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Going Fulltime
Posted by Gary Kimbler
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Going Fulltime July 11, 2004 06:37PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 33 |
<HTML>Well I turned in my 2-weeks notice on Friday after 20+ years. I just got tired of the rat race at work, downsizing, added work load with no pay increase or even appreciation or recognition. I am going to give full time detailing a try.
I don't have nearly enough current business but made the decision based on faith. I am mobile and one of my biggest concerns is being able to survive the winters in Ohio.
Wish me luck !!!</HTML>
I don't have nearly enough current business but made the decision based on faith. I am mobile and one of my biggest concerns is being able to survive the winters in Ohio.
Wish me luck !!!</HTML>
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Re: Going Fulltime July 11, 2004 06:58PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 52 |
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Re: Going Fulltime July 11, 2004 09:37PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 443 |
<HTML>Sounds to me like a BIG gamble.....my advice...keep your job,until your fully prepared to start your own biz the right way...do the research...IF your planing on being mobile...you WON'T survive in the winter in OHIO..... kinda hard to detail cars under a canopy when it's -20deg. and blowing snow all over the car....right?
Consider a fixed location(BUILDING) instead....then you can SURVIVE & operate in the winter in OHIO, no matter what the weather conditions are outside.Mobile detailing business restricts when and if you can operate your biz,your ALWAYS at the mercy of mother nature, no matter what the season...winter or summer don't forget about the rain,wind,blowing dust and moisture on the vehicle. Your limited on the amount of days you can operate each year.....if you have a fixed location....you can operate 365 days a year if you need too....not just 9mo. on average being mobile in Ohio.</HTML>
Visit my Web-Site
ColesCountyAutoDetailing.com
Consider a fixed location(BUILDING) instead....then you can SURVIVE & operate in the winter in OHIO, no matter what the weather conditions are outside.Mobile detailing business restricts when and if you can operate your biz,your ALWAYS at the mercy of mother nature, no matter what the season...winter or summer don't forget about the rain,wind,blowing dust and moisture on the vehicle. Your limited on the amount of days you can operate each year.....if you have a fixed location....you can operate 365 days a year if you need too....not just 9mo. on average being mobile in Ohio.</HTML>
Visit my Web-Site
ColesCountyAutoDetailing.com
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Re: Going Fulltime July 11, 2004 10:08PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 751 |
<HTML>Gary, good luck !
Think of other ways that you might be able to generate income during the winter, such as taking on a little dealer work at thier facilities, (smaller profits are better than no profits)or offering Car Care clinics at your local library.
Best of luck, hope it goes well.
Jim.</HTML>
Think of other ways that you might be able to generate income during the winter, such as taking on a little dealer work at thier facilities, (smaller profits are better than no profits)or offering Car Care clinics at your local library.
Best of luck, hope it goes well.
Jim.</HTML>
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Re: Going Fulltime July 11, 2004 11:47PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 3,550 |
<HTML>Gary:
Good luck and all the best in your full time venture.
However there are few things you need to do to insure that you do not go broke or fail:
1. Have a Business Plan to help you know where you are going with this business. Faith is not enough you need to have a plan to put your faith in.
As they say, God will help those who help themselves and any new business startup needs a business plan.
2. The Business Plan will give rise to a Marketing Plan which will tell you who your customers are and how to reach them and what to say to them to get them to purchase your services.
3. The Business Plan will also tell you how much money you are going to need to setup the business; to run the business and also how much money you are personally going to need to function until the business is able to support you. It will also tell you how much money you need to run the business until it can support itself.
If you do not do these things you are putting yourself in harm's way and have a good chance of failing . You need to know what it is going to take going in and you need to know what you are going to do to accomplish what it will take.
Very difficult to detail outside in the winter in sub-freezing weather. Further, it is difficult to get people to even detail their cars in the snow and ice weather. We find it difficult in Oregon in the winter where it only rains.
Hope this helps you to focus on what you need to do.
Bud Abraham
DETAIL PLUS SYSTEMS</HTML>
buda
Good luck and all the best in your full time venture.
However there are few things you need to do to insure that you do not go broke or fail:
1. Have a Business Plan to help you know where you are going with this business. Faith is not enough you need to have a plan to put your faith in.
As they say, God will help those who help themselves and any new business startup needs a business plan.
2. The Business Plan will give rise to a Marketing Plan which will tell you who your customers are and how to reach them and what to say to them to get them to purchase your services.
3. The Business Plan will also tell you how much money you are going to need to setup the business; to run the business and also how much money you are personally going to need to function until the business is able to support you. It will also tell you how much money you need to run the business until it can support itself.
If you do not do these things you are putting yourself in harm's way and have a good chance of failing . You need to know what it is going to take going in and you need to know what you are going to do to accomplish what it will take.
Very difficult to detail outside in the winter in sub-freezing weather. Further, it is difficult to get people to even detail their cars in the snow and ice weather. We find it difficult in Oregon in the winter where it only rains.
Hope this helps you to focus on what you need to do.
