specific questions about starting a side car cleaning company.

EVOlved said:
How are you washing cars?? How long does it take? Then doing the interior how long does that take? Now is it worth $50?? I did forget how much did the materials cost? I wouldn't do it for less than $60 if it were me. .

Sent from my SCH-I605 using AG Online
Click to expand...

these are prices in my area

$25 cars
Hand wash exterior and door jambs with soft mittens to avoid scratches and swirls.
Interior vacuum with console dusting.
Rims, wheel wells, tires scrubbed and topped off with premium tire dressing.
Interior and Exterior windows

Wash, Vac, Windows: Cars (SUV's & Vans $10 extra)

$30.00


STANDARD EXTERIOR WASH​​​​​​​​​​ ​
Vehicles starting at just $29​*
Vehicle Rinsed and Pre-Treated
Vehicle surfaces Washed
Wheels Scrubbed and Rinsed
Vehicle Dried
Vehicle protected with a Spray Wax
Wheels Treated


$35 for cars, $45 for SUVs, and $55 for trucks.

Fresh Bath
This detailing package includes cleaning the exterior of the car along with the windows and rims by hand washing and hand drying, and shining the tires. In addition to cleaning the interior of the car and upholstery by vacuuming.
 
trekkeruss said:
I've never seen any side cars in my area. I can't imagine there is much money in cleaning them. :laughing:
Click to expand...


:wave:
That's just too funny! ;)

Yup, if I only washed "side cars" I'd have to charge a FORTUNE because I've only seen one in the last year or two. :laughing:

OK, OP.

Personal Training huh? Is it a NASM school certificate? I ask because my son has it, he SWORE that is what he wanted to do when he got out of school. He works out all darned day it seems. BIG into Crossfit. But finding jobs as a trainer are a LOT harder than finding jobs washing cars. Gyms don't want to hire a 20 year old with a certificate hanging on the wall. (Or 2 certificates for that matter, the other in nutrition.)

If it is National Academy of Sports Medicine, good luck with the "job placement". Nobody in my son's class got JACK! He was by far the youngest one there, and some were just there to learn, didn't want jobs, but NONE got a job from it. Could have gone to college for 2 years for what that cost!

Talking about detailing......

Get Renny Doyle's book ASAP and read it cover to cover. Don't wait, go online and get it. It will NOT teach you how to detail cars, but it can teach you things you never thought about when it comes to how to detail as a business. Read it, get a sharpie or highlighter, and read it, take notes, make notes, mark it up and use it.

Get Mike Phillips books. They WILL teach you how to detail cars! :props:

If you're going mobile washing cars, use the clients water and power. Get rinseless wash liquid, get a TON of microfiber towels and don't even worry about the pressure washer.

Unless the vehicles are really dirty, really muddy, you can get away with rinseless. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a pressure washer and the work it does for you, and I will ALWAYS use a foam gun or foam cannon HERE at MY place because that's what I prefer. You can run a foam cannon with a 1700psi electric pressure washer.

Read, then read, then read some more, then look up videos, but most importantly READ.

"Average Joe's" tend to be more than average jerks. I'd rather do a job for someone that knows and appreciates the work, and pays $75 for a "basic wash" and do just 1 a day, or 1 every 3 days, than do $19 car washes and do 3 a day. Those folks just DO NOT appreciate what "detailing" is.

I was at a dealership a while back, they had a sign up, "Car Wash $9.95, Full Detail $29.95". SAY WHAT?!?!?!!!!

Certainly not the work I'm looking for! Yet more people than not think that is ALL there is to "detailing". Good LORD, I use more than $9.95 worth of PRODUCT just washing and waxing/sealing, and tire shining a car. Remember it's not just what you put on the car, but what all you USE while doing the car. Your truck, gas, tires, brakes, cell phone, hard equipment, consumable supplies, reusable supplies (towels, mitts, etc.) ALL OF THAT needs to be figured into your cost.

I had a guy I used to do a lot of business with, bought guns from him and never complained about his prices. (Besides, he'd beat any prices I'd found on the same guns anywhere else.) When we started detailing, I took him a services menu. First thing that came out of his mouth: "You're prices are too high!" (Large Truck/SUV $75 and up)

I just looked at him and said, "I've never told you how to run your business, you don't need to tell me how to run mine!" You see, he's driving around in GMC Denali trucks, one is a 2500SD crew cab the other is a 3500 crew cab. Both are black, hard to maintain trucks. Both are so freaking swirled you can see it from space. I told him that if he could drive $70,000 trucks he should be able to afford to keep them up like they deserve, rather than having the paint destroyed every time they get washed.

He is your "average joe".

I'll take the "car guy" every time, every single time. Food for thought.......
 
cardaddy said:
:wave:
That's just too funny! ;)

Yup, if I only washed "side cars" I'd have to charge a FORTUNE because I've only seen one in the last year or two. :laughing:

OK, OP.

Personal Training huh? Is it a NASM school certificate? I ask because my son has it, he SWORE that is what he wanted to do when he got out of school. He works out all darned day it seems. BIG into Crossfit. But finding jobs as a trainer are a LOT harder than finding jobs washing cars. Gyms don't want to hire a 20 year old with a certificate hanging on the wall. (Or 2 certificates for that matter, the other in nutrition.)

