New Detail Studio | IDEAS NEEDED!

[02blackout]

Hello all!
I have adopted a new detail studio and need Feed back please!

The facility includes an office, indoor washbay, and detail studio. The studio is climate-controlled, loaded with twenty-five T5 lights, and has a central vac/compressed air system. It's fully outfitted let me tell ya.

So my question is:
What would you do if this was your detail shop?
http://i.imgur.com/mSZUtE0.jpg


How would you set it up?

-Storage for equipment, products, MFs, and pads. (cabinets? racks?)


Would you assign certain areas for certain tasks?

-Areas for paint correction, interior jobs, coating application, etc

-Would these be in corners or in the middle?


Would you alter the current lighting fixture setup?

-Angle the wall lights slightly down to keep from blinding you?

-Move any of the wall lights to the ceiling?

-Drop the ceiling lights down a few feet?


Would you redo the floor?

-Epoxy? Paint? Gloss coating?

http://i.imgur.com/SJyp18M.jpg
How would you operate your detail business in this 4000sq studio?


Thanks in advance! -Lance

[Ticktwo]

Wow! Pretty impressive space.

I am a nerd at heart, spreadsheets rule. Keep that in mind as you read my suggestions.

Used to do warehouse layouts and efficiency improvements for companies and I default back to that thinking here.

Considering the layout for the types of work you would do how would cars "flow" through the space? Would you move them from a wash area to a paint correction area to a detail area? How many of these "bays" could be in operation at once? Would you need to separate someone doing paint correction from someone doing detail to prevent any type of dust contamination? Do you want the "flow" to be stage based? Could "bays" be multi stage?

Material storage, for me at least, shoukd also be thought of in reverse. How are the products used? For example, microfiber would be used in many of the stages. If you have a beautiful storage system in the back of the warehouse, color coded, pile coded, but on the opposite side from where you are working it will eventually become a pain to make multiple trips. What typically will happen is the storage system will not be used. You can fix it by having mini bins at the work "bays" so you would only need to fill up once and refill as needed.
All products can be viewed as A, B, or C products. A products are fast movers, high volume use. You would want these close at hand. B products less so. C products used in frequently or for very specific purposes.

Those questions might help determine the layout for you.

Like I said, I am a big nerd. I probably would draw up a spreadsheet.

Speaking of which...I need to get back to my vacation plan spreadsheet. I don't think I have the right calculation yet to determine optimal seating distance between pool, bathroom, and bar.

[mswerb]

Shop looks awesome! Did you do the lighting yourself? I would leave the floor as is, it's gonna get beat up.

[02blackout]

Wow! Pretty impressive space.

I am a nerd at heart, spreadsheets rule. Keep that in mind as you read my suggestions.

Used to do warehouse layouts and efficiency improvements for companies and I default back to that thinking here.

Considering the layout for the types of work you would do how would cars "flow" through the space? Would you move them from a wash area to a paint correction area to a detail area? How many of these "bays" could be in operation at once? Would you need to separate someone doing paint correction from someone doing detail to prevent any type of dust contamination? Do you want the "flow" to be stage based? Could "bays" be multi stage?

Material storage, for me at least, shoukd also be thought of in reverse. How are the products used? For example, microfiber would be used in many of the stages. If you have a beautiful storage system in the back of the warehouse, color coded, pile coded, but on the opposite side from where you are working it will eventually become a pain to make multiple trips. What typically will happen is the storage system will not be used. You can fix it by having mini bins at the work "bays" so you would only need to fill up once and refill as needed.
All products can be viewed as A, B, or C products. A products are fast movers, high volume use. You would want these close at hand. B products less so. C products used in frequently or for very specific purposes.

Those questions might help determine the layout for you.

Like I said, I am a big nerd. I probably would draw up a spreadsheet.

Speaking of which...I need to get back to my vacation plan spreadsheet. I don't think I have the right calculation yet to determine optimal seating distance between pool, bathroom, and bar.

Wow great feedback, thank you very much.
This is exactly how I am looking at it. The "flow" of work. Cars will be washed, clayed, and prepped in the washbay http://i.imgur.com/AYVpPjf.jpg

Cars will then pulled into the studio. Yeah different bays of some sort. The corners are the best because of the lighting on each wall so those will be occupied definitely for interior....Or paint correction? I don't know haha. Paintwork all you need is your lighting setup and you're good.

As far as your vacation spreadsheet- try to figure out the farthest route from the wife or S.O. :dblthumb2:

[Tato]

Awesome Studio you're setting my friend, congratulations!

