Scaling my car detailing business

[perchboy]

I'm 15 years old going to highschool in Canada right now and have a car detailing side hustle going on.

I started detailing cars a couple weeks ago and last week I made $800 profit.

I've been finding my clients by spamming posts on the Nextdoor app but there are only so many people on there who need their car detailed so its starting to die down.

Right now my plans are:
- getting my website built by @AlexYega so i can run google ads
- test out facebook ads again (not profitable last time i tried running them
- send out ringless voicemails to everyone in my city and hire a receptionist to answer the calls back and schedule bookings while im in class
- get some business cards printed so i can get referrals after i do jobs
- test out doorhangers

Eventually i want to be so booked up that I have to hire other people to do the jobs. I will get there by putting all my profits back into the business

 

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[Guest931Xfjyx]

You already have more business experience than most people will have in their lifetime.

Would not surprise me if you're making over $100k a year before 18yo if you keep up this hustle.

 

[wyattnorton]

Great stuff man. I'm assuming this is a mobile service?

Inside and Outside detail? How many customers do you have? Are they recurring?

A cheap option for business cards is printing out 6-inch by 6-inch cards on paper and handing those out for now.

 

[perchboy]

Great stuff man. I'm assuming this is a mobile service?

Inside and Outside detail? How many customers do you have? Are they recurring?

A cheap option for business cards is printing out 6-inch by 6-inch cards on paper and handing those out for now.

yes mobile service.

last week i was booked every day but this week i only have 3 clients.

no recurring customers as of right now. i will start trying to implement it as i know my clients who have kids, their car's interiors get dirty quickly. i'm not providing quality service right now though so they wont want me to come back. i need to solve my transportation problem so i can bring the good tools with me. right now i take the bus to the houses and i can only carry a vaccuum and the other simple supplies. no pressure washer or anything.

 

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[wyattnorton]

yes mobile service.

last week i was booked every day but this week i only have 3 clients.

no recurring customers as of right now. i will start trying to implement it as i know my clients who have kids, their car's interiors get dirty quickly. i'm not providing quality service right now though so they wont want me to come back. i need to solve my transportation problem so i can bring the good tools with me. right now i take the bus to the houses and i can only carry a vaccuum and the other simple supplies. no pressure washer or anything.

I respect the hustle man.

Make sure they understand that you are only going to improve. So by them working with you now they will receive some type of future value (discounted services?)

When I built my first retaining wall (landscaping), I told the people that it may not be the best in the world, nor perfect, but it will be safe and last a long time. I gave them a discount because it was my first one.

They respected it and loved the outcome of the wall. I did 3 more projects for them and they referred me to 2 of their neighbors.

Don't be afraid to be upfront with your experience.

But man, you are hustling for 15 years old. I love it.

 

[mamamargaux]

I'm 15 years old going to highschool in Canada right now and have a car detailing side hustle going on.

I started detailing cars a couple weeks ago and last week I made $800 profit.

I've been finding my clients by spamming posts on the Nextdoor app but there are only so many people on there who need their car detailed so its starting to die down.

Right now my plans are:
- getting my website built by @AlexYega so i can run google ads
- test out facebook ads again (not profitable last time i tried running them
- send out ringless voicemails to everyone in my city and hire a receptionist to answer the calls back and schedule bookings while im in class
- get some business cards printed so i can get referrals after i do jobs
- test out doorhangers

Eventually i want to be so booked up that I have to hire other people to do the jobs. I will get there by putting all my profits back into the business

I admire you for being enterprising. I suggest focusing on your area and work within your radius. Maybe talk to gas stations, convenience stores if you can leave flyers. I think you can create a google form that your customers can fill in when they scan a QR on your flyer to book an appointment with you. You can put a form on your website too and link it to your Calendar. There you can get a database and send them emails or texts asking if they want to book a car wash two weeks after. You should also get feedback from customers and post the quality of your work on your website.

 

[perchboy]

this was a slow week for me. 3 jobs $125 each.

starting Tuesday after the long weekend I'll have a Filipino freelancer babe working customer service from 4-8pm. ill send out 1000 ringless voicemails at 4:00 everyday saying "hi i recently detailed your neighbors car and they referred you so im offering 25% off."

