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Building a wash and detail center

rtrick87

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Hi,

I currently work as a police officer and run a successful busy mobile detailing business on my days off. I've decided that while I love helping others, I'd rather not be forced on shifts where I didn't get much sleep the night before and that I can make a better living off owning a mobile detailing, car wash and detailing center. I want to open a Hand washing car wash, which would have a conveyor belt and as it rolls through one worker pre rinses the car with a pressure washer followed by a foam application as the vehicle rolls along to a group of 4-6 workers who clean the paint top to bottom including the wheels and tires. The vehicle then goes into the next station where it goes through a set of blowers and then two employees use microfiber drying towels and a handheld blower to touch up any drops. Depending on the customers selection, the vehicle is either completed or gets a quick interior vac and windows cleaned. Also on the property will be two LaserWash360 touchless wash bays and a 4 bay detailing garage for full details, paint correction and ceramic coating applications. Currently I am in talks with a property where I live that has a leasing opportunity in a shopping plaza with a grocery store, two large department stores, a hardware store, sports store, pet store, liquor store and in development for an additional 15 stores. I've talked with a developer who said by what the survey shows (10,000 cars of traffic a day through the area and a population of 35,000 in the immediate 5 miles) that it would easily be achievable to get 30,000 vehicles a year through a 2 bay touchless wash. My question is should I go with that and have the mobile detailing or should I opt for the more populated area where I can put the hand washing tunnel, touchless wash bays and detailing center. I want to help create jobs and not have machines do all the work. The more populated area is situated within an intersection of 3 major state highways and within a population of 70,000 people in the immediate 6 mile radius from the area I am interested in. Go big or go home right?
 
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robert roman

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“I currently work as a police officer and run a successful busy mobile detailing business on my days off. I've decided that while I love helping others, I'd rather not be forced on shifts where I didn't get much sleep the night before and that I can make a better living off owning a mobile detailing, car wash and detailing center.”

Start at the beginning.

Salary and successful PT cash business implies you have no more time in a week to accomplish more. Assume salary $60,000 and $40,000 gross net from detail or $100,000 EBT.

Making a better living requires growth. Assume goal and objective EBT $200,000. This means the carwash you proposed must generate gross sales of at least $1.0 million.

Assets to support this have value of between $2.5 and $3.5 million. Ground lease would drop this to between $1.5 and $2.5 million. Unless there is a bank roll, this is usually out of reach for most mom and pop investors.

Alternative would to be to grow detailing business. For example, a one person, full-time mobile detailing operation is capable of $100,000 annual gross sales.

Get a hand-full of mobile detailers working for you and save money for carwash.
 

rtrick87

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“I currently work as a police officer and run a successful busy mobile detailing business on my days off. I've decided that while I love helping others, I'd rather not be forced on shifts where I didn't get much sleep the night before and that I can make a better living off owning a mobile detailing, car wash and detailing center.”

Start at the beginning.

Salary and successful PT cash business implies you have no more time in a week to accomplish more. Assume salary $60,000 and $40,000 gross net from detail or $100,000 EBT.

Making a better living requires growth. Assume goal and objective EBT $200,000. This means the carwash you proposed must generate gross sales of at least $1.0 million.

Assets to support this have value of between $2.5 and $3.5 million. Ground lease would drop this to between $1.5 and $2.5 million. Unless there is a bank roll, this is usually out of reach for most mom and pop investors.

Alternative would to be to grow detailing business. For example, a one person, full-time mobile detailing operation is capable of $100,000 annual gross sales.

Get a hand-full of mobile detailers working for you and save money for carwash.
Thank you Robert,
I like how your very specific- it really helps put it into perspective. I'm going to send you a pm and hopefully get some answers.
 

getnbusy

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"I've talked with a developer who said by what the survey shows (10,000 cars of traffic a day through the area and a population of 35,000 in the immediate 5 miles) that it would easily be achievable to get 30,000 vehicles a year through a 2 bay touchless wash."

This is much easier said than done. There ain nothin easy about 30k cars per year, and that number will vary greatly depending on many factors. Not to sound course but how the heck does a developer know anything about how many cars you can "easily" wash. Is this 2 bay touchless already existing with numbers to back that up ?? or does it need to be "developed" ?? And what "the survey" is he talking about ?

Robert has good advice. Expand on what you're already doing, and do it well, before you change direction and get in too deep. Don't mean to slow your roll but what you're talking about would require considerable investment. be A miss could be life changing. But then again, a hit could be life changing too. I hear the car count and average ticket in MA is pretty hi
 
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