Whats the best way to start up some type of small detailing biz?

M

mikenomad57@hotmail.com

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Whats the best way to start up some type of small detailing biz?



Do freebies for a few people?



I would like a little extra money and since I have so much detailing stuff, Zaino, Klasse, Souveran, Meguiars, Zymol, etc.
 
I started off a few weeks ago just doing it for friends and their friends/famly. At first i just charged $15 for the suplies i used plus what ever people wanted to pay me... i received between $25-$120 for my 4 hour jobs. No i'm charing around $60 for the same services... and find i can get customers really easy if i try... heck today i got 5 people lined up while i was working at my other job (auto parts store)... and i didn't approach a single one of these people. Each case was one of my co wokers recomending me to them. The best way to find customers is to find people who care about their cars... for me this is mostly older people with their old cars they show, and younger people who have lots of money invested in aftermarket parts. If you are part of a car club or know anyone who is that's a good way too. Just offer discounts for people in the club... once you do a few people they will tell the others and the word just spreads.
 
If you just want to operate out of the back of your car (like I do) then you need to establish a customer base. It took me a good year or so of doing cheap jobs before I had the supplies I needed to operate on a regular basis. Last year I saved $500 from my profits to go towards overhead this year. I've already spent that $500 twice on supplies and equipment but I've made it back twice. Right now I'm back up to about $400. I've got several regulars that need $60 to $100 jobs once every month or so. Plus they give me awesome referals. One lady has given me over $300 worth of referals that I've either completed or have appointments for. Referals are my favorite thing. For being such a good customer I threw in a free wash for her after it rained this weekend and made her dusty car look like crap. She was very appreciative and promised me another referal tomorrow. Establish that customer base and you'll be in good business for awhile.



There are other things you need to know too but I'm sure you know most of them. That is just the very best tip I can give you from my experience. You need money but it takes money to make money. You have to put up a little money just to get the basic supplies. Then you wash one car and it covers the supplies. Now the next car you wash doesn't cost you anything. You do a couple like that and you've got yourself enough money for a Klasse kit or the Zaino system or something. Now you are back to square one. It just goes up and down like that untill you have enough business that you bring in more than goes out. You only have to buy Klasse once and its good for the summer. Plus it makes it so you can charge more for a job so you make more money. But you can't do any of that untill you get a customer base. Make up some business cards from www.vistaprint.com They only charge you like 7 bucks for shipping and you'll get a box of very nice cards.



<img src="http://communities.msn.com/_Secure/0OwAAAGkVK3!a!kB0p!FRzl4W55bmGPUwxqvixu5l126B7S*gaNguM!*ueFErSieEu*bjRCLfgTN7YU2PI8PN82dDYyzW4AxN/businesscard.JPG"



This is one of the ones I had made once. This is before I learned about the glory of Klasse and Blackfire of course. I was also working for practicly free. I worked just as hard as I do now to clean every nook and cranny but I was doing it for slave wages. That was the cost of my customer base. Now I charge more than twice that and they still think its worth every penny. Once you have a few people that can nod their heads and say "Oh yeah! He is worth it! Wait till you see what he did with my car!" then you can pretty much charge whatever you want. It took me 3 years before I felt comfortable charging $100 to do a car but now I get a $100 at least once a month if not more. Damn, I love those referals!
 
Jngrbrdman, I know it is your old card but... $35 for a Full Detail and $45 for a Full Detail and Wax.



Wouldn't a Full Detail include waxing? :D



Where do you get your cards made?



webviper, Just get some prices down and start going around telling people about your detailing services. Just get started small and see how you like it before you get serious into the legal issues, etc.
 
:p We are all entitled to our definitions of the business. lol I was young and this was pre-Autopia. Cut me some slack. :D
 
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