Worst case scenario:
1000 voicemails generates at least 1 $125 sale
1000 costs $40
Paying customer service $44/day
Worst case scenario I will get a $125 job for every $85 i spend but that is highly unlikely and Im expecting 2 jobs per day so $250

i set up google ads to run for $29/day and it said that its estimated to bring in 25 lead form answers per week. the ads are being verified right now so they will start running tomorrow

I've generated 2 referrals so far from my work and my work is honestly horrible. I will buy a steam cleaner so I can improve the quality of my work and get more word-of-mouth advertising

The fakebook ad i ran was not profitable. The first one i put up i got one lead for $20 but the number they gave me in the form didn't work and the second one I put 50% off in the ad and i got $3/lead but everyone were cheap anti-customers.

Handing out 300 door hangers gave me 1 $200 jobs and i got a couple of leads that didnt close.
Worst case scenario 500 door hangers will generate $125
Printing + delivery costs $0.17c per hanger
Worst case scenario I will get a $125 job for every $85 i spend

I will look into working a promotion with my local convenience store where if someone buys an $x amount worth of items then they get 25% off detailing.

Or maybe in the future when I'm registered I can detail cars for people in the parking lot while they are getting a salon or massage.

 

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[perchboy]

Spent $100 on google ads in the past 2 days and got 2 people to fill in the form on my website. Just closed them for $150 and $250.

I am pretty booked up for this month now which is good. Im gonna keep blasting all my advertising to the point I need to hire an employee.

 

[perchboy]

I MADE $620 TODAY

Today I did 2 clients who each had 2 cars and I charged $300 each client for a total of $600. Got a $20 tip as well

Word of mouth advertising is crazy! I gotta focus on doing a good job now and not just trying to hunt down clients. If each customer refers me to one person, I will have an infinite amount of clients and it will keep doubling.

I’m gonna invest into real materials now so I can do a good job. I’m still going to be running google ads and Ringless voicemails though for some quick cash and clients.

I made in one day what I would be making per week if I worked full time at the grocery store

 

[BizyDad]

I MADE $620 TODAY

Today I did 2 clients who each had 2 cars and I charged $300 each client for a total of $600. Got a $20 tip as well

Word of mouth advertising is crazy! I gotta focus on doing a good job now and not just trying to hunt down clients. If each customer refers me to one person, I will have an infinite amount of clients and it will keep doubling.

I’m gonna invest into real materials now so I can do a good job. I’m still going to be running google ads and Ringless voicemails though for some quick cash and clients.

I made in one day what I would be making per week if I worked full time at the grocery store

You already have more business experience than most people will have in their lifetime.

Would not surprise me if you're making over $100k a year before 18yo if you keep up this hustle.

Hey @JLE it's still rattling in that head of yours, isn't it? What would your life look like if you could make $620 in a day? Is there any advantage this 15 yr old Canadian has that you don't?

 

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[Antifragile]

I MADE $620 TODAY

Today I did 2 clients who each had 2 cars and I charged $300 each client for a total of $600. Got a $20 tip as well

Word of mouth advertising is crazy! I gotta focus on doing a good job now and not just trying to hunt down clients. If each customer refers me to one person, I will have an infinite amount of clients and it will keep doubling.

I’m gonna invest into real materials now so I can do a good job. I’m still going to be running google ads and Ringless voicemails though for some quick cash and clients.

I made in one day what I would be making per week if I worked full time at the grocery store

Congrats!

I have my cars detailed at least once a month. The business that does is a downtown parking garage, where two guys rented out stalls, got all equipment there and are servicing business community. We all go to the same guys and keep them very busy! During peak times, they also hire help.

I am picky too…

A typical wash is about $75. Includes hand wash, dry, interior including glass.
A details is about $300, very thorough.
Paint correction and nano coating sets me back a little over a $1,000 (once a year).

Question: how are you doing it without proper tools and mobile and for $300?

