What do you guys do in the winter?

J

jdbillin

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I know its a little early to be talking about this but I just started a detailing company this spring and its been slow getting it to take off which was expected but its left me with a lot of free time to think about future plans and one thing I haven't figured out is what i'm going to do for extra money in the winter.

Really the only thing I can think of is to plow snow but I don't really want to do that. My truck is a standard and I don't plan on getting a new one for a few more years.

Just looking for some more ideas

Thanks
 
I carry on business as usual and enjoy a much-needed break from the sweltering heat! Gotta love Florida!

Sorry, I couldn't help myself...
 
Kind of my thoughts, too, SuperiorAutoLLC. I don't know where you live, JDBillin. Can you find a garage to work out of? Even if it's something you have to rent. This is a commonly asked and talked about subject. Do a search and I am sure you will find some more info. Welcome to the forum!
 
Interior details. Upsell on remote starts, window tint, stereos, vacation. For me going full time the plan is to bust it 5.5-6 days a week, so that winter isn't heartbreaking.
 
Usually I freeze my butt off followed by a lot of complaining
 
kimtyson said:
Kind of my thoughts, too, SuperiorAutoLLC. I don't know where you live, JDBillin. Can you find a garage to work out of? Even if it's something you have to rent. This is a commonly asked and talked about subject. Do a search and I am sure you will find some more info. Welcome to the forum!
Click to expand...

I live in central, ohio I've been looking around for a garage to rent but haven't had much luck. I think its just to big of an investment for me right now.

JonFD said:
Interior details. Upsell on remote starts, window tint, stereos, vacation. For me going full time the plan is to bust it 5.5-6 days a week, so that winter isn't heartbreaking.
Click to expand...

I've thought about doing stuff like that I just need a shop first. Eventually my goal is to open up a custom paint shop
 
I usually do pretty well even in the winter. You just need to adjust your marketing to that season and what customers would want out of their vehicles. Last year I was busy until right before Christmas, then it slowed down until around the first of February when the phone started ringing again.
 
I still have à day job at this point. Detailing on my days off. Detailing goes dead here so i am taking a stock trading course and hope that will fill in the slow months thru the winter if I let my day job go for good.
 
Winter I do mostly interior work and wash/sealant work. I'm lucky I'm booked all winter with soccer moms cars in my neighborhood. Then in spring its mostly paint correction work.
 
I only detail part time. I put all my equipment away for the winter once the first snow falls (mid Dec?) and start back up when the snow melts and the phone starts ringing (late March). I deliver mail for the post office all winter while enjoying a 12 week break from detailing.
 
I'm lucky enough to have a small one car garage that I work out of in the winter. I concentrate on one step vehicle maintenance and interiors. The frequency and duration of snow falls determines how bust I am. As winter approaches I stress with my clients what the various highway snow and ice removal agents can do to the exterior and interior of their vehicles if not removed in a timely manner.

This past year we didn't receive much snowfall so business was pretty much as normal. I was mobile most of the time, as temps never really got that bad. Detailing in the cold gets interesting once it gets near or below freezing.
 
I think during the entire year you basically have to start working on preventative measures (preventing business drought) for your winter season. By this I mean that you should regularly educate your customers that winter 'tis the season to be putting extra protection onto their cars. A great analogy would be to compare your winter clothing vs your summer clothing. We pack on more clothing to shield ourselves from the harsh conditions, as should our vehicles. I think, especially, in areas where there is snow and heavy rain (salted roads, acid rain), by educating the customers how much "more" important it is to protect your paint in the winter, the less of a drought you will have in the winter season.
 
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