My Small Business Plan

I

imported_Yakuzax

New member
Ok I been thinking of a car detailing business plan during my free time from school for about a week now. My Garage will be my detailing shop and would be hoping to work most days after school. I been doing alot of researching over the internet and will need your guys help proof read my plan.



Planning Stage:

My capital is: $250

Planning to invest in a

Porter-cable 7424 ~ $120

Zaino Z-2 Car Polish ~ $15

Still thing of whatelse to invest to now ???



Products that I have in my garage:

Mr.Clean AutoDry

Mr.Clean Car Soap

Meguiar's Gold Class soap (3/4 gone, disapointed in this soap)

Meguiar's Quick Detailing Spray

Armor All Protectant

Armor All Carpet Cleaner

Armor All Tire Shine

Black Magic Tire Shine (3/4 gone)

Turtle Wax (I'm very disapointed in this wax, does not last long)

Glass Cleaners

House Vacuum with hoses (plan to buy a wet-dry vac later)



Stage 1 - Buy needed supplies and equipments

-Porter-cable

-Wax/polish

-?????????



Stage 2 - Round up and oganize the supplies/equipments and clean the garage

-Design and Create Flyers

-Create contact info and working hrs

-Deside what service packages to charge:

Wash & Vacuum (also include wheel and tires detailing) - $35/hr

Express Detailing (wash, wax, vacuum, apply protectent on dash and console, tire and wheel detailing) $40/hr

-Decide my target locations/people : My neighborhood( actually it would be two neighborhoods b/c ther connected. Alot of weathly people leave here and its only 5 min drive to the high school.) people that is trying to sell their cars

(I would try to reach out feature like the golf course if my business is successful)



Stage 3 - distribute the flyers in peoples mailboxes

open the business and prepare to answer alot of questions

record and keep track daily in a journal



Future Plans:

-buy professtional supplies in large quantities

-buy a wet-dry vacuum

-offer more services (ex: claying...)



that is all i can think of now and something may come up sooner or later. This is like the 3rd business plan i created off of my head. I researched and learned something new everyday.

Please I need your guys help. I have the will and desire would hope to encounter fewer problems then if I had not asked for help or advice.



About Me :

Im 17 and a junior at a high school

I drive an 03 acura RSX

Trying to find way to make money and doing what i love doing for collage.



Thanks for reading my post and i know its kinda long., But Thanks for any help or advice.:)
 
You should offer claying from the start. You'll have to explain to most customers what it is and does, but it is worth it by the dramatic improvement it can make.
 
Yakuzax said:
Ok I been thinking of a car detailing business plan during my free time from school for about a week now. My Garage will be my detailing shop and would be hoping to work most days after school. I been doing alot of researching over the internet and will need your guys help proof read my plan.



Planning Stage:

My capital is: $250

Planning to invest in a

Porter-cable 7424 ~ $120

Zaino Z-2 Car Polish ~ $15

Still thing of whatelse to invest to now ???



Products that I have in my garage:

Mr.Clean AutoDry

Mr.Clean Car Soap

Meguiar's Gold Class soap (3/4 gone, disapointed in this soap)

Meguiar's Quick Detailing Spray

Armor All Protectant

Armor All Carpet Cleaner

Armor All Tire Shine

Black Magic Tire Shine (3/4 gone)

Turtle Wax (I'm very disapointed in this wax, does not last long)

Glass Cleaners

House Vacuum with hoses (plan to buy a wet-dry vac later)



Stage 1 - Buy needed supplies and equipments

-Porter-cable

-Wax/polish

-?????????



