Basic setup for $1000?

DeansDetailing

DeansDetailing

New member
Joined
Jan 31, 2015
Messages
284
Reaction score
0
Hey Folks,

Been reading this site and taking in all the good information. I decided to invest about $1k in materials/tools to start a side business detailing. I have read the $500 starting out thread, but couldn't find anything for a higher budget.

If you were starting out as a mobile detailer how would you fill out a $1000 give or take budget on tools/materials? I already have multiple people interested in giving me business. I want quality materials/tools, but don't want to over spend or under spend in the wrong areas.

Therefore, I'm calling on the wisdom of experienced people to steer me the right way from the get go. Thanks in advance!

Regards,

Dean
 
I am looking for this info as well. Hoping the pros on here will chime in.
 
Are you planning on going fully mobile, or use the customers' power and water? What kind of detailing do you want to do (washes and waxes, 1-step daily driver polishing, high end paint correction, thorough interior detailing, quick express detailing, etc)?
 
I would add a steamer and small air compressor. Other than that there will not be amazing things to be had except possibly some additional brushes, more microfibers to start.
 
I'd spend as little as possible.

And I literally mean, as little as possible

I would focus on learning marketing/advertising

It's a really simple framework to get started:

1) Spend $100 getting soap, wash mitt, drying towel, APC, brush, tire dressing, tire applicator, spray wax, and a few other things

2) Contact ALL your friends and family and get 10 people to pay you $50 for a wash and wax (don't worry about pricing, business cards, website, Facebook page, profiting, etc...).

3) Now use the money that you earned to buy a few pads, compound, polish, wax, a few mf towels, wax applicator, etc... Then go for round 2 and contact ALL your friends and family and tell them you'll make their car nice and shiny by removing swirls and scratches. Charge $100 to $150 and get 5 people to pay you for this service.

4) Buy interior items such as APC, smaller brushes, carpet brush, etc... Get 5 people to pay you $100 to clean their interior from top to bottom with nothing missed.

At this point, you should have made somewhere between ~$1500 to ~$2500 by only investing $100.

Keep track of the time it takes you to complete each step.

- Time to wash wheels and tires:
- Time to wash vehicle:
- Time to dry vehicle:
- Time to dress tires:
- Time to apply wax:
- Time to remove wax:
- etc....

That way, once you've gone through steps 1 through 4, you will have a detailed report of your system and how long it takes you to complete each phase.

Which you can then say, "Hm, it takes me 1.5 hours for a wash on a truck. I want to make $20 an hour. So 20 x 1.5=$30 for a wash. Plus expenses and so forth, I'll charge $50 for wash."

Totally made up numbers but you get the point :xyxthumbs:

What you can do now is look at what tools/products will help you reduce your time/effort.

A mistake I did and I see others do is buying SO MANY tools and products before having a simple system in place.

I use to have a VX5000 (steamer) and now I don't. My work still comes out great and there's not a big time difference.

Just my 2 cents:dblthumb2:
 
The vast majority will be daily driver vehicles 1 step. I enjoy doing interiors and hope to get a lot of thorough interior business as well as a lot of headlight restoration.

My first job is actually a practice car for me. 2003 Ford Focus in yellow..hasn't been waxed in over 10yrs. Some fading and oxidation. I'll post some pics in the appropriate forum to get help with specifics on that one.

I will need to use the customers power and water initially.

Kengo123 said:
Are you planning on going fully mobile, or use the customers' power and water? What kind of detailing do you want to do (washes and waxes, 1-step daily driver polishing, high end paint correction, thorough interior detailing, quick express detailing, etc)?
Click to expand...
 
Thanks a lot for the thoughtful feedback. I was actually going to spend a fair bit just getting some cool toys as a hobby when I mentioned it to some people at work. They expressed genuine interest in getting their cars done by me.

Of course, I'm old enough to realize what people say and how they actually part with money is a whole different story.

I was in Real Estate and Web Design/Marketing in the near past. I got "How to Start a Home-based Car Detailing Business" and started reading it.

While I am excited, I am realistic as well. I'm not getting into it to maximize profit, but to perhaps make some $$$ to pay for some cool stuff. Just being real. At the same time, I'm far from rich and want my product choices to be "investments".

But, you did give very good advise to someone more sensible then me!

thebamboo23 said:
I'd spend as little as possible.

And I literally mean, as little as possible
Click to expand...
 
thebamboo23 said:
I'd spend as little as possible.

