How to Start and Run your detailing Business the right way!

[FTD]

Maybe your working your typical 9-5 average job, and you find your self sitting there and wondering "What the heck am I doing here?" This happened to me about 2 years ago. All I could think about was detailing cars, and as arduous the work can get, it was always worth it when I experienced three things.

1) A perfect final result!

2) A happy or ecstatic customer!

3) the Money$$$$!

These are obviously the most important things in making your business a success. But let me first talk about getting started.

1) What is the demographic (Average income and lifestyle) of the communities around you, or of your target market.

-The income of your target market is very important. If you are targeting a wholesale type market, meaning cheap work like a quick wash/vac/windows then im afraid you cant call yourself a detailer. Your work is cheap and comes in vast quantities, so you can afford to lower your prices down, and still be very profitable. As a DETAILER, your market is much more retail, and usually target cars at the $30K dollar mark. Know that your prices fit the areas demographic, and don't base your prices on other companies in your area. If your a good enough businessmen or businesswoman you can sell your service for 1/3 to 1/2 as much more than your competition. Explain why your method is better, give examples. Win them over, and word of mouth becomes your weapon of success.

2) What are the laws surrounding your business, licensing, and insurances required.

-A lot of people will start out doing details on the side, in their garage or driveway. This is how I started. It is important to know exactly what your laws are on water usage and waste. Check for water bans, and figure out if that drain at the end of your driveways is for sewer or storm....it's most likely a storm drain. So be conscious of what your washing your vehicle with if its a storm drain, because it drains out to the ocean or lakes in your area. Figure out what type of business you want, an LLC. which is its own entity, and has its own identity in the tax world, or a sole proprietorship wich falls under your own name and SSN. With a Sole proprietorship you must be careful because if you fall under a law suit, the other party can liquidate your personal assets such as your home or car to pay the debt. This is why it is important to get good liability insurance for your business. Insurance can cover just about anything applicable to faults in your business procedure. Lets say you burned a paint job, or cracked a windshield....tell your customer you will have it fixed ASAP, and USE YOUR INSURANCE...that's what its there for...make sure your deductible is lower than the cost of repairs otherwise just pay out of pocket. Insurance is key in protecting yourself and or your business.

3) Know your Tools, Chemicals, and your Techniques!

-If you did not know by now, detailing requires a specific set of tools, chemicals and techniques to achieve the best results in a descent amount of time. Youtube, and forums such as these are a great way to learn how to do something a multitude of ways, and what to use to make the job easier and cleaner in the end. If you worked previously in Recon or a Detail shop this part will be easier for you.

Start with your washes, Two bucket method? Waterless? Foam cannon? You must Always clay or Autoscrub the car afterwards, this is not a choice, it is mandatory if you want to call yourself a detailer. The more thorough the wash, the less likely it will be your buffer will pick up contaminants and cause swirls or hazing in the paint.

Meguiar's or Menzerna or perhaps Optimum Polishes? the only way to know what works for you is to buy and test them all. Personally 3M Perfect-it is a very good system, and I have used it on old and new cars. It produces a perfect result every time.

Do you know how to wet/dry sand? You better start learning, because if you want results like the pros, you need to learn how to remove those light scratches a buffer simply cannot. After measuring you paint with a PTG like a Defelsko, determine what is fixable and what it not. What sanding pads will you use? Well I am going to tell you the best you can buy is 3M Tizackt 1500-5000 grit 6" D/A (Dual action) discs/pads. Always use a foam interface backing plate with the papers, and the 3000-5000 grit pads and already have a foam interface. If you dont use a foam interface pad and or backing plate with papers, expect heavy dig marks and pigtails while dry and or wet sanding. Always dry sand until you reach 3000 grit, then use water to refine everything.

What buffer and pads should I use? Well the buffer is very important. You need to have at least two rotary (Flex, Dewalt, Makita, 3M, or Rupes) You will also need at least three different size plates for them, a 3"/6"/and 8" backing plate tha accepts those pads. Then you must have an orbital polisher of similar brands as the rotary. The best is the Rupes in my opinion.
The pads are extremely important. Foam works very well with cutting, but white woven wool cuts the fastest and cleanest, but produces more heat, so you must be careful not to burn the paint. Lake country, 3M, and Hexlogic make wonderful foam pads.

