1st SHOP

I have been mobile detailing for about 5 years now and have finally come to the point where I am in need of a shop and I think that I have found a good location and I've done a little research but would like some tips on things such as:insurance,employee pay,customer handling,vehicle handling,security,proper lighting,building and legal codes and any other advise I you can give me.

Everlasting :
That's a lot to cover ! Use the search feature too...
Security : You can often negotiate a free lease and installation of an alarm system if you sign a long monitoring agreement and pay some of the monitoring fees up front. A minimal system normally consists of two door contacts and a motion detector, an interior siren, a box and a keypad. Brinks has a good reputation.
You can put money in a drop safe as it accumulates ( the key is not kept on the premises ). You can vary your routine, showing up at the shop an hour early some days, making bank deposits at random times, etc.
You can run background checks on your employees ( many robberies involve inside men ).
You can mark your tools and store them on peg boards so it is easy to see if a tool is missing at the end of the day.
Cameras and DVD recorders are cheaper than ever...
Motion-activated lights for outside are cheap but not always effective as a deterrent, so don't depend on them alone.
If it is a big shop, you can set aside a cage area built from chain link and wheel your equipment into it at the end of each day. The cage is a good place to store old files and business records, chemical supplies etc.
Doug



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2008 01:12AM by Doug Delmont.