Hand Car Wash

[Kris Smith]

Hi there, I run a translation business but am now looking to diversify and open a hand car wash. Are there any hand car wash owners here who would be kind enough to give me some of their time?

Many thanks in advance,


Kris

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Hi there, I run a translation business but am now looking to diversify and open a hand car wash. Are there any hand car wash owners here who would be kind enough to give me some of their time?

Many thanks in advance,


Kris

I use a pressure washer Kris

There are a couple on here that use their hand . You will soon discover this if you stick around

 

[Darren_Ssc]

I used to have a car wash business, it was quite profitable too. I took a bucket and sponge from home and the customers would give me the water. I charged about 50p a time, sometimes I'd get a tip even though I never did much of a good job?

This was about 50 years ago though so you could probably charge a bit more nowadays?

I also had a second-hand golf ball business, more of a partnership really, and that was a lot better. My mate (business partner) could run a lot faster than I could, which turned out to be quite useful.

 

[kulture]

I see the funny response is in full swing today. Unfortunately I am not sure that any members have direct experience at running a modern hand car wash business other than using them.

They do seem to be labour intensive, and very much cash based. As a cynic I sometimes wonder how much gets declared.

 

[Darren_Ssc]

They do seem to be labour intensive, and very much cash based. As a cynic I sometimes wonder how much gets declared.

Can't be very profitable having 4 or 5 blokes cleaning one car although I don't know how much they charge (I assume about £10) and, sure, there are going to be tips that get pocketed?

I use the old-fashioned automated machines once in a blue moon that cost about £6 and do a reasonable job. Even so, they seem to need a lot of maintenace and must cost a fair bit to install and operate?

Got to be easier ways to make money, especially since you would need a busy site to make it viable and, from what I've noticed, many existing ones are not exactly hotbeds of activity? Maybe good for money laundering though?

 

[Mark T Jones]

I haven't run one, but did have a start up client who was setting one up as a social enterprise - basically taking homeless, or ex offenders as a foot back into the workplace.

One big, and very real challenge he faced was the competition - under 'threats' he responded 'very likely'

Other than that, more mundane challenges involved finding appropriate sites and water supply/storage

 

[SillyBill]

Lets face it, if you are not Eastern European or have contacts that give you a dirt cheap and potentially desperate labour pool then you are at an immediate disadvantage. Your labour force after all is not going to be Brits. I assume if I seen this in just about every hand car wash I've ever frequented up and down the country (lots) there is an established business model to operate one profitably. I think most business owners who drive through one will invariably have their brains ticking over as to how it is managing to pay all those staff at the prices they charge and the throughput. If Im honest I feel guilty I am supporting it and the wages the guys must be paid for such a tough job, it is fairly obvious it is a zero sum business that prices in dirt cheap labour as its main input. If you are okay with that then set one up, lets not pretend there is anything else to it though.

I do also imagine turf wars is a very real concern in these types of businesses. One reason (among a thousand others) I wouldn't get into metal recycling or skip collection or a lot of other businesses is that even if you can run one profitably you will constantly be looking over your shoulder. We had a family friend who had some burger vans 20 years ago, anyone encroached onto their patch would know about it.

 

[Uke]

Lots of these car washes, like nail bars and barbers are fronts for more nefarious activities such as human trafficking, modern slavery and laundering drug money.

You’ll never be able to compete on price with them either as they’re not playing by the same rules you’ll have to abide by.

Avoid! Avoid! Avoid!

 

[Mitch3473]

Go up market, find the good customers with the good cars, charge the right money. Mobile valeting.

 

[Ally Maxwell]

I see the funny response is in full swing today. Unfortunately I am not sure that any members have direct experience at running a modern hand car wash business other than using them.

They do seem to be labour intensive, and very much cash based. As a cynic I sometimes wonder how much gets declared.

Much, much, much more than they ever take in !!

 

[AllUpHere]

We rented a house out to a guy who owned a car wash. Went to do our 6 monthly check and there were 11 single beds in the place. He gave his guys somewhere to sleep, picked them up in a minibus at 6.30 in the morning and took them back about 8pm. Always paid his rent on time though, in cash.

 

[Fagin2021]

I also had a second-hand golf ball business, more of a partnership really, and that was a lot better. My mate (business partner) could run a lot faster than I could, which turned out to be quite useful.

You b****** so it was you was it!