Stage 2 - Round up and oganize the supplies/equipments and clean the garage

-Design and Create Flyers

-Create contact info and working hrs

-Deside what service packages to charge:

Wash & Vacuum (also include wheel and tires detailing) - $35/hr

Express Detailing (wash, wax, vacuum, apply protectent on dash and console, tire and wheel detailing) $40/hr

-Decide my target locations/people : My neighborhood( actually it would be two neighborhoods b/c ther connected. Alot of weathly people leave here and its only 5 min drive to the high school.) people that is trying to sell their cars

(I would try to reach out feature like the golf course if my business is successful)



Stage 3 - distribute the flyers in peoples mailboxes

open the business and prepare to answer alot of questions

record and keep track daily in a journal



Future Plans:

-buy professtional supplies in large quantities

-buy a wet-dry vacuum

-offer more services (ex: claying...)



that is all i can think of now and something may come up sooner or later. This is like the 3rd business plan i created off of my head. I researched and learned something new everyday.

Please I need your guys help. I have the will and desire would hope to encounter fewer problems then if I had not asked for help or advice.



About Me :

Im 17 and a junior at a high school

I drive an 03 acura RSX

Trying to find way to make money and doing what i love doing for collage.



Thanks for reading my post and i know its kinda long., But Thanks for any help or advice.:)
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Umm you forgot one very important thing - insurance. I would say that 90% of the guys who decide to do this for "extra cash" neglect to buy adequate insurance to cover your *** in the case of a problem. I know this will not be a popular subject for a lot of people but if you are going to present yourself as a businessperson then you need to act like one. It means nothing to say that you will work hard for a customer and do a great job yet run the risk that if you screw up thier car then you may not be able to cover the expenses for the repairs because you din't buy insurance. It is your obligation. Not to mention the fact that if you do happen to screw something up and you get sued you will be screwed royally. I actually know a carpenter who had this happen to him. He lost his business, house, car - pretty much everything because he didn't want to pony up for insurance. I for one would not appreciate someone playing fast and loose with my car and not having any assurance that in the case of an accident I would be taken care of.
 
IMO, you need a good paint polish to use on most cars. I would recommend looking into Klasse AIO. It's a wonderful base for any LSP you choose to use.



Start out slow and above all make sure to do quality work with every job. That is the best way to build your business.
 
I'd get a gallon of Meguiars #83 and #80, that'll set you back around $55. Throw in a liter of Klasse AIO for around $30 to use as a base for Z2, or go with Meguiars #16 or #26 as your wax.



Scott makes a good point about insurance. You should be able to get a decent liability policy for around $600 a year if you shop around. I am not sure your parent's homeowners insurance would cover any damage to vehicles you are working on but odds are it won't.
 
Great advice offered by everyone so far - read, learn and follow through on their advice.



All I might add is the following:



1) Unless you are VERY comfortable detailing for others, you might consider growing your business by word of mouth, start with detailing your extended family's vehicles. Word of mouth works as an advertising tool. Also, remember when you detail a customers expensive vehicle if anything does go badly .. you WILL hear about it, they will want compensation and bad references spread faster than goods references.



2) If you are serious about making money; predict how many vehicles you will detail per month, generate a revenue forecast and then compare your predicted revenues to your expenses over time in a cash flow analysis. As time passes, revise your sales and spending forecasts and see the effect it has on the profit you expect to make. Most start-ups fail because they get their cash flow forecasting wrong and under capitalize their business; this will not apply to you BUT it will still be useful for you to see how many vehicles you need to detail to generate the profit you want after all expenses are met.



3) Market placement: Is your planned market large enough to support your sales forecasts? How will you differentiate your services from others? How do you reach your potential customers and then convert them into repeat customers. Again tie in this information into you cash flow analysis eg. costs of printing more flyers, purchasing more detailing supplies etc. and meeting your predicted sales. Monitor your actual spending and sales against this plan to ensure you are on target to meet your goals.



4) Do think about that liability insurance, you owe that to your customers and yourself



For a full time business, taking these kind of steps can be critical in achieving their stated goals and for you they will at least give you a clear idea if this is the best way to make money or if it might be better to find a good part time or summer job.



Good luck!
 
1- Identify the type of business, market and customers you intend to service.



Car detailng, automotive industry, people that doesn't have the time to detail their car or want someone else to detail their car. (Main target is the neighborhoods around me.)