Good hustle, and amazing results for your age! Better than what most 15 year olds are doing with minimum wage x100!

edit:
P.S. Consider if you can get some help. There must be plenty of people who could solve your transportation problem by becoming “partners”. Key is to have enough new business… which by word of mouth (must go great work) should be a non-issue as you are heading into the summer…

 

[CanadianTrucker]

I MADE $620 TODAY

Today I did 2 clients who each had 2 cars and I charged $300 each client for a total of $600. Got a $20 tip as well

Word of mouth advertising is crazy! I gotta focus on doing a good job now and not just trying to hunt down clients. If each customer refers me to one person, I will have an infinite amount of clients and it will keep doubling.

I’m gonna invest into real materials now so I can do a good job. I’m still going to be running google ads and Ringless voicemails though for some quick cash and clients.

I made in one day what I would be making per week if I worked full time at the grocery store

I like where you are headed, I'm glad to see you starting to focus on quality of service and providing more value. Best of luck to you and congrats on starting the journey this early on!

 

[Kokaka]

I MADE $620 TODAY

Today I did 2 clients who each had 2 cars and I charged $300 each client for a total of $600. Got a $20 tip as well

Word of mouth advertising is crazy! I gotta focus on doing a good job now and not just trying to hunt down clients. If each customer refers me to one person, I will have an infinite amount of clients and it will keep doubling.

I’m gonna invest into real materials now so I can do a good job. I’m still going to be running google ads and Ringless voicemails though for some quick cash and clients.

I made in one day what I would be making per week if I worked full time at the grocery store

You have a good head kid. Keep it up! The things you learn now you cant learn in a classroom. It will lay the foundation for something big for you in the future.

 

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[Andy Black]

Handing out 300 door hangers gave me 1 $200 jobs and i got a couple of leads that didnt close.
Worst case scenario 500 door hangers will generate $125
Printing + delivery costs $0.17c per hanger
Worst case scenario I will get a $125 job for every $85 i spend

Don't forget to add in the cost of delivering those door hangers.

Word of mouth advertising is crazy! I gotta focus on doing a good job now and not just trying to hunt down clients. If each customer refers me to one person, I will have an infinite amount of clients and it will keep doubling.

Skimming through your recent updates I saw you repeatedly mention the quality of your service sucks. I was about to bring it up but see you figured it out.

A well respected business consultant here in Ireland by the name of Blaise Brosnan says "The most important formula in business is R+R=Profit, where R+R is Repeat Business plus Referrals." You get both by doing a quality job.

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

Hey @JLE it's still rattling in that head of yours, isn't it? What would your life look like if you could make $620 in a day? Is there any advantage this 15 yr old Canadian has that you don't?

Aside from more free time, no. He's doing spectacularly well for his age and with minimal available to him.

There's no reason I couldn't do something like this as well.

 

[perchboy]

Question: how are you doing it without proper tools and mobile and for $300?

300 CAD is 225 USD btw

Most of the leads I speak to I just jack my prices up and then tell them I'll give them a discount because of x. Told her I normally do $200 each but I can do $300 for the 2 cars since she has 2 in the same lot and there will be no extra travelling.

The biggest skew that I have right now is that my service is mobile. No one likes when their car needs to get serviced and they have to wait for it in the lobby or call a taxi. These people are happy that its convenient for them and are willing to pay more.

Local shops in my area charge $90 for what I do but they do a way better job than me. I had one old guy drive to my house (not mobile, he had to drive to me) and I only did the front of his car and gave him the "spring special" that was $200. My mom yelled at me saying that I'm scamming him lol. He was pleased with the job though.

 

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[fridge]

Great work man! This is going to be an awesome learning experience for you.

Having experience previously running a service business, heres a few pieces of advice:
1) yard signs can bring in a lot of money - if you can pay some classmates $10-$15 an hour to put out signs, they can be just as effective if not more than digital marketing
2) google my business is free and will bring in lots of leads. Post photos and get about 20-30 five star reviews and its essentially a lead machine that keeps going with very little backend management/maintenance
3) hire a VA for $4-$6 an hour from the phillipines once you get some more $$ coming. Have them handle the basic tasks like optimizing GMB, research, etc while you focus on the business and work.

Good luck!

 

[Spenny]

Absolutely killing it. You've earned yourself a follow.