 

[Aniela]

We rented a house out to a guy who owned a car wash. Went to do our 6 monthly check and there were 11 single beds in the place. He gave his guys somewhere to sleep, picked them up in a minibus at 6.30 in the morning and took them back about 8pm. Always paid his rent on time though, in cash.

This is where the 'unfair' advantage comes in and is how a lot of Kebab shops and similar work too.

If you have rent, council tax and utilities shared out between 6+ people, the cost of living in negligible.

Even if you work all day for minimum wage, it's actually quite a large wage, as you don't have all the normal costs of living, which is what usually takes up most of peoples wages.

It's actually quite smart, but seemingly not within British culture.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

The suggestion is that the employees aren't getting the minimum wage. How come?

 

[Mr D]

The suggestion is that the employees aren't getting the minimum wage. How come?

Slaves here illegally do not get paid lots of money.
Family members may work for lots less than normal

And some have additional services.

I worked in a hand car wash for a few months once. Owner had a bunch of contracts with garages, taxi firms and businesses plus drive by customers that were charged highest prices.

 

[Mr D]

This is where the 'unfair' advantage comes in and is how a lot of Kebab shops and similar work too.

If you have rent, council tax and utilities shared out between 6+ people, the cost of living in negligible.

Even if you work all day for minimum wage, it's actually quite a large wage, as you don't have all the normal costs of living, which is what usually takes up most of peoples wages.

It's actually quite smart, but seemingly not within British culture.

If people want to live together like that then up to them.
It is good - and was common enough when I was younger even in British culture.

Back when I lived with my parents I had 2 jobs, my older sister had 2 jobs and we both paid something towards the household bills. Think I was paying about 40 percent of my net pay. Plus parents worked.
My wife says in her parents household it was the same - the adult kids living at home paid a chunk of money towards living expenses. Wife paid 25 quid a week of her 29 pounds yts income. When she got a retail job she gave 250 a month out of 450 wage.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

If people want to live together like that then up to them.
It is good - and was common enough when I was younger even in British culture.

Back when I lived with my parents I had 2 jobs, my older sister had 2 jobs and we both paid something towards the household bills. Think I was paying about 40 percent of my net pay. Plus parents worked.
My wife says in her parents household it was the same - the adult kids living at home paid a chunk of money towards living expenses. Wife paid 25 quid a week of her 29 pounds yts income. When she got a retail job she gave 250 a month out of 450 wage.

We are not playing that game M d that's a race to the bottom.

 

[Paul Norman]

I have had a number of machine car washes over the years - in petrol forecourts.

The running costs of those machines is much lower than you might believe, as is the cost of the chemicals.

In a good month (one with rain interspersed with sunny days) they could make a profit of up to £15k per site. In a poor month (sunny all month, not yet experienced in the UK), they might make a third of that.

You do need good insurance though. Watching the thankfully infrequent spectacle of your machine damaging a customers car is not edifying. And you need cameras, now, because people will go in the car wash and then blame the machine for the dents their car already had.

Oh. Hand Jobs. Theses are labour intensive. You will need some space, and to be able to get through a LARGE number of cars. I can't make the maths work.

 

[SillyBill]

If people want to live together like that then up to them.
It is good - and was common enough when I was younger even in British culture.

Back when I lived with my parents I had 2 jobs, my older sister had 2 jobs and we both paid something towards the household bills. Think I was paying about 40 percent of my net pay. Plus parents worked.
My wife says in her parents household it was the same - the adult kids living at home paid a chunk of money towards living expenses. Wife paid 25 quid a week of her 29 pounds yts income. When she got a retail job she gave 250 a month out of 450 wage.

I am not sure many choose to live together like that, we're not talking about professional house shares here. More squalid mattresses chucked 3-4 to a bedroom, working 14 hours a day for £60. All so they can save their measly wages up, give a cut to their "agent"/boss and then hopefully send enough back home to keep their family in bread and water. It has been a bad stain on this country since about 2005. Overlooked almost willingly. Undermined our own labour market and led to rife abuse of many immigrants. As long as we get cheap supermarket food we're happy to overlook the caravans on the farmer's yard and who lives there.

Stupid house prices relative to wages are also compounding this issue. Lets not celebrate we're going Italian because 30 year olds can't afford to move out of the parental home.

I am a blue blooded Tory as well and this is one area I think the country has gone backwards massively since the 90s. Pushing lots of people to make severe compromises due to how expensive a roof has become.

