Mobile Valeting Business

[alexbilyk]

HI. I would like to start MOBILE Valeting business but don't know where to start.maybe someone had this business, What earnings can I have?

Thanks

 

[gordano]

I am guessing you know your business in terms of pricing and profit margin per job so it is down to marketing and how many customers you can find.

This is not my business area but I see a mobile valet company has just started at our business park - about 100 companies and 1000 + employees with cars. They seem to be here most days cleaning cars so maybe you could target a business park with leaflets and an introductory offer to win some business.

 

[Gaskell]

You reap what you sow, it takes a long time to build a decent customer base, like everything else I suppose

HI. I would like to start MOBILE Valeting business but don't know where to start.maybe someone had this business, What earnings can I have?

Thanks

 

[S-Marketing]

You reap what you sow, it takes a long time to build a decent customer base, like everything else I suppose

I dont agree with that i'm affraid. The reason valeting companies are started by people with little business experience is because its a fairly easy business to get right. I reckon it would take about a fortnight to get enough clients to do it profitably full time.

 

[Goonersmatt]

Valeting of any sort is an extremely good way to get a business of your own going. as people get to know you better you will start drumming up more business with people that have come to you telling relatives and friends etc.

word gets round quick these days.

Good luck! just search around the internet for a starting point i wouldnt really have a clue about mobile valeting.

 

[Gaskell]

Are you speaking from experience or do you just 'reckon'?

I dont agree with that i'm affraid. The reason valeting companies are started by people with little business experience is because its a fairly easy business to get right. I reckon it would take about a fortnight to get enough clients to do it profitably full time.

 

[Shay]

From what I see these valeting companies are set up very quickly and the majority of them within weeks are fairly busy.

If it were me targeting companies in their own car park would be my first port of call. Might be able to slighty reduce a price just to get a volume deal.

 

[Homshaw]

Lady in the next door office had a son who started a mobile valet business while at uni

He wrote a mister site website over a weekend, ordered and dished out some leaflets with the help of his grandfather and was busy within weeks

I think a lot depends on personality. One thing about car valeting is you can't lose a fortune

However I think I would favour a window cleaning round. Once you build up two weeks work you go back and do it again and it has a resale value

Maybe both at the same time would be better still

 

[sinclairsea]

This is not my business area but I see a mobile valet company has just started at our business park - about 100 companies and 1000 + employees with cars. They seem to be here most days cleaning cars so maybe you could target a business park with leaflets and an introductory offer to win some business.

Agree, tesco's, carparks etc are full of them. There used to be a one in my gym (haven't been for years lol) car park as well.

If you are going mobile then leaflets to companies, factories etc saying you will come a certain day, if anyone is interested then call to book etc

It's a good line of work and an honest day's wage. I know people that have had them and done well.

It depends how much equipment your purchase as to what you offer and price thereon. Example - basic clean and hover or waxed to gleamed like new

Good luck

 

[S-Marketing]

Are you speaking from experience or do you just 'reckon'?

I know for a fact. I do the marketing for all different types of businesses every day of the week. I also own several businesses myself.

Valeting is like mobile catering, cleaning and garden maintenance businesses, its done by novice business people because its a very easy business to start and run.

I would guarantee that I could get a valeter enough work within a fortnight.

Just looked at your profile. Didn't realise you were a valeter when I originally posted, no disrespect intended, but I stand by what I said.

 

[Sproston]

Earnings? Depends how much you charge, and what your service is. Just wash? Wash and wax? Wash wax full interior clean? Do you clean tyres and alloys as part of the service?

With all respect, you don't seem to have a set pricing structure in mind; you need that before anything else.

Places I'd recommend you go to drum up business:

- Offices/Industrial Estates. Leave flyers in receptions or under people's windshields. To be honest, if I was getting my car valeted, I'd want to get it done when I'm in work, rather than thinking 'I cant go out on Saturday morning, valeters coming around'

- Car showrooms. If they've just got some wet behind the ears apprentice doing the washing, you can pitch them on the basis you're a professional who does a tidier job. If they're outsourcing to another valeter, give a competitive quote.

 

[Gaskell]

I know for a fact. I do the marketing for all different types of businesses every day of the week. I also own several businesses myself.

Valeting is like mobile catering, cleaning and garden maintenance businesses, its done by novice business people because its a very easy business to start and run.

I would guarantee that I could get a valeter enough work within a fortnight.

Just looked at your profile. Didn't realise you were a valeter when I originally posted, no disrespect intended, but I stand by what I said.