Other tools such as a wet/dry vacuum, steam cleaner, various brushes for interior and wheels, hot water extractor, and the tornador vacuum/blaster. These are all necessary in becoming the elite detailer in your area. Do your research, and find the best tools for the job, and most importantly, test them!

4) Know exactly what services your comfortable providing to your customers, this will make you stand out and more profitable!

What will you provide? This list is a must, you cannot detail and be on top if you don't offer these.

-Expert wash, clay/autoscrub decontamination.
-Wheels off, wheel wells/suspension cleaned and dressed.
-Wheel barrels and spokes cleaned front and back, clayed, and sealed.
-Engine degreased and dressed this include the underside of the bonnet.
-Headlight restoration the right way, not a sand and quick buff. Acrylic restoration.
-Paint correction 2-3 step
-Window polishing and sealing
-Interior steaming and deoderizing with ozone and anti microbial treatment
-Thorough carpet cleaning, shampoo, remove seats if very bad. Careful of air bag, remove or disconnect car battery before removing seats, or else the SRS light will come on.
-Dash and vinyl/vents, and kick boards all cleaned (dressed if requested) Blow out vents and dash cracks and crevices, no dust allowed.
-Provide a carpet and upholstery stain inhibitor like simonize or scotchgaurd to help prevent stains from spills.
-Paint sealent/coating offered such as Jetseal, or wolfgang sealant, Simonize glass coat, Optigloss, and or CQuartz for a semi-perminent ceramic paint coating.
-Exterior trim restoration
-carpet restoration with upholstery matching paint.
-Paintless dent repair (I do some of this, but mostly hire out)
-Windshield replacement or repair. (I hire out for this work to help other businesses grow, and to save me some time)
-I also have a friend who restores curbed and or cracked rims for people, good service to provide especially when doing a 2-3 day make over on the car.
-Vinyl Wrapping and or tint removal/application.
Of coarse you will have customized packages, and services that you customers may or may not want. This is something you have to do on your own.

5) Lastly is Prices and Advertising!

We all know that your prices are going to make all the difference in getting by, or Making profit. For complex jobs such as paint correction, and interior correction, Hourly is your best bet. Most detailer charge anywhere from $60/hr-$125/hr for paint correction. Seems like a lot? well yeah, the work is tiresome, and constant for 10-20 hours, sometimes more. Flat rate is only good on the basic work like an interior recon package, or just a simple wash/clay/and seal job. When it comes to those flat rates, again, base your prices on what your worth, and prove that to your customers. For example, On a sedan I charge $250 for a wash/clay/wax and interior recon. On a coupe its $200, a truck its $250-$300, a van its $300-$400. Pet hair? add $25-50 based on severity.
Your competition may or may not provide the same services with the same tools, this is where you can be investigative. Research your competition, go there to get a detail quote, or look around and actually have them detail your car. Look an see what tools they have, and how they are cleaning the car...this is how you gain an edge over them. In my area I am the only guy who provides extreme recon work and is actually good at it...I found this out by going to every company and mobile detailer and letting them detail my moms car. I found a lot of times, the door jambs were 50% clean, the engine never got cleaned, liftgate jamb was dirty, and under the seats still had crumbs and debris. Rubber trims were not dressed, vents were dusty, smudges on upper parts of windows. These are the things you have to focus on, the details!
Advertising! Business cards, and flyers a must. Always go out of your way and comfort zone to hand out these things. Make a Facebook, or website people can go to observe your quality of work and leave feedback. Don't be afraid to ask people if they have a detailer, or if your a car enthusiast and go to meets, then ask your friends. Make coupons and maintenance plans for return customers. Be creative.

That is all for now, I will be adding to this periodically, if anyone else has anything to add feel free.I hope this helps some people in deciding what path they will take in their detail adventures.

