Thinking of finally opening a shop

A

ADetailedFinish

New member
So I've been pondering the idea of opening up a true shop and stop doing mobile and details in my garage. But I have a couple questions.

1. What are some building requirements I must have for detailing? I heard I need an oil/water separator... Can somebody please educate me on this?



2. How much more revenue did it bring you shop owners?
 
You will need a lot of lighting, flourescents don't cut it, I have 17K watts of metal halide, and lots and lots of organization. An organized shop operates much more smoothly.



John
 
I already got the lighting... I used to be a commercial electrician so I'm set with wiring the shop up. But I've been talking to a couple landlords and they keep telling me about a water/oil separator for osha and the epa... I used a foam cannon and sometime I use spray on wash...
 
I'd check on the sump requirements for your local area. In my area, there's no requirement to separate oil and water, it all goes in the same sump and goes directly into the city sewer line. Separation of toxins / chemicals in waste water is done at the city sewage facilities.



Another option is to get a shop location close, say within a city block, to a car wash. Then you eliminate the need for a wash-bay altogether.
 
Yup, a oil/water seperator is essential, but most older building that used to be auto shops have this. Good luck with your search. Where are you located?





John
 
If you are in the right area, you can expect a whole lot more business from a fixed location. When I used to work in one, we would have 5-10 people per day stopping just because they saw the sign. Many of them would turn into clients, others were just dreaming/price shopping. You can also easily issue gift certificates, which can easily turn your slowest season (around Christmas) into your highest income season. The down side is the cost of the entire operation. If you are doing this part time, then stay mobile. A fixed location with a lease, utilities, taxes, ect.... as expenses can be steep and requires steady work at least 5 days per week. You will spend most of your time simply paying for your expenses each month, rather than making profit. One of things that does work well, is buying a house on a busy street and checking zoning requirements. Some areas let you work out of your house and operate a full scale business. This saves a lot of money. No lease, no commute to work.
 
I've already looked into working out of my house, but my city where I live isn't zoned for any commercial washing. I'm looking at getting a shop in auburn, wa. I have a couple guys that want to start up their own shop doing car audio, window tinting, suspension stuff, and I would detail their. I'm trying to work with advanced auto design to detail thier clients' cars. Also car dealers are nearby, so I can try to sell them scratch and rock chip repair, maybe clear bra's. I also hire a guy out to do wheel repairs.
 
Nice. You're close to my shop. I'm up in Lynnwood, you're welcome to stop by anytime and I could give you some more advice.



John
 
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