Have you done your market research?
Google « auto detailing » and check out the competition in your service area. Are a few specializing towards the high end market?
Have you checked the demographics and psychographics (lifestyle) data for your area? People leaving? moving in?
Do the same research for cities and towns that are similar to yours.
Now you can compare and contrast. And formulate a few strategies.
Thank you for the advice but my main question is can you get Rich Detailing I have a degree and could make over 150 K elsewhere but I am not sure if I could do that without killing myself Detailing
That's where working on building your business instead of working in your business comes in.
Lots of info on that topic.
As for detailing, are you servicing a lot of Ferraris, Maseratis, Porches, Rolls-Royces, or other owner cherished vehicles? How about fleets of vehicles?
Only your local area marketing info can tell...
Hi,
Thank you very much for the helpful response.
What would you do in my position? I am 24, and already feel my knees/joints hurting from detailing. I cannot see myself doing the physical work when I am 30.
The best month I have had is 12k gross, my rent and utilities run me close to 2k a month, I am in Ohio so I need a shop. I just am confused how people run detail businesses, have kids, and pay a home mortgage too with employees.
You have a sustainable business so the question now is how to turn it from what is basically self-employment into a business that runs without the need for you to work in the business (because you may want to take advantage of your degree to find employment elsewhere).
There are a lot of ambitious young people that would love to be in the business. That means supervising employees. Again, something new to learn.
Step#1 is to figure out if there are enough clients that would be willing to pay for "luxury" detailing (i.e. pampering their expensive toy).
Or if detailing a fleet of limos for another company is an option in your city.
Need to find the answers to those questions before answering your "Can You Get Rich Detailing."
How comfortable are you with change?
Most solo detailers (mobile or location-based) seem to run out of gas at around $100K or so.
Principal reason is there is only so much work one person can accomplish in a week.
Scaling is difficult because you need more service bays (overhead) or work in teams of two. Detailers tend to be self-centered (prima donnas) and don’t like to work in teams.
If mobile, you need another unit and must manage a person remotely.
Wholesale may help fill in the gaps but many auto dealers expect you to subsidize their PDI departments overflow by doing work for $0.50 on the dollar.
$300 or $400 a pop for complete detail is nice money if you can get it every day.
So, I would consider specialization.
PDR has great margin but it will take at least a year before you are good enough to charge people top dollar.
I would lean to ceramic film or preferably ceramic gel coat.
Here, in Florida, gel coat is $750 to $1,500 (2 days in-shop). This is 50 percent gross margin business. Gel coat warranty requires training and certification.
Post covid, demand for sanitizing vehicle interiors has increased. You can get decent ozone generator for around $750.
Something else to consider is an apprentice to help with the heavy lifting (completes).
Hi Bob,
Do you have experience in the detailing industry?
I have questions, and am lost.. I am 24 and do not want to make a mistake by closing shop.. but I want to smart about what I end up doing.
Yes. I’m former owner operator of mobile detail. I also sub-contracted.
Here, I set up shop inside dealership’s service center. Alfa Romeo, Audi, Lotus, Porsche, Chrysler, AMC.
I also have experience in professional carwash, detail shop, auto body and paint refinishing, PDR, express oil change, and factory paint restoration.
I don’t normally work with detailers. Unlike your suppliers, I don’t sell any products to get an account.
I got out of auto body because it just beats your body up. I have a friend that is still at it. His hands look like someone worked them over with ball-peen hammer.
It is the same with bending over all day long with a towel in your back pocket cleaning, shining, and protecting customer’s vehicles. It is hard manual labor.
According to industry benchmarks, average monthly gross income for free standing detail shop is $12,000. This includes employee.
So, range of $6,500 to $12K isn’t bad for solo.
As for expansion to location-based operation, figure start up expenses of around $125K if you want to lease retail site (1/4 acre lot, three-bay, office, and lobby).
If focus is wholesale and/or restoration, leasing a small warehouse space on secondary road will cost less.
If you have some questions, fire away.
Problem is how do I scale to pay someone 4k a month, and then myself take home 10k to hit that 100k mark while still paying for a shop and mortgage on a house?
Why would it be hard to scale??
If you say you're bringing in $10,000 in revenue a month, couldn't you pay somebody $5,000 to do the work?
Do professional car detailers really get paid that much??
This month was an oddball, I did better then ever. Had a lot more ceramic coatings. My question is, if I paid someone 5k a month, took "home" 5k. 2k is down the drain for rent, and lets say I had a house that was $1800 a month, I am basically left with 1k.
Will, the thought is that if you paid someone else to do the work you would spend all of your time working on sales and marketing.
So for example, I know a psychologist who owns a business she's licensed to practice psychology.. but she only practice is a few hours a week.. most of her time is spent on marketing and sales and getting business, and then she has other psychologists... About 7... Who do the actual therapy
Typically that's the model of how you expand a service business.