Bud Abraham
DETAIL PLUS SYSTEMS</HTML>
buda
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Re: Going Fulltime July 12, 2004 01:17AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 505 |
<HTML>Read every response, and all are great advice you should take to heart.
You are not in SoCal or Florida, I am in Cincy, I grew up in the Midwest, I know the weather, but even Ohio has some things to consider.
Like if you are "north" you got a problem, worse than being down south like me.
If you plan on just being "mobile", hope you got a lot of money to get you through about 4 months of the year when you would otherwise starve to death, REALLY!
If you are in an area, know the demographics, etc, just find a location where you can be comfortable pursuing your "business plan", as Bud says, and be able to "grow your business" 12 months out of the year without freezing your butt off, etc.
Going "mobile" is a very inexspensive start up, but will doing so allow you to be around 2 or 3 years from now, and have the real money come in?
Bud and I both can tell you, mobile is a wonderful, sense of freedom, low cost start up, thing, but in reality, most "mobile" operators are not around a year after they pursue their business dream.
Bud, and Steve Okum, have written many great articles regarding the "business" side of this business, unfortunately, most fail to understand some very basic business operation things.
Passion is great, but being a business man who provides a superior service, to a defined market place, with cost and quality control, are the ones who survive and make the profits that keep them around for years, NOT MONTHS!
Ketch</HTML>
Do it right or don't do it all!
You are not in SoCal or Florida, I am in Cincy, I grew up in the Midwest, I know the weather, but even Ohio has some things to consider.
Like if you are "north" you got a problem, worse than being down south like me.
If you plan on just being "mobile", hope you got a lot of money to get you through about 4 months of the year when you would otherwise starve to death, REALLY!
If you are in an area, know the demographics, etc, just find a location where you can be comfortable pursuing your "business plan", as Bud says, and be able to "grow your business" 12 months out of the year without freezing your butt off, etc.
Going "mobile" is a very inexspensive start up, but will doing so allow you to be around 2 or 3 years from now, and have the real money come in?
Bud and I both can tell you, mobile is a wonderful, sense of freedom, low cost start up, thing, but in reality, most "mobile" operators are not around a year after they pursue their business dream.
Bud, and Steve Okum, have written many great articles regarding the "business" side of this business, unfortunately, most fail to understand some very basic business operation things.
Passion is great, but being a business man who provides a superior service, to a defined market place, with cost and quality control, are the ones who survive and make the profits that keep them around for years, NOT MONTHS!
Ketch</HTML>
Do it right or don't do it all!
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Re: Going Fulltime July 12, 2004 02:14AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 241 |
<HTML>Hey:
I did the same as you at the beginning on June. Walked away from a 20+ year career in computers.
Keep an open mind.
Their is a lot of great info on the forum.
Please make sure you have the business plan done and what ever else you need to do to know your market.
Bust your rear now and get as much business as you can so when you leave the career you have some business.
That is one thing I really regret not doing!!!!
Should of really busted my rear when I was working to make the connections!!
Oh well live and learn!
Still feels great being out of the office life!
Best of luck if you have any questions please feel free to email or call me.
Paul</HTML>
Auto Appearances Inc , Raleigh NC (919) 812-4759
I did the same as you at the beginning on June. Walked away from a 20+ year career in computers.
Keep an open mind.
Their is a lot of great info on the forum.
Please make sure you have the business plan done and what ever else you need to do to know your market.
Bust your rear now and get as much business as you can so when you leave the career you have some business.
That is one thing I really regret not doing!!!!
Should of really busted my rear when I was working to make the connections!!
Oh well live and learn!
Still feels great being out of the office life!
Best of luck if you have any questions please feel free to email or call me.
Paul</HTML>
Auto Appearances Inc , Raleigh NC (919) 812-4759
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Re: Going Fulltime July 12, 2004 12:51PM |
<HTML>Gary,
Congratulation on going fulltime!
I'd like to offer you a few words about things you can do to help you grow your new detailing business.
You may want to think about ways of finding and exploiting a neglected market segment. Research the detailing market in your area and find out who buys? why they buy? and what are their needs? This type of research usually yield incredible insights into neglected market segments.
By defining who is the customer? what does the customer buy? what are the values of the customer? what are the realities of the customer? you will begin to create the foundation for marketing studies that will help you segment and position your detailing service in the marketplace.
Market studies that research who is the non-customer, usually provide useful action-taking information about people who are currently not using your services. Another aspect of 'markets served and not served' is analyzing which market segments your competitors are exploiting and you are ignoring. As a market grows, new segments always emerge and sometimes become neglected by market leaders. A 'new-comer' usually has a better chance for success when it comes to introducing a new service into a market niche ignored by the leader. This type of research forces you to pay attention to both threats and opportunities facing your new business.
