My advice comes from being a small business owner in the automotive field. I'm in the beginning stages of detailing but have dealt with customers and trying to get accounts.
The more you go out and hit the streets looking for jobs,the more confidence you'll get. Approaching people will become second nature over time. Have your pricing structure memorized and be able to explain how you can improve their vehicle in short simple sentences. Understand that mistakes will happen and have a positive attitude for when hits the fan. Learn from your screw ups or else you'll just be spinning your wheels.
Having printed material for when you walk into the offices will help for those who are visual and need the extra boost to understand what you're offering. Have package deals/discounts in mind for multiple cars.
Not everyone will say Yes and that's ok. Give them a flyer anyways and have them pass it on to a friend. One thing I've been doing is reading reviews of other detailers on Yelp and other review sites. I try to learn from their mistakes and implement the things that people praise them on. It brings a sense of "reality" of the situations which you can expect.
Have fun while you're doing it and keep up your studies.
Thanks for the info! I have all my pricing within a small portfolio but I don't know how it would actually appeal to them. I feel that it looks unprofessional but do not want to get them laminated until I know they appeal to people and are easy enough to get to the point out.
Well here's my advice, take it or leave it...but at least read it!
If you love detailing cars and working with cars as a hobby then you'll most likely grow to hate it as a livelihood.
Choose a different career and keep it a hobby. I know the line, "Do what you love, love what you do!" After 27 years of detailing I have come to re-think that line...that phrase of wisdom. I love shooting guns, buying them and selling them, everything about them. My dream was to open up a gun store and range plus a teaching school. After careful thought though I came to the conclusion that I would come to dread it as I do detailing many times. So I will continue detailing and keep the shooting as my hobby.
True story....I go to my gun place, everyone knows me, knows what I do and they say, "Man it must be so cool to work with those awesome cars everyday, right?"
My reply: "Not really, I mean they are just cars. They come in and they go out. Nothing special"
Then I think to myself, ya know...I bet many of them feel the same way about guns! They work with them everyday. Deal with customers who ask about guns all day everyday. Deal with people who mistreat their guns and others who demand their guns are the best! I want to do what they do, they want to do what I do...ironic eh?
Well anyway, IF you decide to do this then you need to look into the EPA water restrictions and the high cost of water catching. Insurance and any special license you may need for doing business.
Alright man, this is probably the best advice/description or whatever you wanna call it for your situation. First with your post, I would recommend going incorporated instead of an LLC, they cost the same(well in LA, CA they do) but going incorporated will get more protection legally speaking with an Incorporated(S-Corporation to be exact). Now to start of, well I'm the same age as you 19 or 19.5 to be exact. I started my business while I was in high school and barely turned 17. Your on the right track with the business cards and business plan. With your cards, make them simple and don't have a lambo or rarri in the background because that's just cheesy lol. Have a simple design that lets everybody know what you do. To be honest, theirs no need right now to get licensed and insured at this point. I didn't even get all that til I would say March and just did it because it's just extra money I know I could do without. And I've NEVER been asked for my license. I've been asked for my insurance just once. People are going to think that you have all that if you carry yourself professionally and give professional results. More on that later. As far for advertising for you. Start on Craigslist !! and anything that is free, Yelp, Google Places, Yahoo Local, Bing, Yellow Pages, Facebook(if your Facebook page is set up properly you could get a good amount of customers that way), and anything else that you could get for free. Once you get a good amount of jobs really start thinking and investing in a website. If you do land one or two company accounts that you are seeking this is perfect for you to start experiencing different cars you encounter. What I mean by this is, you start seeing how different materials, textures, and rims respond to different products and dressings. You also start to learn some shortcuts on getting stuff done. Now for approaching companies, just go appropriately dressed and have a simple pricing structure of your service with a business card or two stapled to them. Now even though I said theirs no need for insurance some companies may require insurance, what I sometimes would say was that I was fully licensed and insured when I initially went in. That way they would ask you if you were later on. If they did ask for your policy number then I would say that you have already filled that spot but you would get back to them when you get more help. I know this is lying but sometimes when your starting out you have to play it like this. Before I go any further just a little bit of info on me. I'm not going to say that I'm busy 7/7 days of the week but for just using Almost next to no advertising I stay busy 