Starting a business questions

[cherokeedawg240]

Hello

I'm starting a mobile auto detailing business and have a few questions I hope none of the questions sound stupid lol.

1) What services should I start with? Basic wash & wax & vacum? or full detail?

2) What should I charge? By hour? job? both?

3) how do yall keep the business going during crappy weather? (rain or snow days)

4) Whats the best way for choosing a name for the business?

Anymore advice feel free to tell me.

Mike M

 

[Y2KSVT]

Hello

I'm starting a mobile auto detailing business and have a few questions I hope none of the questions sound stupid lol.

1) What services should I start with? Basic wash & wax & vacum? or full detail?

2) What should I charge? By hour? job? both?

3) how do yall keep the business going during crappy weather? (rain or snow days)


Anymore advice feel free to tell me.

Mike M

1) I think it depends on what your market is looking for. If you're equipped to do full paint corrections and the like, then you could market yourself for that type of work, or even start out with basic packages, and then feel your customers out on whether they are interested in more serious work being done.

2) I think this is personal preference. If you're just starting out and aren't as efficient as you know you can be, then charging by the hour may end up being a drain on the customer if you're paying yourself a decent hourly wage. Nothing worse than driving away a potential long-time customer.

3) Where are you located? Most likely in the midwest or northern state if you're concerned with weather. Can you offer work out of your garage? If you're mobile, you may consider taking on work that allows for a covered work space.

My additional, friendly advice would be to not use "dawg" in your busines name. :laughing:

 

[cherokeedawg240]

1) I think it depends on what your market is looking for. If you're equipped to do full paint corrections and the like, then you could market yourself for that type of work, or even start out with basic packages, and then feel your customers out on whether they are interested in more serious work being done.

2) I think this is personal preference. If you're just starting out and aren't as efficient as you know you can be, then charging by the hour may end up being a drain on the customer if you're paying yourself a decent hourly wage. Nothing worse than driving away a potential long-time customer.

3) Where are you located? Most likely in the midwest or northern state if you're concerned with weather. Can you offer work out of your garage? If you're mobile, you may consider taking on work that allows for a covered work space.

My additional, friendly advice would be to not use "dawg" in your busines name. :laughing:

Haha well dawg is just for my screenname not business name lol Altho with the Georgia Bulldogs being so poplar here theres loads of businesses with dawg in the name lol

Im in Georgia so snow aint really a problem much lol. Thanks for the advice one question i have is how do yall handle the drought. Theres somewhat of a drought here and sometimes they have water restrictions. Altho Ive heard they dont touch businesses.

 

[cherokeedawg240]

Anymore opinions?

 

[Perfections]

Hello

I'm starting a mobile auto detailing business and have a few questions I hope none of the questions sound stupid lol.

1) What services should I start with? Basic wash & wax & vacum? or full detail?

2) What should I charge? By hour? job? both?

3) how do yall keep the business going during crappy weather? (rain or snow days)

4) Whats the best way for choosing a name for the business?

Anymore advice feel free to tell me.

Mike M

Since it sounds like you may be just starting out I'd stick with the basics, wash and vacs and wash and waxes. Try to build maintenance customers, that want you to come every so often. Focus on a good job on exteriors and a great job on interiors, it's where the basic customer notices the biggest difference.

Charge per job, which will vary depending in your market, research your competition!

During crappy weather find cover and offer interior details, after a while with your maintenance customers will have you coming rain or shine, if they or you have a way to cover their car.

Mike p has a great writeup about branding yourself, I'd check it out, try and brand yourself as much as you can.

Other advice, do the best you can on each car, you never know where it will lead. Word of mouth advertising is your best advertising!

 

[Cosmin]

1) is better to be prepared to tickle any job, focus on maintenance packages , give the option to the client , if he wants the interior done, or only interior etc.

2) pay by your value , and work you do , i charge by project upon inspection ( i kind of estimate the working time

3) Rain sucks , even if tx doesn`t get that much , have an option B when is rainy ( paper work , garage , clients garage etc ) also use weather as part of marketing , advertise winter prep , etc
i work monday-friday , on occasion saturday, when is a nice weather i book everyday and work any nice day cause i know when it rains it may be slow.

4) your name is your identity , your image , it represents your hard work , so... u got the idea

my story:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ferraris-12-porsches-2-bentleys-8-months.html