And I literally mean, as little as possible

I would focus on learning marketing/advertising

It's a really simple framework to get started:

1) Spend $100 getting soap, wash mitt, drying towel, APC, brush, tire dressing, tire applicator, spray wax, and a few other things

2) Contact ALL your friends and family and get 10 people to pay you $50 for a wash and wax (don't worry about pricing, business cards, website, Facebook page, profiting, etc...).

3) Now use the money that you earned to buy a few pads, compound, polish, wax, a few mf towels, wax applicator, etc... Then go for round 2 and contact ALL your friends and family and tell them you'll make their car nice and shiny by removing swirls and scratches. Charge $100 to $150 and get 5 people to pay you for this service.

4) Buy interior items such as APC, smaller brushes, carpet brush, etc... Get 5 people to pay you $100 to clean their interior from top to bottom with nothing missed.

At this point, you should have made somewhere between ~$1500 to ~$2500 by only investing $100.

Keep track of the time it takes you to complete each step.

- Time to wash wheels and tires:
- Time to wash vehicle:
- Time to dry vehicle:
- Time to dress tires:
- Time to apply wax:
- Time to remove wax:
- etc....

That way, once you've gone through steps 1 through 4, you will have a detailed report of your system and how long it takes you to complete each phase.

Which you can then say, "Hm, it takes me 1.5 hours for a wash on a truck. I want to make $20 an hour. So 20 x 1.5=$30 for a wash. Plus expenses and so forth, I'll charge $50 for wash."

Totally made up numbers but you get the point :xyxthumbs:

What you can do now is look at what tools/products will help you reduce your time/effort.

A mistake I did and I see others do is buying SO MANY tools and products before having a simple system in place.

I use to have a VX5000 (steamer) and now I don't. My work still comes out great and there's not a big time difference.

Just my 2 cents:dblthumb2:
Click to expand...


I'm in the same boat, excellent advice right here!:props:
 
bamboo's advice is spot on. Since you're starting out, a progressive approach will allow you to see your business/marketing and work ethic under a microscope instead of venturing out with all new gear. Buy and learn as you grow and you won't find yourself with unnecessary stuff or in a financial predicament. It's tempting when you set your initial cash aside and look forward to AG boxes in the mail but that will come with time.
 
OK. bamboo did spend a fair bit of time on that reply. I'll try to listen for a change. ;-)
 
It's great advice, especially as you're coming in by the front door. A lot of people making money detailing came to the business through the back door, deciding to earn a little sideline money with their hobby, and with the products and tools they already own. It may be a fun way to earn extra money, but from a business perspective it's a losing proposition as most of the money spent on fancy, esoteric tools or redundant products will never be recuperated. Start small.

I own WAY more products, accessories and tools than I'd ever need to start a sideline detailing business, but one thing I can't can't buy is experience. Read, read, read here, watch plenty of videos, and get to work on some cars. A garage full of products won't make you a better detailer, but time and effort can. If things go right, success follows hard word work, and then comes growth.
 
How can I explain this in a few words?
I can't.
Starting a detailing business is a gradual thing.
We all started out as amateurs doing our friends and families cars. Then we found out that we just might be able to make money doing this.

Literally buy what you need for the job your going to do.
What I mean buy this is go buy some soap, towels, wax and a DA.

As a pro I am always buying new equipment to make my job easier and it's a never ending story. THERE IS ALWAYS NEW STUFF COMING OUT!
So we will never be "done" buying stuff!

Start off small and just build off that.
Here's a little tip I learned as a young lad: "When you get a small job, you buy a small tool. When you get a big job, you buy a big tool."

you can call me if you want to chat about it. Check my website for my number.
 
Do you just want to start a detailing business or do you want to start an efficient and effective detailing business?

$1000 will get you a solid vacuum, metro sidekick blaster, microfiber towels, Optimum No Rinse, Ultima Interior Gel, assortment of brushes, various cleaners for tires, wheels, jams, etc, metal polish, extension cords, basic website, Griots Polisher, pads and an AIO.

I'm not sure why the majority of the advice is invest as little as possible? $1000 is impossible to start just about any business, and it's borderline for an efficient and effective detailing business.

I would only offer Wash, Clay, Wax/Sealant, AIO and interiors. 3 Exterior Packages and 2 Interiors (vac n wipe, something thorough). I can't see you making more than $10 an hour with $100 in supplies. I focus on productivity and $/hr, and invest as much as you need of the $1000 to do so.
 
