How's Business Been?

[ted mcmeekin]

We have had up and down months over last year but overall we are about flat. Small town with little to no growth and we have sufficient capacity to handle so waits are in frequent. We just keep plugging and it keeps paying bills but with small margin.

Ted

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I'm a firm believer that if running a business was easy, everyone would do it. I can't say that I'm pumped that I'm not making money hand over fist, but it gives me some perspective and makes me appreciate the good times and to work even harder.

I try to have fun with our wash and try and convey that to our customers also. Check out our facebook page to see what we have been able to do.

Facebook

All in all, I think it is what you make of it. MI has a 15%+ unemployment rate right now, but we are seeing our numbers up 10% over last year. It's a step in the right direction, I guess waxman's perpetual optimism rubbed off on me (and maybe a recommendation for checking out some Tony Robbins cd's )

 

[Jim Caudill]

I'm not sure you will get a representative cross-section on the board. I think there are many operators who have experienced a major downturn in business, that just don't frequent the board as much as they used to. I'm not sure when the board started, but I believe I was here in either 1999 or 2000. There have been a lot of regulars that have come and gone, and a few that have come and stayed - but just don't post much anymore. There's not much "new under the sun" about the carwash business, and after a while, it all starts to repeat itself.

I can't drive by ANY carwash without looking it over and seeing how many cars are washing. Some of the washes that used to be quite steady, are now lucky if there is one customer at the wash. At many of the washes I drive past, I almost never see a customer. There is one Superwash in my town that was built a few years ago that I think I have seen only 1 or 2 customers at since it opened! Now, keep in mind that I may only drive past that wash once a day, but still, they should register more business than that.

My 4bay SS (I closed the auto) is down about 75% since 2001 and has been relatively flat for the last 2 years. I don't visit the forum that often anymore and post even less.

I know of several other operators in my area that have suffered similar downturns and I don't see them posting on the forum either.

This is a long way around to saying that those of us that are doing poorly, are probably not going to be here posting about it. So, don't fool yourself about the state of the carwash business by listening to a bunch of positive thinkers.

 

[Waxman]

People should know that the posts here are but a sampling of the carwash business community nationwide and that 10 posts that are similar doesn't mean that you can extrapolate an answer about the whole industry based on those posts.

However, the fact that some operators are up, down and flat should also tell a reader a thing or two.

Maybe operators whose numbers are way up aren't posting here because they're too busy.

Lastly, positive thinking is no substitute for hard work and the numbers on your P&L. I'm no pollyanna, but I know that constantly being on a bummer about anything in my life somehow perpetuates the "problem".

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I have nothing to say because Wax laid out exactly what I was thinking. Thanks!

 

[wardaddy]

I'm a firm believer that if running a business was easy, everyone would do it. I can't say that I'm pumped that I'm not making money hand over fist, but it gives me some perspective and makes me appreciate the good times and to work even harder.

I try to have fun with our wash and try and convey that to our customers also. Check out our facebook page to see what we have been able to do.

Facebook

All in all, I think it is what you make of it. MI has a 15%+ unemployment rate right now, but we are seeing our numbers up 10% over last year. It's a step in the right direction, I guess waxman's perpetual optimism rubbed off on me (and maybe a recommendation for checking out some Tony Robbins cd's )

You are quite fortunate. Everyone I know in this biz in Michigan is crying

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I thank my lucky stars every day.