I appreciated the tips you already received and will be using for my business. It's a bit too late here in Brazil I will have to be brief,

I invite you to take a look at my business 3 months follow up so you can come with some ideas too,

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/95714-first-3-months-my-new-detailing-business-picture-format.html

And please, do not hesitate in contacting me if you want to share information.

Wish you best of lucky,

Kind Regards.

[Setec Astronomy]

Wow great feedback, thank you very much.
This is exactly how I am looking at it. The "flow" of work. Cars will be washed, clayed, and prepped in the washbay http://i.imgur.com/AYVpPjf.jpg

Cars will then pulled into the studio. Yeah different bays of some sort. The corners are the best because of the lighting on each wall so those will be occupied definitely for interior....Or paint correction? I don't know haha. Paintwork all you need is your lighting setup and you're good.

As far as your vacation spreadsheet- try to figure out the farthest route from the wife or S.O. :dblthumb2:

That's a great looking space--but what is that through the opening?? The Popemobile? The Jetsons car?

[Legacykid]

that is awesome, how to you find a place like this? what was it used as prior?

[FinishingTouchA]

So my question is:
What would you do if this was your detail shop?

Wow, congratulations! I'm working out of a 2 bay 700 sq ft shop right now, constantly visualizing something bigger like this. It's awesome to actually see someone else in the spot I'm setting goals to be at.



How would you set it up?

-Storage for equipment, products, MFs, and pads. (cabinets? racks?)

Figure out what will be most efficient then build a budget for the things you will need to be the most efficient. As far as chemicals, I prefer keeping everything in bulk in a back room then having your RTU products on a shelf or individual carts. Ex. One cart for interior detailing, one for paint correction, etc. Just make sure you have enough bottles RTU at the beginning of each day so you aren't breaking the flow going back to refill. And keep pads and towels in a closed container, but I'm sure you already do that.




Would you assign certain areas for certain tasks?

-Areas for paint correction, interior jobs, coating application, etc

-Would these be in corners or in the middle?

How many people will be detailing simultaneously? This would be the determining factor for me. With multiple things going on at once I would definitely look into getting industrial curtains, that way you don't have walls in the way when you want to move cars etc but you still have a barrier from contamination.




Would you alter the current lighting fixture setup?

-Angle the wall lights slightly down to keep from blinding you?

-Move any of the wall lights to the ceiling?

-Drop the ceiling lights down a few feet?

I'd leave the lights alone for now. After a few jobs you may figure out better placement. Also depending on if you'll be doing RVs or not you may want the lights where they are at for clearance.




Would you redo the floor?

-Epoxy? Paint? Gloss coating?

This is very dependent on if you are renting or own the shop. If renting, leave it alone, a diy paint/epoxy will chip over time. If you own it get a quote from a contractor on an industrial epoxy coating and figure if it's worth the cost.

Best of luck on the venture!

[02blackout]

That's a great looking space--but what is that through the opening?? The Popemobile? The Jetsons car?LOL popemobile. It's actually a boat! Right next to some buses and other cars that is :coolgleam:
http://i.imgur.com/FjNk0cV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/C2odKHS.jpg


that is awesome, how to you find a place like this? what was it used as prior?
thank you! I am truly fortunate to have it. the belonged to a competitor for a couple years.

[02blackout]

Wow, congratulations! I'm working out of a 2 bay 700 sq ft shop right now, constantly visualizing something bigger like this. It's awesome to actually see someone else in the spot I'm setting goals to be at.


Figure out what will be most efficient then build a budget for the things you will need to be the most efficient. As far as chemicals, I prefer keeping everything in bulk in a back room then having your RTU products on a shelf or individual carts. Ex. One cart for interior detailing, one for paint correction, etc. Just make sure you have enough bottles RTU at the beginning of each day so you aren't breaking the flow going back to refill. And keep pads and towels in a closed container, but I'm sure you already do that.


How many people will be detailing simultaneously? This would be the determining factor for me. With multiple things going on at once I would definitely look into getting industrial curtains, that way you don't have walls in the way when you want to move cars etc but you still have a barrier from contamination.


I'd leave the lights alone for now. After a few jobs you may figure out better placement. Also depending on if you'll be doing RVs or not you may want the lights where they are at for clearance.


This is very dependent on if you are renting or own the shop. If renting, leave it alone, a diy paint/epoxy will chip over time. If you own it get a quote from a contractor on an industrial epoxy coating and figure if it's worth the cost.