 

[Mr D]

I am not sure many choose to live together like that, we're not talking about professional house shares here. More squalid mattresses chucked 3-4 to a bedroom, working 14 hours a day for £60. All so they can save their measly wages up, give a cut to their "agent"/boss and then hopefully send enough back home to keep their family in bread and water. It has been a bad stain on this country since about 2005. Overlooked almost willingly. Undermined our own labour market and led to rife abuse of many immigrants. As long as we get cheap supermarket food we're happy to overlook the caravans on the farmer's yard and who lives there.

Stupid house prices relative to wages are also compounding this issue. Lets not celebrate we're going Italian because 30 year olds can't afford to move out of the parental home.

I am a blue blooded Tory as well and this is one area I think the country has gone backwards massively since the 90s. Pushing lots of people to make severe compromises due to how expensive a roof has become.

And if people choose to live like that then its up to them. Why spend 50% of your wages on rent and another 40% on travel simply to work?
Back when I was at uni it was common enough for 6 or 8 students to share a house. Rent of say £350 a month between 7 people.... £50 a month, £600 a year....

Heck, a chunk of people move back in with parents rather than go independent too soon. Low rent, several people living together....
The idea of people living in large premises by themselves or just as a couple is a modern one in the UK.

The caravans on the farmers yard? Living how cheap?

If our own labour laws are broken then report the people concerned. However nothing to stop a half dozen people on a grand a month income each living in a £10 a week each place.....

 

[SillyBill]

And if people choose to live like that then its up to them. Why spend 50% of your wages on rent and another 40% on travel simply to work?
Back when I was at uni it was common enough for 6 or 8 students to share a house. Rent of say £350 a month between 7 people.... £50 a month, £600 a year....

Heck, a chunk of people move back in with parents rather than go independent too soon. Low rent, several people living together....
The idea of people living in large premises by themselves or just as a couple is a modern one in the UK.

The caravans on the farmers yard? Living how cheap?

If our own labour laws are broken then report the people concerned. However nothing to stop a half dozen people on a grand a month income each living in a £10 a week each place.....

Really, you shared a flat at uni? How interesting, I think I may have done as well, actually.
You are of course dead right as always, incisive in your analysis, they choose to live that and we should be okay with their choices. Bunch of wasters if you ask me.

 

[Scottishgifts4u]

We’ve got a hand car wash locally that I use if I’m feeling lazy.

6 quid a time is what they charge and are usually doing at least one other car when call. They use local labour (I’m trying to be diplomatic here). It never seems to be the same workers each time so they either have a lot of them doing different shifts or have a high turnover.

It’s been there quite a few years and they have expanded out to another couple of nearby towns. The guy who runs it is ex army and it doesn’t seem to be a front for anything but then again I wouldn’t know a front if I tripped over it

They also do valeting / mobile valeting which is another angle you might like.

So in my opinion in this area they seem to be able to make it work.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Slaves here illegally do not get paid lots of money.
Family members may work for lots less than normal

And some have additional services.

I worked in a hand car wash for a few months once. Owner had a bunch of contracts with garages, taxi firms and businesses plus drive by customers that were charged highest prices.

I was thinking of minimum wage in terms of enforcement. How come you can run a very open business - no kitchen to hide in - and not be exposed to a knock on the door? The car wash 500yds up the road from my unit has a dozen guys working in full view of the road.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Is this another post made up by persons unknown to encourage discussion?

Kris Smith the opening poster, joined on Sunday, posted at 10.07am on Sunday and hasn't been seen since?

He is not alone

 

[AllUpHere]

If people want to live together like that then up to them.
It is good - and was common enough when I was younger even in British culture.

Back when I lived with my parents I had 2 jobs, my older sister had 2 jobs and we both paid something towards the household bills. Think I was paying about 40 percent of my net pay. Plus parents worked.
My wife says in her parents household it was the same - the adult kids living at home paid a chunk of money towards living expenses. Wife paid 25 quid a week of her 29 pounds yts income. When she got a retail job she gave 250 a month out of 450 wage.

Oh Mr D, you really need to get out more.

The guy who rented the house from us turned up to the appointment with a bloke who looked a lot more like the hired 'muscle', than a friend who'd just given him a lift. He mentioned that the heating didn't work, but that it didn't matter because he didn't let the guys living there use it anyway. He also mentioned that if any of them had caused any damage he'd 'make them pay' which sounded quite ominous in his harsh Eastern European accent.

That's what you get when you let a letting agent find tenants for you.

 

[pkpolymers]

Body Car Wash Sir. That is your niche.