How to make a $200 detail look quality with only 2-3 hours?

UltimateDetail said:
I have been planning a detailing business and have come to the conclusion that the main focus would be the $200 details I offer. To add, I wash, clay, one step, seal, dress trim in/out, protect wheels, dress tires for exterior.. and interior, I clean the upholstery, clean and condition leather, extract carpets, clean glass, spray DP air freshener, dress the dash, doors, clean doorjambs, pretty much restore the interior. Any input would be appreciated thanks!:buffing:
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you are a dreamer with your eyes open :))
you will fail , because you see only the profit ,your plan is not realistic.
not sure about your experience in detailing for dollars but i think you need more clients to see the whole details involved in a detailing business.
if you do by yourself 3 cars/day with everything included in the above list , yes you will make money and yes you will run out of juice. is a lot of energy.
plus in your plan is not included the surprise element , that is always there , something doesn`t line up , the weather, an extra picky client , an extra cheap client , mom minivan , offroad truck , dog hair , tar etc u got the idea
before you fail i think you should rethink your business plan , how you know people about your service, how much you pay for that , bills involved in the process ( electric, water, gas)
do your homework more realistic and after that care about how much you made.
yes is possible to make 800 a day , but not with your plan.

just curious , have u ever done 3 suv in one day with all the list you got there? did you ever make 800$ a day? or a min of $5000 a month from detailing?
 
Hi, as a business man I can tell you most of the times when I see businesses fail it is because of the owners only seeing profits, the 2nd reason is a business plan full on constraints. I don’t have detail shop (but I see my retirement as a detail/car shop) First are you detailing cause you like too or quick buck? First what is your background; education, training, and prior experience. Wife kids?? Sorry for asking all the questions but when I consulate friends and family I need to know everything before I go over a business plan.

What I think is you need to go back to drawing board and list your constraints, and I see you have many at this point. Your $200 detail sounds great, hell I would pay $200 for that. But it is not possible to do a quality job in that much amount of time. The economy is changing from the day of a quick buck in the transactional business to relationship building, so think long-term. There are some great business owners on here that are giving great advice, and it’s FREE!

In short I wish you the best of luck, but don’t be foolish, just relax take your time and do the job right. “Speed is nothing without accuracy”. Sorry I couldn’t read all the post but start design packages. Ill be honest looking over your 2 to 3 hour package I see many things that can be changed and you would need to drop the price to $119.00. Make clay a add on, do a good AIO, ….etc. Start designing packages, and ill be more than happy to critique.
 
A real business man, you want $67 a hour and you are willing to pay $8, nice.
 
UltimateDetail said:
lol I know I can't do a full detail in that short of time, but the detail would be closer to getting all the heavy dirt and grime off and applying a wax and dressing kind of thing. But I would like to include a aio or glaze, which really cuts my time to do other things. I already tried doing what I described would be in the detail, besides the AIO, in around an hour and forty five minutes. So I would only have an hour for the one step.
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Sounds like an express detail.
Your post reminds me of the rookie JB hunt driver who planned his 300 mile trip @ 50mph average to only take six hours. The thing is, he didn't allow time for the hills, mountains, and traffic.

UltimateDetail said:
...like I said I have timed myself doing a basic "Wipe down". Which is: A wash, clay, quick once over with a hand glaze, then a synthetic wax for the exterior. Then a vacuum, quick shampoo, clean and condition leather, or if cloth seats use the tornado(sometimes extractor) and dry off with mf, then all surfaces are cleaned with APC+ and dressed appropriately for the material they are, then clean the glass, and lastly doorjambs. Then I do the wheels, I grab a bucket with APC+ and a car shampoo mixed and rigorously scrub the tire and wheels, then the wheel wells, then rinse, then dress the tires, then apply wheel glaze and wipe off. The thing that I have gotten good at is trying to make it less unorthodox as possible. And that takes working as quickly and efficiently as possible.
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Are you saying that you've mastered taking short cuts.
UltimateDetail said:
But no lol, I don't have a secret. I just know a lot about what works and what doesn't for different aspects of cleaning.
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UltimateDetail said:
But for all that I do know, I probably don't know about three times as much as I do know based on experience.
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[SIZE=+2]:confused:???[/SIZE]
UltimateDetail said:
I'll tell you what though, I have been detailing for about two years now(mostly family cars) not as a pro but casual as a hobby and because there was no rush on these details I had a significant time to learn.
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OHHH...I get it now!

