Need advice on getting established...

N

nickis

New member
For starters, I'm 17, a senior in highschool, working a dead end job at a toy store, and finally decided to move on to something where I can actually put my skills to use for the summer. I have been lurking at DC for quite a while, and like the rest of you, I am quite obsessive about my own car, and it occurred to me that detailing other peoples' cars would not be a bad way to make a buck, instead of cleaning up after other peoples' kids in the mall for $5.75 an hour. Movin' on up.

I have given a lot of thought to how I plan to sell my services, and I really haven't come to too many solid conclusions, so I would appreciate some help. The only things I am sure of are that I will start out within my own (relatively large) neighborhood, and advertise with fliers, on the cheap.

My first dilemma: I'm not a professional. I don't have a PC, a steam cleaner or extractor for interiors, and to be honest by experience is limited to the the three cars that sit in my family's driveway every day. I feel like I do a damn good job, but I don't want to go out there and pretend I can turn someone's decade old beater into a sparkling gem, because I'm honestly not sure I have those skills yet. I wanted to rule out advertising myself under a company name and referring to myself as "we" in my flier, because I didn't want to give someone the impression that my operation was something that it was not. But, at the same time, I really don't want to give people the impression that I'm just a neighborhood kid with a bucket and sponge looking for money. I have more resources than that, I know more than that, and I'm worth more than that.

Which brings me to my next issue: how much to charge. I have done my homework and read a lot of other threads around here concerning prices, and I know a lot of you encourage beginners not to sell themselves short and work for too little. However, I'm not sure if charging prices based on $20 an hour would really fly around here. My neighborhood is just an average suburban middle class neighborhood. A BMW is a rarity, and if I ever saw a Mercedes drive past my house it would probably be followed by a bunch of punk kids on bikes waiting to vandalize it. As far as I can tell, people don't have a lot of extra cash to throw at their cars. I'm worried that if I attempt to charge "normal" detailing rates, people will think I'm a joke and my business will flounder. On the other hand, I'm also worried that if I start with prices that will sound reasonable to the average Joe, I will immediately regret it when I realize I'm slaving away in my sweaty garage for barely any more than I was making at the toy store.

Here's the summary, for those of you who made it this far. First, should I paint myself as some sort of detailing company in my advertisements, or should I just announce that I'm a person in the neighborhood who is offering detailing services? Second, do I stick to my guns and charge what my work is actually worth, at the risk of alienating potential customers, or do I lowball it to get a steady customer base, and risk selling myself short? Your responses are appreciated.
 
Be honest. Simply announce that you are a person in the neighborhood who has a passion for keeping cars clean and you are now offering your detailing services.

Provide your services at a reasonable rate. You'll find out very quickly if your prices are either too high or too low.
 
Another suggestion is to offer introductory pricing. In other words, sell your services for a discounted price so that people will become familiar with your work. As Frank mentioned, let them know that you have a genuine interest in detailing and you would like to take care of their cars. Lets face it, many people pay $15-20 each week taking their car to automatic car washes and you can offer a hand wash and vacuum for that price as an introductory price.

Good luck and keep us posted on how things turn out.....
 
hey hows it goin. i started out like you i was basically doing wash and wax but as i got braver started cleaning interiors and working on scratches. heres a list of products that i thinkl you could easily get started on also some basic supplies . i realize you dont want to spend your summer paying off supplies . you want to make some money . you dont need 20 gallons of different products to make it in detailing. 1. wash &wax soap 2. something to dry cars without scratching. your choice. 3. either a cleaner wax. or polish and then wax or sealer . depending how much you want to do for the money youre getting.4. some sort of dressing you can use inside and out . maybe a gallon of dressing would be a good idea it goes real fast.5a good all purpose cleaner . i used to use simple green it works wonders on carpet stains 6. glass cleaner a little goes a long way7.a decent vacuum. people arent going to expect miracles from you if you arent going to charge alot. various brushes and some MICROFIBER TOWELS. dont forget lots of elbow grease!!this forum will put you way ahead of the game when it comes to learning . im 37 and ive learned more here in 6 mos than i ever figured out on my own.GOOD LUCK ...... ron
 
Thanks for your advice, guys!

I have been putting off getting my fliers out for this entire week that I've had off from school, so I figured before I get swamped with homework and other distractions I would get at least the design done. I have not yet distributed them but I thought I would give you guys a chance to critique it before my entire neighborhood does.

http://www.geocities.com/mokeyn/flier.pdf
That's the address for the flier but you must open a new browser window and copy and paste it in, or it won't work.

The actual fliers will be half page sheets printed on both sides, but in the PDF both sides are next to each other. I have a very capable black and white printer that can print double-sided right here at home, so I will use that since the quantity will not be huge. The prices are not set in stone yet, I am considering lowering them both maybe $5 or so. Introductory pricing is really what I should do, but I think it would be hard to have a satisfied customer and then have to tell them that the second time around the same service will cost more. It almost seems to discourage repeat business. Maybe it would be OK if I announced explicitly in my flier what the "normal" price was, just so it isn't a shock the second time around.

Tell me what you guys think.
 
Well, I finally handed out my fliers to half my neighborhood on Wednesday morning. Two days later, I have yet to receive a single call, much less an actual customer. But I'm not giving up yet.