4-5/7 days. I the type of cars range from Honda Civics up to Lambos, but you have to know that your probably not going to get hose type of cars soon. And I never brag what kind of cars I do even when other retailers ask me. I just say I do some Hondas, infinitys and BMWs here and their. You have to stay Humble and Modest even when your working on cars that cost 90,000$+ everyday. I treat every car the same, (just treat the type of material differently). And don't think I do supercars every week. It's seldom when you do, and I know theirs guys on here where all they post are those kind off cars but you got to understand they've been in the business for a while. When I barely started out I thought it was amazing that I made 100$ in 7hours twice a week, once you start doing more cars and are confident of your skill your going to get to the point where you have to make that money in no more than 3 hours. Now I'm a full time college student as well and work 30-45 hours a week. Don't think I'm bragging its that I've gotten use to staying busy. It's like when your out of shape and you run a mile and your dead when you do. You start running four times a week and within two weeks you run the same mile without breaking a sweat. The most important thing your going to have learn is how to manage your time. Most likely if you want to succeed your going to have to take night classes. Most importantly your going have to be choosing tools(compounds,degreasers, cleaners, actual tools, etc,) that are going to be able to accomplish a lot in a certain amount of time. For example,that toyota where you did that 3-step polish on. I'm 90% sure that with just washing, using heavy duty clay, meguiars paint reconditioning cream and porter cable with a orange buff and shine cutting pad you could get the same results. It's important that you find these type of short cuts to make money. Now once you get 4-6 new customers a week I would strongly recommend Google Adwords . A lot of people here don't have success with them because they do it themselves. Actually have a professional who specializes in it work on it. Now for your "shyness", if you don't have a lot of cars to work on. Learn as much as you can through websites like this/YouTube videos. The thing that really sells your services is how you talk to a customer. You have to be able to look at a car and within 5 seconds know exactly what it needs.If you actually know your stuff then it's going to be known the moment you start talking. From just my talking, I've been in situations where theirs another detailer who I know has been in the business four times longer than me on the same location that I was working at and was chosen to do another job from a customer who talked to both of us. And he said that I sounded like I knew what I was talking about, as opposed to the other guy. So try to be as professional and accurate as you can. And by accurate I mean, know what your customer wants and what their expectations are. If their expectations are to much for the price let them know they have to upgrade. Remember communication is key, if you have good communication, 75% of your problems will be prevented. A side note though is on microfibers. Theirs really just four types you have to have. A specific towel for windows, specific towel when you encounter soft paint, drying towels, and multipurpose towels. If I were you I would just get 2 36 pack microfibers from Costco and just remember what each towel is used for and put them in their respective containers, and drying towels. I say this because it's ridiculous that some guys are buying 3-5$ dollar towels to clean interiors. I hope this helped you in some way.
p.s. I really recommend watching Auto Fetishes videos on YouTube Darren tells you straight forward what you need to know.
Alright man, this is probably the best advice/description or whatever you wanna call it for your situation. First with your post, I would recommend going incorporated instead of an LLC, they cost the same(well in LA, CA they do) but going incorporated will get more protection legally speaking with an Incorporated(S-Corporation to be exact). Now to start of, well I'm the same age as you 19 or 19.5 to be exact. I started my business while I was in high school and barely turned 17. Your on the right track with the business cards and business plan. With your cards, make them simple and don't have a lambo or rarri in the background because that's just cheesy lol. Have a simple design that lets everybody know what you do. To be honest, theirs no need right now to get licensed and insured at this point. I didn't even get all that til I would say March and just did it because it's just extra money I know I could do without. And I've NEVER been asked for my license. I've been asked for my insurance just once. People are going to think that you have all that if you carry yourself professionally and give professional results. More on that later. As far for advertising for you. Start on Craigslist !! and anything that is free, Yelp, Google Places, Yahoo Local, Bing, Yellow Pages, Facebook(if your Facebook page is set up properly you could get a good amount of customers that way), and anything else that you could get for free. Once you get a good amount of jobs really start thinking and investing in a website. If you do land one or two company accounts that you are seeking this is perfect for you to start experiencing different cars you encounter. What I mean by this is, you start seeing how different materials, textures, and rims respond to different products and dressings. You also start to learn some