UltimateDetail said:
Yeah, I just want to be able to make enough that I can support myself and be happy...
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Maybe you should research Kim Kardashian and learn her secrets to become wealthy...I still don't understand the draw.

Cosmin said:
yes you will run out of juice, is a lot of energy...
...plus your plan is not included the surprise element.
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Even the simplest things can turn time consuming...etchings, bug/tar removal...waterspots can be a PITA...claying...need I say more?

Anyway, thank you for a great thread hand! :props:
 
Before I reply to the new post, i would like to say I don't have anything set in stone, I still will draw out a business plan for another year. So I have a lot of time to think about things, and learn more.
 
Bigbull2984 said:
Hi, as a business man I can tell you most of the times when I see businesses fail it is because of the owners only seeing profits, the 2nd reason is a business plan full on constraints. I don’t have detail shop (but I see my retirement as a detail/car shop) First are you detailing cause you like too or quick buck? First what is your background; education, training, and prior experience. Wife kids?? Sorry for asking all the questions but when I consulate friends and family I need to know everything before I go over a business plan.

What I think is you need to go back to drawing board and list your constraints, and I see you have many at this point. Your $200 detail sounds great, hell I would pay $200 for that. But it is not possible to do a quality job in that much amount of time. The economy is changing from the day of a quick buck in the transactional business to relationship building, so think long-term. There are some great business owners on here that are giving great advice, and it’s FREE!

In short I wish you the best of luck, but don’t be foolish, just relax take your time and do the job right. “Speed is nothing without accuracy”. Sorry I couldn’t read all the post but start design packages. Ill be honest looking over your 2 to 3 hour package I see many things that can be changed and you would need to drop the price to $119.00. Make clay a add on, do a good AIO, ….etc. Start designing packages, and ill be more than happy to critique.
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Nothing is set in stone, this is just the beginning. I am relaxing and patiently planning everything out. And I completely understand that in todays world, business is more relationship building. And that is what I am trying to make work. It will take awhile, but I'll find a good rhythm and plan eventually.. And I always think with long term in mind. Anyway, I'll come up with some packages and message them to you, so you can critique them.:dblthumb2:
 
Cosmin said:
you are a dreamer with your eyes open :))
you will fail , because you see only the profit ,your plan is not realistic.
not sure about your experience in detailing for dollars but i think you need more clients to see the whole details involved in a detailing business.
if you do by yourself 3 cars/day with everything included in the above list , yes you will make money and yes you will run out of juice. is a lot of energy.
plus in your plan is not included the surprise element , that is always there , something doesn`t line up , the weather, an extra picky client , an extra cheap client , mom minivan , offroad truck , dog hair , tar etc u got the idea
before you fail i think you should rethink your business plan , how you know people about your service, how much you pay for that , bills involved in the process ( electric, water, gas)
do your homework more realistic and after that care about how much you made.
yes is possible to make 800 a day , but not with your plan.

just curious , have u ever done 3 suv in one day with all the list you got there? did you ever make 800$ a day? or a min of $5000 a month from detailing?
Click to expand...

I am definitely not a dreamer with my eyes open, I understand the possibilities and will plan accordingly.

I have about two to three years experience, and know enough about what could occur when detailing for money. And that includes all aspects, including customers, financial, level of cleanliness of car, etc.

As for expenses, I am still working that out, but have worked out a good estimate on the costs(and I always leave room for the unexpected).

Lastly, I have tried doing three full size sedans in 9-12 hours with that package and have succeeded. All be it without the AIO I was looking to add.

edit*
Also, this is not set in stone, I haven't even come close to a complete business plan.
 
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I think most guys got it right. I own a detailin and car wash business with 6 employees. Usually its me + 2 and our express detail for $69 (waterless wash&wax, rim clean, tire dress, sealant wax, vacuum int. & trnk, windows inside/out, dust & dress interior) takes about an hour and thats with 3 guys.

