Scared to quit my day job

FinishingTouchA

FinishingTouchA

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So I get paid minimum wage at Chevron 4 days a week, it's enough to pay the bills but I dread going to work and I'm severely underpaid. I've been working on starting my detailing business since February and I'm starting to think maybe I'll be able to quit Chevron soon. Right now I average a consistent 1-2 jobs a week. I know in order to make a living I will need 5+ jobs a week. Two problems I'm currently running into: I have lots of potential customers but I don't have a lot of availability so I can't book them. Many of the clients that I do book never show up so I've lost nearly an entire day.

My question to you is.. How can I guarantee myself at least 20 hours of detailing work each week so I can quit Chevron?
 
Yes its a big step I was very lucky to have a wife who makes a lot of $$$ so I could quit my job and go full time. There is no guarantee for customers I would build up you customers first before you quit your job. Word of mouth is the best thing I started doing friends cars and went from there.
 
If I were you I would not quit your day job until you pretty much have the clients flowing in and have about 3-4 months of savings at your regular wage to help you wish cashflow. This way you can focus on gaining even more clients and not stress about money shortage.
 
I jumped in head first like an idiot because I was fed up with apartment management. That winter I sold nearly all my furniture, my car and some musical instruments to stay alive...

I'm paying the bills now but it's still tough being full time. I generally do about 5-10 cars per week but that can really slow down December January February. I made about 20k last year not counting some cash jobs and tips. I've built up a decent client base and am slowly getting my prices up where they need to be. I'm hoping to make 25 to 30k this year. My plan is to keep stepping it up over the next 2 or 3 years until I hit around 35-40k. Then I will higher an employee and make a little more and so on. I live in Springfield, Mo where that kind of money isn't too bad. You'd starve to death on the coasts.

I see myself making 60-70k in 5 to 10 years, with 2 employees. 1 employee to do top notch work like myself and the other prepping and doing basic jobs, possibly mobile.
 
I'm also super super super lucky. I'm renting a house and shop on a commercial property (almost 3 acres), right off a busy road and across from a business complex, for only $900. Property is super nice and looks very professional. I'm going to hold out here for as long as humanly possible.
 
look at it this way: you make minimum wage, so aside from benefits (if any) you're recieving your job could easily be replaced by another one, a good idea is to network with people in your area, pawn shop owners and car guys specifically. they are usually looking to get into businesses where the investment is very little but the payoff is quick and decent. about 10 months ago i was seriously contemplating going full time, someone i know opened a very small used car lot and was looking to find a detailer or mechanic to prep his vehicles and in exchange he would let me have the space for free to do business out of without him taking any cut. what prevented me is the fact that i am well compensated at my job as well as my benefits. but if i were still working retail at harbor freight i wouldv'e been gone and opening up shop in less than 24 hours. remember there are only 2 types of pain: the temporary pain of struggle or failure and the permanent pain of regret.
 
I'm not into the business side of detailing but I am in business (office mgr. for a publishing company).

If I were looking into detailing full time I'd be exploring leads like:

Funeral homes (yes it sounds morbid but they need to keep their cars clean), Taxi companies, Local municipalities (like police or other fleet departments) and companies with three or more vehicles in their fleet.

Those are good places to start. However when you get a client remember, word of mouth is the best for drumming up business.
 
I'm kind of in the same position...but a couple of steps behind. I want to start detailing on the side with ambitions of doing it full time. But I make close to $50K a year (wife can provide benefits if needed) and we're dependent on that income.

I can work limited full time (34 hrs a week) at my current job, but I worry about only detailing one day during the week and Saturday being enough to build up a client list strong enough to go full time.

Just frustrating....heh.
 
I think you are under estimating how much it costs to run a business. You will need more than 5 cars a week. If you are only working part time then you are in a good spot to try and build a detailing business while still having money coming in from Chevron.

Doing a few cars for pocket money and running a business are two different things. Good luck with your decision.
 
rustytruck said:
I think you are under estimating how much it costs to run a business. You will need more than 5 cars a week. If you are only working part time then you are in a good spot to try and build a detailing business while still having money coming in from Chevron.

Doing a few cars for pocket money and running a business are two different things. Good luck with your decision.
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Sometimes, it's not possible to do more than 5-6 a week. If your have a full detail everyday, maybe 6 days a week, and one day for business stuff, stocking chemicals, washing towels, then you have a good start.

Sent from my Dell Streak using AG Online
 
If you have a dream, I say go for it. If you had a high paying job, that would be different. You can make a your full weeks wages with about 3 cars depending on pricing.

I recently quit my job and started my business. It has gone OK so far. You have to be able to stomach the slow months. I had a terrible march. I only had like 7 details the whole month. It is very important to keep overhead as low as possible. That is the only reason I am still in business.

I don't know what your plans are for space. This is where I saved myself. I am lucky enough my mother has a garage and she hates it. Its never been used. I work out of there for the cost of utilities for now. I also have a friend that said I can use his garage for free. I'd just have to detail his cars for free every month. Try to find something like this to begin with.


