How to start a Car Wash Business, Complete Guide

There is something viscerally satisfying about seeing and riding in a clean, sparkling vehicle. While most people enjoy that feeling, some enjoy the feeling of allowing people to experience that feeling even more. Those who do, gravitate toward working at or running a car washing business. Because it is a deep market, a car wash business can be both lucrative and rewarding, but running one, as with any other type of business, comes with its own set of challenges and imperatively needed knowledge.

So how does one determine what kind of car wash is best for them to run, start a car wash business, and run it successfully? Let’s take a deeper look into everything you need to know about how to start a car wash business.

The 10-Step Plan on How to start a Car Wash Business

Step 1: Getting Things Up And Running

Before starting any business there are 4 primary areas that you need to determine answers to:

• What startup and overhead costs are involved?
• Who is the target audience you are looking to service?
• What will you be charging for your services?
• What will your car wash business be called?

These are all questions that require answers before any further action is taken. It is quite a bit of work to go around collecting this information, but don’t worry, we have done the hard work for you. All you have to do is concentrate on this helpful guide to get your car wash business off the ground. So, let’s get right to it.

Startup And Overhead Costs

The type of car wash business you open will be the primary factor in what your startup and operating costs are. Let’s organize and review each type of car wash by the level of operation.

By-Hand Car Wash (Level 1)

This level is not hard to get off the ground as it entails only a few hundred dollars of operating costs. The costs include:

• Monthly water supply (about $20)
• Buckets ($10/each)
• Soap ($20)
• Squeegees for windows ($10/each)
• Sponges ($10/each)
• Chamois ($10)
• Promotional flyers to promote your business (about $50)
• Signage ($75)
• Industrial dry & wet vacuums ($100)
• Shade cover ($150)

Self-Service Car Wash (Level 2)

The investment in a self-service car wash is significant, requiring about $200,000 in start up costs. These may vary based on the location of the car wash, however. These expenses include:

• Self-Service equipment ($50,000)
• Building for operation ($100,000)
• Signage ($2,500)
• Deposit and payments for the rental lease. Assume that the average cost per square foot is about $5, multiplying that by the total square footage will get you the lease ($5,000 per month), plus assume a $10,000 security deposit.

Car-Detailing (Level 3)

Car detailing is a supplemental service offered by many touchless or automatic car washes. Operating a manual car-detailing business outside of being in tandem in a car wash is not practical, so the two are usually offered together. The business has a higher necessary investment level but also generates higher revenue. For a car-detailing car wash, the following expenses will be required.

• Monthly water supply ($20/month)
• Buckets ($10/each)
• Soap ($20)
• Car Wax ($25)
• Window Cleaner ($25)
• Water Repellent ($35)
• Leather Restorer ($30)
• Chrome Polish ($25)
• Armor All (treats various surfaces including tires) ($50)
• Air Freshner ($20)
• WD-40 ($50)
• Window squeeges ($10/each)
• Sponges ($10/each)
• Chamois ($10)
• Promotional flyers ($50)
• Industrial wet & dry vaccums ($100)
• Signage ($75)
• Shade Cover ($150)
• Pressure-wash cleaning equipment (for engine and undercarriage cleaning) ($500)

Automatic Car Wash (Level 4)

Because this requires a much bigger operating space than a traditional self-service car wash, an automatic car wash requires a significantly higher level of investment (up to $500,000).

• Automatic car-washing equipment ($250,000)
• Construction of car wash building ($200,000)
• Signage ($5,000)
• Deposits and lease payments if renting the facility space. With $5 per square foot being the average cost and a facility that will require at least 5,000 square feet of operating space, it will require $25,000 in monthly rent, with two months ($50,000) as a security deposit.

Touchless Washing (Level 5)

Touchless car washes are the premium level of the car washing industry. They utilize automatic car wash equipment, but also employ multiple hands-on attendants. Because the only interaction with the car involves employees using gloved human hands and soft cloths, many luxury car owners find this to be the most attractive car-washing option.

It is more cost-effective and simple to purchase and refurbish an existing facility than invest in building a new one, as the start-up costs of a brand new one can run over $1 million. To get a touchless car wash off the ground you will require:

• Touchless car washing equipment ($250,000)
• Signage ($25,000)
• Construction of facility ($500,000)
• Lease payments and security deposit. These facilities average about 15,000 square feet, with $5 per square foot at the average cost, owners are looking at $45,000 in monthly rent and a 2 month ($90,000) upfront security deposit.