shortcuts on getting stuff done. Now for approaching companies, just go appropriately dressed and have a simple pricing structure of your service with a business card or two stapled to them. Now even though I said theirs no need for insurance some companies may require insurance, what I sometimes would say was that I was fully licensed and insured when I initially went in. That way they would ask you if you were later on. If they did ask for your policy number then I would say that you have already filled that spot but you would get back to them when you get more help. I know this is lying but sometimes when your starting out you have to play it like this. Before I go any further just a little bit of info on me. I'm not going to say that I'm busy 7/7 days of the week but for just using Almost next to no advertising I stay busy 4-5/7 days. I the type of cars range from Honda Civics up to Lambos, but you have to know that your probably not going to get hose type of cars soon. And I never brag what kind of cars I do even when other retailers ask me. I just say I do some Hondas, infinitys and BMWs here and their. You have to stay Humble and Modest even when your working on cars that cost 90,000$+ everyday. I treat every car the same, (just treat the type of material differently). And don't think I do supercars every week. It's seldom when you do, and I know theirs guys on here where all they post are those kind off cars but you got to understand they've been in the business for a while. When I barely started out I thought it was amazing that I made 100$ in 7hours twice a week, once you start doing more cars and are confident of your skill your going to get to the point where you have to make that money in no more than 3 hours. Now I'm a full time college student as well and work 30-45 hours a week. Don't think I'm bragging its that I've gotten use to staying busy. It's like when your out of shape and you run a mile and your dead when you do. You start running four times a week and within two weeks you run the same mile without breaking a sweat. The most important thing your going to have learn is how to manage your time. Most likely if you want to succeed your going to have to take night classes. Most importantly your going have to be choosing tools(compounds,degreasers, cleaners, actual tools, etc,) that are going to be able to accomplish a lot in a certain amount of time. For example,that toyota where you did that 3-step polish on. I'm 90% sure that with just washing, using heavy duty clay, meguiars paint reconditioning cream and porter cable with a orange buff and shine cutting pad you could get the same results. It's important that you find these type of short cuts to make money. Now once you get 4-6 new customers a week I would strongly recommend Google Adwords . A lot of people here don't have success with them because they do it themselves. Actually have a professional who specializes in it work on it. Now for your "shyness", if you don't have a lot of cars to work on. Learn as much as you can through websites like this/YouTube videos. The thing that really sells your services is how you talk to a customer. You have to be able to look at a car and within 5 seconds know exactly what it needs.If you actually know your stuff then it's going to be known the moment you start talking. From just my talking, I've been in situations where theirs another detailer who I know has been in the business four times longer than me on the same location that I was working at and was chosen to do another job from a customer who talked to both of us. And he said that I sounded like I knew what I was talking about, as opposed to the other guy. So try to be as professional and accurate as you can. And by accurate I mean, know what your customer wants and what their expectations are. If their expectations are to much for the price let them know they have to upgrade. Remember communication is key, if you have good communication, 75% of your problems will be prevented. A side note though is on microfibers. Theirs really just four types you have to have. A specific towel for windows, specific towel when you encounter soft paint, drying towels, and multipurpose towels. If I were you I would just get 2 36 pack microfibers from Costco and just remember what each towel is used for and put them in their respective containers, and drying towels. I say this because it's ridiculous that some guys are buying 3-5$ dollar towels to clean interiors. I hope this helped you in some way.
p.s. I really recommend watching Auto Fetishes videos on YouTube Darren tells you straight forward what you need to know.
Read every line and can say I do just about all of that! I appreciate the time it took you to type that! I actually had my first customer from where I left buisness cards in a coffee shop. It was a newer Subaru forester that was pretty much immaculate minus a tea spill on an upholstery seat. They loved my work and how I presented and talked to them. They said they'll be callin many more times.
As for my buisness structure , I'm not worried about being an s-corp or llc at the moment due to havin another job rn. I carry myself in a way that everyone I talk to, I sound very knowledgable and know what I'm doing.
I post up a pic of my full set up one of these days and for only being part time right now I have everything and more than what I would need.
I'm not trying to stay too busy at the moment due to my second semester starting and havin another job that I have to keep because I live on my own already and also have newer bmw to pay off that I shouldn't have financed lmao.
