Automotive Detailing
Description:
My business was a one man operation, so I did all of the work. I traveled to the customer’s house and detailed their vehicles. The detailing process included vacuuming and cleaning the entire interior of the vehicle, washing the outside of the vehicle and polishing dirty spots/chromed metal, and cleaning all of the windows. Before I cleaned the vehicles, I asked the customer what they wanted done and then did only what they wanted. I would receive payment based upon the amount of work done for each vehicle I detailed. I came to the customer’s house to detail their vehicles once a week; usually on Saturdays. I would always call the day before to verify the appointment.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
I fully admit that it wasn’t my idea. My mom cleaned houses and one of her clients mentioned to her that she needed her vehicles cleaned. My mom told me about the opportunity and gave me the phone number. I called and offered a price that was agreed upon. After that, I would detail the vehicles every weekend, or whenever they needed it. I could have passed out flyers to neighbors and others to get more business, but I didn’t have any extra time because of school. My main motivation was the desire for a job that was close by (because I was too young to drive), and that provided me with sufficient money. I found this one and it met my wants, so I stuck with it for a little while.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
One of the main challenges that I faced was transportation to the customer’s house, where I would wash their cars. My parents didn’t have time to always drive me to appointments every Saturday. I decided that I could fit everything I needed into a backpack and ride my bike to the customer’s house. That worked well because I was able to go to work when I needed to without having to rely on somebody else to take me. Another challenge I faced was how to dry the vehicles without streaking them. This was a particularly difficult task because of the hot Arizona sun. I found that driving the vehicles into the shade immediately after washing them, and then drying them, solved this problem. Other than these, I didn’t have any other issues that posed as serious problems.
What I learned:
Since this was one of my first “real” jobs, I really learned how to be reliable and how to work hard for my money. I had already learned how to work hard at home, but working for my own personally money developed my work ethic even more. I also learned that I could rely on myself to solve many problems that I didn’t think I could solve before. One of my main regrets was that I didn’t work to gain more business. Because of lack of time due to high school, I couldn’t have too many other customers. If I were to do it differently, I would have kept the job on through the summer, and advertised to neighbors and friends to gain more business. If I did that, I probably could have turned it into something quite profitable and successful.
Car detailer
Description:
In the summer of 2005 my cousin and I started our own small business detailing cars in the eastern suburbs of Phoenix, AZ. We were completely mobile and therefore were able to detail cars of clients while they were at home or the workplace, making things much more flexible for them. We had a list of cleaning options to choose from such as regular wash, wax, sun protection, carpet shampooing, engine degrease, and various others such as leather treatment where applicable. My cousin and I were equal partners and shared all profits earned during this time and worked together to gain clients and increase our production. Other than ourselves, we didn't have any employees. We had to keep a calendar of all daily appointments along with phone numbers and information of all those we served in order to confirm appointments for each day. We also had to keep enough product on hand at all times, including soaps, waxes, etc. For anyone looking to do something like this, it would be useful to begin with spreading the word about the newly formed business. It would also be wise to do some exploring for discounted prices on pressure washers, shampooer, and all other necessary materials.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
I actually got this idea from another cousin of mine who had previously started a similar business and had much success. I called him and got some basic information on the best ways to do marketing and how to get the word out that my business had been formed. To get started my cousin first made some business cards that we distributed among businesses in the area. We also contacted friends and family that we thought might be interested. Following this, we went out and bought a pressure washer, shampooer, and all the cloths and chemicals that we needed. The final task was completing a list of clients and working the phone to book appointments and plan our schedule.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
One of the hardest things about starting this business was finding enough people with whom we could do business. Once clients were found though, the word spread like wild fire and before we knew it we had tons of business. Other than marketing, the only real difficult at the beginning was coming up with enough money to buy the equipment. This small obstacle was overcome when our Aunt lent the money, which we payed back soon thereafter. The most important factor to our success was persistence and hard work. Without these elements, our entire efforts would have been for not. Whatever you decide on doing, just remember with some thought and hard work, you can be successful too, while providing a service that people love.
What I learned:
From this experience I learned that by coming up with a simple idea and having the initiative to stick with it, a lot of money could be made in a short amount of time. This was useful in many ways, but mostly gave me an idea that I could provide society with a service while making a living, even with no technical entrepreneurship training or experience in the field. To this day whenever I visit my cousin down in the Phoenix area, we'll go detail the same cars we did three years ago. Happy clients equals more friends and a great resource for marketing in general. Another beneficial aspect of this was mastering the art of car detailing, which I still use almost every week, whether it be on my own car, a friend's, or my dad's when I visit home.