Car washes on busy streets with lots of automobile activity are a double edge sword for operators of car washes. On the one hand, this area is likely to generate the most interested customers who are passing by, but on the other, the rental costs are more significant than being on off-peak, less busy streets.

It is important to remember that car-washes need plenty of operating space even if they are a small facility as they require ample room for cars to pass through the wash and have an area where they can pull off to be dried. At the very least a typical car wash requires 5,000 to 10,000 square feet of space and will cost anywhere between $10,000 to $50,000 per month. That means that in order to run a successful business and turn any sort of profit, the car wash will need to service a minimum of 100 cars daily, charging a minimal rate of $10 per vehicle.

Operating Expenses

There are many expenses to consider in terms of operating a carwash, but the most significant is the utility of water. Water is expensive, and in some places is in high demand due to perpetual shortages (California for example). That means that car washes have to conserve water by reusing it. But before reuse, water needs to be pumped through a filtration system. That means the water needs to have a way to drain into compartments from which it will be filtered and refill the tanks used for water dispensing during normal car wash operations.

Water is not the only component to consider in car wash operating expenses. With a lot of equipment operating at a near-constant rate, electricity is also used excessively and is therefore expensive. On top of that, a car wash needs attendants and operators to function, and they need to be paid wages that are competitive enough to keep them in those particular jobs.

Having said that, the following costs will be tied to operating a successful carwash at various levels.

Hand Car Wash (Level 1)

The number of cars serviced monthly will be the primary determinant of the expense levels in this case. For instance, the monthly expenses to wash 50 cars will be approximately:

• Water ($20+/month)
• Soap ($15)
• Flyers ($50)
• Replacement of worn-out equipment ($25 to $50)

Self Service Car Wash (Level 2)

The expenses you will incur with this type of car wash will include water, electricity, rent, and equipment maintenance, and overall amount to anywhere between $5,000 and $7,000 per month.

Car Detailing (Level 3)

When including car detailing with your car wash, you should expect expenses of about $135 per month as in a traditional car wash, as well as $150 of additional supplies. If you work side by side with another business that performs that detailed work, you may need to incur additional fees for that maintenance.

Automatic And Touchless Car Wash (Levels 4 & 5)

The monthly expenses of operating either an automatic or touchless car washes include:

• Anywhere between $10,000 and $25,000 in monthly rent
• Paying out $5,000 to $12,000 per month in labor
• Depending on the part of the country of operation, between $2,000 and $3,000 in water cots.
• Supplies ($2,500 per month)
• Electricity depending on operation volume ($3,000 to $5,000)

Turning A Profit By Catering To Target Market

Much like many other businesses, car washes aim to develop a repeat customer base. In other words, they aim to serve those who like cleaning their cars on a regular basis (weekly, for example). By servicing repeat customers, the car wash is assured a steady income stream. The car wash charges a base rate for a basic wash, while other upgraded and more premium services can be offered to clients. These include air fresheners in cars, car waxing, and other additional detailing services that are the most expensive supplemental services car washes offer.

How Much Do Car Washes Charge Clients?

Simple hand washes typically run between $5 to $7. Those using self-washing equipment typically spent $1 to $2 for a 15-minute cleaning or vacuuming session. Overall, the expectation for an average expenditure by self-cleaning customers is about $2 to $4.

Automatic car washes charge about $10 per vehicle, but most customers typically select some type of additional service that runs closer to a $15 charge. The extras may include freshener application, tire treatments, waxing, and interior cleanup. Touchless car washing services tend to run abiotic $20 per car, with additional services boosting the price to $30. The most expensive car detailing place will charge between $50 and $150 depending on the number of additional services selected.

Profit Margins

The breakdown of revenue that can be earned through the various car wash types boils down to the following:

• About $7 per car in a hand car wash
• About $3 per car in a self car wash
• About $50 to $75 per car in a car detailing the station
• About $10 to $15 per car in an automatic car wash
• About $12 to $18 per car in a touchless car wash

With automatic car washes being the most prominent type, let’s dive a little bit more into the revenue numbers from this type of venture. Let’s assume that the automatic car wash in our hypothetical is serving 100 cars on a daily basis while charging an average price of $10 per car. This would yield a gross revenue of $1,000.

Subtracted from that will be the cost of labor for workers doing an 8-hour shift, totaling $60 per hour, resulting in $480, as well as $120 in employment taxes. Supplies will cost about $25 per day, water will run about $75, and electricity will also accrue about $200 in charges. When these numbers are added up overall and insurance charges (typically $2,000 to $3,000 per month are subtracted), on a daily basis the profit margin of an average automatic car wash breaks down to about $220 per day.

