Want to start detailing soon.. is this an ok game plan?

D

drew.haynes

New member
Me and my friend (both 20yr old) want to start detailing cars. I have a good amount of products... washes, glass cleaners, trim products, tire products, etc. I have a 7424 and Poorboys polishes. I use Zaino mostly, but am going to order some Nuba pastes. We are going to buy a wetvac possibly today and he can get his own PC and pads soon so we can each take half the car at a time.



Anyway, we were thinking we could just hit up a packed sunny parking lot and leave notes on a large number of cars that look like cars that could use a good improvement.. and just see how many replies we got.



We were thinking we'd put a flat fee on the note, so that we don't get waste-of-time calls where people just wonder the cost.



Basicly the jobs we'd be trying to get would either be wash-and-wax (wash,clay,wax) or full detail (wash,clay,polish,wax). Both would include interior work.



Does this game plan sound feasible and how much should we charge. We need lots of ideas so help us out!!!



Thanks,





Drew and Chris
 
Liability Ins?

Buisness lisc?

Epa permits?

Town peddlers lisc?

Just basic buisness INS.



You have a lot of things to consider. Also, do you like it when some wackjob pastes flyers all over your car? I sure don't, i would best most people don't. Kind of a bad start with a customer if you ask me.
 
Grouse said:
Liability Ins?

Buisness lisc?

Epa permits?

Town peddlers lisc?

Just basic buisness INS.



You have a lot of things to consider. Also, do you like it when some wackjob pastes flyers all over your car? I sure don't, i would best most people don't. Kind of a bad start with a customer if you ask me.
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Those all come with time, but do you really think somebody is going to get all of those before they've even detailed a car professionally? Everyone's gotta start somewhere :) -edit- Business License is definitly high priority, though! Get that first, its cheap, and it makes you legit.



However, I agree, flyers are annoying!



Your best bet, get some nice business cards. You can have both of your names on it and split the cost.



Hand them out EVERYWHERE. Leave them above the doorhandle of every dirty car you see. Business cards are wonderful tools :) I've done no other advertising except the local volkswagen club, and I'm busy with 4 cars a week merely from referrals :thumbup:



Getting the first 10-15 customers is the hardest part, because you have no reputation to inform them about. Once you get some, more come quickly.



Good luck!!
 
StumpyDetailing said:
Those all come with time, but do you really think somebody is going to get all of those before they've even detailed a car professionally? Everyone's gotta start somewhere :) -edit- Business License is definitly high priority, though! Get that first, its cheap, and it makes you legit.



However, I agree, flyers are annoying!



Your best bet, get some nice business cards. You can have both of your names on it and split the cost.



Hand them out EVERYWHERE. Leave them above the doorhandle of every dirty car you see. Business cards are wonderful tools :) I've done no other advertising except the local volkswagen club, and I'm busy with 4 cars a week merely from referrals :thumbup:



Getting the first 10-15 customers is the hardest part, because you have no reputation to inform them about. Once you get some, more come quickly.



Good luck!!
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That's a better attitude :) . Yeah we don't really know where to start.. we just know we like detailing cars. I'd do it for free if I had endless time and materials... but obviously no one does.



How much roughly is a biz license and where do we get it?
 
I guess i'm a stickler for playing by the rules. Part of the reason our fees are so low is we have people running around with out all those things doing work. Putting our potential customers at risk.



<shrugs>



Don't get me wrong drew, I'm not trying to be rude, only point out there is quite a bit of prep work to do before you step out into the real world of buisness.



an ounce of preperation is worth a pound of sweat.



In my state buisnees lisc is 20, city is 48, epa I think is about 200, INS is 3k a year.
 
Grouse said:
I guess i'm a stickler for playing by the rules. Part of the reason our fees are so low is we have people running around with out all those things doing work. Putting our potential customers at risk.