[215Detailing]

Maybe your working your typical 9-5 average job, and you find your self sitting there and wondering "What the heck am I doing here?" This happened to me about 2 years ago. All I could think about was detailing cars, and as arduous the work can get, it was always worth it when I experienced three things.

1) A perfect final result!

2) A happy or ecstatic customer!

3) the Money$$$$!

These are obviously the most important things in making your business a success. But let me first talk about getting started.

1) What is the demographic (Average income and lifestyle) of the communities around you, or of your target market.

-The income of your target market is very important. If you are targeting a wholesale type market, meaning cheap work like a quick wash/vac/windows then im afraid you cant call yourself a detailer. Your work is cheap and comes in vast quantities, so you can afford to lower your prices down, and still be very profitable. As a DETAILER, your market is much more retail, and usually target cars at the $30K dollar mark. Know that your prices fit the areas demographic, and don't base your prices on other companies in your area. If your a good enough businessmen or businesswoman you can sell your service for 1/3 to 1/2 as much more than your competition. Explain why your method is better, give examples. Win them over, and word of mouth becomes your weapon of success.

2) What are the laws surrounding your business, licensing, and insurances required.

-A lot of people will start out doing details on the side, in their garage or driveway. This is how I started. It is important to know exactly what your laws are on water usage and waste. Check for water bans, and figure out if that drain at the end of your driveways is for sewer or storm....it's most likely a storm drain. So be conscious of what your washing your vehicle with if its a storm drain, because it drains out to the ocean or lakes in your area. Figure out what type of business you want, an LLC. which is its own entity, and has its own identity in the tax world, or a sole proprietorship wich falls under your own name and SSN. With a Sole proprietorship you must be careful because if you fall under a law suit, the other party can liquidate your personal assets such as your home or car to pay the debt. This is why it is important to get good liability insurance for your business. Insurance can cover just about anything applicable to faults in your business procedure. Lets say you burned a paint job, or cracked a windshield....tell your customer you will have it fixed ASAP, and USE YOUR INSURANCE...that's what its there for...make sure your deductible is lower than the cost of repairs otherwise just pay out of pocket. Insurance is key in protecting yourself and or your business.

3) Know your Tools, Chemicals, and your Techniques!

-If you did not know by now, detailing requires a specific set of tools, chemicals and techniques to achieve the best results in a descent amount of time. Youtube, and forums such as these are a great way to learn how to do something a multitude of ways, and what to use to make the job easier and cleaner in the end. If you worked previously in Recon or a Detail shop this part will be easier for you.

Start with your washes, Two bucket method? Waterless? Foam cannon? You must Always clay or Autoscrub the car afterwards, this is not a choice, it is mandatory if you want to call yourself a detailer. The more thorough the wash, the less likely it will be your buffer will pick up contaminants and cause swirls or hazing in the paint.

Meguiar's or Menzerna or perhaps Optimum Polishes? the only way to know what works for you is to buy and test them all. Personally 3M Perfect-it is a very good system, and I have used it on old and new cars. It produces a perfect result every time.

Do you know how to wet/dry sand? You better start learning, because if you want results like the pros, you need to learn how to remove those light scratches a buffer simply cannot. After measuring you paint with a PTG like a Defelsko, determine what is fixable and what it not. What sanding pads will you use? Well I am going to tell you the best you can buy is 3M Tizackt 1500-5000 grit 6" D/A (Dual action) discs/pads. Always use a foam interface backing plate with the papers, and the 3000-5000 grit pads and already have a foam interface. If you dont use a foam interface pad and or backing plate with papers, expect heavy dig marks and pigtails while dry and or wet sanding. Always dry sand until you reach 3000 grit, then use water to refine everything.

What buffer and pads should I use? Well the buffer is very important. You need to have at least two rotary (Flex, Dewalt, Makita, 3M, or Rupes) You will also need at least three different size plates for them, a 3"/6"/and 8" backing plate tha accepts those pads. Then you must have an orbital polisher of similar brands as the rotary. The best is the Rupes in my opinion.
The pads are extremely important. Foam works very well with cutting, but white woven wool cuts the fastest and cleanest, but produces more heat, so you must be careful not to burn the paint. Lake country, 3M, and Hexlogic make wonderful foam pads.

