Does it just take guts, money or passion to be successful in a car wash business? Do you need all three to win the competitions? There may be many car wash businesses in the market today, but we will focus on one. Here are some types of car wash businesses…
1. Hand car wash business: The company hires employees to manually clean cars with their own hands by applying car shampoo and polish.
2. Self Service Car Wash Business: These are usually coin operated and car owners usually clean their own units.
3. Automatic in the bay: the vehicles are stationary and a certain automatic machine comes and goes to clean the cars.
4. Car wash tunnel business: The car is loaded onto a conveyor that goes into a tunnel filled with cleaning facilities and mechanisms.
5. Steam car wash business: Mainly known in some parts of Asia, Middle East and Europe. Use a steam jet and microfiber towels to soften the car’s paint.
6. Mobile Car Wash Business – Typically seen in shopping malls where staff run mobile cleaning systems with pressure washers and mobile plastic tanks. Some have generator sets to run the vacuum and other detailed facilities. Car shampoo, tire black, and other chemical cleaners are also applied.
7. Waterless car wash business: using a special chemical. It engulfs dirt and grit and suspends it away from the car’s surface. Cleaning and polishing follows once it dries. No need for car shampoo on this one.
Of these types of car wash businesses, we will refer to the first one: hand car wash. Although a variation of this is the Bikini Car Wash, we won’t really dwell on that as it doesn’t really apply to most.
Having a hand car wash business does not mean that you do not need machines or equipment in the business. You still need to invest in high pressure washers, vacuum cleaners, polishing machines, and probably a few more. Many of your existing or potential competitors would have the same investments. But what is really important in a car wash business is its customer service. After all, the car wash business is all about service. Here are some tips to be successful in business.
has. Make sure you know what you’re doing. You need to teach your employees, especially those who will be washing the car themselves, the proper way to foam, rinse, polish, vacuum or drive your customers’ cars. You have been entrusted with their valuable assets and for that hour or so, it is your responsibility to make it look its best and shine without scratching or destroying anything on your cars.
b. Invest in a salon. Many car wash businesses have structures that seem to fall apart when accidentally hit hard enough. Have a comfortable compartment for the car and the car owner. Car owners would be happy to become your boss if they have a great place to stay while their cars get washed. It’s not really necessary to be wildly luxurious. If you can afford a lavish air-conditioned lounge, that would be a distinguishing factor.
against Add values to your services. Overdelivering, but not necessarily overly extravagant, can make all the difference. If some offer $1 for a regular car wash and yours is $0.5 more, then expect more loyal customers if you have a comfortable lounge with free drinks, courtesy and smiles from the staff.
d. Continually investigate. Once you’ve got your business up and running, your work shouldn’t stop. You have to ask yourself this question –What can make me fail in this car wash business? It is also important to examine the other side of the fence. Simulate scenarios that are likely to lead to failure and find remedies for them even before they happen. In case they do, you already have an answer. You cannot rest on your laurels when things work for you in a positive way. That is actually the best time to explore new ideas and the weaknesses of competitors.
me. Have an online presence. Websites these days are not as expensive as they were 2 or 3 years ago. You can even make one with minimal investments for domain registration, hosting, and probably graphics and content if you decide to outsource. You can have 3-5 pages for your business for less than $100. So there really is no excuse for you not to be online. It’s also a great way to solicit feedback from your customers. You can even create a Facebook fan page for free if you don’t want to have your own site.
F. Have your finances reviewed and re-reviewed. It goes without saying that you need to do well on your finances. If full computer programs aren’t on your radar yet, at least have a spreadsheet file to record your daily numbers. Create charts and graphs for better visibility. In a nutshell, you need to analyze your data. Your decisions should be based on the data you get on a daily basis.
gram. Keep good suppliers. Your consumables are important. Car shampoo, tire black, all-purpose cleaner, chamois, etc. understood the other side of your business equation. You cannot afford to lose the good credit conditions granted by your suppliers. Your operating expenses revolve around these, so keep them afloat. By ordering and paying for them on time, you will definitely create a lasting working relationship with your suppliers.
With these, you can be sure that you will have a better road ahead. In fact, you will never run out of cars.