Best of luck on the venture!

Fabulous input. The carts are a great idea. I have an office space as well but it won't be used. There I will store my pressure washer and other equipment.
As far as inside the studio, curtain walls would be sweet. It's going to be just be at the very start. Will definitely need a good employee or two soon. I do dealership work as well as for private clients(mobile and at their houses). Balancing all this and figuring out a good plan for the new studio will be a thinker for sure.

Hope you land the 2bay shop my man. My detailing career has been quite a journey. My biggest piece of advice is heavily invest in your marketing and advertising. Your business image, website, and advertising should be as detailed and clean as your work. This is also what will make you look apart from the rest. Also with a higher perceived image, the more you can charge--- given your product/equipment/knowledge is reflected in your price.

[FinishingTouchA]

Fabulous input. The carts are a great idea. I have an office space as well but it won't be used. There I will store my pressure washer and other equipment.
As far as inside the studio, curtain walls would be sweet. It's going to be just be at the very start. Will definitely need a good employee or two soon. I do dealership work as well as for private clients(mobile and at their houses). Balancing all this and figuring out a good plan for the new studio will be a thinker for sure.

Hope you land the 2bay shop my man. My detailing career has been quite a journey. My biggest piece of advice is heavily invest in your marketing and advertising. Your business image, website, and advertising should be as detailed and clean as your work. This is also what will make you look apart from the rest. Also with a higher perceived image, the more you can charge--- given your product/equipment/knowledge is reflected in your price.

Maybe I should rephrase that. Right now I have a 2 bay shop that measures 26'x26'. I've got 2 employees and am working on hiring a 3rd. What has made my business is location. I rent a shop on the corner of the busiest 4 way stop in town and 90% of my business comes just from people seeing the business. I was mobile solo part time for 2 years before this and just landed the shop in March this year. Word of mouth is starting to make an impact too. But yeah, when I got the shop I spent about $3000 cleaning up the landscaping and exterior of the building. I constantly have people telling me I did such a good job cleaning up the town and it shows my attention to detail. Image is very important in our industry whether your business comes from online, location, vehicle signage, etc. Another suggestion is teaming up with a PR professional in your area and getting a press release in the newspaper etc about you moving into the shop. I'll post my PR in the "How to make money detailing" section at some point this week so check it out.

[Setec Astronomy]

LOL popemobile. It's actually a boat! Right next to some buses and other cars that is :coolgleam:

That is a really cool building, but I still think this looks like the Jetsons car:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100446

[02blackout]

Maybe I should rephrase that. Right now I have a 2 bay shop that measures 26'x26'. I've got 2 employees and am working on hiring a 3rd. What has made my business is location. I rent a shop on the corner of the busiest 4 way stop in town and 90% of my business comes just from people seeing the business. I was mobile solo part time for 2 years before this and just landed the shop in March this year. Word of mouth is starting to make an impact too. But yeah, when I got the shop I spent about $3000 cleaning up the landscaping and exterior of the building. I constantly have people telling me I did such a good job cleaning up the town and it shows my attention to detail. Image is very important in our industry whether your business comes from online, location, vehicle signage, etc. Another suggestion is teaming up with a PR professional in your area and getting a press release in the newspaper etc about you moving into the shop. I'll post my PR in the "How to make money detailing" section at some point this week so check it out.

Dude thank you... Now you're in the stage I'm looking to get into. I soon need employees so I'm assessing how to manage them and how to teach them the steps. Process charts here on AGO are extremely helpful. Do they do paint correction or buffer work? If so how did you teach them and how was their learning curve?

The fact that your business and building has an impact on the community is exactly what I want to be. While I can't do it in a storage warehouse, I hope to continue to grow and see where business and the Lord takes me!

Keep up the good work with making your building look good. Im the MAN

[TylerHoffarth]

My feedback will be similar to the others, but here we go...


What I would first ask yourself, is what type of detailing will you be primarily performing? Production? Or show-car? We all know those differentiate considerably, and knowing what your primary focus will be will only help determine your layout.

First things I would address - white walls, white ceilings, white floor. The way light reflects/refracts off of white will allow a significantly more amount of light to consume the space, rather than being absorbed otherwise. Not only this, but it adds a professional appearance and a 'clean' environment when kept up so. Possibly upgrading the lighting to a more appropriate kelvin / temperature if required will also help with inspections and overall working efficiency within the space.

