shop setup

Spent 5 hours yesterday driving around to all the detail shops that r about 5 miles away from me and determined that the cheapest wash and wax is $65 dollars and it is at a really ghetto shop with poor poor results


Then visited my shop's neighbors and told them I have not move in yet because I am raising moneyfor electrician and plumbing as I want a really pro setup. They told me to just open with a couple of shop lights from home depot and do just wasn and waxes with interior wipe down and vacum at 75 dollars or 50 dollars for just wash and wax and u will get 5 cars a day to get the money I need

Should I do it half ass? Will only cost me $976 dollars

 

If you can't do a sock knocking-off professional hand wash & wax with a couple of shop lights and a hose, then $5,000 in plumbing and electric isn't going to get you there.

 

I was more worried about the shop lights and poor setup ( appearance) giving a bad impression on my customers don't want them thinking I am doing half as jobs or poor quality.

 

It's not a matter of price or appearence if you can do great work. My barber is hella cheap beause he hasn't changed his rates in 20 years, his place looks broke down like hell, but man can he cut( he spends 20 minutes leveling my hair and my hair cut isn't even the complicated type). It's all in the jobs results and customer satisfaction, that's why restuarants that cost even 1 million to make and operate sometimes fail. Quality is not there. I bet you detail cars great, your clients will see it in the work, if you absolutly "need" this lights and pluming to guarantee satisfaction then wait then you should but I bet you'll get along great with the HD lights



Also post up pics of the transformation, I love to see those type of threads

 

Marketing is key to a small business. Park a sharp ride out front. Put up some signs that make fun of the condition of the shop, but also promote the quality of the work.

As for the work, pay attention to the details! That's why they call it detailing eh? If the owner sits down in the driver seat and isn't knocked out by the clarity of the windshield or sees some dirt between the side mirror and the mirror shell, then the work is ass, not kick-ass.

All small business owners need to be reading their asses off. More than half of the success is unrelated to the technical work of the business. In your case, I would say to start with Dan Kennedy's No B.S. Sales Success: The Ultimate No Holds Barred, Kick Butt, Take No Prisoners, Tough and Spirited Guide. An outstanding book for $5 to get you started!

 

Thanks guys appreciate the great feedback

So far working out of my house playing around withrexipes and air blowers on the car andsurability has all paid off. Customers tipping me 20 t 30 for a 20 min wash and wax is the norm. The new think that makes me nervous is when they ask me if I am going to franchise the idea cause they love the concept

The car sitting out front was suggested by my shops neighbor that does engine work. He is only opened for 3 months and business was hit or miss till his friend parked an m6 outside the shop now he is slammed. This neighbor also wants me to wash and wax every one of his clients cars before they pick them up and is going to pay me out of his profits, not charge customer extra

 

Yep, sales 101 - the business needs to appear to be popular, hence the sharp car out front.

Make sure you can leave a business card in the client's cars you wash for your neighbor business. Include a coupon with a call-to-action and a deadline.

Is your business card kick-ass?

 

No. Business cards r not officially done or even started yet. I have a Guy that is a graphic designer. He will take care of me

 

I work out of my garage, and honestly its about keeping my overhead to nothing........I looked at shops, but think about the math...you have to do double or even x4 the amount of rent, utilities, maintenance, upkeep, kitting out the shop etc.. to make any money. Unless you have that big of a client list already it could ruin your chances of making any profit. Vertical integration comes over time......... be patient, build your client list and eventually you will be where you want to be.

 

If you use detailing terms in place of common vernacular...
you might be a detailer.

 

While I am sure a good Detailer can make do with little equipment and produce incredible results, the ultimate ideal would be to try to get away from the stereotype - some guy with a bucket, some towels, and a hose, etc..
Yes, it takes a big investment for so many different things that have to almost happen all at the same time, if you want to do it "right the first time", and then move forward.

So, you have to decide on your next business move, and develop a plan to accomplish it. Yes, it will take time, but that's part of the sacrifice we all make when we start our own business with very little financial help. The hard road is designed so that when we get over it, and look back, we can say to ourselves - wow - I did it ! I am so much stronger for it, and really appreciate what all that work, waiting, more work, more waiting, has given me..

Good luck, godoman ! We are pulling for you !
Dan F

 

so I talked it over with my friends and family and decided that I should setup (half ass, by my standards) just to start making the extra money that I need to get the shop where I want it. plus I am super anxious about this thing.

I will be opening with 2 shop lights, two rigid 16 gallon vacums (stongest suction that they offer), 1 60 gallon air compressor, 2 industrial fans that will hang from the side walls, 2 utility detail carts, 1 optima steamer, 2 gallons of spray sealant, 4 gallons of detail spray, 100 shop towels (waxing and washing), 10 L of 1Z Einszett Cockpit premium, 100 costco towels, 4 5 liter tubss of P21s, 8 bottles of Kwazar Mercury Pro 1 Liter

Will open shop offering wash and clean for $29.99 and $34.00, wash and wax for $49.99 and $54.99. wash and wax with vacum and wipe down at $64.99 and $69.99.