It's ok, I do agree that it is a very easy business to start up and you can build a customer base quickly just by simply door-to-door leafleting. Initially, the first thing I did was go out and personally deliver 5000 leaflets, it was very monotonous and I got bitten by a dog but I got a decent amount of business, I'm still getting new customers through now.

Leafleting is on par with Adwords for me at the moment, both generate a lot of customers in my area.

 

[eclipse valeting]

i did valeting a while back, and prices in my area (east anglia) are on average £80 for a full valet (wash, leather, clean wheels, tar removal, polish exterior paint and glass, tyre dressing and exterior plastics, pressure wash under arches, interior requires hoovering and clean if required, interior glass, and plastics but not too much shine, try satin dash shine, rooflining, dont forget to clean the boot and spare wheel) it takes on average 2-3 hours to do a top job mobile, static is faster as you can have a regular routine and everything is to hand and be cleaning another car whislt waiting for one to dry etc, you need to remember that quality products cost quality money, and sometimes it can cost as much as £10 in materials to clean one car, that on top of insurance, fuel for van and generators etc. once you include alln your costs you will probably be looking at making na £50 pre tax profit on an £80 valet, so any cheaper and it really isnt worth doing as you will probably only earn £10-£15 per hour, and thats not a good amount to run a business, remember you need to make more than you need to cover unforseen things happening, and also be making a decent profit to invest it back into the business.

its a hard game to get right, at the end of the day, the products you use are only half of it, YOU need to do a stunning job, if you can, then you WILL get lots of work and charge good money.

 

[colin_mckellar]

My son runs his own car valeting company and has built up his business through hard work and word of mouth recommendations. It is not a cheap start up if you are going to do it properly. He made the mistake of buying Silverline products initially and they all broke down continually and it took a lawyer's letter to get his money back. He then bought Honda equipment but that costs big bucks. He was almost £1,000 for the pressure washer and £400 for the wet/dry vacuum. Expensive but they do work. There is also a Honda generator so overall his equipment bill runs to four figures.

Another problem is the weather. If it is heavy rain or extremely cold then he cannot do all the work that he should.

He also recently bought a new van so that he could project a more quality image rather than the bucket and sponge brigade that work out of an old Transit.

 

[eclipse valeting]

yes, professionality is the key, as is a good image, i would say start up would cost £5000-£6000 if you get decent kit and a decent van, you could buy a cheaper rougher looking white van as they seem to be cheaper, then get a full body wrap for about a grand, that will look very posh and get byou work, just keep it cleaned and polished regularly.

on top of that 5-6k you need to plan for advertising, maybe have a half page spread in your local paper letting people know you are starting up, maybe offer a 10% discount coupon in the paper or better still, offer a free paint protection voucher, that way you still get the full valet price,

also try flyers either placing them under car wipers in car parks or through letter boxes, try knocking on peoples house while your putting them out and introduce yourself, you may drum up sales.

i would put aside at least a grand for start up ads.

 

[topo]

hello everybody,

I am interested to run this business(mobile car valeting) in East England, I am only bothering if this type of business can be run on a daily basis.
Someone with experience in running mobile car valeting can confirm that after advertising a while you can build a customers data base for which to clean the cars in a regularly basis(for example once a month) ?

thanks

 

[Bish bash bosh]

I dont agree with that i'm affraid. The reason valeting companies are started by people with little business experience is because its a fairly easy business to get right. I reckon it would take about a fortnight to get enough clients to do it profitably full time.

You reap what you sow, it takes a long time to build a decent customer base, like everything else I suppose

How much would a specialist marketing professional person charge to assist with the challange of gaining initial business for my mobile valeting company

Many many thanks

 

[SERVALNET]

I own a Detailing and valeting startup network. Feel free to ask me any questions

 

[Spongejockey]

Starting / running a valeting business is harder than most think, the start up costs are high, trying to get the business takes time, It's hard work for little return by the time you take your operating costs into account.

J

 

[Mitch3473]

Starting / running a valeting business is harder than most think, the start up costs are high, trying to get the business takes time, It's hard work for little return by the time you take your operating costs into account.

J

If you have found that that's the case then you're doing it wrong. The thread is 7 years old btw and the OP will by now have tennis elbow and rheumatism and will have sold it on.

 

[H&B Torbay]

You have to decide what group of costumers you would like to deal with. Try,for the area you are offering your services, to spread flyers and leaflets to the costumers that would actually use your services. Is going to save you a fortune on the long run

 

[Ashley_Price]

@H&B Torbay - Just to give you a heads up, the original question was asked in 2010!