Second item I would look into is how you feel you will use the space. I feel that, for most applications where you are doing more refined detailing, there is no issue having more than 1 vehicle in a space at any given time. Having a dedicated wash section is a fantastic way of separating the cleaning from the detailing, and I feel there would then be no reason the detailing studio could not be multi-purpose. However, as others have mentioned, take into consideration the work you will be performing and that the space has adequate ventilation to lessen the amount of air contamination. One thing to possibly look into is retrofitting the walls with a PVC-based material that has a natural static charge, and therefore will attract airborne particles to it.


For materials, I think this is something that can be changed over time if necessary, and shouldn't be as worried about as making the space into an ideal, efficient, professional environment that will accommodate the type of detailing you will be performing. Having clean, mobile carts for materials is a great start, and I would even consider having the materials at the 'front' of the shop, so as it can be either a shared bench & cupboard type area, or where each person performing work can have their own / preferred materials stored as so.

Clean Pickup Space - Just as important as the working environment is, you also want to ensure that when a customer drops off & (moreso) picks up their vehicle, it can be displayed in such a way that it reflects the work performed. Simply having it sitting outside on the side of the shop can work, but put yourself in the customers shoes for a minute: You go to pickup your vehicle, and are taken through the office to the 'pickup' area, which is a clean, well-lit space that gives the 'showcase' impression. It shows that you as a business owner care about your customers vehicles. This is just an idea.

Office Space - This is strictly a personal opinion, but my ideal space would be eye catching, but also minimalist. Consider if your business has a specific color-scheme (whether in general or in the logo, for example), and add some of this to the space. Simple wall-paint designs, clean sitting area with some commodities (coffee, etc), informational sheets at the front desk & waiting area, etc. Remember - this space may be the customers introduction to you and your business! First impressions are very important, and designing a space and maintaining it can have a lasting effect on your customer, as they will be able to sense your pride in the business you operate.


Although not setup-related, I would also ensure that you and your employees understand the environment and the need for cleanliness and professionalism. Cleaning floors often, keeping materials organized and put away immediately when finished with, etc., will help your shop maintain it's appearance and will allow your employees to really feel and grasp that they are not just monkeys in a shop - but part of a team of dedicated, professional detailers. Instilling that mentality is a major factor in any business, I find.


Hopefully this helps, and good luck! Keep us all updated with your progress.

[FinishingTouchA]

Dude thank you... Now you're in the stage I'm looking to get into. I soon need employees so I'm assessing how to manage them and how to teach them the steps. Process charts here on AGO are extremely helpful. Do they do paint correction or buffer work? If so how did you teach them and how was their learning curve?

The fact that your business and building has an impact on the community is exactly what I want to be. While I can't do it in a storage warehouse, I hope to continue to grow and see where business and the Lord takes me!

Keep up the good work with making your building look good. Im the MAN

What I did...

I opened the shop this spring and was quickly overwhelmed with business. When I reached the point where I could no longer do everything myself I scrambled to hire someone. Fortunately he's been a pretty decent employee. But because I was so busy training was a mess. I just threw him into the job and trained when I had some time. One major problem with this is you forget what you have and haven't trained them on. All summer I was constantly having minimal quality control issues, had to check and go over every single vehicle before the customer would see it. It's gotten much better in the last month since I've had more time for training and sat down with each employee to talk about quality expectations. On to your other question.. Yes, I have one employee who does correction work, not at the level I do of course since he's not an AG himself haha. But he does have a polisher in his hand almost every day. My other employees do interior and simple exterior work.

If I were to do it over again (Which may happen next spring)

What I suggest doing is building up some capital, rather than putting all the money back into the business for more tools and supplies you don't "need," I would save the money to invest in HR. Your employees are your biggest asset and also your largest expense, investing in quality labor is key in a service business. Long before you get overwhelmed start looking for someone with good work ethic, critical thinking skills, and a passion for cars who wants to be a permanent employee. You'll be looking for someone in the ~$15/hr area who likely is already employed. Invest in a plane ticket to Florida and Mike's detail class. Send them off for professional training. Yes, it's a big expense, but when you realize the time and stress it puts on you trying to train someone it's a small expense to pay.

You have to decide early on though if you want to stay small and be the detailer or if you want to be the owner of a high end detail shop. I rarely do the detail work now with 3 employees. My daily schedule consists of: 30% Talking to customers, 25% Business/Product R&D, 15% Marketing, 5% Paperwork, 25% Training employees/detailing