Will not really be able to offer any othe services when I first open up as I do not have a carpet extractor yet. will be buying 2 mytee units (1 for each side of the car) with the upholstery tool on each for quick carpet extraction that leaves the carpets and upholstery nearly dry and will be quick dried with small air blowers.

let me know what you think and thanks again everyone!

godoman

 

I would STRONGLY recommend considering alternate chemicals if you are only starting with the more basic services and are unsure of volume at this time.

The simple reasons why:
Cockpit 10L does not dilute and will not clean an interior that requires something stronger. Your optima steamer is awesome, but water does not dissolve grease and oil.. so just keep this in mind. Blitz might be a much more cost effective choice.

p21s wheel cleaner has considerable limits and will only get laughed at by wheels that are literally just bombed with brake dust. You will run into many times where you need a stronger cleaner, that can be just as safe without being acidic. This can also double as a tire cleaner.

P21s may pose hazing problems depending on the weather, perhaps a sealant that is easily removed regardless of humidity might be a better idea?

Also, just spend your money on regular sprayers and bottles, you can get 3 for the price of a single kwazaar bottle.

I don't intend this to be complete knock , but I would recommend you keeping your costs to a low until you can forecast what kind of volume you are seeing.

Also, if you are buying shop lights, if you make up a little money in product cost you can buy some T8 wall mounted fixtures that are considerably cheaper on the electric bill as well as having more even, cleaner looking light.

 

thanks mike.

no car will be treated the same. any detailer with minimal experience can tell you this. i have stronger stuff for wheels but will limit its use.

as far as interior detailing goes, I will only be offering a light wipe down, i will not be going all out crazy unless it is easily removed. customer wants a full detail we can do an assessment after going over the car.

this is just a start up pricing chart and i have been keeping track of how many cars I can get out of a bottle or 5 liters of each prodoct and my prices are all coming out to just under $5 dollars per car. these prices will also be the "opening sale" prices until the business picks up. I have been told over and over and over again that I have to list prices the same as everyone else in my surrounding area so that when business does become overwhelming, I simply raise the prices and let customers know that the "promotional pricing has ended, keep checking back for future specials".

oh yeah, I do not use the optima on interiors at all except on floor matts. it is the best machine for taking out gum from floor matts and carperts with nothing left behind in record time.

to keep the costs down on all of my products I buy in bulk and drive down to portland to pick up p21s 5 liters for $65 dollars per.

I can, and will, charge if customer's car requires above average work and will turn away a customer if the car is such that it has been siting in the back of the house in the yard for years collecting mold on the inside. learned last summer that you cant take on every job that you clearly are no equiped to do. if you do and totally put your heart into it and cant get the car like new, does not matter if you worked so hard that you cried, the customer will go around telling people that you are half assing your work

godoman

 

You bet man, if I can be of any more help or want some suggestions just give me a buzz or shoot a msg over. Sounds like you have some great pricing on your materials. Absolute best of luck.

 

Godoman --

Congratulations on your progress to get your business up and running !

I agree with Mike aesthetica in that 1Z Cockpit Premium is not a strong cleaner - but it is an awesome conditioner that leaves a beautiful matte finish very easily. Perhaps its older brother 1Z Deep Plastic Cleaner might be a consideration.. I use it all the time and it absolutely kills almost any stain without hurting the plastic. For some things like shoe heel marks on vinyl or painted door jambs, coupled with a Magic Eraser used carefully, it will remove even these hard to remove defects. But, as already noted many times, it is not the cheapest solution - but I hear from Mike at 1Z that they are considering offering the Deep Plastic Cleaner in bigger containers soon.

And as you already know very well, any of the dilute-able APC's (Meguiars APC+ for example), are way inexpensive and in this case, very low foaming easy rinsing..

About the only thing I would ask you to consider is your Extractor tools; In my experience using an extractor, you really need 2 tools, maybe 3. 1st is a really good upholstery/carpet tool that designed to be used in deep wells that are not very big. The issue here is that the 2 hoses on the back of the tool limit even more how much room you have to work the small areas from any direction. 2nd, you might consider a long, crevice tool that will be best for getting that area between the seats and the console, and the other side of the seat, and carpet below the door jamb area. I use both of these tools all the time when cleaning and extracting carpets. The amount of suction of these tools needs to be the highest possible and the jet needs to able to shoot a strong amount of water so that it will penetrate the carpets quickly, loosen the dirt way down there, and allow the suction of the tool to pull it all out. After doing this for a few years with my Mytee HP60 Spyder, 100psi, 137" water lift, I find that I could go faster if both those numbers were higher, so I may go to that shop I told you about - Interlink Supply, by SouthCenter, and see if they can give me a quote to replace or upgrade my 3 stage pumps to stronger units..
I think if I (we) lived in a warmer state where ambient temps help dry out carpets faster, none of this would be even considered..

I dont know anything about T8 lights but if they are more efficient - energy and light output, then it might be good to check it out before you start and only have to do this once...

Good Luck ! Hope it all works out for you and your Team !
Let me know where you are sometime, and I will stop by.

