IMADreamer Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 As some of you may remember a while back I was put on notice that my office was to close in 2010. Well in the mean time I've really been trying to contemplate my future and I've ran through every idea from going to law school, going to get my PhD in the current degree I have, being a street begger, etc etc and my friends all think I need to do something car related. Yeah I'm a car nut so it makes sense, but it's what also make me leary, I'd hate to ruin my love for cars if it became work. Every day that passes I get a little closer to not having a job and it scares the heck out of me and when I think about what to do I get more nervous then I did on prom night when I was 17. lol So today I was talking with my cousin who hates his job and wants to do something else and I don't know why he mentioned it but he mentioned car detailing. It's weird because he's not a car guy per se and he certainly doesn't take care of his own vehicle, but that's not to say he isn't capable. He also has management skills. (he's a club/bar/resturaunt manager now) The thing is, he's flaky and that turns me off from doing business with him. I don't know if I could count on him to be there all the time and especially long term. To do this would require me to move about an hour or so away from here, which I'm fine with under the circumstances that I'd have gauranteed income. I won't though, and that's what scares me. Plus we'd have to find a location (debt), stock up on supplies (more debt), get the business crap sorted (even more debt), and advertise. It's all scary to me since I don't consider myself business orientated. However it's an exciting prospect in that I could do something I enjoy, make a living of it, go some place new, and have something that I could grow and have huge potential. Obviously only I can make this decision, but I'd really like to know how you guys got your start, and what's everyones opinion on this. I'm typically not a risk taker, but with age 30 closing in fast and a lot of things in my life up in the air I almost feel like I have to make a big leap to something in order to put me on a road to happiness with my future. Whew, man has my life turned out a lot different then I thought it would as a bright eyed bushy tailed 22 year old straight out of college. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Adam's Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I could go a long ways on this post, but I'll keep it short and simple... Detailing for dollars isn't all its cracked up to be and don't expect to earn a substantial living on it right out of the box. The industry is jam packed full of hack jobs who charge too little for a wash and wax and all it a full detail... this undermines your work and either forces you to cut your pricing to compete or spend a substantial amount of time educating your customers on what a detail is just to land a job. I'm not saying its not possible, I'm not saying don't do it, I am saying go in with open eyes and reasonable expectations for what you can achieve in a certain time frame. In any event good luck to you in whatever you decide! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMADreamer Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 I understand and I have no illusions of getting rich doing this. However, it would not seem unreasonable to make better then the crap pay then I am now. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylander Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I could go on an on about running a small business, but I'll keep my advice short, too -- Don't get involved with someone that you have a bad gut feeling about. Chances are your guy is right, and after a lot of work, heartache and agony you're probably going to be the one holding the bag (whether it's financial, reputation or workload). Your cousin hating his job and wanting to try something else is a BAD reason to get involved -- you need to find someone with a plan, vision and determination to stick with things -- good and bad -- to make it work. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superdutytd Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 A lot of people I've talked to have started this as a side job and then moved it to a full time gig. For a few months you will more than likely be a bit slow if you start off from nothing. You should NEVER start a business with someone you are not 100% comfortable with, I've seen a lot of bad partnerships come AND GO. Also a lot of times in the winter months things will be slow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Detailing Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 being in a climate that sees a winter is also a factor, things slow way down in winter. I even have a job with the school district to keep money rolling in, it works perfect as the school year starts it begins to slow down for me and picks up again when the school year ends. During the winter I only schedule details on the weekends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjwvette Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 being in a climate that sees a winter is also a factor, things slow way down in winter. I even have a job with the school district to keep money rolling in, it works perfect as the school year starts it begins to slow down for me and picks up again when the school year ends. During the winter I only schedule details on the weekends. Whats the temp now? got to be cold already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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