Enjoy washing and detailing cars? Perhaps you should consider starting a mobile car detailing business this year.
Everyone who owns a car at some point needs to get it cleaned. Unfortunately, not everyone has the time or energy to take their vehicle to the car wash. You may live in an area where there are only self-service car washes, and some people may not like the idea of washing their vehicle themselves.
A mobile car detailing business is great because you go to the customer. You can detail their car while they’re at work or doing anything else. It takes no time or effort on their part because you do all the work.
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How to start a mobile car detailing business
If you’ve been wondering how you can start your own mobile car detailing business, stay tuned because that’s what we’re going to cover here. The entire process is straightforward, and it’s something that anyone with a few dollars in their pocket and a willingness to work hard can do.
The first thing you want to do is market research in your area
You want to find out which companies people use to get their vehicles detailed. In other words, find the competition.
Be sure to find out what the company’s service and rates are. This will help you figure out how much you need to charge for your services.
The way you figure this out is by checking out their website or giving them a call pretending to be a customer. They’ll be more than happy to go through everything with you in hopes of turning you into a customer.
You should shop around to see how much several companies charge. Don’t stop with the first person who answers the phone or the first site you visit. Instead, try to gather a list of as many prices as you can so you can come to a firm conclusion as to what you should charge.
The next thing you want to do is draw up a business plan
A business plan is an essential part of any start-up. It will help you map out all the details of your future business. Use it to paint a detailed picture of what you want your business to be.
You’ll probably want to include things like the following:
What services are you provide? How much you’re going to charge for them. What marketing do you plan on using to bring in customers? How you’re going to market your business. An estimated start-up cost for your business.
Once you have a business plan, you can use it to get funding or, at the very least, work as a blueprint that will guide you towards your goal of starting your business.
Decide on what services you will offer customers
Now is the time you decide what services you’ll offer and how much they will cost. You can offer several different levels of service or just one. The options are endless, and it all comes down to what you want.
It’s best in the early stages of your business to limit the number of services you offer. Remember, you’re not yet an auto detailing expert, and there are going to be things that you’re not so good at yet. So you need to learn as you go, and this is how you’re going to do it.
Think of the services that you offer as a menu and create a pricing chart. You’ll want to list every service you’re going to provide and its prices. Consider things like the cost of the supplies you need to provide each service and the labor involved with each job.
The labor cost is what’s going to make or break your business. For example, a service that takes a couple of hours to do but involves a lot of labor may not be worth the price. That’s why you must factor in all the costs before determining the price.
The location of your business is what you have to think about next
You can operate your mobile business from a home-based venture, or you can rent a storefront. If you decide on the storefront route, you’ll have to invest in signage and marketing materials. It all depends on the type of location you want.
Most of you reading this will run your auto detailing business out of your home. If that’s the case, there’s no need to look for a storefront or anything like that. It makes sense because it’s rare that anyone would visit the storefront of a mobile auto detailing business.
The next step in the process is to determine how you’re going to fund your business
You’re going to need money to get started, and you’ll probably need more money down the road as well. You can fund your business by using your personal savings. But, before you do that, be sure to set aside money for future expenses.
You can also go out and find lenders who will give you a loan. A local bank may offer short-term loans in small amounts. Before you do that, you can ask family members or friends for a loan.
You may need to have a certain amount of money saved up before getting a loan from a bank. That’s something you’ll have to check into before applying for a loan.
Apply for any licenses and permits you need
There’s a good possibility that your state or city has some license or permit that you’ll have to get before operating your mobile car detailing business. Start your research by contacting the state’s Tax and Licensing Board. They’ll be able to direct you to the proper people where you can do your paperwork.
If you’re required to get a business license, make sure that you have it before operating your business. If not, you’ll have to take care of that as soon as possible.
You don’t want to operate your business illegally. There are numerous fines and violations that you could face, and it would be difficult to change things after running your business illegally.
Don’t forget to get yourself familiar with all the environmental regulations
You don’t want to get caught up in any problems with the environment. As a mobile car detailing business owner, you’ll likely be working on customer’s vehicles at their homes. Even though you may not think you’re doing anything illegal, checking out the regulations is a good idea.
Remember, you’re dealing with chemicals and cleaning agents. You must be aware of how to dispose of them properly and how you’re going to store them.
You may not think you need to worry about these things, but when you start a new business, you need to be aware of new regulations that come into force. That way, you can be prepared to deal with the environmental hazards that come your way.
Now is when you decide if you’re going to hire people
Chances are good; at the beginning, you’re going to be the only person working in your business. As it grows, you’ll need to hire people. First, though, some of you may want to hire a person or two to help you out right away.
Try your best to hire the right person. You don’t want to hire someone that’s going to quit after a couple of weeks. Ask your friends and family if they need a job or if they know someone who does. Hiring someone close to you might be a better option because you at least know their character.
Your business will need its own bank account
Now is the time to create, open, and start a bank account for your business. You’ll use this account to deposit all of your income from customers. It will also come in handy when it’s time to pay any bills that may come up.
A credit card is also a good idea to have for your business. That way, you don’t have to carry around a wad of cash or deal with crazy check-cashing fees.
You’ll want to open a business checking account and a business savings account. This is to keep your business money separate from your personal money. If you wish to deposit part of your income back into the business, you’ll have an excellent place to do that.
Promote your car detailing business and get your first clients
Now you’re ready to get your first customers. You can do this in many ways, entirely online.
For example, by advertising on Google search, placing some local Facebook ads, and listing your new business on Yelp.
At the minimum, you should have a Google My Business page, and it won’t cost you anything.
You can even choose to place a few ads in the local paper and include a coupon to attract attention.
Getting customers won’t be as easy as you think, so you’ll need to be creative. You can even put a big advertisement on your work van or whatever vehicle you use to haul around your auto detailing equipment.
Starting a mobile car detailing service: The bottom line
Hopefully, this article has given you some new ideas to help you become a mobile car detailing business owner. There is so much to learn and take care of but becoming a mobile car detailing business owner is not as hard as it may seem.
You should expect a few rough spots in the beginning as you learn how to get customers. It’s not going to be a quick process, but you can learn from the mistakes that others have made in the same business.
The bread and butter of your business will be return customers, and it will take a while before you build up a list of those that will keep you busy. Just remember, every customer can become a repeat customer, and that’s why you need to make sure that every order is handled with the utmost care.
