Not wanting to open a detail business

[RedexInLA]

As a Chief Engineer my week makes for a long one but lately I've done 3 cars in a month and doing a complete detail on a 04' Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer (Green), engine, shampoo, clean/treat leather, and full paint correction.

Seems that Adam's products and my PC attracts people.

I detail cars for fun and want to keep it that way but can't seem to say no, I'm charging $300.00 for this "job", a little cheap I know but couldn't pass it up, the before and after pics is why I'm doing this.

Do people ask to hire you to get their cars looking Adam's Clean?

It would be so easy to open a detail shop here where I live being the ones here don't do what we do or know. (been detailing my own cars for over 30 years)

I thought of opening a business here just to sell Adam's products, people here just don't know of him but would go crazy if they saw his products in action.

His products really would sell themselves.

Just thinking out loud

[Punky]

13.45 an hour! That's poverty pay! No way would I work for that. It's even less per hour...

 

I need to move to Las Vegas

[bankO_MaN]

I was thinking the same thing, but to get a job done the way we do it around here would cost big bucks. Sorry to say, but people are cheap.

 

IMHO if I have to lower my prices to get customers and do a half azz job, I might as well not do it at all!

 

I just detailed this car, I charged $269, I spent all day Sunday, maybe 3/4 of a day Monday and a couple hours tuesday and Wednesday. Now I must have spent 20+ hours on the car. I feel I under charged, but if I would have charged more, I probably wouldnt have got this guys business

 

 

Thats nuts...thats half a week worth of worth for 270$ On my packages anything over 8hrs of work gets billed per hour @ 50$ per hour. But only you know how much your time is worth. Hopefully you get some good referals out of that. And I would make that guy never quote the price he received lol

[RedexInLA]

Having been a chief engineer in the coal mining industry for over 20 yrs, I am curious as to what industry you work in down there in LA?

Hotel Industry...

I'm a Machanical Engineer, we own 300 hotels world wide.

I have much respect for coal miners, dangerous profession.

[jem556]

As a Chief Engineer my week makes for a long one...

 

Having been a chief engineer in the coal mining industry for over 20 yrs, I am curious as to what industry you work in down there in LA?

[mc2hill]

i prefer detailing, no stress.

When i'm working on a car i don't look at it as work but as a hobby of mine.

Nothing like looking over your work after detailing.

 

yes!

[Chobbs]

Now that's a number that I can live on.

[RedexInLA]

I make $38.00 per hour with my job, much less when I detail/correct a car.

I prefer detailing, no stress.

When I'm working on a car I don't look at it as work but as a hobby of mine.

Nothing like looking over your work after detailing.

[rykeith]

I was doing my fiance's car in my driveway one day, one of the neighbor's drives up and asks me if I'll do his car for $50. I laughed pretty hard... I wanted to say multiply that by 5 and I might consider it.

[gencoupe3dot8]

When I consult I don't work for less than 250-300/hour. If I'm in a bind I'll offer an intro price of 200/hr for the first 4 hours, then it goes back to normal or higher.

 

I don't think I can make that doing cars around NJ, unless I get some really high flying clientele.

 

At the moment I have three cars lined up after I finish my DD. One includes a headlight restore and full detail (with some pretty bad scratches). Another included a re-rubber of rear window trim (I let you guys know how hat pans out).

 

I have purchased an airbrush for touch-up, I'll also let you know how that goes.

[Blue04SSS]

was thinking the same exact thing

[Chobbs]

Maybe I need to move to your neighborhood if you can live off of 13 an hour!

[Chobbs]

13.45 an hour! That's poverty pay! No way would I work for that. It's even less per hour when you consider cost of product.

 

People are tight when it comes to cleaning their cars. But as mentioned before, you get what you pay for. Keep you price high and you will get less jobs but you'll get more money for your time.

[Rich]

Like they said..........if there are enough people with money around to give you an actual business that you can support yourself and family on........then go for it. If there are only a few, and they don't keep coming back so you can pay your bills, then forget it. I'd do it just to make some extra $$ on the side. Personally, I couldn't afford what you guys charge. Not saying it's not worth it....it is. But I couldn't afford it.

[=Stephens=]

269.00 divided by 20 hours is $13.45 an hour. Not too shabby. Is that more than you make in your civilian job?

[RedexInLA]

I was thinking the same thing, but to get a job done the way we do it around here would cost big bucks. Sorry to say, but people are cheap.

 

IMHO if I have to lower my prices to get customers and do a half azz job, I might as well not do it at all!

 

I just detailed this car, I charged $269, I spent all day Sunday, maybe 3/4 of a day Monday and a couple hours tuesday and Wednesday. Now I must have spent 20+ hours on the car. I feel I under charged, but if I would have charged more, I probably wouldnt have got this guys business

 

You have to find people who have money for starters and want the best that you can offer, once they see the results they tell others.

Reason I have another one to do this sat.

A few people of one circle needs to see the great results and they will come.

For me anyway.

Tip: Once I'm done with the job I show them some video and pics and a print out of what I've done and how many hours it took.

The before and after pics shows them what it must have taken to get such great results.

 

Yes, 20 hours of work is worth more then what one will get paid for doing the job.

I just love seeing the after product.

They don't get the clay part, they think it's something you made up so I show video of me doing it.

[BlueGenCoupe]

I was thinking the same thing, but to get a job done the way we do it around here would cost big bucks. Sorry to say, but people are cheap.

 

IMHO if I have to lower my prices to get customers and do a half azz job, I might as well not do it at all!

 

I just detailed this car, I charged $269, I spent all day Sunday, maybe 3/4 of a day Monday and a couple hours tuesday and Wednesday. Now I must have spent 20+ hours on the car. I feel I under charged, but if I would have charged more, I probably wouldnt have got this guys business

[Chris@Adams]

A Adam's detailed car will defiantly get you noticed! Good luck!

[RedexInLA]

If you enjoy doing it, then its not work. But physically it is work to do. When you do your own vehicle its enjoyable. When its someone else's, IMO its not as much fun. How much is your time worth? If you could get the products at wholesale and become a dealer for Adams, you could make a lot of money in products alone.

 

I'd say do it on your spare time and if you make enough to justify opening a business, then you have a great hobby that makes you money.

 

 

Can't give up my job that I have now being I had to go through hell to get where I am but doing it on the side is something just to think about.

I seem to work just a little harder when doing a car for someone compared to my own, pride thing I guess.

 

Hope Adam and his staff would come here to Louisiana one day and show off their products in doing a clinic.

[RedexInLA]

give it a shot, before opening a shop and paying rent somewhere, work by appointment only out of your garage.. see how it picks up..

 

but, look at what a lot of members that do it full time say, its tough to find that line where you are giving the customer what they pay for and not what you want it to look like..

 

Yep, old saying, "you pay for what you get".

The people who owned the 3 cars that I've done were shocked at the results, the person who owns the SUV which I'll be doing this weekend saw the results of the last car I did and wanted the same.

 

As most here it's a love for cars as to why we do what we do, want to keep it fun.

[=Stephens=]

If you enjoy doing it, then its not work. But physically it is work to do. When you do your own vehicle its enjoyable. When its someone else's, IMO its not as much fun. How much is your time worth? If you could get the products at wholesale and become a dealer for Adams, you could make a lot of money in products alone.

 

I'd say do it on your spare time and if you make enough to justify opening a business, then you have a great hobby that makes you money.

[MAYBEN]

give it a shot, before opening a shop and paying rent somewhere, work by appointment only out of your garage.. see how it picks up..

 

but, look at what a lot of members that do it full time say, its tough to find that line where you are giving the customer what they pay for and not what you want it to look like..