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What will I be doing ?

An auto detail service professionally cleans, washes, waxes and maintains the interior and exterior surfaces of cars, trucks, RVs and other vehicles. There are more than 11,000 full-time auto detail services in the U.S.

with thousands of them operated from homes and garages. This is a business you’ll either love or hate. If you enjoy cars and enjoy making them look their best, you’ll love this job. Otherwise, they couldn’t pay you enough to do it. It’s hard work.

What will I need to start ?

To start an auto detailing service, all you really need is some time. You can begin by offering to wash and clean cars at a local car lot for an hourly rate or priced per car-on-the-job self-training. If you already have experience waxing and cleaning cars, you can apply this knowledge to your new business. If you know something about automotive paints and touchup, all the better.

Equipment is minimal. You can buy a power buffer later. For now, purchase quality wash, wax and interior cleaning products. Use a washing bucket to hold everything. You’ll soon learn which products work best for you at the least cost. Once learned, you can buy your products at wholesale or quantity prices.

Who will my customers be ?

Your customers will include new car owners, classic car owners, new and used car dealers, trailer and motorhome owners and dealers, boat owners and dealers, and just about anyone who owns a vehicle and carea about its appearance. You can specialize or work with a variety of vehicles.

How can you find customers ? Place a small ad in the automotive section of local newspaper. Prepare a flier about your services and distribute it in parking lots, to car dealers and post it on bulletin boards.

How much should I charge ?

The hourly rate for an automotive detailer depends somewhat on your level of skills as well as on the value of the vehicle you’re detailing. Cleaning clunker cars on a budget car lot won’t earn you much-may be $20 to $25 an hour if you work efficiently. However, detailing and touching up valuable new or classic cars can get you $35 to $50 an hour. As with other home based businesses, use your hourly rate to calculate the price of typical job. For example, a detailing that requires 45 minutes at $30 an hour should be priced at about $22.50.

How much will I make ?

Once established you’ll only spend about 10 to 20 percent of your time marketing your business. The rest of the time will be spent detailing cars. Because you work out of your home, garage or your own vehicle, your expenses are minimal. Detailing materials may cost $3 to $5 an hour. Overhead including taxes may take about 20 to 30 percent of every dollar you get. The other dollars are yours.

How can I get started ?

First. learn your trade. Work as a detailer for a car lot or practice on your own and friends’cars. Read up on the subject. Have your car detailed by a service and watch how they do it. Also watch what products they use and how long it takes to use them.

Here’s an idea for promoting your detailing service. One new detailer used a family car that had seen better years to show what can be done. She stretched masking tape through the middle of the car from front bumper to back, then completely detailed one half of the car. she did the same inside the car. Once done, she made a sign for the window telling about her auto detailing service. People could immediately see the results of her work and she developed many new customers by simply driving arround.
The SIC code for an auto detail service is 7542-03.

From the book of Dan Ramsey, Title : 101 Best Home Businesses, CAREER PRESS, 3 Tice Road, P.O. Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417, 1-800-CAREER-1, 201-848-0310 (NJ and outside U.S.), FAX : 201-848-1727

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