This is pretty much what I expected. I thought my prices were fair ($60 for a hand wash, dry, claybar, sealant, wax, wheel cleaning, tire dressing, interior vacuuming, dusting, glass cleaning) but the reality is I just don't think my neanderthal neighborhood can appreciate that level of service. After all, $60 can buy a lot of PVC lawn furniture.

Now I have to figure out which way to go next.

I still have half a neighborhood left to change my strategy and market to, but I'm sure their response to my current prices would be no better. I'm considering just offering a dumbed down, one option $25 Wash & Wax. I'm confident I could wash down a car, dry it and apply a nice coat of wax (AIO, NXT, Maybe Liquid Glass?) in about an hour and a half, which would still be good money for me, but I wish I could do more in-depth work. I might as well outsource the work to ten year old kids for $5 a car and sit on my ass.

On the other hand, I could just forget my own neighborhood and advertise more broadly. If you drive to a village fifteen minutes east of here, you won't find anything but BMWs, Audis and Volvos. The only Chevys you'll see out there are the ones used by the landscaping crews. This sounds like the kind of area a real detailing service could do well in, but I'm not mobile and I don't know if people would be willing to bring their cars 15 minutes out of the way (to the downscale suburbs) to have them detailed. Plus, I'm not really sure how to reach these people with advertising, other than stamping my phone number in gold bullion and littering the streets with it. It's kind of a foreign and intimidating realm for me.

What do you guys think of my situation? Advice?
 
nickis said:
Well, I finally handed out my fliers to half my neighborhood on Wednesday morning. Two days later, I have yet to receive a single call, much less an actual customer. But I'm not giving up yet.

*SNIP*

What do you guys think of my situation? Advice?
Click to expand...
Give it a few days. Hitting another area close by can never hurt since you have some 'down time' right now it seems.

Never give up :cool
 
In order to get results with your flyers you will need to hand them directly to a prospective customer. Just leaving a flyer for someone to find and read will not produce very good results. Maybe one person for every few hundred flyers that you distribute may respond.

What you need to think about is that personal contact. Simply go out on a Saturday, when most people are home and go door-to-door. Yes, just ring the doorbell and introduce yourself and hand your flyer directly to the vehicle owner. Tell them about your services and answer any questions as best as you can. That type of direct contact will surely yield better results. I would estimate that you will only have to talk to about twenty-five people before you land a new customer.

Here are a few ideas.
1- Always present yourself in a professional manner.
2- Whenever you see either an expensive car or a well maintained car parked in a driveway, that’s an invitation to ring the door-bell and talk directly to the owner.
3- Ring the bell, introduce yourself, and simply say; “I noticed your car and thought you would be interested in knowing about my professional detailing services. Proceed to tell them about your services and hand them a business card and a flyer and thank them for their time. Keep it brief.
 
detaled by hans said:
sitting in front of your 15 inch screen will bring you in lots of money ...... go hit the streets !!!!
Click to expand...

17 inch, I'll have you know.


mirrorfinishman,

Your approach sounds like a good bet. I considered that before I did my original flier run but I was feeling too timid to approach people in person. Maybe tommorow morning I will try the rest of the neighborhood door to door and see how that goes.
 
I'm 14 years old and i'm detailing cars this summer also. I just passed out some of my fliers a few days ago just around my house. I just placed them through their door handle. I think I need to go door to door and talk to the people in my neighborhood also. Look at my web site for my packages that I offer and my prices.

Web site: http://www.cameronsautodetail.bravehost.com
 
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Nickis,

In life, most people generally like to do what is most easy. You know, you run around the neighborhood and drop off some flyers. It's relatively easy. You don't need to talk to anyone, you get some air and some sunshine and before you know it you're done and back home sipping a cool drink. Pretty simple. Only trouble is that's what everyone else does and that's why there is very little chance for getting good results.

However, when it comes to establishing your own business, one of the things you should keep in mind is that it is okay to be different. Actually, it's almost always better to do things a little differently compared to other detailers. What I am trying to say is go out there and talk to people. Be truthful and honest and let them know about your detailing service. Be yourself.

A few words about being rejected(or like you say; being timid) Although you may talk to twenty-four people who are not interested in your services, don't be discouraged. It's that very next person, number twenty-five, who may be your very next new customer.

What ever you do, don't worry about being rejected. Not everyone is going to accept your offer. But sooner or later, when you talk to enough people, you will get a positive response.

Just one final thought. Believe it or not, I was recently reminded of what it's like to be rejected. You see, a few months ago I was actually rejected and banned from Detail City. Hey, with over eighteen years of experience and knowledge of starting and operating my own mobile detailing business, I have plenty to offer the good people on this forum. At the time I was banned it was a simple misunderstanding. Partly due to my own inexperience with dealing with other people who are set in their own ways. Sort of like some of the people you will meet when you go door-to-door. Anywho, I didn't let it bother me. I just politely figured out what I needed to do to avoid the people who are not interested in what I have to offer. That's how you need to approach those people in your neighborhood. If they are not interested, move on, don't take it personally. Just keep on talking to more and more people and sooner or later you will begin to get those new customers.

ps - I was also recently rejected and banned from Autopia too, simply because three of the moderators didn't like the idea of me pointing out the actual directions printed on a detailing product label. I guess some would say that was another misunderstanding. It's a shame, because I had gained plenty of respect for many of the members of Autopia.
 
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