Starting a detailing business

[mdamore419]

I am sort of new to the whole detailing thing but have gotten the hang of it pretty quick an i'm looking to start a business out of my garage but have no idea how to start it out. If anyone who has a detailing business could give me some tips to getting started, it would be greatly appreciated.  

[Performance Auto Detailing]

My advice is to give yourself some time to learn before starting a business. Detailing your own vehicle or a friends vehicle is very different from detailing a customer's vehicle for money. The expectations are completely different. You need to make sure your technique is flawless before touching a customer's vehicle. 

 

I was in your shoes a few years back, and am now happily detailing on the side while I am in college. PM me if you have specific questions that I can help you with. 

[mdamore419]

My advice is to give yourself some time to learn before starting a business. Detailing your own vehicle or a friends vehicle is very different from detailing a customer's vehicle for money. The expectations are completely different. You need to make sure your technique is flawless before touching a customer's vehicle. 

 

I was in your shoes a few years back, and am now happily detailing on the side while I am in college. PM me if you have specific questions that I can help you with. 

Thanks, you've been a lot of help so far. 

[mc2hill]

I agree with Tim's comments.  

For most of us the real challenge is determining what the customer really wants, and is willing to pay for.  We look at every detail as a chance to hone our skills and make the paint flawless.  When in fact the customer just wants a cleaner car.

 

Most folks are happy with a clean car (a proper 2 bucket wash makes it look shinier already), with clean wheels, dressed tires, and a cleaner interior.  For this type job, I will clean the fuel filler door, the trunk lip/surround, and a light cleaning under the hood.  They are always blown away, but don't notice the clean fuel door a while.  

 

If you are lucky you will get a few customers that will appreciate/understand a true paint correction, and are willing to pay you for that level of service.  

 

 

[eric@thompsonracing.us]

First off, welcome!  Next, where are you located?

 

While it is a great opportunity for flexible side work, there are a lot of risks involved, you need to consider.  I agree, you need to get really good at paint correction and detailing.  Practice on multiple cars, as paints are different per auto manufacturer; some hard, some soft, some have really thin clear coat.  Also, you need to be comfortable working on a range of interior materials, leather, cloth, suede, etc.  If you damage someone's paint, or stain a leather seat, you're looking at thousands of dollars to repair and replace.  You might be working all summer just to pay off one mistake.

 

Start local and start small.  If you can, work on family and friends' cars, then branch out to neighbors.  Start with wash, clay and wax.  Get a real handle on the basics before taking on a full paint correction.  This will limit risk, as well as build a feel for your ability to budget time and establish prices.

 

Once you get established, the internet is the best place to market.  I work with a lot of local detailers and they gain 90% of their business from Facebook, Tweeter, etc.

 

Good luck Matt!

[Mythos_S3]

Hello Matt,

 

I know the feeling of being very eager to get started. Starting your own business is very challenging. You should take your time, make a proper business plan and get everything straight in your head. This can take several months. In the mean time you can continue practicing your skills and slowly progressing.

 

Also, having options for detail levels for your customers to choose from is key. Reason being a large percentage of your customers will not care about paint correction let alone notice your quality of paint correction. I started out doing two step paint correction ie. Adams Paint Correcting Polish followed with their Paint Finishing Polish. Let me tell you, it is a huge waste of time and energy. Currently my "full" customer detail includes, Wash (fenders, wheels, grills, emblems, doorjambs), one step polish, wax (sealant is an upgrade), tire shine, interior cleaning. Obviously that is the shortened version, but you get the point. Remember customer service is key, you must do what ever is necessary to make them happy.  

 

You can PM me with any other questions you may have.

 

Charlie

[CMDChase]

Take it slow and learn your trade very well. See if someone on the forum lives near you. They can critique your work and offer constructive criticism that is immensely helpful. Once your ready to go, get a website and business cards. Hand out business cards like they're candy on Halloween.

 

On thing I learned about detailing for money. Your customers will never know everything you do but you can bet they will see everything you miss.

 

Good luck. It's a great way to make some extra cash.

[dpsphotos]

Sorry for reviving an old thread but I have seen a few posts talking about making some money on the side.  I am new to the Adam's line and detailed for a living 15-20 years ago (not my own business).  I have since returned to it for a hobby and to take care of my own cars.  I could see working a few weekends here and there to make some extra money, who can't always use some extra cash, right?  However, from what I can see people just aren't willing to pay for a "full" detail.  I can see where H2O GG and some of the washing techniques could save some time, but here is a local place that I just can't see competing with.  I don't know the quality of their details, but the carwash is always slammed.  Seems like a bit of an uphill battle with prices like this.  Just the wash, clay, swirl remover, and polish took me 4-5hrs on my car.  Still have not waxed nor touched the interior.

[Thorsager]

    I looked at their website. The one picture has a guy using a rag on the paint that I doubt I would use on my wheels. This is what I call production detailing. We have one like this where I live. It is fast and cheap but so is the detail. For many a cars only value is to get them from point A to point B. They look at a cheap detail and think that it is great. Others want a quality detail at a fair price. I would decide which segment of the market that you are after and target those consumers. Customer education is key. Most people I talk to have no idea what a quality detail is or the value of it. Show the customer your products/polishers etc. and explain what they do and how they work.  Another point to educate on is how the customer should care for and maintain their car after the detail. We can get rid of all the swirls/scratches but if they go home and continue with their old ways those scratches will come back. It may take a while to build up the right customer base but it will come. It may even get to the point where you may not be able to keep up. I also posted this on another thread but consider writing a business plan. It does not need to be in depth. SBA.gov is the website (U.S. Small Business Administration) that has guide on how to write it.

[PHOKUS]

I can suggest three main points to consider once you've made the leap into small business ownership:

 

1. Marketing - this is your lifeblood. This is how you convince Joe Public to take a chance and spend some of their hard-earned cash on YOU. You may be the best detailer on the planet, but if your marketing plan fails your business will fail. Know your strengths. Play them up.
2. Never give a quote without inspecting the vehicle first. This is incredibly important. You want to be seen as a professional? BE a professional. A mechanic isn't going to give you a repair estimate without inspecting the vehicle first, and neither should you. Paint correction IS repair. Base your estimate on the amount of time you expect the detail to take. This is not to say you can't offer base rates for things like a wash and wax or interior detail. I call these 'base rates' with the expectation that the vehicle isn't outlandishly filthy or doesn't have gum, tar, and soda on every seat and carpet in the vehicle.
3. Know your audience. ​Tailor your work to your customer's expectations rather than your own. 90% of my customers don't care that I spent 6 hours polishing their paint to a mirror finish. Knowing that the customer values, for instance, spotless windows and black tires rather than perfect paint allows me to effectively use my time to make my customer happy the first time around. So you get the paint to a 'good' state rather than 'perfect', and you make the windows and tires perfect instead.

Building a business is difficult. It's fraught with challenges and pitfalls. But it also can pay off BIG. I STRONGLY urge you learn as much about running a business as you learn about the business you're in. Learn your competitors' businesses. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Have fun every day - running a business is as much about selling yourself as it is about selling your product or service. 

 

I wish you the very best of luck and good fortune as you build your business!