Scott@IncrediblyDetailed said:
Do you just want to start a detailing business or do you want to start an efficient and effective detailing business?

$1000 will get you a solid vacuum, metro sidekick blaster, microfiber towels, Optimum No Rinse, Ultima Interior Gel, assortment of brushes, various cleaners for tires, wheels, jams, etc, metal polish, extension cords, basic website, Griots Polisher, pads and an AIO.

I'm not sure why the majority of the advice is invest as little as possible? $1000 is impossible to start just about any business, and it's borderline for an efficient and effective detailing business.

I would only offer Wash, Clay, Wax/Sealant, AIO and interiors. 3 Exterior Packages and 2 Interiors (vac n wipe, something thorough). I can't see you making more than $10 an hour with $100 in supplies. I focus on productivity and $/hr, and invest as much as you need of the $1000 to do so.
Click to expand...

Good advice, but I'll explain my take:

Your prices aren't related to the products you use

You should base prices on how much value you're driving to the customer

I always like to think about this quote (probably gonna mess it up): "it's not how you started, it's about where you're going"

People don't need to start with every tool and product for every imaginary situation that comes to mind
 
Scott@IncrediblyDetailed said:
Do you just want to start a detailing business or do you want to start an efficient and effective detailing business?

$1000 will get you a solid vacuum, metro sidekick blaster, microfiber towels, Optimum No Rinse, Ultima Interior Gel, assortment of brushes, various cleaners for tires, wheels, jams, etc, metal polish, extension cords, basic website, Griots Polisher, pads and an AIO.

I'm not sure why the majority of the advice is invest as little as possible? $1000 is impossible to start just about any business, and it's borderline for an efficient and effective detailing business.

I would only offer Wash, Clay, Wax/Sealant, AIO and interiors. 3 Exterior Packages and 2 Interiors (vac n wipe, something thorough). I can't see you making more than $10 an hour with $100 in supplies. I focus on productivity and $/hr, and invest as much as you need of the $1000 to do so.
Click to expand...

I agree here. Try starting ANY other business for less than $1,000, see where it gets you.

Starting a business is a risk. Unless you are starting as part time it is GOOD to invest money in your venture. Having capital and invest in in your business is not a bad thing.

No one is talking about owning every single tool or chemical under the sun, but it takes investment to have the things you need to do a good thorough job from day one. When I wrote the $500 detail startup article, it was intended for people who don't have any more money to spend!
 
Dean407 said:
The vast majority will be daily driver vehicles 1 step. I enjoy doing interiors and hope to get a lot of thorough interior business as well as a lot of headlight restoration.

My first job is actually a practice car for me. 2003 Ford Focus in yellow..hasn't been waxed in over 10yrs. Some fading and oxidation. I'll post some pics in the appropriate forum to get help with specifics on that one.

I will need to use the customers power and water initially.
Click to expand...
I just did my friends 5+ year neglected 2007 Ford Focus haha.... With some pictures as well

Definitely some great advice, some things I didn't even think about that are really cool
 
Hey Folk,

Thanks for the opinions. I really do appreciate the thoughts.

I'm reading Mike Phillips’ The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine right now. Awesome stuff!

I've been planting seeds among my co-workers that I'm starting a detailing business. I took a look at a co-workers 2007 Honda Accord (I have a 2009) that needs some solid TLC. I don't think most people understand what can be done with good techniques, processes and materials. I'll finish reading Mike's book before solidifying my initial equipment/material purchase.
 
thebamboo23 said:
I'd spend as little as possible.

And I literally mean, as little as possible

I would focus on learning marketing/advertising

It's a really simple framework to get started:

1) Spend $100 getting soap, wash mitt, drying towel, APC, brush, tire dressing, tire applicator, spray wax, and a few other things

2) Contact ALL your friends and family and get 10 people to pay you $50 for a wash and wax (don't worry about pricing, business cards, website, Facebook page, profiting, etc...).

3) Now use the money that you earned to buy a few pads, compound, polish, wax, a few mf towels, wax applicator, etc... Then go for round 2 and contact ALL your friends and family and tell them you'll make their car nice and shiny by removing swirls and scratches. Charge $100 to $150 and get 5 people to pay you for this service.

4) Buy interior items such as APC, smaller brushes, carpet brush, etc... Get 5 people to pay you $100 to clean their interior from top to bottom with nothing missed.