If it is National Academy of Sports Medicine, good luck with the "job placement". Nobody in my son's class got JACK! He was by far the youngest one there, and some were just there to learn, didn't want jobs, but NONE got a job from it. Could have gone to college for 2 years for what that cost!

Talking about detailing......

Get Renny Doyle's book ASAP and read it cover to cover. Don't wait, go online and get it. It will NOT teach you how to detail cars, but it can teach you things you never thought about when it comes to how to detail as a business. Read it, get a sharpie or highlighter, and read it, take notes, make notes, mark it up and use it.

Get Mike Phillips books. They WILL teach you how to detail cars! :props:

If you're going mobile washing cars, use the clients water and power. Get rinseless wash liquid, get a TON of microfiber towels and don't even worry about the pressure washer.

Unless the vehicles are really dirty, really muddy, you can get away with rinseless. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a pressure washer and the work it does for you, and I will ALWAYS use a foam gun or foam cannon HERE at MY place because that's what I prefer. You can run a foam cannon with a 1700psi electric pressure washer.

Read, then read, then read some more, then look up videos, but most importantly READ.

"Average Joe's" tend to be more than average jerks. I'd rather do a job for someone that knows and appreciates the work, and pays $75 for a "basic wash" and do just 1 a day, or 1 every 3 days, than do $19 car washes and do 3 a day. Those folks just DO NOT appreciate what "detailing" is.

I was at a dealership a while back, they had a sign up, "Car Wash $9.95, Full Detail $29.95". SAY WHAT?!?!?!!!!

Certainly not the work I'm looking for! Yet more people than not think that is ALL there is to "detailing". Good LORD, I use more than $9.95 worth of PRODUCT just washing and waxing/sealing, and tire shining a car. Remember it's not just what you put on the car, but what all you USE while doing the car. Your truck, gas, tires, brakes, cell phone, hard equipment, consumable supplies, reusable supplies (towels, mitts, etc.) ALL OF THAT needs to be figured into your cost.

I had a guy I used to do a lot of business with, bought guns from him and never complained about his prices. (Besides, he'd beat any prices I'd found on the same guns anywhere else.) When we started detailing, I took him a services menu. First thing that came out of his mouth: "You're prices are too high!" (Large Truck/SUV $75 and up)

I just looked at him and said, "I've never told you how to run your business, you don't need to tell me how to run mine!" You see, he's driving around in GMC Denali trucks, one is a 2500SD crew cab the other is a 3500 crew cab. Both are black, hard to maintain trucks. Both are so freaking swirled you can see it from space. I told him that if he could drive $70,000 trucks he should be able to afford to keep them up like they deserve, rather than having the paint destroyed every time they get washed.

He is your "average joe".

I'll take the "car guy" every time, every single time. Food for thought.......
Click to expand...

so did your son get a job at a gym? or get anything from his certificate? I know that the certificates are at least $500, I want to do the same thing as him but was thinking about going thro nfpt which is 480 for personal training and then only $155 for nutrition weight lose and other extra certificates. Some places are OUTRAGEOUS on there prices $700 for just the personal training? thats crazy! they do also offer a 2 year college corse at a college out of my county that offers a 2 year degree in excersis science.


Apparently my friend knows a guy who wants to "invest" in our business and knows the owners of a couple car dealerships he could get us into.

I was thinking the route you where where i could you a no rinse wars a spray wax and charge a decent price. and still retain a lot of mobility.


id really like to know more about your son and his experience with his certificate. thanks for the help!
 
powerpunk5000 said:
so did your son get a job at a gym? or get anything from his certificate? I know that the certificates are at least $500, I want to do the same thing as him but was thinking about going thro nfpt which is 480 for personal training and then only $155 for nutrition weight lose and other extra certificates. Some places are OUTRAGEOUS on there prices $700 for just the personal training? thats crazy! they do also offer a 2 year college corse at a college out of my county that offers a 2 year degree in excersis science.


Apparently my friend knows a guy who wants to "invest" in our business and knows the owners of a couple car dealerships he could get us into.

I was thinking the route you where where i could you a no rinse wars a spray wax and charge a decent price. and still retain a lot of mobility.


id really like to know more about your son and his experience with his certificate. thanks for the help!
Click to expand...

Now the pie gets sliced 3 ways :(
 
dealership pay nothing. buy the book and read it then come back and post your question, it is the best book every written lol
 
powerpunk5000 said:
so did your son get a job at a gym? or get anything from his certificate? I know that the certificates are at least $500, I want to do the same thing as him but was thinking about going thro nfpt which is 480 for personal training and then only $155 for nutrition weight lose and other extra certificates. Some places are OUTRAGEOUS on there prices $700 for just the personal training? thats crazy! they do also offer a 2 year college corse at a college out of my county that offers a 2 year degree in excersis science.


Apparently my friend knows a guy who wants to "invest" in our business and knows the owners of a couple car dealerships he could get us into.

