Mobile Services for Auto Detailing
When I think back about how I started my detailing businesses, I did it the old fashioned way.
By old fashioned I mean I opened my own fixed location shop with a bunch of overhead. Those ‘hard’ costs that are difficult to adjust or eliminate because you need them.
I’m talking about things like building rent and utilities.
When you have an auto detail shop, you need the fixed location shop part to actually do business. And all the utilities are a cost you incur while doing the work.
Things like electricity to run the tools and lights. Water for basically everything.
And gas… Can’t forget about the damn natural gas bill. Pittsburgh winters are brutal. And heating garage bays and offices are expensive in winter.
Overhead Can Kill a New Business
Overhead can kill a new business. And building rent and utilities is second only to employee payroll as far as the largest numbers in the expense column of your P&L (profit and loss) statement.
They say hindsight is 20/20, but if I had to do it all over again I would skip the fixed the shop location and go straight to offering mobile detailing services.
The obvious place to start in this industry is by offering mobile detailing just based on the lower cost of equipment and easier training.
You really need to consider some of the other mobile services that the auto reconditioning industry has available though. Going from simple detailing and car washing to high-end auto reconditioning services will amaze you when you see the difference in profits.
I’m talking about the really profitable mobile services such as:
Mobile Detailing Services – the obvious first place to start
Commercial Fleet Cleaning – when you are ready for higher volume and more profits
Heavy Equipment Cleaning – a fantastic niche business that some do exclusively
Pressure Washing Services – expand your services using your existing equipment
Specialty Cleaning Services – another way to profit from your existing skills and tools
These mobile services are a great place to start. This is also a great way to add profitable mobile services to your existing detailing business if you already have one. Either way, reconditioning mobile services is a fantastic way to add profits and expand your skills in your community.