Details mean everything in detail business

How often do you wash your car? According to data published by the United States Census Bureau, January 2014, the Car Wash Industry has $5.8 billion in annual sales. A vehicle is the second largest purchase most consumers will ever make. Regular washing protects that investment and makes driving more enjoyable. Many people barely have time for a car wash, much less regular detailing, but with the love affairs of our cars, a detail business means you’re in high demand.

INCOME: $20-$85/hour or more.

START-UP COSTS: $500 +/-.

SKILLS and TRAINING REQUIRED: a great attention to detail and speed cleaning skills will help you make more money detailing.

Detail business starts with little money

A detail business is one of the easiest and cheapest businesses to start, but it is one that requires you to constantly hustle for business. You can make great money, especially if you grow enough to hire employees. To survive long enough to grow you must be reliable, professional, and give the customer a better, more-detailed cleaning than they could have done on their own. It’s the little things, the attention to the smallest detail, that count the most. 

One of my nephews made great money detailing vehicles, as did one of my best friends. Like graphic arts or lawn care it could be a good source of part-time income to help you launch another business.

You can have a mobile detailing business where you go to the customer and detail, or you pick up the vehicle and drive it back to your place. Car lots love using a mobile detail service as the better the cars look the better they sell. A study by Meguiar’s indicates used cars with a glossy finish sell for at least $1,000 more than those with a dull finish. Many new and used car lots are outsourcing their detailing needs. Offer them a discounted price if they give you a regular number of cars each week to detail for them. Also offer them billing terms to get their business if you feel comfortable in their ability and willingness to pay you. 

Michael learned and kept learning

When Michael got out of prison, he had worked hard to prepare for a new life. It was long odds. He’d been in gangs for more than a decade, and first started building a criminal record in his teens. He torn his ACL days before leaving prison and couldn’t work. But he refused to go back. As soon as his leg mended enough to work, he got a job at a car wash. Then he took a new job detailing cars. He soon bought the materials and started doing a side hustle on the weekends.

But it’s not always easy! His boss was jealous that he was trying to start his own business. He claimed Michael stole the supplies he had bought and filed charges. Michael lost his job, but not his freedom. He had receipts for everything and kept a recording of his boss threatening him. The charges were dropped, Michael got an even better job and is now making a strong income while building a clientele for all things related to car care.

“So many times I wanted to give up,” Michael said, “and go back to the old life of fast money. But where had that got me? Back inside and penniless. So I kept at it. Now I have my own place, a great girlfriend who has her own career and I bought my first brand new truck. This time no one can take it away from me because I earned it with skills I learned and developed over time.”

Illegal to Legal has much more detailed information on everything you need to make this business idea a startup reality. Click here to get your copy.