Car washes with a modest degree of success earn around $6,600 monthly, but the location of car washes in busy traffic areas can greatly increase those profits to up to over 10 times that profit amount.

So how is a car wash at any level make their model more profitable? It all comes down to doing more. A hand car wash can offer additional detail work, a self serve car wash can open multiple locations, and a car detailing place can partner with high-end luxury vehicle dealerships and hotels to provide services for the customers.

For automatic and touchless car washes, the way to increase profits is to add more services to the locations. One successful idea was to offer dry cleaning services at the car wash locations while selling snacks and fast food is another. After all, clients are waiting around for an average of 15 minutes for their car wash to be done, which is plenty of time to grab a quick bite.

Another interesting idea is to contract with car dealerships to was their vehicles at night. Car washes do not get a lot of attention at night from the public but dealerships need the cars on their lots and in their showrooms to look attractive and pristine to prospective buyers at all times, so washing the cars for them is actually a great way to handily boost profits. These are tactics often employed by higher-end car washing services.

Naming A Car Wash

This may seem like the simplest step of all, but it could, in fact, be one of the toughest. Choosing the right name for a business is vital to a business’s success. It’s also not as easy to come up with a great name as some people erroneously believe. If you need an idea for how to figure out a great name you could check out the documentation of how to name a business or use a car wash business name generator to get some great ideas.

Those running a sole proprietorship may wish to operate under a particular business name, and the steps for that process will be offered in this DBA guide. When looking for a business name, make doubly sure that there is not already another business with this moniker as this can create business and legal headaches in the future. To seek out this important piece of information to check state and federal business trademarks and social media platforms for the presence of similar names.

Any contemporary business will most certainly require a web domain (Grab yours from Namecheap), so it’s important to check for the availability of the one you want before settling on a name. When you seek out a domain name, remember you are not alone in looking for it, so grab it before someone else does instead.

Step 2: Secure All Legal Entities

As a business of any sort, you must protect yourself against lawsuits that may arise. In such a case, you must choose the legal representation of your business structure, determining if your car wash is a sole proprietorship, an LLC (limited liability company), partnership, or corporation. By registering as an LLC or a corporation, a business can be sued, but not its owner as the business is operating as a legal entity, assuring that the lawsuits cannot hold the owner personally liable.

When legally branding your car wash as an LLC you can either higher a great LLC service for a small supplemental fee, or you can pay out the minimal LLC fees to the state of the car wash’s operations.

Step 3: Prepare For Taxes

No business can operate without paying appropriate state or federal taxes, which means before moving forward, you must set up and fill out the form for a free EIN (employee identification number). This is a simple process and you can follow an easy set of directions to get everything set up.

The business structure you registered as in the legal acquisition will dictate what your small business tax picture will look like. LLCs, for instance, being taxed as an S corporation might find that it makes financial sense to do so. Depending on your state of operation, you may have specific state sales taxes applicable to your business.

Step 4: Set Up Credit Stream And A Bank Account For Your Business

To protect personal assets, it’s important to set up designated banking and credit lines for your business. If business assets are tied with personal ones (home, vehicle, etc.), there is a significantly greater risk of sustaining losses if a business is sued. In legal business terms, this is referred to as piercing the corporate veil.

By opening a separate credit and banking line for your business, corporate assets are walled off from personal ones. This not only grants financial protection but simplifies matters for taxing and accounting purposes. Getting credit cards and aligning your finances behind the name of your business (rather than your own) can get you multiple perks like higher credit lines, better interest rates, suitable business credit cards, etc., making it vital to learn how to get business credit.

Business Credit Card

Once a business qualifies for a business credit card, setting up an account with one (or more) is very important to continue to build good credit history. Notably, it also separates business expenses from personal ones of business owners, which creates a way to keep expenses separate.

Step 5: Business Accounting

Business taxation does not have to be a nightmare, and it is assisted greatly by keeping diligent track of all business expenditures and sources of income. In doing so, a business can have a clear and comprehensive picture of its performance.

Step 6: Permit And License Acquisition

One of the biggest risks to a business is the improper management of necessary permits and licenses. Failure to acquire these properly can lead to significant fines and even the inability to continue to operate a business. There is a multitude of requirements on this front for car washes, so it is important to thoroughly understand them all.

State & Local Licensing Requirements For Businesses

Car washes must acquire a wastewater permit from NPDES according to the Clean Water Act of 1972. Certain states also mandate their own requirements for car washes and those can be found on this SBA permit and license reference.