Where in Ny are u? Maybe i can help out. Pm me
 
Look hand, I'm not trying to be the Debbie Downer, but it seems to me that you're working on the same vehicles that you've previously detailed.
I could be wrong...just playing the devil's advocate.
 
Bigbull2984 said:
Hi, as a business man I can tell you most of the times when I see businesses fail it is because of the owners only seeing profits, the 2nd reason is a business plan full on constraints. I don’t have detail shop (but I see my retirement as a detail/car shop) First are you detailing cause you like too or quick buck? First what is your background; education, training, and prior experience. Wife kids?? Sorry for asking all the questions but when I consulate friends and family I need to know everything before I go over a business plan.

What I think is you need to go back to drawing board and list your constraints, and I see you have many at this point. Your $200 detail sounds great, hell I would pay $200 for that. But it is not possible to do a quality job in that much amount of time. The economy is changing from the day of a quick buck in the transactional business to relationship building, so think long-term. There are some great business owners on here that are giving great advice, and it’s FREE!

In short I wish you the best of luck, but don’t be foolish, just relax take your time and do the job right. “Speed is nothing without accuracy”. Sorry I couldn’t read all the post but start design packages. Ill be honest looking over your 2 to 3 hour package I see many things that can be changed and you would need to drop the price to $119.00. Make clay a add on, do a good AIO, ….etc. Start designing packages, and ill be more than happy to critique.
Click to expand...

I like the way you think. I am a professor of strategic management at the undergraduate and graduate level, and I can't tell you how much I have to tell my students that it's not about the profits (profits are important, but it's not the only driving force. In fact, the companies that focused too much on the bottom line often failed - think GM and Chrysler), it's about the attention to details. If you focus on all aspects of the value chain and be the best at each level, the profits will follow. But it takes a well thought out strategic plan.

That said, to the OP, I've noticed that you're too focused on not hiring help. To get the jobs done quickly (2 hours with all of that service is likely impossible at a certain level of quality that people will want to return for future service at that dollar amount), you'll need to hire help. You need to learn to trust. If you train them to your level of satisfaction, it will be well worth having some assistance. Trust is extremely important when hiring help, and that takes time to build. Don't be scared, and try not to micromanage their work. If you hire the right person/people, provide proper incentives, training, and autonomy, you'll be surprised by the level of quality you can get out of them.
 
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diablojota said:
That said, to the OP, I've noticed that you're too focused on not hiring help. To get the jobs done quickly (2 hours with all of that service is likely impossible at a certain level of quality that people will want to return for future service at that dollar amount), you'll need to hire help. You need to learn to trust. If you train them to your level of satisfaction, it will be well worth having some assistance. Trust is extremely important when hiring help, and that takes time to build. Don't be scared, and try not to micromanage their work. If you hire the right person/people, provide proper incentives, training, and autonomy, you'll be surprised by the level of quality you can get out of them.
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I am pretty focused on not hiring. Maybe irrationally to an extent.. but, even so, it's more of a preference than anything. Maybe after a couple years of being open i'll start hiring.

As for the price point, if you saw the quality my detail after doing all that in 2-3 hours you would most likely change the way you feel. A good comparison of what kind of quality the detail has is, it's like after you compound(ex. use 105) and polish(ex. use 205) paint, but without jeweling the paint or doing anything else. The paint is corrected, but not at it's highest possible gloss.
 
Bigbull2984 said:
Hi, as a business man I can tell you most of the times when I see businesses fail it is because of the owners only seeing profits, the 2nd reason is a business plan full on constraints. I don’t have detail shop (but I see my retirement as a detail/car shop) First are you detailing cause you like too or quick buck? First what is your background; education, training, and prior experience. Wife kids?? Sorry for asking all the questions but when I consulate friends and family I need to know everything before I go over a business plan.

What I think is you need to go back to drawing board and list your constraints, and I see you have many at this point. Your $200 detail sounds great, hell I would pay $200 for that. But it is not possible to do a quality job in that much amount of time. The economy is changing from the day of a quick buck in the transactional business to relationship building, so think long-term. There are some great business owners on here that are giving great advice, and it’s FREE!

