The Profitable Detail Shop

nice find. seems like it might be more so for a bulk detailing type business but im sure there is some good information that we can all learn from or use.



Seems that below that too they have several other books.
 
well who is JM Cook and what are his creditials? I honestly think though if you want to make it big in the detailing world you need to go high volume. It's really where the money is. There's a few standouts that can probably claim they live in a 14 bedroom house overlooking the ocean driving around in their ferrari all on detailing dollars but for the most part it's a way to make a couple of ends meet and not much more. But to run a high volume shop you need to think like a businessman and not so much like a detailer.
 
Jakerooni said:
well who is JM Cook and what are his creditials? I honestly think though if you want to make it big in the detailing world you need to go high volume. It's really where the money is. There's a few standouts that can probably claim they live in a 14 bedroom house overlooking the ocean driving around in their ferrari all on detailing dollars but for the most part it's a way to make a couple of ends meet and not much more. But to run a high volume shop you need to think like a businessman and not so much like a detailer.
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Good point!!
 
yeah but at the same time most not all but most bulk detailing facilities don't do very good jobs.



I have had numerous people complain about the bulk guy here and from what i have seen in california a lot of the places just end up cutting corners to get the car in and out . . . . . . though i am sure that there are some people who run legit bulk detailing shops.
 
vtec92civic said:
yeah but at the same time most not all but most bulk detailing facilities don't do very good jobs.



I have had numerous people complain about the bulk guy here and from what i have seen in california a lot of the places just end up cutting corners to get the car in and out . . . . . . though i am sure that there are some people who run legit bulk detailing shops.
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Same is pretty much true here in Charleston. All the speedy detail shops here have left cars with nasty scratches from washing with dirty water to not using clean drying cloths. Not all are like this but speed is #1 priority in most places.
 
Jakerooni said:
well who is JM Cook and what are his creditials? I honestly think though if you want to make it big in the detailing world you need to go high volume. It's really where the money is. There's a few standouts that can probably claim they live in a 14 bedroom house overlooking the ocean driving around in their ferrari all on detailing dollars but for the most part it's a way to make a couple of ends meet and not much more. But to run a high volume shop you need to think like a businessman and not so much like a detailer.
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well put!!! I have come to realize that I am a good technician, but a crappy businessman! I need to work on that, but when you are trying to run a business, operate a business, work a night job, and balance life, its a little tough!



plus with the economy, lower dollar details are a plenty, but the higher dollar stuff not so much! I think I need to come up with a low budget company to offer 100 details instead of pitching the $60/hr correction work to the regular DD cars!!!
 
toyotaguy said:
well put!!! I have come to realize that I am a good technician, but a crappy businessman! I need to work on that, but when you are trying to run a business, operate a business, work a night job, and balance life, its a little tough!



plus with the economy, lower dollar details are a plenty, but the higher dollar stuff not so much! I think I need to come up with a low budget company to offer 100 details instead of pitching the $60/hr correction work to the regular DD cars!!!
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understandable but at the same time when the vehicle isn't done properly with correction the end results just never feels the same. I feel pretty bad at the end knowing the end results could have been so much better but i did what the customer asked for you know.
 
vtec92civic said:
understandable but at the same time when the vehicle isn't done properly with correction the end results just never feels the same. I feel pretty bad at the end knowing the end results could have been so much better but i did what the customer asked for you know.
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Just remember 90% of people could actually care about paint correction.
 
well put!!! I have come to realize that I am a good technician, but a crappy businessman! I need to work on that, but when you are trying to run a business, operate a business, work a night job, and balance life, its a little tough!
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It's very tough... I plan on being a better business man myself. Something

I should have been trying all along. Too busy working in the shop and not

on the shop... And for 2010, the business will be priority.
 
vtec92civic said:
understandable but at the same time when the vehicle isn't done properly with correction the end results just never feels the same. I feel pretty bad at the end knowing the end results could have been so much better but i did what the customer asked for you know.
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I know what you mean!! I just did a saturn outlook last weekend that had swirls all over but the customer didn't want a buff. :tumblewee
 
Renew Detailing said:
I know what you mean!! I just did a saturn outlook last weekend that had swirls all over but the customer didn't want a buff. :tumblewee
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how did you personally feel at the end when things were all said and finished? I always feel like i messed up, or should provide the service anyways (though i won't for free be correcting a vehicle) it's just the way that i feel.



Everyone here who details and corrects knows what can be done and the results if it isn't done is usually sub par.
 
bufferbarry said:
Just remember 90% of people could actually care about paint correction.
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hey barry . . . . are you saying that:



90% of customers actually do care or don't care about paint correction?
 
Jakerooni said:
But to run a high volume shop you need to think like a businessman and not so much like a detailer.
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Creating any successful business is about solving problems. People don't buy a detail service, they buy a "clean, shiny car".



What caught my eye with the description of the book was that the author discusses out-sourcing upsell business. This could be anything from window tinting to bumper repair or leather repair.



I don't agree with the idea that you have to be high volume to be a success. I think you have to be smarter than the other guy.



If you sell a "detail service" instead of a result, I think you're leaving money on the table. Every customer wants to know what's in it for them. I suggest you guy learn the difference between a feature and a benefit... sell the benefits.



Just my 2 cents worth... probably worth even less!!!
 
I know I read this somewhere recently but it's the same idea, the reason MOST small business fail is because of a failure to be a business man instead of a detailer, or mechanic, plumber etc.



