Strange you should bring this up. My friend who own's his own detail shop and I are talking about doing the same thing. We will keep his detailing shop opened for just that but with the size of his shop and then the size of my home shop, there is plenty of room in both to do this type of work.
Have you taken a look at a link called ColorChip? I bought one of their chip repair kits. You just send them the VIN # of the vehicle and you will get the EXACT same paint from the factory that is on the vehicle. Nothing like those little cheap bottles of touch up paint. Tried this method on my 2015 Rubicon (White). Bigger tires were throwing rocks against both back fenders. Additionally I got a huge chip that went all the way down to bare metal that was right in the middle of the hood ~ an 18 wheeler through a rock. Using their method, you now can not tell where I repaired all of these chips.
Of course, there are many other methods of repairing chips. The internet is full of that info plus the video's. It's not that big of a chore to do. The money can be better than a regular detail. Additionally, it is not all that time consuming. If you don't have a business like that where you live then spend some money on advertising and let the money start rolling in.
You may want to start out doing just daily driver vehicles. Once you get the hang of it, the big money is with the high dollar vehicles ~ Doctors, Dentists, Attorney's. etc. Later on, if your business is booming, invest in a nice new sized trailer. Get the outside painted the way you want so it will catch people's eyes. Put your equipment in there, hook it up to a nicely detailed pick-up and advertise you make "house calls or will come to a business." My friend and I have already bought a nice, large, white trailer and now waiting for the right paint job on the outside. It will be set up for not only portable detailing but also for chip repair work.
Take your time, think every little detail through, thoroughly, check the local market to see if the work is there. You now have a thought that should turn into a goal and once you have made up your mind then just go for it.
First impressions are absolutely necessary so make sure your shop and vehicle are always shined. Wear professional looking work clothes, have an estimate book with you at all times, get some business cards made up. Also, don't sit back and wait for a client to come to you. If you have time in the day or early evenings (not at dinner time ~ people hate that), start making some cold phone calls to prospective business's.
Just remember this. The first year of any new business will be the hardest. Instead of eating steaks, you will be eating beans. IF you make it to year five, it's a proven fact that a business will then survive if correctly ran. You've got a great idea ~ now just run with it. The best of luck to you. Good things come to those who are patient.