Dealer work is a pain, but its $$. I do their cars for $100. Its not going to make me rich, but I made around $2500 off of one small used car lot last month. I'm aiming at picking up one more small dealer and just trying to spread the word to individuals.

If you are resourceful and frugal, you can make it work. I'm pretty poor right now, but I walk with my head higher than ever. Its not all about $$ for me. Its more about the freedom and truly having the ability to form my future.
 
piranah said:
Sometimes, it's not possible to do more than 5-6 a week. If your have a full detail everyday, maybe 6 days a week, and one day for business stuff, stocking chemicals, washing towels, then you have a good start.

Sent from my Dell Streak using AG Online
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I agree. If I have full details all week I can only do 5 or 6 cars. I can't physically handle more than that. You have to be charging enough though. $100 full details, and you'll go bankrupt fast.
 
That $100 detail remark wasn't aimed at you, jmfp. I've been there, done that. Everybody goes through it. I've done hundreds of $100 details, but eventually you have to move on or you'll burn out and go broke.
 
jmfp said:
If you have a dream, I say go for it. If you had a high paying job, that would be different. You can make a your full weeks wages with about 3 cars depending on pricing.

I recently quit my job and started my business. It has gone OK so far. You have to be able to stomach the slow months. I had a terrible march. I only had like 7 details the whole month. It is very important to keep overhead as low as possible. That is the only reason I am still in business.

I don't know what your plans are for space. This is where I saved myself. I am lucky enough my mother has a garage and she hates it. Its never been used. I work out of there for the cost of utilities for now. I also have a friend that said I can use his garage for free. I'd just have to detail his cars for free every month. Try to find something like this to begin with.


Dealer work is a pain, but its $$. I do their cars for $100. Its not going to make me rich, but I made around $2500 off of one small used car lot last month. I'm aiming at picking up one more small dealer and just trying to spread the word to individuals.

If you are resourceful and frugal, you can make it work. I'm pretty poor right now, but I walk with my head higher than ever. Its not all about $$ for me. Its more about the freedom and truly having the ability to form my future.
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If you could work in a deal where anyone who buys a car there gets half off or something like that for just a basic exterior wash and basic interior, something that would run you under $50 and under an hour. You could expand your customer base I feel. But only at pretty major dealerships where the customers who buy cars could afford and be interested in higher end detailing.
 
I began by speaking with teachers and realtors. Realtors MUST keep a clean car and teachers want one but are short on time during the school year. These type of professionals talk to each other and it didn't take long until I was booking weeks ahead. Many were just a wash & vac but they were all repeats. Just a thought on starting a customer base.
 
RTexasF said:
I began by speaking with teachers and realtors. Realtors MUST keep a clean car and teachers want one but are short on time during the school year. These type of professionals talk to each other and it didn't take long until I was booking weeks ahead. Many were just a wash & vac but they were all repeats. Just a thought on starting a customer base.
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A mobile job while they're teaching would be pretty easy to knock out as well. Especially just a basic wash and vacuum. Awesome idea.
 
statusdetailing said:
That $100 detail remark wasn't aimed at you, jmfp. I've been there, done that. Everybody goes through it. I've done hundreds of $100 details, but eventually you have to move on or you'll burn out and go broke.
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I'm not offended. Its just what I have to do to survive. I'd like to never have to touch a dealer car, but that's not in the cards right now.
 
af90 said:
If you could work in a deal where anyone who buys a car there gets half off or something like that for just a basic exterior wash and basic interior, something that would run you under $50 and under an hour. You could expand your customer base I feel. But only at pretty major dealerships where the customers who buy cars could afford and be interested in higher end detailing.
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I'd like to set something like that up. I'd like to See the dealers take better care of the cars I do post detail before I go attaching my name to the cars though.

A dealer contracted me to help them get ready for a big sale recently. They didn't have a single microfiber towel in the shop. The only thing they have is old bath towels. I tried to explain to them that I would never touch a cars paint in any circumstance with those towels.

I showed them how we were scratching the cars with them. Just got blank stares. I tried telling them all they needed to do is get a leaf blower and proper drying towels & a nice finish can be maintained. Blank stares...
 
The thing is that dealerships don t want to pay much .

As for your dealings with both your job & detailing business , I would do both till the Chevron job ( that pays the bills ) slows you down on your detailing jobs , but you re the boss here . Think about it .

One of the things that help you here is the knowledge of the detailers here that want to share there own personal experiences .

I can t help you on the detailing business side ( I m only a hobbyist here ) but one has to make a living .

Good luck with the decisions you ll take .
 
I've been part time detailing since 2009. I stopped in 2011 due to back surgery and really hit it hard in 2012. I've quit my day job...yesterday. I'm very excited to dedicate all my time to mobile detailing etc.

Build up a client base. Do what you can to get 2-3 months of bills and necessities saved. Work hard. The money will follow.
 
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