 

[perchboy]

just got into a 1 hour argument with my mom


i have a late start for school tmw morning so i booked someone for tmw morning and planned to make it on time for school after the job.

she was offended that i scheduled them in and turned automatically furious.

she told me i cant go tmw morning and that i have to focus on school.

i told her i have As in my classes (thanks ChatGPT)

she started screaming "why do you even want money!" "what are you gonna do with it?"

i said "everyone wants money. that is why you play the lottery"

she started lecturing how i must focus on school because my deceased father always wanted me to go

i said i dont want to live the same life that he lived

end of convo

my mom will always find something to shame me for. - not just my mom, but everyone will.

i charged a guy $200 and she called me a scammer because its too expensive
i charged a guy $100 and she called me retarted because its too cheap

when i was failing in web design she said i should get a real job and im lazy
now im booked every day with this business and she tells me im overworking and should only work on weekends


but i dont let it phase me anymore.
i dont take advice from people who i wouldnt want to trade lives with

making money is all about your mindset. dont adopt the same beliefs as failures. the failures im talking about account for 99% of people

i still love you though mom. ill retire you in the future

 

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[piano]

just got into a 1 hour argument with my mom


i have a late start for school tmw morning so i booked someone for tmw morning and planned to make it on time for school after the job.

she was offended that i scheduled them in and turned automatically furious.

she told me i cant go tmw morning and that i have to focus on school.

i told her i have As in my classes (thanks ChatGPT)

she started screaming "why do you even want money!" "what are you gonna do with it?"

i said "everyone wants money. that is why you play the lottery"

she started lecturing how i must focus on school because my deceased father always wanted me to go

i said i dont want to live the same life that he lived

end of convo

my mom will always find something to shame me for. - not just my mom, but everyone will.

i charged a guy $200 and she called me a scammer because its too expensive
i charged a guy $100 and she called me retarted because its too cheap

when i was failing in web design she said i should get a real job and im lazy
now im booked every day with this business and she tells me im overworking and should only work on weekends


but i dont let it phase me anymore.
i dont take advice from people who i wouldnt want to trade lives with

making money is all about your mindset. dont adopt the same beliefs as failures. the failures im talking about account for 99% of people

i still love you though mom. ill retire you in the future

I feel you, although your situation seems more intense than mine.
I think you got the right head and I'm quite honestly pretty proud with you. The last 2 sentences are great and your will is great.
Keep it going!

 

[Cano]

she started screaming "why do you even want money!" "what are you gonna do with it?"

ill retire you in the future

Love it. I wonder what her answer would be if you had responded with that sentence?

 

[perchboy]

GMB has been performing well lately. I got 2 leads despite being ranked 5th or so. Lots of tough competition.

I dont want to run google ads for "car detailing" because people who search that up aren't specifically looking for mobile service so it would be much harder and much more competitive.




My main priority right now is finding a way to get steady customers. im scheduled to make $1000+ this week but then next week i have 0 bookings. ideally, i would be able to put $100 into ads and get $400 back in bookings like it was a booking generator machine.

im just trying to find that thing right now. i dont want to have to pray that my previous clients will refer me for bookings next week.

FB ads sounds promising. I did it in the past and failed but I just learned about "lookalike audiences".

I have a couple thousand to invest so hiring an agency does sound promising. However, if i just do my research then I can have an extra couple thousand ad budget instead.

 

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[perchboy]

Great work man! This is going to be an awesome learning experience for you.

Having experience previously running a service business, heres a few pieces of advice:
1) yard signs can bring in a lot of money - if you can pay some classmates $10-$15 an hour to put out signs, they can be just as effective if not more than digital marketing
2) google my business is free and will bring in lots of leads. Post photos and get about 20-30 five star reviews and its essentially a lead machine that keeps going with very little backend management/maintenance
3) hire a VA for $4-$6 an hour from the phillipines once you get some more $$ coming. Have them handle the basic tasks like optimizing GMB, research, etc while you focus on the business and work.

Good luck!

got 10 lawn signs for free from my mom's printing company she works at.

please elaborate on it. are you saying to put in on clients' lawns? put it at busy intersections?

I can put one on my yard and one on my grandmas yard for now. At least I know that no one will take those down

 

[mamamargaux]

your business is really up and down. Some weeks are busy, while some weeks are 0. I suggest on these lull days, you can do some cold calls or emails to your previous clients. Give return customers a discount. Work also on getting your customers to like your page, if you have social media. This way people see the quality of your work. In my opinion, you can do all these by yourself without the need of an agency.

