Is it lucrative?

**2K4CE** · 10-15-2010, 10:21 AM

Mobile service, that is.

The wife is totally not on board for even part time because she doesn't believe it can be. - And I know we're talking a ton of variables here. Volume, products, clientele, climate, and geographical factors.

The only information I have to go from is salary ranges for employees of detailing shops, but not the kind of income mobile brings to the single entrepreneur who is "reasonably successful" after having a setup for 2-3 years.

I'm not looking for the next get-rich-quick. Just a get-comfortable in a reasonable amount of time while doing something you enjoy kind of thing.

**tuscarora dave** · 10-15-2010, 11:05 AM

I can say that starting off with zero capital like I did is very difficult and not that lucrative but if you have a decent marketing budget and think creatively you can make some real good money being mobile. The hard part is finding your niche market in a sea of wash and wax detailers. You pretty much have to convince people that they need to pay for your service and have something to convince them with. Don't be afraid to do the dirty work. I rely on fleet work to fill the gaps between higher end correction jobs and that brings on some real dirty trucks, buses and just some real grunt type jobs. I think if I had it to do all over I would have set things up to do 90% wash and wax work and offered paint corrections from time to time.

Next Tuesday I begin gearing my van up for the spring season in where I will be marketing the wash and wax service. I suggest that you look at Renny Doyle and his "detailing success" forum, become a forum member and ask many questions. Don't be afraid to spend some money for his literature. This will be my next step as I have been convinced that it will be very helpful to me to do so. Good luck.

**shadowstep** · 10-15-2010, 11:10 AM

Do you have have spare time on your weekends? If so I think it might be more reasonable to start small. As small as you can get I suppose, and build a clientele base. Do that for awhile and see how things go. Then take things into consideration. The demand for the service in the area you will be working with and the profitability (your hourly charge less cost of products). Build a balance sheet or income statement. Use those two statements to project to your spouse the advantages of mobile detailing (or even out of your own home).

**2K4CE** · 10-15-2010, 12:12 PM

My weekends are nothing but spare time. I'll have to do more research on insurance and such to determine if the weekend details can even pay for the insurance... And figure out how to put detailing supplies in the back of a corvette! :rofl:

**shadowstep** · 10-15-2010, 02:10 PM

Insurance sure is a great idea when you get to the point where you have a bigger clientele. I think you should start within your social network, family, friends, or coworkers. In my opinion, that is your safe bet prior to moving onto clientele outside of your social network. After working withing your social network, you should be able to get an idea of where you stand financial (income, expense and time).

**2K4CE** · 10-15-2010, 02:24 PM

Thank you very much for your input.

**shadowstep** · 10-15-2010, 02:40 PM

No problem. I am planning to do the same starting next March. Except that I will be working and going to school. I will be trying to get a small clientele within my social network and possibly work through their social network by word of mouth. Oh! Before I forget mention, you should build a working portfolio of the Before and After shots. I think that (assuming that you don't have years of experience) it will be a good reference of your work. We all know that our hobby/profession is all about the visual. Good luck with your business!

**2K4CE** · 10-15-2010, 02:57 PM

I plan on it! I'm doing my first paid job this weekend on a 2004 Toyota Avalon that has been washed with nothing but a home depot orange sponge and dish detergent...

Hope I have enough 105 left.

**D_Nyholm** · 10-22-2010, 11:22 AM

I worked for a very successful mobil detailer back in 2000 and 2001. Unfortunately, the way we made money was with high volume, and mostly washes. We would charge $25 for a hand wash, interior vacuum and wipedown, wheel wash and tire shine and windows. We started by going to local stock broker firms (this was during the end of the boom so it is much different now) and pitching to them. We would do about 10-20 cars at each location and we would try to upsell waxes, and full details. If we were lucky, we could stay at one place with 15 car washes and 1-2 details with a wax thrown in here and there. Fridays were the day to do it since everyone wanted thier cars cleaned for the weekend. If you are going to be going fromo house to house on a saturday, you would obviously have to be doing details in order to make any money. I think it owuld be much easier to have full service of washes and waxes as well as details in order to keep your business going. Making a maintenance program is a way to get a customer and KEEP a customer.

**Wax Gorilla** · 10-22-2010, 04:11 PM

You need proper equipment, proper knowledge and a promotions budget. You need to get a vehicle wrap if you want to Launch Quick and create an image like you are an upstanding, well managed professional company that has had a business for awhile. We once changed are phone number and wrapped two vehcles the same weekend. By wed of the following week we had 46 inquiries (Double what we had ever had from doing Month Long Advertising buys).