Remember, when you’re in the start-up phase of your business, you have more time and less money to spend on advertising. As your business becomes better established, you then begin to have less time and
more money to spend on advertising. I would highly recommend getting out there and talking with prospective customers. You may even want to set aside one day a week solely for face-to-face marketing and advertising. When I first started my own mobile detailing business back in 1986, I would go out every Wednesday and talk to all kinds of people about my detailing service. I learned early on that I had better take along all of my detailing supplies too, and be ready to get right to work. Yes, I actually landed some detailing jobs during those outings. I also found out that when you talk to about twenty-five people face-to-face you'll probably end up getting a paying customer. I guess that's why I always carried my supplies with me and was always ready to get to work. Some of my best current customers will tell you that they remember the day I stopped by and introduced myself to them.
Gary, just be yourself and you'll do fine.</HTML>
Congratulation on going fulltime!
I'd like to offer you a few words about things you can do to help you grow your new detailing business.
You may want to think about ways of finding and exploiting a neglected market segment. Research the detailing market in your area and find out who buys? why they buy? and what are their needs? This type of research usually yield incredible insights into neglected market segments.
By defining who is the customer? what does the customer buy? what are the values of the customer? what are the realities of the customer? you will begin to create the foundation for marketing studies that will help you segment and position your detailing service in the marketplace.
Market studies that research who is the non-customer, usually provide useful action-taking information about people who are currently not using your services. Another aspect of 'markets served and not served' is analyzing which market segments your competitors are exploiting and you are ignoring. As a market grows, new segments always emerge and sometimes become neglected by market leaders. A 'new-comer' usually has a better chance for success when it comes to introducing a new service into a market niche ignored by the leader. This type of research forces you to pay attention to both threats and opportunities facing your new business.
Remember, when you’re in the start-up phase of your business, you have more time and less money to spend on advertising. As your business becomes better established, you then begin to have less time and
more money to spend on advertising. I would highly recommend getting out there and talking with prospective customers. You may even want to set aside one day a week solely for face-to-face marketing and advertising. When I first started my own mobile detailing business back in 1986, I would go out every Wednesday and talk to all kinds of people about my detailing service. I learned early on that I had better take along all of my detailing supplies too, and be ready to get right to work. Yes, I actually landed some detailing jobs during those outings. I also found out that when you talk to about twenty-five people face-to-face you'll probably end up getting a paying customer. I guess that's why I always carried my supplies with me and was always ready to get to work. Some of my best current customers will tell you that they remember the day I stopped by and introduced myself to them.
Gary, just be yourself and you'll do fine.</HTML>
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Re: Going Fulltime July 13, 2004 01:43AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 33 |
<HTML>Thanks to all for your advice !!
I do have a business plan and so far the customers that I have targeted are growing. Not as fast as I would like but there is growth.
I believe that follow up is key. Today I called a customer that I did last week to follow up and make sure that he was satisfied and he gave me two more detail jobs. Even though he was more than pleased with the job I am not sure that I would have received more work if I had not called him.</HTML>
I do have a business plan and so far the customers that I have targeted are growing. Not as fast as I would like but there is growth.
I believe that follow up is key. Today I called a customer that I did last week to follow up and make sure that he was satisfied and he gave me two more detail jobs. Even though he was more than pleased with the job I am not sure that I would have received more work if I had not called him.</HTML>
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Re: Going Fulltime July 13, 2004 05:24AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 3,550 |
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Re: Going Fulltime July 13, 2004 06:57AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,838 |
<HTML>Ron,
That's the first thing I do. When the busy auto detailing/boating season starts, I save up 4 months living expenses -- I mean for everything -- just in case.
Jersey has some harsh winters and their will be weeks where everything is iced over and to drive a half mile to the grocery store takes about 20 minutes due to snow packed streets and icy conditions.
When the dealer accounts in winter are slow, so am I.</HTML>
Take care,
Brian
Precision Auto & Marine
Learn to detail boats! Visit www.detailtheboat.com
That's the first thing I do. When the busy auto detailing/boating season starts, I save up 4 months living expenses -- I mean for everything -- just in case.
Jersey has some harsh winters and their will be weeks where everything is iced over and to drive a half mile to the grocery store takes about 20 minutes due to snow packed streets and icy conditions.
When the dealer accounts in winter are slow, so am I.</HTML>
Take care,
Brian
Precision Auto & Marine
Learn to detail boats! Visit www.detailtheboat.com
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Re: Going Fulltime July 30, 2004 02:27AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 4 |
<HTML>What kind of business are people finding in the winter months? I am in Eastern Massachusetts and am preparing for the off season. Do people still get their cars detailed in the winter or do you end up with mostly dealership cars? I will be working out of a heated warehouse location.</HTML>
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Re: Going Fulltime July 30, 2004 02:31AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,838 |
<HTML>If you have a heated warehouse, then you're set. People still take care of their cars, especially in the winter. You may not get the high end "showcar" details but usually the protection oriented/educated car owner.
I do my auto brokerages and boat yards/storage facilities.</HTML>
Take care,
Brian
Precision Auto & Marine
Learn to detail boats! Visit www.detailtheboat.com
I do my auto brokerages and boat yards/storage facilities.</HTML>
Take care,
Brian
Precision Auto & Marine
Learn to detail boats! Visit www.detailtheboat.com
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Re: Going Fulltime July 30, 2004 02:40AM |
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