Specialisation detailing business

madmallard

madmallard

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Exterior detailing seems to be focused on here.

Anyone have an interior detailing focused business?
 
Out of the majority of car's I've detailed, most of them were kept spotless inside. I'm not saying it would be impossible, but I think the market would be extremely hard on a business like that. The one's I've had that I've quoted full interior jobs on usually pass unless they're either going away or selling the car.
 
i'd be curious about other's experience too.

but not just interior, i wonder if anyone else specialises their detailing service in some way.

I see lots of self made roadside signs of people who would polish headlights, for example.
 
That is by far one of the best up-sells around. I've even had people come in to get them done and end up with full details. I've tried to get my brother to start a business doing them because I work full time on top of detailing, but he's currently unemployed. At my body shop we get 50$ each, and I'll do a set for that at my garage. Another one I've had luck with is trim restoration. There are interior repair specialists all around where I am, but none of them will actually clean an interior.
 
Leather restoration, headliner restoration, reupholstering, smoke removal, mold abatement...there's a ton of interior specialization, but they are bordering on not detailing in the way most here define it. As you said, most high-end detailers would say they specialize in paint correction.

I think if you focused on interiors, your market would be a lot of soccer moms and hockey parents with trashed minivans & SUVs. There is a lot of potential there, clean one person's van and they may chat up the rest of the team's moms.

A secondary specialization is a good way to upsell or to differentiate yourself from other detailers in your area.
 
i'm all amature hour over here, and i find the margin of error on interior work is more manageable to me than exterior work.

being that is the case, i was wondering about doing interior-only details side business. I appreciate the insight so far.

my first thought would be my customers would end up being mostly the exterior detailers that didn't want to bother with hot-water extractors and such themselves...
 
Interestingly here the majority of queries for my services are for interior. My specialty is exterior - not that I can't do interior but I need to get the proper tools to do it right. IE- steam Machine. I have all the other products, brushes etc. - I'm just not a fan of interior work. My GF / business partner does the interiors. works out great!!
 
Don't limit yourself..when you go grab lunch you don't want burgers at one place and fries at another. So a person that wants a full detail doesn't want to use 2 days going to 2 different detailers.

When I started I did exteriors only and would lose business cause they couldn't get an interior done at the same time. So I went out bought an extractor, steamer (you get it) and now almost all paint corrections pay for the interior. The more interiors I do the more I like it and they're easy IMO. Not only that but my wife enjoys doing them so she helps (much like my fellow jarheads GF^). Money in he the bank my friend.

I'm not saying you have to do paint correction but offer something exterior wise.
 
It is an excellent idea. There is a huge market for interior detailing, especially if you do top notch work. There is also great up sells available such as interior fabric protectant, odor removal, ect.

Just get a steam cleaner if you are going to pursue this. Extractors are a great tool but no substitute.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using AG Online
 
a 'hot' water extractor is a steam cleaner, i thought. the terms are used so interchangeably in detailing circles...
 
very confuse. okay, so by steamer are we talking about a jet steam-nozzle type device? or a device more geared toward the upholstery?
 
Steam cleaners can clean basically anything depending on 2 which attachment you choose for the specific job. There is a couple videos of me using a McCulloch steam cleaner on YouTube that shows how I use it to steam carpets.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using AG Online
 
There's someone on AG who only does headlight restoration. Sorry I'm not good with names, but I clicked on the web site in their signature. Limiting yourself to one specific thing could definitely work out if you're good at what you do. You don't get much more specific than only headlights lol.
 
you know i was interested in that too, Q

I have a desire to replace my felt HL in my WRX with a nicer material and have been watching lots of Youtube videos on the matter. It seems like something I'd have the patience to do correctly.
 
We only do full details, I will not have my name on a car that is half done. It has worked for 15 years!
 
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