perfectly remove defects in this harder paintwork and the rest is history.. When was the last time you saw a bad Mercedes paint job from the factory??? Yeah, I havent seen one either and I have seen hundreds.. :)

I only stock 3 compounds and polishes, Menzerna, Meguiars, and Optimum.. Of the 3, Menzerna on my Makita 9227C gets the most use on any kind of vehicle or paintwork... They work fast and finish down really well for me.. And again, always predictable, never an issue..

Meguiars 105, 101, and 205 are also great compounds and polishes, but I never use them on German paint.. I will always use Meguiars 105 on all plastic tail and headlights that need to be clarified, and again, the Rotary Power makes this happen quickly and perfectly for me..

Optimum Hyper-Polish is really a great under-rated polishing compound that works really well, leaves fantastic gloss and clarity and is an absolute killer on Japanese paintwork - especially Acura...

There are a few other guys making compounds and polishes out there that are from what I hear on this Forum,very good too !
DanF
 
FantasiesCarWsh said:
W

Im in London Ontario. Beautiful city - Im quite fond of it so far. Enough so that Im willing to sign a lease lol. I appreciate any info that youre able to pass along!

Ty
Click to expand...

London is a beautiful city indeed! My mom lived there for 5-6 years and I would drive down with my wife 3-4 times in the summer. Unfortunately, its a good 8 hours (each way) from Montreal.

I hope you go to Grand Bend the beach is epic there. I actually liked it more than the ocean because of the fresh water!

Our dog loved it too:


About the microfibers, unfortunately, theyre not all created equal. I personally like "The Rag Companys Eagle Edgeless" towels, they have lots of towels that are fairly priced and the price gets cheaper as you buy in bulk. As a rule of thumb avoid Chinese Microfiber and go for Korean Microfiber. I did like the Cookie Monster Towel from Eshine but its expensive and has a sewn border around the towel.

Wishing you success!

P.S. you can use the "reply with Quote" button at the bottom of the post youd like to reply to (helps everyone know who your replying to).
 
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