Has anyone started their own mobile car wash business?

Im thinking about doing it. I have done some research and i figure that i will spend between 700-1500 starting it up. Please...tell me some experiences of what to do and what not to do.





Thanks


AndyHas anyone started their own mobile car wash business?
Yes I am a mobile detailer on the weekends as I am still in school. The start up cost can be pretty high (especially if you are like me and didn't have a Truck or Van). I started when I was 16 and I have been doing it for several months, I luckily had my parents (especially dad who was into helping me with it) support. The first cost is a detail rig. I myself use a 2007 Chevy 2500 with a service body on the back so I don't need a trailer. The truck has lockable storage built in and room for a water tank.





http://www.commercialtrucktrader.com/wor鈥?/a>





I use a truck that is identical to the one in the link, and it saves me a lot of money since i don't need a trailer. The next cost is you will need a water tank, as most of your customers aren't going to lend out their water and expect you to be prepared. I use a tank like the one below





http://www.detailsupplyoutlet.com/item.h鈥?/a>





Then you need a pressure washer. I use this one.





http://www.deere.com/en_US/parts/homeand鈥?/a>





Then you need all your mitts, brushes, buckets, chemicals, and towels which aren't cheap either.


Then you have to pay for gas to get to and from each job, and remember gas is starting to go back up.





Overall i love doing it but it has a large start up cost, and it is very time consuming to do it right each job.





Oh yeah, i left out the fact you will also need to get the proper permits for your state, and it doesn't hurt to get some insurance in case you damage a customers vehicle.Has anyone started their own mobile car wash business?
I did Auto Upholstery for about 10 or 15 years. Knew a few people that did that. They called it Mobile Detailing.


They made some pretty good cash. The big money seemed to be in the actual detail part more than mobile washing.


I guess you could incorporate the two and make a go of it. Only thing I guess one could use on that would be a genset (AC Generator) to run the Pressure Washer. Once the car is washed, then its all about good wax and technique.


The startup cost for most of that is pretty basic, get a van, get the genset and the pressure washer.


Van---about $2500-$4000


Generator----$500


Pressure Washer--$250 or less.


The money is in the detailing. Ever been to a car wash? The detail part is where the action is at.


Anyone can drive through a car-wash, but not everyone can properly detail the interior of an auto.


To do detail all you need is a small truck with a camper or tunnoue cover over it. I guess you could also do that with the wash part. so drop the initial outlay to;


Truck--$550-$2000


and so on.


We gave up on it because of the gas ,insurance and other miscellaneous overheads would have been astronomic and would have far outpaced any profit margin.


Not to say don't, it just did not make sense to us or our book keepers.