<shrugs>
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I understand... it was just depressing reading all those complications! :bigups
 
Drew,



All you need to do is go out there and talk to people. Yes, talk face to face with the people you think would be most interested in knowing about your good work. Give each and every person a reason to trust that you are fully capable of doing a good job detailing their vehicle.
 
mirrorfinishman said:
Drew,



All you need to do is go out there and talk to people. Yes, talk face to face with the people you think would be most interested in knowing about your good work. Give each and every person a reason to trust that you are fully capable of doing a good job detailing their vehicle.
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Yaeh, thanks for that advice. I think one thing we are gonna do is... we are gonna detail my mom's friend's acura... my "business partner's" neighbor's car... and I'm gonna see about maybe the guy that cuts my hair (he's kinda a friend and has LOADSSS of contacts, and he's really talkative... so maybe good for referrals).



All 3 of those details we're gonna just do for cost of materials plus whatever they feel like tipping us. We enjoy what we do, and if a few non-profit details bring in some referrals it's ok with us! Sound good?
 
drew.haynes said:
All 3 of those details we're gonna just do for cost of materials plus whatever they feel like tipping us. We enjoy what we do, and if a few non-profit details bring in some referrals it's ok with us! Sound good?
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I like that approach. Just be yourself, have some fun and always deliver at good job. Sounds good to me.
 
If your going to give away free details...Make sure you give them to the right people. You want to give them to people who care about their car being clean...Who have a big mouth...and who know the right people. If you give it to some lady or guy who is only going to say thank you and not refer anyone or tell a bunch of people who will never get their vehicle detailed it does no good. My boss is friends with a local mechanic and they are getting into selling cars. I do work for them for detailing vehicles and the price varies with what kind of detail they want done etc...I put my cards in his office as well and the cards are almost already gone. I gave a detail to my boss for $100 (probably a $200 detail I gave him) and I recieved 3 customers from him. I gave my boss' friend a deal $80 detail (Probably a $180 job) and he is handing out my cards to people he knows (head of many local groups) called me the other day and asked if I wanted to be a part of a charity golf outing they are going to raffle off prizes so I said sure! I already recieved two people from him who want details. Do the best work you can even when at a discounted price...and you will get more customers!
 
Joshua312 said:
If your going to give away free details...Make sure you give them to the right people. You want to give them to people who care about their car being clean...Who have a big mouth...and who know the right people. If you give it to some lady or guy who is only going to say thank you and not refer anyone or tell a bunch of people who will never get their vehicle detailed it does no good. My boss is friends with a local mechanic and they are getting into selling cars. I do work for them for detailing vehicles and the price varies with what kind of detail they want done etc...I put my cards in his office as well and the cards are almost already gone. I gave a detail to my boss for $100 (probably a $200 detail I gave him) and I recieved 3 customers from him. I gave my boss' friend a deal $80 detail (Probably a $180 job) and he is handing out my cards to people he knows (head of many local groups) called me the other day and asked if I wanted to be a part of a charity golf outing they are going to raffle off prizes so I said sure! I already recieved two people from him who want details. Do the best work you can even when at a discounted price...and you will get more customers!
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That’s good advice!!!

We give away wash and wax’s to charities all the time. Many car shows are held for charity also.
 
i recently just started to get busy....here is what I did and what you might consider, or not want to do...



first off, I started posting business cards on driver side doors above the handles...worked for a few details out of the 1000 cards I passed out. I would skate around the beach area and as i cruise by the car at 10mph I would just drop a card on the car without stopping....much faster than walking around....and make sure you talk to everyone who is around and sees you do it...because if they are walking to their car, chances are you placed one on it!



then I started thinking that no one is going to hire me to detail their car without seeing results first! so, I keep my car clean as can be....some people comment on how clean and wet looking it is...that is when I put up some vinyl cuts of my name and number for detailing....has gotten me only 2 calls in the last 4 months though



last month i decided to try the discounted/word of mouth way of advertising....and its paid off!!! I did a full detail (leather, wash, compound, polish, sealant, wheels, tires, interior, etc) on a yukon 4dr for only 160 bucks....that turned into 1000 more dollars this month off 4 details and some washes at the same place....had i not discounted her car, I dont think i would have gotten her car, and definitely not the rest of the people there....