2- Identify why the business will be profitable.



My revenue will come from the detailing service, and my expenses will come from supplies. To gain profit, my revenue must be higher than my expenses.



3- Identify how the business will be affected by seasonal changes.



Spring & summer should be my most profitable seasons. I would expect fall will be a less busy season than the hot sunny seasons. Winter, I can expect little or no business.



4- Identify specific business objectives and goals.



My objectives: Do my best and show my skills on each of my customers car. Prepare to face any problems that will be in my way and answer alot of questions. Love what I do and remember that this is just a hobby that can help me pay for my college education.

My goals: To make this a successful business. Earn money for college. Try to learn something during the process.



5- Decide whether the business will become a 'mobile' or 'on-site' operation.



my business is be an 'on-site' (garage)



6- List your five nearest competitors.



Buckeye Car Wash ($18 machine wash; 10 min away)

Ultimate Wash (15-20 away)

Car dealerships (15-20 min away)



7- Identify how your business will be better than that of the competition.



Its in the neighborhood, they don't have to go to the dealership just to pay $200 for detailiing.



8- Identify your experience and knowledge of this type of business.



I don't have any experiences with this kind of business. I know alot about detailing from the internet and experiences with my car.



9- Identify your abilities, interests and reasons for going into this business.



abilities: detailing everything besides carpet cleaning.

interests: cars, detailing, trying diffrent waxes

reasons: hobby and money for college



10- Identify why you will be successful in this business venture



my interest in detailing, took one yr of accounting at school, and very determined.



ps:

where online can I get a gallon of Meguiars #83 and #80 and a liter of Klasse AIO online? I searched and its hard to find the meguiars and klasses in gallons and liters.



And thanks for replying to my post!:)
 
Try a good program like Business Plan Pro by Intuit, it will really take you step by step through your palns. It is widely available on the Internet. I can send it to you if you want it.
 
Very informative thread:xyxthumbs I've been thinking about the same thing recently. Friends and family are the way to go IMO. There are enough people that you know and they know that would be willing to have it done. Hell, I'm already lining people up at work for the spring :bounce I want to do it now, but my garage isn't ready yet. This strategy should provide good income and also give more experience/confidence to try "unknown" customers. I hope it works out for you.



/walks away to work on the garage:wavey
 
Insurance is tricky business. Since you're not going to be operating these vehicles and there is a limited amount of damage you can do to them, I don't see why you need insurance.



Lets run down what CAN happen.



1. You can damage the paint on a car. Now, with a PC I can't imagine you damaging the paint on a car to the point where a detailer could not repair it. In fact I can't see you damaging the paint at all.



2. You could rip some upholstery (this happens a lot) or damage plastic components inside the car to where they must be replaced. This could be costly.



3. You could break glass.



3. Something horrible could happen to your parents' home with a client's vehicle inside. This would PROBABLY be covered under their insurance but it may not because the damage was inflicted upon something held inside the house for the purposes of financial enterprise. Have your parents call their insurance co. and ask.



Thats really all that can happen, and its higly unlikely.



Poll how many mobile or weekend detailers here have special insurance for their detailing business, I bet none. I don't.



Wat you need to concentrate on is your skill. If you dont have a PC and have not mastered how to use it with pads and products then I would start on your car, your family's cars, friends cars to gain skill. Its not something you can just do, its a craft that must be learned.



All the best luck to you, its a great way to make some extra money.
 
mirrorfinishman said:
I think this tread would be even more informative if we heard more from other pros who have already written their own business plans.



Any other pros out there with your own plans?
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I wrote a ton of them when I was a Jack in the Box manager. I don't really have a formal written plan for my business, I just carry it around in my head.
 
GoodnClean said:
Insurance is tricky business. Since you're not going to be operating these vehicles and there is a limited amount of damage you can do to them, I don't see why you need insurance.



Lets run down what CAN happen.



