No access to a garage and/or cover. How can I start?

[Detailed Josh]

Looking to start a detailing business, but my biggest hurdle is not having a garage and/or a covered area out of the sun to do detailing. I'm sure I'm not the only one with this predicament so what do you guys do?

[rmagnus]

Ez-up

[RhetoricMixes]

Ez-up and rinse less washes are your bread and butter if your just starting out. Initial costs are low and you don't need much equipment to do rinseless compared to the traditional method.

[Detailed Josh]

I thought about the EZ-Ups, but all I can picture in my mind is the wind or something smashing it into the car. Have any of you had incidents with the EZ-Ups? And/or what do you do to prevent one?

[rmagnus]

Weight the legs with a bungee cord and a weight. Get a 12X12 two if you can afford it. +1 on water less wash. It will get you by for 90% of your washes. Gary Dean method if the car is dirtier or turn to a 2 bucket wash.

[Detailing by M]

You have to weight down awnings! The miniute the I see wind I run for my sand bags.

[hernandez.art13]

I've been thinking about going to my local Auto Body shop and asking them if they would let me rent there work space. (For paint corrections, not quick detail washes)

What do you guys think?

[Detailed Josh]

You have to weight down awnings! The miniute the I see wind I run for my sand bags.

Do you do mobile detailing? Seems like a lot of weight to carry with you if you go to someones house, but at your own seems feasible.

[cleanmycorolla]

I've been thinking about going to my local Auto Body shop and asking them if they would let me rent there work space. (For paint corrections, not quick detail washes)

What do you guys think?

who's insurance will you be under? how much are you going to cut him in for? what if he says no? lots of questions to be answered, seems you have a lot of thinking to do....

[hernandez.art13]

who's insurance will you be under? how much are you going to cut him in for? what if he says no? lots of questions to be answered, seems you have a lot of thinking to do....

Yeah i've though about the "No" part but not about the insurance part. I am glad i have worked on any many cars without insurance and never had any problems. Since AG I haven't touched a car because I don't have insurance. I could only imagine all the problems I would have gotten my self into without AG. Thank you guys.

[hernandez.art13]

who's insurance will you be under? how much are you going to cut him in for? what if he says no? lots of questions to be answered, seems you have a lot of thinking to do....

50% would that be fair?

[VP Mark]

50% would that be fair?

Are you referring to the insurance costs? If you give him 50% of your profits you are not going to make it starting out. I would offer like 10% then negotiate from there.

Why do you need somewhere out of the sun to detail in anyway? There are plenty of great sun friendly products out there.

Lots of quality details only work in the sun. Unless you live in a climate where there is tons of rain I wouldn't worry about having a covered place to work.

[Evan.J]

Are you referring to the insurance costs? If you give him 50% of your profits you are not going to make it starting out. I would offer like 10% then negotiate from there.

I agree Mark. No room for any profit at the 50% mark no matter if its insurance or even giving 50% of the total detail price.



Why do you need somewhere out of the sun to detail in anyway? There are plenty of great sun friendly products out there.

Lots of quality details only work in the sun. Unless you live in a climate where there is tons of rain I wouldn't worry about having a covered place to work.

Isn't that the main marking of Poorboy's products is that they are sun friendly?

Always good stuff Mark :props:

[hernandez.art13]

I meant the Auto Body Shop 50% for them. I am not really hurting for money that is why I don't mind taking such a big hit. I do it for the joy of the before and after. You guys helped me out with my pricing for customers. However how much should I offer the body shop? For a $200 exterior detail?

[Detailing by M]

Do you do mobile detailing? Seems like a lot of weight to carry with you if you go to someones house, but at your own seems feasible.
Really? read a little farther and you'll see my signature.
Also your afraid to carry around 50 lbs. of sand bags?
Your going to carry about 1,000 lbs of water and equipment.
So 50 lbs. is nothing.
Another thing, tell you customers you can only detail at there house due to you just starting out a new business. I mostly detail at peoples homes and I hate office parks. So just get an awning and you'll be fine. It's a learning process.