I am going to redesign a website I made, rather have someone else make one for me to give a more professional image. I am also going start leaving business cards with every place I do business. and post up flyers where possible - but not the flimsy type that blow away....its on card stock and will be posted on bulletin boards whereever possible, not on cars....
 
toyotaguy said:
i recently just started to get busy....here is what I did and what you might consider, or not want to do...



first off, I started posting business cards on driver side doors above the handles...worked for a few details out of the 1000 cards I passed out. I would skate around the beach area and as i cruise by the car at 10mph I would just drop a card on the car without stopping....much faster than walking around....and make sure you talk to everyone who is around and sees you do it...because if they are walking to their car, chances are you placed one on it!



then I started thinking that no one is going to hire me to detail their car without seeing results first! so, I keep my car clean as can be....some people comment on how clean and wet looking it is...that is when I put up some vinyl cuts of my name and number for detailing....has gotten me only 2 calls in the last 4 months though



last month i decided to try the discounted/word of mouth way of advertising....and its paid off!!! I did a full detail (leather, wash, compound, polish, sealant, wheels, tires, interior, etc) on a yukon 4dr for only 160 bucks....that turned into 1000 more dollars this month off 4 details and some washes at the same place....had i not discounted her car, I dont think i would have gotten her car, and definitely not the rest of the people there....



I am going to redesign a website I made, rather have someone else make one for me to give a more professional image. I am also going start leaving business cards with every place I do business. and post up flyers where possible - but not the flimsy type that blow away....its on card stock and will be posted on bulletin boards whereever possible, not on cars....
Click to expand...





Are you me in an alternate dimension? HAHA!



I do almost everything you said, and over the last 3 weeks I've gotten SMOKING busy! Dropped off a flyer (Bulk Photo Paper!!!) at about 5 different hotrod shop/tire shop businesses, and the next day I got a weekly wash contract, as well as 4 full details... $1200 that week!

While doing those 4 details, another 6-10 people walked up to me asking how much for their car, and I gave cards to every one... I managed to book the next week full just from people walking by! Another $900 week!

This week was slow because it rained, but I still got a full detail on Tuesday... But I make up for it with next week!



From that SAME PLACE, I have Monday night booked, Tuesday for 3 full details, wednesday for another 2 details, and thursday for 3weeklywashes, and 1 full detail!



This has definitly proven to me and everyone I know, talking to the right people is the ONLY THING YOU NEED!



:spot :waxing: :hifive: :getdown
 
doged said:
That’s good advice!!!

We give away wash and wax’s to charities all the time. Many car shows are held for charity also.
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Thank you! The two events I am participating in will be occuring in the next two weeks so then I will be able to see how many people call. Im also going to do the car show charity like you, should work out good! Hope all of this advise is giving you some ideas. Do you have any business cards? PM me for some information...I had 2,000 made for $165. Full color heavy card stock..I constantly get compliments on how professional they look.
 
Oh, and I did the card above the doorhandle thing, too!



Last time I did it, I thought "Hey, people at a Casino obviously have money, what better place to do it?"



The second time I got escorted out by security :sosad
 
Lots of great advice guys. I think this will really help. Unfortunately I start school in about a month, but I'd like to still be doing this on the weekends!



About the 3 people we are going to do soon (well 2, hopefully the 3rd).



My mom's friend- we are doing it "free" but last summer she gave me 150 anyway. She works at a business with a large number of highly payed employees (mostly 6-figure employees in her area)



The other guy- he'll pay for materials... and it'll be some good experience... he MAY know a few people.



The hair salon guy- haven't talked to him yet, just have a hunch he'd like the idea. He pulls in an easy 250k a year. He owns the shop and has several employees and SOOOO many customers. He just has people in and out like herds of cattle, yet somehow... he's the most talkative guy, and he's got a great sales personality too w/o even trying. If we get him to let us do his car.. I think his word-of-mouth could REALLY pay off.



Lastly - just remembered I am going to try to contact my old boss. He is late 20s... makes 6-figures, has a black C5 vette and a Mercedes SUV. He freaks out about seeing good looking paint... but I don't think he knows enough to maintain it himself last I checked. Haven't seen the vette in 2 years... but I have a feeling it's got plenty of swirls to remove by now. :heelclick
 
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