Dan F

 

Thanks stove

U guys r definately raising some concern on my part in regards to interior detailing. The 1z I have been using all along is the one listed but if u say the plastic one is more effective then I am going to hit up phil for a couple of bottles today to try out before opening shop. I won't go megs rout because I am not comfortable using such abbrassive products on my customers cars. The 1z I have been using thus far has been great thus far but did have two or three cars I wished I had something stonger

As far as interlink goes that is where I will be buying my interior extractor tools from. I am hoping that the mytee 100 coupled with the upholstery tool and the carpet solutions that r avail at interlink will work swiftly on the majority of the carpets and seats I work on but I am projecting that to be 6 to 8 weeks away. Vacum and wipe down for now

I am very worried that my prices r too low but I worked so hard to get them to be this low and still make a profot as the goal is to one day open a wash and wax car wash like the elephant car wash where I am only charging $10.00 dollars more than them with lasting results that r jaw dropping but that is years away

Any recommendations from and of u to speed up the wipe down process (this is the hard part), please let me know. Interior work blows.....

Godoman

 

Godoman --

If you have had good results with Cockpit Premium, then you are lucky and/or, you dont need anything stronger in the process you will be offering.
But 1Z Deep Plastic Cleaner really works good, fast, smells good, leaves no residue that needs rinsing, and conditions the plastic. I believe I have read some of Phil's details and he used this product as well. He can also give you his opinion of how it works too.

Now, he also uses the 1Z Blitz, so maybe that is something else you might talk to him about. Believe this Blitz product is sold in larger containers too. I have never used it, but may get around to it sometime. It has to be diluted, so if that is not something you like to do all the time, then 1Z Deep Plastic Cleaner is already good to go.

Good on using the Interlink guys ! I will get some time to go down there soon and see about upgrading my pumps on my Mytee HP60. The Mytee HP100 you are getting has the same specifications as mine, but with bigger water and recovery tanks, that is the only difference. It also makes a bigger footprint because of the bigger size.

Yes, Interior work is painstaking, and sometimes maddening, but Steam and good extraction should speed up the processes for you guys as you incorporate them into your business..

Good luck !
Dan F

 

I agree with mike. At this point your clientele will not care about what you use; as long as it is done right, it is clean and they get what they pay for.

Most people at your price point won't care if its Simple green, Zeps, Or p21s, same with waxes and such, D151, Mequiars Xpress Wax, are all great products for the volume business you are catering too right now, you can offer "upgrades" for things like the Zaino that we talked about, Upgrades, Up Selling and Options are great ways to make money....... buy Mequiars detailer's line it is made for higher volume situations and it is a fantastic product line, the Instant interior detailer will clean and dress most issues found in "common situations". But you can still break out the APC's for the more stubborn stuff.


That is all you need, then as you build loyalty, client lists, and people start asking you for specific services, or you start offering more services..........you can switch things up, I started out using the least expensive products in bulk and bought as I grew. get the good stuff too, but in moderation; use it when you "have too" .

Why do you need two vacuums?

Get on USplastics.com and get the grey spray heads and bottles, buckets, grit guards etc......... Ive been detailing cars for 15 years + on and off as a hobbiest and for money, and never once had a use for a Kwazar bottle, (i'm not a hater, just see no reason for it)

Yes, they are great and have their uses, but if you are putting down that much product get a bug sprayer or pump sprayer.... that is what I use and have been using since 1997 for APCs....


As for plastic spray bottles bought 20 bottles for under $40.00 or $50.00shipped or something stupid like that....if they get damaged I toss them, and I don't feel bad.
Honestly........ for your own car, and maybe because its cool, but really its unnecessary for what you are doing.

I buy my good MF towels from Microfibertech.com, Chemical guys or phil..... as for applicator pads, I buy a 20x20 sheet of 2" thick upholstery foam, cut it in too 2x2 blocks and us that for tires, dressings etc. costs me less then .25 cents per applicator. Im all about the higher end stuff, believe me, but I am also about making money and maximizing my profits and minimizing my overhead.........

Look for products and supplies that will make you money, not create overhead.

 

I already have the kwazaars and with out them my arms would be sore because the double spray. I actually use to use too much product and with practice and technique became familiar with how the products I use work best. Because I have fans in the garage I get nobstreaking and faster dry times. I kid u not, 2 people on a large suv and we can wash and wax any car, steam clean the Rome, cleaning and dress tires in 10 minutes at minimal cost and the results are exactly what I wanted going into this.

Honestly wish I bought the .5 liter bottles, the 1's r over kill in size really. My mistake

As far as the vacums go, I have to have the strongest rigid line models because we r not allowed to have any water run off of any kind and there isn't when washing the cars (not a drop) but when doin rims, especially heavily soiled ones we have to put steam output to Max and when the car pulse out there can be an accumulation of water that makes small puddles. The shop Vacs r to be used to keep the floor dry enough that no water leaves the garage

The previous detail shop on this property got booted using preasure washers. I did a demo with the optolima and they loved it and let us in