Here's a pic of the outside of the job I did!
Alright man, this is probably the best advice/description or whatever you wanna call it for your situation. To be honest, theirs no need right now to get licensed and insured at this point. I didn't even get all that til I would say March and just did it because it's just extra money I know I could do without. And I've NEVER been asked for my license. I've been asked for my insurance just once. People are going to think that you have all that if you carry yourself professionally and give professional results. As far for advertising for you. Start on Craigslist !! What I mean by this is, you start seeing how different materials, textures, and rims respond to different products and dressings. You also start to learn some shortcuts on getting stuff done. Now even though I said theirs no need for insurance some companies may require insurance, what I sometimes would say was that I was fully licensed and insured when I initially went in. That way they would ask you if you were later on. If they did ask for your policy number then I would say that you have already filled that spot but you would get back to them when you get more help. I know this is lying but sometimes when your starting out you have to play it like this. I treat every car the same, (just treat the type of material differently).
If you are going to do this as a business the above is actually horrible advice, no offense meant, it's just not great advice.
First, if you want to not only be seen as legit but also not been seen as a liar, just get insurance. It's not only the law but it's there to save your ass. What are you gonna do if you damage a clients car? Be all nice and say you can give them several free washes/details to make up for it or lie and say it was there already? I mean why not you already lied about insurance right?
A dealer will always ask for your insurance and if they don't you lucked out...until you damage a car and you will. It will happen. Then you're done.
Don't ever advertise on Craigslist. Craigslist is for school kids looking to make an extra buck, that's the image it sets off. I know because we used to place ads on there and never worked but told by a pro in the business how it comes off to the shopper. In fact the people we want to reach are not reading Craigslist for a detailer. People on Craigslist are looking for a "deal", they want something cheap and/or free.
Work first and foremost on a website. People no longer use print but rather "Google" just about everything. Link with a Facebook page and keep it updated. Tell your clients, "Hey, I am going to put your car up on my Facebook page. Check it out and please share it!" (With their permission of course.)
Don't EVER use your clients cars to "learn" about what works and what doesn't work on materials! Test stuff on your own car. Also, there is no difference between Lambo paint and paint on a Tercel so don't buy into the crap that you need special products for certain makers cars. Leather is the same unless you KNOW it's aniline leather, which is a rare animal these days. Carpet, vinyl, glass...all the same.
Be prepared for a lot of "No's". Building a business is long hard hours, determination, setbacks and failures. Many times I wish I would just have a regular job and be on a payroll instead of having to deal with deadlines, employees, taxes and yes customers. If you're an easy going "Yes person", as in you always want to make everyone like you and be happy, then a business serving people is NOT for you. Trust me.
Hey Anthony,
that's a very good description and I take no offense what so ever. But it's different when you already have some money saved up or could take out a loan to invest in a license and insurance. And what I meant by seeing how different products react, I meant which kind off products or methods get you the best results the fastest.
Of course always do your research before hand to see what
Type of materials you can and can't use them on. But in no ways do I mean testing out techniques regarding polishing or anything of that nature. But in regards to the craigslist, I feel that it's very different for me in Los Angeles. Even Superior Shine uses craigslist here and there. But for a 19 year old who's barely starting out its the best option if there's not enough funds for actual advertising. Some of my first and highest paying customers come from Craigslist .
As to the original poster, Irs actually a good idea to keep your job in your situation if you live on your own. Until you know your going to have a steady source of income from detailing. I'm actually going to get my self an S5 later this year lol. One thing I would like to get through is, don't expect for people to hold true to their word that their "definitely" going to call you. You are going to get a lot of people that love your work and then you'll never hear from you again. I can't even count how many times I've had people tip me 30-60 tips on regular details and then you never hear from them again.
Not sure if this may help you but my vehicles have always drawn attention, nothing fancy as a BMW lol but Had an 1992 ACURA INTEGRA (RED) always got attention and a 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE (WHITE) current vehicle.
So I show my car and state it was purchased used and over 15 years old so I know I can take your vehicle to a better level sales pitch Then show photos with paper photos in an album, digital photos on a tablet/computer or even cell photo photos but state the photos do no justice for the looks in person
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Originally Posted by Busy mind
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