Car Wash Business
Description:
My brother and I started this business called Olympic Auto Detailing. In California where we used to live, many parents would stay home during the day and so we took advantage of that opportunity and provided three different services: The Bronze: exterior car wash, Armor All the tires, wax out any minor scratches; The Silver: everything the bronze comes with + interior vacuuming and stain removal; The Gold: everything the Silver offers + full two-coat exterior wax. The washes cost $15, $20, and $40 respectively. The best part of this offer was that everything was 100% satisfaction guaranteed and we would travel to the customer’s house and do it for them there! This way people can do what they need to do at home and get one chore away from home done for them while they work. It was a year-round job because it rarely rains/snows in California and we were blessed with repeating customers often. During the summer is where we made most of our money, usually averaging about $300 a week.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
I love detailing cars! My dad actually helped us solidify the idea once we basically decided what it was we were trying to accomplish. We set out and bought matching t-shirts in order to look more professional, all the supplies, handed out our flyers stating our names, phone numbers, and the 3 different deals offered. It was very easy once we decided what we wanted to do.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
One difficulty was I knew I had to do a good job on every single car regardless of the circumstance. Typically if the customer were dissatisfied (which was VERY uncommon) they would barter a price they thought was fair for the wash. Not only that, but if the customer was displeased, I knew that I would probably not be hearing from them again, thus losing at least one customer from our business pool.
What I learned:
Being an entrepreneur is difficult. I know that sounds cliché but it was complicated to spend so much time getting yourself (and your businesses name) out into the open. So much time and supplies cost me a lot of money and I had no guarantee that I would have made any of it back. But I also learned that I have absolutely no intention of washing cars for the rest of my life! I’ll wash mine, but that’s about it.
Free Car Wash
Description:
We got permission to set up car washes in the parking lot of several businesses all across town. We washed the cars using rags and sponges and then thoroughly dried the cars using old towels. We had to bring lots of hoses and buckets to provide the water we needed. We made posters and signs and had people dancing around and holding them up out on the sidewalk near the road to attract people to come to our car wash.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
We needed to raise money to fund our marching band’s trip to Las Vegas for a competition. We were all brainstorming about possible fundraising activities. I had heard of other groups doing car washes to earn money, so we decided to try it out. We were then left with the task of determining how much we would have to charge for each wash. One of my friends that had worked at a car wash mentioned how people would frequently give tips to the people who were washing the car. While we were kicking around ideas, we somehow ended up talking about how people are usually attracted by the word free. We decided to try having a free car wash and accepting tips. This left it up to the individual people to decide how much they thought they should pay.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
One of the first challenges we faced was how to divide up the work. We first tried an assembly line type thing where one group washed while another group dried, but we discovered that sometimes the people washing went too fast and the cars dried and got water spots before the drying people could actually get to them. We finally decided that we should just put everyone into small groups of 3 or 4 and have each group do everything for one car at a time.
Another challenge we faced was that after awhile our towels started getting soaking wet and weren’t doing any good. We had someone run to their house and bring some more and then we laid the wet ones out flat instead of wadding them up every time. By lying the towels out we allowed the sun to dry them, and so we just rotated through the towels that way
What I learned:
We discovered that doing a “free car wash” earned us a lot more money than we would have gotten otherwise because some people gave like $10-15 because they knew it was for a good cause, and they thought we did a good job. This was also good because it motivated everyone participating to do their best work since they were going to be judged more on quality vs. quantity.
Mobile Car Detailing Service
Description:
For the business I would go to customer's homes or workplaces to wash and detail cars. I offered various packages that would include combinations of washing, interior clean, vacuuming, spot carpet removal, hand or machine waxing, leather conditioning, etc. I generally worked by myself, though in the summer I had enough business to include friends who were interested.
My responsibilities varied by customer- I would need to set appointments and organize my schedule, purchase equipment and supplies, and keep track of all expenses and income for tax purposes. I also spent time researching and training myself to become better and experience constant improvement. It was helpful and profitable to introduce new products and services to the customer- for example the leather conditioning and spot cleaning.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
During a random conversation, I heard of someone who made a lot of money detailing cars in California. This struck me as a perfect job for me, as I love cleaning cars, so I decided to start my own business here in Utah.
