going mobile or set location

[jamores23]

What would the pros and cons of each be? other than the obvious one is mobile and the other is not lol. I favor a set location first then going mobile, but what are your inputs about this?

[SeaJay's]

Here are my thoughts on this one...

I too wanted to be mainly a set location detailer. I was working out of my home and people would drop their cars off for me. Now that I have become a full time detailer and I offer both mobile and set location, majority of my customers like the mobile feature. They prefer it since they do not have to set up rides, etc. I still do the occasional detail at my home though.

I really let my customers dictate weather the job is mobile or not. I also ensure that if they are not within 15 miles of me I charge them for me to travel. They also have to provide me with a water faucet and an outlet. This has never been an issue. Nor has anyone made a stink about me charging to come to their site. Most assume there will be charge anyway.

As for the pros and cons....here is my take

Pros for being mobile
Low start up costs - you can work out of your personal vehicle
Convenient for your customers
Low insurance costs (you should only need liability insurance and not a garage keepers policy)

Cons for being mobile
You have to go to the customer and deal traffic, getting lost, etc etc
The toll it takes on your personal vehicle or the business vehicle.
Gas...big one there
I hate having to pack up my car with my stuff and then reload it when I'm done. It also sucks if you get to a site and realize you forgot something important. I did this last week..got to the site and realized I forgot all my polishing pads.

Pros for Set location - I can only go off of operating out of my home so it's probably not what your looking for.
Convenience that it's your home
No driving, traffic, gas etc to worry about

Cons
People coming to your home
Have to be there when customer picks up the car
More costs - insurance, start up, monthly expenses, etc

[ScubaCougr]

If by "set location" you're thinking a rented shop/garage and not your home, rent/overhead can be a very big con.

Figure out how many cars you will need to detail to cover the rent and insurance. Add a couple hundred for utilities. If you can't keep that garage bay full, you may end up losing money on fixed-site.

Just to be fair though, in some areas a fixed place shop is seen as more credible/professional than a mobile guy. At least for people shopping that first appointment.

[jamores23]

well i know out here the gas station car washes are slammed every day, they get at least 100 cars a day! Now, they are cheap and of course bang up the cars. so that said, alot of people take therre cars for a quick wash, sad thing is i always see high end cars and some luxury exotics going there. Its sad to see this but I believe proper education will turn them against going there!

[slickooz]

One thing I learned about mobile detailing or just detailing outside in general is lighting is very hard to control. When working inside with lights you can see almost all the flaws in the paint.

Yesterday I was working on a black TL outside but there were some clouds and the sun would appear in and out.

I finished at night and took out my lights to finish buffing off wax and found that there were still swirls on some panels.

And I got burnt really bad from working outside. I would rather work inside with the right lighting so you can get the finish you want.

[master detailer]

when mobile you need to take care not to make a mess. as in acid for wheels will stain floor. cleaning the motor all the oil comes down on the floor.If they have a real nice drive way your taking a big risk. The biggest thing for me is the time you waste loading and unloading risk and driving there and back.wash and wax is ok outside but buffing out side in the hot sun its not a good thing.The only good part of it is the guy next door is seeing the job and you get more work some times.This is are rainy time down here in se fl and if you put sealer on the car and then it rains its not a good thing.But when your just starting out this is the best way to go till you get going for sure and see if you can make a go of it. hope this helps. charlie yantis owner of MASTER DETAILERS IN CAPE CORAL FL

[Flannigan]

I work out of my home too, but I take a few extra pre-cautions. I am able to do this since I'm not a full time detailer so I don't have to be busy all the time.

First I don't let customer drop their cars off at my house unless they are friends that I have known for a while. Last thing I want is some psycho throwing a brick through my window because he thinks he paid too much. I have only ever had an issue with one customer, and it wasn't about the work, it was about the price. I'm not saying he would have done anything, but I can sleep easier knowing that he has no idea where I live. That being said I either meet someone at a public spot to get their vehicle or offer to come pick it up for them. Most people don't have a problem with this, but I assume someone could in the future. But again I can turn people down since I don't need to stay busy 5 days a week.

As for being mobile I ONLY do mobile work if the person has a large enough garage for me to work inside of. Also I charge a premium for doing mobile since I hate it so much. I hate packing up all my stuff and going to an unknown location. But if they have the facility and are willing to pay then most of the time I will do it.

All that said here is my pro/con list.


Fixed location (home)
Pro: You have all your products and tools you need, don't have to worry about forgetting something.
Pro: You can take a break when you want and not worry about a customer looking over your shoulder.
Pro: Little to no overhead for shop space.
Pro: Your wife can make you lunch :)

Con: You have to deal with getting the customer's car there. Can be annoying sometimes.
Con: If you have crappy neighbors this could be an issue. Some people just like to complain.

Mobile
Pro: You can charge more for this service

Con: You have to use your vehicle and your gas. It will add up if you do this for a living
Con: You will at some point forget to bring something with you.
Con: Customers sometimes like to look over your shoulder the whole time

Fixed location (shop)
Pros: Mostly the same as working out of your home
Pro: Easy place for customers to drop off their vehicles

Con: Rent and utilities
Con: Additional insurance could be needed

This is just a quick list so feel free to add to it.