At this point, you should have made somewhere between ~$1500 to ~$2500 by only investing $100.

Keep track of the time it takes you to complete each step.

- Time to wash wheels and tires:
- Time to wash vehicle:
- Time to dry vehicle:
- Time to dress tires:
- Time to apply wax:
- Time to remove wax:
- etc....

That way, once you've gone through steps 1 through 4, you will have a detailed report of your system and how long it takes you to complete each phase.

Which you can then say, "Hm, it takes me 1.5 hours for a wash on a truck. I want to make $20 an hour. So 20 x 1.5=$30 for a wash. Plus expenses and so forth, I'll charge $50 for wash."

Totally made up numbers but you get the point :xyxthumbs:

What you can do now is look at what tools/products will help you reduce your time/effort.

A mistake I did and I see others do is buying SO MANY tools and products before having a simple system in place.

I use to have a VX5000 (steamer) and now I don't. My work still comes out great and there's not a big time difference.

Just my 2 cents:dblthumb2:
Click to expand...

This type of start of was outlined in a detailing book I read back in the 90's.

Line up the jobs, let your customers fund future supplies.

A friend of mine started his guitar shop in that manner in 1988, and today the store is huge, profitable and always busy. I taught drums there for ten years, and witnessed the move from a leased location, to his very own freestanding building. Quite impressive navigation of funds.
 
james1 said:
I wish I had thebamboo23 advice when I got started. would follow it to the letter.
Click to expand...

I agree

Since I like making lists, I messed around with a hypothetical list of what I would buy and offer following bamboo23's advice

First buy:

Home Depot 5 gallon buckets x2 $6
Home Depot 2 step ladder $12
Home depot x2 spray bottles $2
Meguiars mf wash mitt $5
Meguiars apc gallon $13
Meguiars water based dressing gallon $21
Meguiars water magnet ww drying towel $8
Sams club 30 pack microfiber towels $14
Walmart wheel brush $5
Bug sponge $2
50 foot garden hose and sprayer $20
Meguiars ultimate quick wax $10
Meguiars gold class soap 64oz $7
Rain x 22oz glass cleaner $3
Ridgid 3 gallon vacuum $50
50 foot 16 gauge extension cord $12
Carpet brush and cheap dollar tree "detail" brushes $5

Total: $195

Then sell express detailing

Hand wash
Spray wax
Dress tires
Quick interior wipedown
Clean center console and dash
Vacuum
Clean windows

Sell 15 of this service @ $50 each = $750

-------------------------

Then buy:

Husky 3 gallon air compressor $100
50 foot PVC air hose and air gun $20
Optimum no rinse gallon (glass cleaner, clay lube, rinseless) $40
Meguiars hyper wash gallon $25
Meguiars synthetic xpress spray wax gallon $24
Refill APC gallon, water based dressing gallon $35
Refill sams club 30 pack towels $14
Refill Home Depot sprayer x5 $5

Total: $263

Then offer interior detailing to the service list

Vacuum
Clean and dress all trim
Clean and dress leather
Clean headliner
Shampoo carpet and upholstery
Clean glass

Sell 10 of these at $100 and 15 express details at $50 = $1750

--------------------------

Then buy:

Harbor freight 6" da polisher $50
Harbor freight 6" wax pad $5
Buff and shine 5" da backing plate $13
Buff and shine 5.5" green polishing pads x6 $35
Nanoskin handy towel $25
Meguiars 5" MF cutting pad x2 $18
Meguiars ultimate polish $8
Meguiars ultimate compound $9
Mothers m-tech synthetic wax $7
Refill sams club 30 pack mf towels $14
Refill apc x2, waterbased dressing gallons $47

Total $231

Then offer 1-step exterior detailing to the service list

Wash
Dress tires
Clay bar
Spot scratch removal
1-step machine polish
Spray wax/m-tech sealant
Clean glass

Sell 10 of these at $100, 10 interior details, and 15 express details = $2750

----------------------------------

This comes out to $4561 made after expenses with only $195 invested.. Now there's over $4500 to "officially" get started with:

City license $50
DBA $250
Insurance $1000/year
DIY website plus domain $100/year
Facebook, google plus, online directories, etc $0
Lettering for car/business cars/misc $300
Upgrade tools/products $500

If I had to start over, I'd probably do exactly this. Pretty cool
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top