In short I wish you the best of luck, but don’t be foolish, just relax take your time and do the job right. “Speed is nothing without accuracy”. Sorry I couldn’t read all the post but start design packages. Ill be honest looking over your 2 to 3 hour package I see many things that can be changed and you would need to drop the price to $119.00. Make clay a add on, do a good AIO, ….etc. Start designing packages, and ill be more than happy to critique.
Click to expand...

I agree with this post. I would invest in Meg's D151 and DG 501. These two products work wonders.

On a package without clay, you could use DG 501 to clean and leave long lasting protection.

On a medium or light swirled car D151 will work well and leave some protection behind.
 
inyadreems said:
I agree with this post. I would invest in Meg's D151 and DG 501. These two products work wonders.

On a package without clay, you could use DG 501 to clean and leave long lasting protection.

On a medium or light swirled car D151 will work well and leave some protection behind.
Click to expand...

Alright cool, I'll have to look into those. Thanks for the insight and help! :)
 
Thank you Professor, I guess my overpriced MBA is paying off:xyxthumbs:

OP take all the advice you get, and DO NOT get discouraged. Sooner or later you will be making that 100k. But it cant be done alone.

diablojota said:
I like the way you think. I am a professor of strategic management at the undergraduate and graduate level, and I can't tell you how much I have to tell my students that it's not about the profits (profits are important, but it's not the only driving force. In fact, the companies that focused too much on the bottom line often failed - think GM and Chrysler), it's about the attention to details. If you focus on all aspects of the value chain and be the best at each level, the profits will follow. But it takes a well thought out strategic plan.

That said, to the OP, I've noticed that you're too focused on not hiring help. To get the jobs done quickly (2 hours with all of that service is likely impossible at a certain level of quality that people will want to return for future service at that dollar amount), you'll need to hire help. You need to learn to trust. If you train them to your level of satisfaction, it will be well worth having some assistance. Trust is extremely important when hiring help, and that takes time to build. Don't be scared, and try not to micromanage their work. If you hire the right person/people, provide proper incentives, training, and autonomy, you'll be surprised by the level of quality you can get out of them.
Click to expand...
 
UltimateDetail said:
Hey AG, haven't posted in awhile, so here it goes...
I have been planning a detailing business and have come to the conclusion that the main focus would be the $200 details I offer. Now the problem is, I need to make money. And I only have 12 hours a day to work on cars. So I would like to get these cars done in 2 - 2 1/2 hours, and my question is how to make sure it's good enough that the client doesn't questions the quality of the detail. To add, I wash, clay, one step, seal, dress trim in/out, protect wheels, dress tires for exterior.. and interior, I clean the upholstery, clean and condition leather, extract carpets, clean glass, spray DP air freshener, dress the dash, doors, clean doorjambs, pretty much restore the interior. One of the main worries is the time it takes to do a one step, and also making sure i get all the cracks and crevices clean. Any input would be appreciated thanks!:buffing:
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Have you guys seen this thread?
It is spectacular!!!!!!!!!!!
This guy is making money hand over fist. I am only a hobbiest, but this guy seems to be going about running his business the right way.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ferraris-12-porsches-2-bentleys-8-months.html
 
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UltimateDetail said:
I was worried about that, but I've had a lot of people say: "It takes that long!" when I tell the 5-8 hours for a detail. The main problem is, a lot of people can't justify the price point for the extra services they get.
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Just post a sign that reads: Good,Fast,Cheap and tell your customers to pick any two out of the three.

J/K
 
Did you do all of the following steps in 1 hour and 45 minutes?

A wash, clay, quick once over with a hand glaze, then a synthetic wax for the exterior. Then a vacuum, quick shampoo, clean and condition leather, or if cloth seats use the tornado(sometimes extractor) and dry off with mf, then all surfaces are cleaned with APC+ and dressed appropriately for the material they are, then clean the glass, and lastly doorjambs. Then I do the wheels, I grab a bucket with APC+ and a car shampoo mixed and rigorously scrub the tire and wheels, then the wheel wells, then rinse, then dress the tires, then apply wheel glaze and wipe off.
 
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