I was thinking the route you where where i could you a no rinse wars a spray wax and charge a decent price. and still retain a lot of mobility.


id really like to know more about your son and his experience with his certificate. thanks for the help!
Click to expand...

My son actually went to NPTI which NASM now also is a partner with. The NPTI course is 500 hours and doesn't require any additional CEC courses or upkeep. It's also stupidly expensive!!!!!! For instance, you get your regular mail order "certificate" and it'll run $500~$600 and be good for 2 years. During that period you'll have to do CEC classes to KEEP your certification active, typically at $99 and up. So over the course of 10 years for instance you'll double that original cost.

NPTI is lifetime, and you can't phone it in, or do it online, you have to go to the courses. He went for a year.

No he did not get a job at the gym once he had his certificate, no matter how they stated that they had "job placement" (guarantee or not). :rolleyes: You also (with NPTI) get a certified nutritionist certificate as well. IMO it was money wasted. May not be for everyone, but it was for him. He's not into SELLING. (Tried to tell his Mother that it was a WASTE OF MONEY but whaddya' I know.) :dunno:

Bottom line is whether it's as a personal trainer, or as a detailer, you have to be extremely confident, outgoing, and willing to sell yourself and your services to anyone and everyone you walk into. Just having the knowledge is nothing! :eek: You have to sell, sell, SELL.

Sounds like you need to figure out what that third party deal is with you and your buddy. Having an "in" at a lot is one thing, but having to pay them a percentage is something entirely different.
Last thing you want is another hand in the pot! :nomore:
Well, first thing you want is NOT to wash cars for dealerships! If you can find a dealership that'll pay $5.00 for your typical "inventory lot wash" then you've found something rare. Many don't pay but $3.00! They don't care one way or another how the cars are done, just that the dirt is knocked off. (Even if that means no soap at all.... just grinding all the dirt into the paint with a wet rag will do.)

I'd be looking at local car shows, maybe find a car lot that specializes in higher end automobiles. Getting the word out there, and working with better than "average Joe's". ;)
 
Highly unlikely you can make a water tank out of a storage bin. But good luck. If you're MacGyver, the odds increase,....a little.

I can get a sense of where you're headed. With trying to compete price wise you'll either be so tired and burnt out in a few months or just quit before it gets started. Either way, time to make the donuts.

Are you in a sparsely populated area? Is it rural? Not sure why people are hesitant to pay good money for a detail. Oh, that's right, you're washing cars, not detailing.

My. Bad.

Now,...if you became the 'detail expert' in your area, via learning paint correction,...THEN you can command a lot more money. Buy a Flex 3401, few foam pads, some M105 and M205 and practice on your car. Make that thing so shiny people talk to you at red lights about it.

Good luck.
 
I'm a PT and run my own business as a trainer/consultant/nutritionist. Though I am successful it takes ALOT more than a certifacation. Most PT certs aren't worth the paper they are printed on and the fitness industry is smaller than people think, it's like 2 degrees of seperation, everyone knows everyone or knows someone that knows that person.

Working at a gym makes you next to nothing, the money is in doing it on your own and using social media to boost client sign ups. Writing articles, getting published helps but most of it comes down to being able to show client results. Just like detailing it is hard work to be a success.

Every industry has a seperation in skill within it. The way detailers point to these $10-$30 car wash guys and talk about them not knowing their arm from their buthole (I agree BTW) is the way those of us using a scientific approch to fitness look at most personal trainers whom get the certifacation and do not question the information any further (most in the industry).

Now onto detailing, I'm considering starting a detailing business as a side gig, most of my clients these days are nutrition clients I deal with online which frees up alot of time, my income is stable and my experiance with my PT business can be used to build a detailing business. Business comes down to 3 major things: Client acquisition cost, overhead and repeat business.

Any new business needs to keep overhead low (equipment/product cost, time per job) and focus on client acquisition. In detailing this means focus on production detailing with a single step process being offered. DO NOT try to compete on price, if you do you will end up losing money. Just as there are detailers offering services at $30 for what should cost $60 there are PTs offering $25 a month training and nutrition consulting while I am charging $100 just on diet plans alone. People are willing to pay more for quality work that gets results. You may not be able to charge $500 full details to the average soccer mom but you can charge $60 for a service that exceeds the expectations of such clients. I want quality clients over a large quantity of cheap clients all day long. Plus people who see the value in a good basic detail seem to keep the vehicle in better shape than those looking for a $30 "detail".

Part time or not a business should always be ran with pride where you do not comprimise on quality of product. Just because you are part time does not make the service less valuable or the client less deserving of a job well done. The cheap fly by night guys come and go. My time and expertise is worth more than minimum wage and yours should be too.

Stay away from partners, someone always ends up picking up the slack. Market the business via as many free channels as you can to keep cost of customer aquisition down, offer customers incentives to gain repeat business and don't pinch pennies while wasting dollars. It's one thing to take business classes and another to run a successful business.

Most customers don't think twice about you using water and electric. Read these forums there are a ton of amazing posts and smart people whom have been in your position. I'm still researching myself, but some principles don't change no matter what business you are starting.
 
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