help, need advice

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rzfaulknor

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Hi everyone, this is my first time posting but I have been lurking around the forums for a few months now.

Let me start by saying that I really love cleaning and detailing cars.

I need advice - honest words of encouragement - from all the self-employed detailers on here. I am in college and about to be in jobless, but not in really rough financial shape for several months. I would love to be able to detail cars on the weekends to get by. I would still consider myself a novice but everyday I learn more and more and love to detail more and more (mostly by this site). I wouldn't want to do anything super difficult, I wouldn't want to do anything more than applying a wax to a car until I get more experience. What I want to know is it is a viable idea? I have some money saved up to get me by, but I need about $800 a month to get me by, and I already have everything that I need to start detailing. I live in a average size town but there are plenty of luxury cars. Am I just dreaming or can it be done? any insights and advise are greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Zach Faulknor
 
Sure it can be done. I did just washes and waxes all throughout high school for neighbors for $50. This was before I even knew about this and other forums.
 
What products do you have and what equipment do you have? Your biggest key is going to be selling what you do to your customer. Make them see what you can do for them. If you are not going to do pait correction then I would still offer claying of a car. That is a tangible difference you can make to a car and sell that to a customer too (Sir see how smooth I can make your paint feel, I am removing overspray and contamination on the surface of your vehicle prepping it for the wax) Taking a car to aa automatic car wash can cost them $20 so sell your price based on that number and that you are hand washing it and hand waxing it i.e. more care and better protection. I would also make yourself mobile. If you are only doing wash and wax and possibly interiors, you can easilly do that on site. Heck I can fit all I need in my honda accord for that. I am a senior in college so I feel your pain, money is tight and I am also turning to detailing to support myself.
I hope that helps, Let me know if I can help any more.
Jon
 
Zach, when I started out I sold my '88 Iroc-Z for a 5 x 10 trailer and all of the necessary equipment. Everyone thought I'd lost my mind, now some of them are unemployed and envious of the move. Good Luck to ya!
 
Oh yeah, absolutely. I do something very similar to what you're looking to do right now.

Get yourself a good AIO (XMT 360, FK 215, Z AIO, whatever you like), offer a wash/AIO for $80-100 initially, and work on selling your clients on additional services. Interiors for example could start at $25 for your basic vac/wipedown and increase based on the size of the vehicle and/or extras (leather conditioning, extraction, and so on). Encourage people who are happy with your work to tell their friends.

With any luck you'll end up with a few regulars like I have who want you to handle the weekly maintenance washes as well.
 
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