I've worked in service sales for the past 13 years and I can tell you, it's the guys with the best marketing, and then service that succeed. I think anybody trying to make a living detailing needs to have 80% geared toward low end wash-wax, clean interiors and 20% or less the FULL monty paint correction. You have to appeal to the masses and maybe a couple will hang around long enough to catch the meaning of what a real detail actually is and decide they want to go that route. I lost a customer, long time friend actually when she decided that she would rather spend 25 bucks at the local swirl o'thon than have me detail her new Honda, makes sense to me - save a few dollars and get your softass paint swirled - it's supposed to look that right? That's what I compete with.
 
DavidB said:
Creating any successful business is about solving problems. People don't buy a detail service, they buy a "clean, shiny car".



What caught my eye with the description of the book was that the author discusses out-sourcing upsell business. This could be anything from window tinting to bumper repair or leather repair.



I don't agree with the idea that you have to be high volume to be a success. I think you have to be smarter than the other guy.



If you sell a "detail service" instead of a result, I think you're leaving money on the table. Every customer wants to know what's in it for them. I suggest you guy learn the difference between a feature and a benefit... sell the benefits.



Just my 2 cents worth... probably worth even less!!!
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I couldn't agree more. That is what i was always told and taught. Customers always want to know what's in it for them. Everyone needs to feel that they are getting something worth while in return. You have to sell the benefit because if people don't feel that your service is beneficial to them they will not buy it.



JuneBug said:
I know I read this somewhere recently but it's the same idea, the reason MOST small business fail is because of a failure to be a business man instead of a detailer, or mechanic, plumber etc.



I've worked in service sales for the past 13 years and I can tell you, it's the guys with the best marketing, and then service that succeed. I think anybody trying to make a living detailing needs to have 80% geared toward low end wash-wax, clean interiors and 20% or less the FULL monty paint correction. You have to appeal to the masses and maybe a couple will hang around long enough to catch the meaning of what a real detail actually is and decide they want to go that route. I lost a customer, long time friend actually when she decided that she would rather spend 25 bucks at the local swirl o'thon than have me detail her new Honda, makes sense to me - save a few dollars and get your softass paint swirled - it's supposed to look that right? That's what I compete with.
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I also agree with you because that is what i am facing here locally. The market here is small. Period. You always get what you pay for. Yeah ok she might save $50 between the price of your wash and wax and the local swirlathon people but in the long run what happens? Her cheaping out has landed her in a pile of deep dodo as she now has a car that is pretty worthless and will most likely need a lot more extensive work being done.



People just are not educated to know that a true detail is not just about washing a car it's the fine details that go into it, the thorough cleaning, the prep work, the protection of there hard earned money.



The benefit would be protecting their investment and having them roll around in what looks and feels like a brand new vehicle again but people just want to good old swirl wash for $7 from the gas station and then complain when you charge $150 or what ever your prices might be. I simply just don't get it.



I see $60,000+ cars going into the cheap car washes and it just boggles my brain!
 
vtec92civic said:
People just are not educated to know that a true detail is not just about washing a car it's the fine details that go into it, the thorough cleaning, the prep work, the protection of there hard earned money.



The benefit would be protecting their investment and having them roll around in what looks and feels like a brand new vehicle again but people just want to good old swirl wash for $7 from the gas station and then complain when you charge $150 or what ever your prices might be. I simply just don't get it.



I see $60,000+ cars going into the cheap car washes and it just boggles my brain!
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This is the biggest problem, but it doesn't boggle my brain. Take my dad for example, doesn't give two hoots about cars. "It gets me from point A, to point B" he always says. I'd guess about 90% or more of the people you see driving through the tunnel wash think the same way, or could care even less than my dad about their cars. It's your job to educate people on why they should get their cars corrected and protected, but the benefit may not be worth it in their eyes. They'll just trade it in for a new one in 3 years.



My .02

Sean
 
David your comment reminds me a lot of a commercial that used to air about a year ago or so. About a guy starting up his own brewery and his friend coming up saying "You sure can make it" to his reply of "Yea but can you sell it??"



I guess to reiterate my point is I'm not saying you can't be an awesome businessman and not a good detailer and make a good detailing business on your own. But just because your the best detailer in the world dosen't mean you'll ever make a success at running your own shop. Your skills need to be the core but you have think like a businessman to succeed I think. I bet right now there some detailer working in some off the wall place out there that has probably forgotten more about detailing than I'll ever know but because he's only a detailer we'll never know.



I think one of the best examples we have on this board is Dave Fermani. Up in Michigan he ran his very succesful high volume detail shop. Sold it for a pretty penny and moved down to Florida. Now he details on the side and works in the shirt and tie world for an insurence company. The money he makes now detailing I'm sure dosen't even come close the cash he was bringing in back up in Michigan. He thought like a businessman first and did very well. Now he's thinking like a detailer and producing much much better quality details but it's chump change on the side and more for enjoyment than retirement.
 
Jakerooni said:
I think one of the best examples we have on this board is Dave Fermani. Up in Michigan he ran his very succesful high volume detail shop. Sold it for a pretty penny and moved down to Florida. Now he details on the side and works in the shirt and tie world for an insurence company. The money he makes now detailing I'm sure dosen't even come close the cash he was bringing in back up in Michigan. He thought like a businessman first and did very well. Now he's thinking like a detailer and producing much much better quality details but it's chump change on the side and more for enjoyment than retirement.
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Ahhh, I see someone read my book. :D
 
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