1. You can damage the paint on a car. Now, with a PC I can't imagine you damaging the paint on a car to the point where a detailer could not repair it. In fact I can't see you damaging the paint at all.



2. You could rip some upholstery (this happens a lot) or damage plastic components inside the car to where they must be replaced. This could be costly.



3. You could break glass.



3. Something horrible could happen to your parents' home with a client's vehicle inside. This would PROBABLY be covered under their insurance but it may not because the damage was inflicted upon something held inside the house for the purposes of financial enterprise. Have your parents call their insurance co. and ask.



Thats really all that can happen, and its higly unlikely.



Poll how many mobile or weekend detailers here have special insurance for their detailing business, I bet none. I don't.



Wat you need to concentrate on is your skill. If you dont have a PC and have not mastered how to use it with pads and products then I would start on your car, your family's cars, friends cars to gain skill. Its not something you can just do, its a craft that must be learned.



All the best luck to you, its a great way to make some extra money.
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The funny thing about insurance is that no one wants to pay for it until it's too late. Get the point? It's in case of an unforseeable accident. That's why businesses have insurance - however unlikely an accident may be. I also don't doubt that close to 100% of the guys "detailing" out there don't have any insurance and it shows how "professional" most in this business are. I for one would NEVER EVER allow someone to work on my cars, house, watches, computers etc.. etc... etc... unless they are fully insured and can prove it. Anyone who would is a fool and is asking for trouble. I wonder how many of your customers actually just assume that you are fully insured and if told that you are not would no longer have you perform work for them? We'll never know the real answer because no one here would have the guts to tell a customer that before they take their work. Whether anyone here chooses to purchase adequate insurance coverage is just that - their choice (for the time being anyway). I am sure that if the situation were reversed and anyone here was having someone perform work on their car you would damn well want to make sure that if anything happened to their car it would be covered by insurance.
 
ShineShop said:
The funny thing about insurance is that no one wants to pay for it until it's too late. Get the point? It's in case of an unforseeable accident. That's why businesses have insurance - however unlikely an accident may be. I also don't doubt that close to 100% of the guys "detailing" out there don't have any insurance and it shows how "professional" most in this business are. I for one would NEVER EVER allow someone to work on my cars, house, watches, computers etc.. etc... etc... unless they are fully insured and can prove it. Anyone who would is a fool and is asking for trouble. I wonder how many of your customers actually just assume that you are fully insured and if told that you are not would no longer have you perform work for them? We'll never know the real answer because no one here would have the guts to tell a customer that before they take their work. Whether anyone here chooses to purchase adequate insurance coverage is just that - their choice (for the time being anyway). I am sure that if the situation were reversed and anyone here was having someone perform work on their car you would damn well want to make sure that if anything happened to their car it would be covered by insurance.
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Absolutely right! :xyxthumbs



Just imagine putting a customer's car back in the garage and your wet foot slips off the brake and onto the gas pedal. Now imagine the car is a Mercedes S600. Can you afford $25,000 in car and home repair?
 
Scottwax said:
Absolutely right! :xyxthumbs



Just imagine putting a customer's car back in the garage and your wet foot slips off the brake and onto the gas pedal. Now imagine the car is a Mercedes S600. Can you afford $25,000 in car and home repair?
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Scott do you remember Scott from Mobile One Detailing? I seem to remember him telling me about washing a customers ferrari a few years back and seeing a nasty puncture in the front bumper as they worked on it. He figured out by looking at the customer's Hummer that someone must have backed into the ferrari and the hitch did the damage. Turned out that the guys wife did it but blamed it on Scott's company and the reapir bill was over $20000! It was put through insurance - thank god! Imagine having to fork over for a repair like that - that you didn't even do! I think anyone who is detailing for money and does not have adequate coverage is being very irresponsible and risking everything they own in the event of a lawsuit.
 
I hadn't heard that story but if he can prove the wife did the damage she should be in jail for insurance fraud!



I know I'd be pretty bent out of shape if something like that happened to me.
 
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