 

[Yula]

First of all congratulations on seeing your first results! Especially at such a young age (I was still busy playing video games).

I have a couple thousand to invest so hiring an agency does sound promising.

Be very cautious on which agency you're hiring as there are plenty of so-called "cowboys" out there right now. They're only looking to make a quick buck out of your hard earned profit and go on to make the next life miserable.

I suggest taking the time to research this skill yourself as it will benefit you greatly in the future.

 

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[Saad Khan]

Congrats @ChrisK you're doing really well for your age. Don't let others tell you otherwise. When I was your age I was spending 12 hours/day playing counter strike.

Business has up and down cycles. You should now focus on getting a steady flow of bookings.

Good luck!

 

[perchboy]

GMB Success
I'm now the first business that shows up when someone in my area searches "mobile car detailing"
I've been getting at least 1 call per day just from my Google my Business profile. I've booked 3 appointments today alone from it!

Fulfillment Problem
However, now I'm having a fulfillment problem. My business is supposed to be located in only my city which is an 8 mile radius from me but I'm getting people who are 20 miles away from me. Uber costs $50 one way and the bus takes 2 hours to get there. 2 hour commute for $125 is so not worth it.

I have a few options:
- hire a worker who is able to drive - ill need to get insurance and register my business and all that shit or i need to trust them collecting cash
- send my unreliable friend to these appointments where he is always late and sometimes doesn't show up. we'll split 50/50
- say no to bookings that are far and lose money and chance to scale
- start calling my driveway a "shop" and getting people to come here instead - that takes away the whole appeal of "mobile detailing"

I think hiring someone will be the best but there are so many complications. I need to supply them with a truck and the equipment, make sure they're insured, make sure i have enough jobs for them if im paying them for every day work.

I'm going to have to register my business one day anyways if i want to open a shop and hire. Maybe I should just do it now and get a VISA processor so my worker doesnt run off with the cash. Maybe if hes legally working for me he cant steal? Im clueless about this stuff

 

[biophase]

GMB Success
I'm now the first business that shows up when someone in my area searches "mobile car detailing"
I've been getting at least 1 call per day just from my Google my Business profile. I've booked 3 appointments today alone from it!

Fulfillment Problem
However, now I'm having a fulfillment problem. My business is supposed to be located in only my city which is an 8 mile radius from me but I'm getting people who are 20 miles away from me. Uber costs $50 one way and the bus takes 2 hours to get there. 2 hour commute for $125 is so not worth it.

I have a few options:
- hire a worker who is able to drive - ill need to get insurance and register my business and all that shit or i need to trust them collecting cash
- send my unreliable friend to these appointments where he is always late and sometimes doesn't show up. we'll split 50/50
- say no to bookings that are far and lose money and chance to scale
- start calling my driveway a "shop" and getting people to come here instead - that takes away the whole appeal of "mobile detailing"

I think hiring someone will be the best but there are so many complications. I need to supply them with a truck and the equipment, make sure they're insured, make sure i have enough jobs for them if im paying them for every day work.

I'm going to have to register my business one day anyways if i want to open a shop and hire. Maybe I should just do it now and get a VISA processor so my worker doesnt run off with the cash. Maybe if hes legally working for me he cant steal? Im clueless about this stuff

Charge the people 20 miles away an extra travel fee. Tell them that they are outside your regular service and it will be an extra $50 if they still want to go it. Then take Uber and pay the $100. You make $50/less per job but will gain many new customers.

 

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[Raoul Duke]

How to Start a Mobile Detailing Business: Zero to $6k a Month

Demand for mobile detailing is growing, and is a low cost business to start. Here's how a couple brothers built theirs to $6k a month.

www.sidehustlenation.com

 

[perchboy]

How to Start a Mobile Detailing Business: Zero to $6k a Month

Demand for mobile detailing is growing, and is a low cost business to start. Here's how a couple brothers built theirs to $6k a month.

www.sidehustlenation.com

25 Ways to Make Money Online and Offline - NerdWallet

We rounded up 25 real ways to make money online, at home or offline so you can find a side hustle that fits your situation.

www.nerdwallet.com