Other tools such as a wet/dry vacuum, steam cleaner, various brushes for interior and wheels, hot water extractor, and the tornador vacuum/blaster. These are all necessary in becoming the elite detailer in your area. Do your research, and find the best tools for the job, and most importantly, test them!

4) Know exactly what services your comfortable providing to your customers, this will make you stand out and more profitable!

What will you provide? This list is a must, you cannot detail and be on top if you don't offer these.

-Expert wash, clay/autoscrub decontamination.
-Wheels off, wheel wells/suspension cleaned and dressed.
-Wheel barrels and spokes cleaned front and back, clayed, and sealed.
-Engine degreased and dressed this include the underside of the bonnet.
-Headlight restoration the right way, not a sand and quick buff. Acrylic restoration.
-Paint correction 2-3 step
-Window polishing and sealing
-Interior steaming and deoderizing with ozone and anti microbial treatment
-Thorough carpet cleaning, shampoo, remove seats if very bad. Careful of air bag, remove or disconnect car battery before removing seats, or else the SRS light will come on.
-Dash and vinyl/vents, and kick boards all cleaned (dressed if requested) Blow out vents and dash cracks and crevices, no dust allowed.
-Provide a carpet and upholstery stain inhibitor like simonize or scotchgaurd to help prevent stains from spills.
-Paint sealent/coating offered such as Jetseal, or wolfgang sealant, Simonize glass coat, Optigloss, and or CQuartz for a semi-perminent ceramic paint coating.
-Exterior trim restoration
-carpet restoration with upholstery matching paint.
-Paintless dent repair (I do some of this, but mostly hire out)
-Windshield replacement or repair. (I hire out for this work to help other businesses grow, and to save me some time)
-I also have a friend who restores curbed and or cracked rims for people, good service to provide especially when doing a 2-3 day make over on the car.
-Vinyl Wrapping and or tint removal/application.
Of coarse you will have customized packages, and services that you customers may or may not want. This is something you have to do on your own.

5) Lastly is Prices and Advertising!

We all know that your prices are going to make all the difference in getting by, or Making profit. For complex jobs such as paint correction, and interior correction, Hourly is your best bet. Most detailer charge anywhere from $60/hr-$125/hr for paint correction. Seems like a lot? well yeah, the work is tiresome, and constant for 10-20 hours, sometimes more. Flat rate is only good on the basic work like an interior recon package, or just a simple wash/clay/and seal job. When it comes to those flat rates, again, base your prices on what your worth, and prove that to your customers. For example, On a sedan I charge $250 for a wash/clay/wax and interior recon. On a coupe its $200, a truck its $250-$300, a van its $300-$400. Pet hair? add $25-50 based on severity.
Your competition may or may not provide the same services with the same tools, this is where you can be investigative. Research your competition, go there to get a detail quote, or look around and actually have them detail your car. Look an see what tools they have, and how they are cleaning the car...this is how you gain an edge over them. In my area I am the only guy who provides extreme recon work and is actually good at it...I found this out by going to every company and mobile detailer and letting them detail my moms car. I found a lot of times, the door jambs were 50% clean, the engine never got cleaned, liftgate jamb was dirty, and under the seats still had crumbs and debris. Rubber trims were not dressed, vents were dusty, smudges on upper parts of windows. These are the things you have to focus on, the details!
Advertising! Business cards, and flyers a must. Always go out of your way and comfort zone to hand out these things. Make a Facebook, or website people can go to observe your quality of work and leave feedback. Don't be afraid to ask people if they have a detailer, or if your a car enthusiast and go to meets, then ask your friends. Make coupons and maintenance plans for return customers. Be creative.

That is all for now, I will be adding to this periodically, if anyone else has anything to add feel free.I hope this helps some people in deciding what path they will take in their detail adventures.

Great insight, hope you keep updating and others chime in.

[haris300]

Very detailed list! Thanks for sharing!