I went out and bought $500 worth of car detailing equipment and started knocking doors in a local neighborhood.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
The first challenge was that it took a long time to detail the car, and seemed like it wasn't worth it initially. Once I worked out a system and became more efficient, I was able to cut down the time it took by 40%.
Another challenge was finding customers. It was annoying to have to knock on doors for a half hour to find a car to wash. I overcame this by having each customer become a repeat customer. I would get their number and call ahead to schedule regular appointments.
One challenge is maximizing profit, which I did by adding new high-end services and always offering them as add-ons, and cleaning many smaller cars, which take less time.
What I learned:
It is important to be aware of all the costs- and not just the obvious ones. It is super important to retain customers. In service industry, time is money. The faster and more efficiently I worked, the more money I made.
It was great to be an entrepreneur and set my own schedule.
Buying quality supplies and providing quality services took more time and money, but it paid off in customer appreciation expressed through repeat business and tips.
As long as there is a need to fulfill, you can make money doing it.
Mobile Car Wash Business
Description:
The majority of people would love you have their cars washed while they work or why they take care of their kids at their home. If an average adult makes $50,000 a year that means they are making $25 an hour. I figure by the time someone gets in their car, drives to the car wash, waits for it to be washed and then drive home they have used up one hour of their day. This by itself cost the person $25 worth of time. The person also probably paid roughly $15-$20 for the car wash bringing their total to $40 dollars. If you wash a car for someone while they work or sit at home you are saving them significant amounts of time, money and hassle. I feel like a mobile car wash business is the absolute best teen business. The reason I feel this way is because it’s easy to find people who want this service, you can make a lot of money, its expandable and it can work around your schedule. The mobile car wash business can be started for as low as $64 depending on what you already have. A quick trip to Wal-Mart, or your nearest auto supply store will get you everything you need to start your business. To start you will need, car wash fluid ($10), tire shine ($8), ammonia free glass cleaner ($6), car scent ($10), a sheepskin mitt ($10), and a chamois ($20). The following things you may already have but if you don’t you will need them: a bucket ($5), some rags ($10) a shop-vac ($40), an extension cord ($10) a scrubber brush ($5) and a small stepladder ($25). You should also try to get a mechanic collared shirt with the name of your business embroidered on the back and your name on the front. You should also make up some fliers and pass around to neighbors, family, friends, and local workplaces like haircut stores. You can also put fliers on cars at schools, and at local kids sports events. Make sure you know how to wash a car effectively by washing yours and your parents. You can get hints and tips all over the internet. I would recommend charging $20 for a car and $25 for a truck or SUV. The washing process should only take about 35 minutes. Have the owner of the car park in preferably a shaded place. I always cleaned on the inside first so water doesn’t get in the car. First clean all the windows on the inside. Wipe down the dash, seats, and cup-holders with a wet rag. Second vacuum the carpets and seats with the shop-vac. Third put a scent in the car. Next start on the outside. Fill the bucket with water and add car wash fluid. Rinse the car with a hose then use your mitt to clean the car. Make sure to only clean the paint with the mitt and don’t use the mitt on the wheels or tires. Use the scrubber to clean the wheels and tires then rinse the car. Next you will need to dry with the chamois, wash the windows and apply tire shine to the tire. Last you need to clean the windows, and make a walk around to make sure no water has dripped. After your done do a walk around with the owner, give them a receipt, collect payment, set up your next appointment and give discounts to motivate them to refer friends or family. You will make $20-$25 dollars and only use about $3-4. This equates to about $30 dollars an hour with the ability to schedule appointments when you are available. As your client base expands you can hire friends to wash for you at $8 an hour. Make sure to train them well before they go out. As you get more experience you can invest in a pressure washer ($200) to speed up the process. With you and 3 friends working 15 hours a week assuming an average gross profit of $20 per wash, $8 an hour, and 1 hour per car you can make $540 a week off your employees and $300 of your own work. That’s a total of $840 dollars a week for you which equates to $56 dollars an hour.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
My friend Corbin and I did this business in high school it worked great.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
Just make sure you do a good job washing the cars and your on time and you won’t have any challenges. Also make sure you don’t drive the car to move it, it’s too big of a risk.
What I learned:
I learned that you don’t need to make $6-$10 an hour as a teenager and you can make much more