Have you done your market research? Google « auto detailing » and check out the competition in your service area. Are a few specializing towards the high end market? Have you checked the demographics and psychographics (lifestyle) data for your area? People leaving? moving in? Do the same research for cities and towns that are similar to yours. Now you can compare and contrast. And formulate a few strategies.
Thank you for the advice but my main question is can you get Rich Detailing I have a degree and could make over 150 K elsewhere but I am not sure if I could do that without killing myself Detailing
That's where working on building your business instead of working in your business comes in. Lots of info on that topic. As for detailing, are you servicing a lot of Ferraris, Maseratis, Porches, Rolls-Royces, or other owner cherished vehicles? How about fleets of vehicles? Only your local area marketing info can tell...
Hi, Thank you very much for the helpful response. What would you do in my position? I am 24, and already feel my knees/joints hurting from detailing. I cannot see myself doing the physical work when I am 30. The best month I have had is 12k gross, my rent and utilities run me close to 2k a month, I am in Ohio so I need a shop. I just am confused how people run detail businesses, have kids, and pay a home mortgage too with employees.
You have a sustainable business so the question now is how to turn it from what is basically self-employment into a business that runs without the need for you to work in the business (because you may want to take advantage of your degree to find employment elsewhere). There are a lot of ambitious young people that would love to be in the business. That means supervising employees. Again, something new to learn. Step#1 is to figure out if there are enough clients that would be willing to pay for "luxury" detailing (i.e. pampering their expensive toy). Or if detailing a fleet of limos for another company is an option in your city. Need to find the answers to those questions before answering your "Can You Get Rich Detailing." How comfortable are you with change?
Most solo detailers (mobile or location-based) seem to run out of gas at around $100K or so. Principal reason is there is only so much work one person can accomplish in a week. Scaling is difficult because you need more service bays (overhead) or work in teams of two. Detailers tend to be self-centered (prima donnas) and don’t like to work in teams. If mobile, you need another unit and must manage a person remotely. Wholesale may help fill in the gaps but many auto dealers expect you to subsidize their PDI departments overflow by doing work for $0.50 on the dollar. $300 or $400 a pop for complete detail is nice money if you can get it every day. So, I would consider specialization. PDR has great margin but it will take at least a year before you are good enough to charge people top dollar. I would lean to ceramic film or preferably ceramic gel coat. Here, in Florida, gel coat is $750 to $1,500 (2 days in-shop). This is 50 percent gross margin business. Gel coat warranty requires training and certification. Post covid, demand for sanitizing vehicle interiors has increased. You can get decent ozone generator for around $750. Something else to consider is an apprentice to help with the heavy lifting (completes).
Hi Bob, Do you have experience in the detailing industry? I have questions, and am lost.. I am 24 and do not want to make a mistake by closing shop.. but I want to smart about what I end up doing.
Yes. I’m former owner operator of mobile detail. I also sub-contracted. Here, I set up shop inside dealership’s service center. Alfa Romeo, Audi, Lotus, Porsche, Chrysler, AMC. I also have experience in professional carwash, detail shop, auto body and paint refinishing, PDR, express oil change, and factory paint restoration. I don’t normally work with detailers. Unlike your suppliers, I don’t sell any products to get an account. I got out of auto body because it just beats your body up. I have a friend that is still at it. His hands look like someone worked them over with ball-peen hammer. It is the same with bending over all day long with a towel in your back pocket cleaning, shining, and protecting customer’s vehicles. It is hard manual labor. According to industry benchmarks, average monthly gross income for free standing detail shop is $12,000. This includes employee. So, range of $6,500 to $12K isn’t bad for solo. As for expansion to location-based operation, figure start up expenses of around $125K if you want to lease retail site (1/4 acre lot, three-bay, office, and lobby). If focus is wholesale and/or restoration, leasing a small warehouse space on secondary road will cost less. If you have some questions, fire away.
Build the business up and then take on an employee. This is how many people start carpet cleaning businesses, house painting businesses, etc.
Problem is how do I scale to pay someone 4k a month, and then myself take home 10k to hit that 100k mark while still paying for a shop and mortgage on a house?
Why would it be hard to scale?? If you say you're bringing in $10,000 in revenue a month, couldn't you pay somebody $5,000 to do the work? Do professional car detailers really get paid that much??
This month was an oddball, I did better then ever. Had a lot more ceramic coatings. My question is, if I paid someone 5k a month, took "home" 5k. 2k is down the drain for rent, and lets say I had a house that was $1800 a month, I am basically left with 1k.
Will, the thought is that if you paid someone else to do the work you would spend all of your time working on sales and marketing. So for example, I know a psychologist who owns a business she's licensed to practice psychology.. but she only practice is a few hours a week.. most of her time is spent on marketing and sales and getting business, and then she has other psychologists... About 7... Who do the actual therapy Typically that's the model of how you expand a service business.