Other local ordinances may apply to a car wash business as well. Checking with the local city/town/county clerk’s offices would be the next appropriate step to getting this information. This can be found through SBA’s license and permits directory.

Labor Safety Requirements

There is a multitude of labor safety regulations that include (but are not limited to) identification of hazards, reporting of workplace injuries, and taking the appropriate safety precautions when working with potentially dangerous equipment. A full list of occupational safety and health administration requirements can be found here.

Certificate Of Occupancy

Any business operating out of a physical location (as a car wash does), must obtain a certificate of occupancy. Sometimes referred to as a “CO”, this certification confirms that the business is abiding by all government regulations and zoning laws, as well as affirms that all building codes have been adhered to.

There are some distinctions in terms of CO acquisition that depend on whether the business leases operating space or purchases the property. If lease payments are being made to a landlord, he or she is responsible for the occupancy certificate acquired. Any car wash business in this situation should confirm that the landlord has the proper CO for a car wash to operate from the business’s intended location.

Additionally, if there are any aspects of renovation required by the car wash, a new certificate of occupancy may need to be acquired. When this is the case, it is recommended that language is included in the lease that states that a business will not owe lease payments until a fresh certificate of occupancy can be acquired.

A car wash business that is not leasing property, but acquiring it and building the business on it is responsible for attaining the certificate of occupancy for the business, after reviewing all of the zoning requirements, building codes, and local ordinances, as well as assuring their compliance.

Step 7: Business Insurance

To protect a company from major financial losses (assuming coverage is applicable), every business must acquire business insurance before operation can lawfully begin. There is a wide array of business policy options to choose from for insurance purposes, with great dependence on the type of business in question. The most common coverage for most businesses is general liability insurance, and it is the coverage that most businesses typically start with.

Worker’s Compensation Insurance is another commonly state-mandated insurance that businesses that have an employee workforce are required to have, so state-specific guidelines for those should also be reviewed.

Step 8: Establishing Branding

Every business requires a brand. This will be the representation of the business’s values, what they stand for, and what clients will ultimately recognize the business by in order to set it apart from competitors. The visual representation of a business’s brand is its logo. For help in designing a logo for a business, check out Fiverr or Canva Pro.

car wash business card

Here are a few suggestions for what you could include on a business card for a car wash:

1. Business name and logo
2. Your name and title (e.g. owner, manager)
3. Contact information (phone number, email address, website)
4. Address and location of the car wash
5. A tagline or brief description of your services (e.g. We offer a range of wash options for all types of vehicles)
6. Special offers or discounts (e.g. 10% off your first wash with us)
7. Social media handles (e.g. Facebook, Instagram)

It’s also a good idea to make sure your business card is visually appealing and easy to read. Consider using a font and color scheme that reflects the personality of your business, and make sure all the information is organized in a clear and concise way.

Best Tools to create a car wash business card:

Canva and Fiverr are both good options for creating a business card for your car wash.

Canva: is a graphic design platform that allows you to create a wide range of design materials, including business cards. It has a user-friendly interface and a wide selection of templates and design elements that you can use to create a professional-looking business card. You can sign up for a free account or upgrade to a paid plan to access additional features and resources.

Fiverr: is an online marketplace that connects freelancers with clients who need design work done. You can find a designer on Fiverr who specializes in creating business cards and work with them to create a design that meets your needs. The cost of a business card design on Fiverr will depend on the complexity of the design and the experience level of the designer you choose.

Both Canva and Fiverr are convenient and cost-effective options for creating a business card for your car wash.

Promoting And Marketing A Car Wash

It takes more than just opening a new car wash to have cars start showing up. It is very possible that most drivers already have a car wash they use or prefer, so winning them over or at least giving them a reason to try something new is pertinent to getting a new car wash business off the ground. Various car wash levels will require a slightly different approach in how their business is promoted and marketed.

Hand Car Wash (Level 1)

Word-of-mouth referrals are the best bet. Satisfy several customers and they will tell others about their positive experiences, which will, in turn, bring in new customers. An even better idea in getting these types of referrals is by providing a discount card for existing customers to give to friends and family to secure potentially new clientele. Doing local “meet and greet” work and talking to residents of local businesses is another way to get a business’s name out there. Partnerships with other local businesses are another fantastic idea for securing new customers.

Self-Service Car Wash (Level 2)

Because these businesses require the customer to wash and vacuum their own vehicles, there is less of a need for a team of employees to keep on the clock. This also means that the car wash business can keep open for 24 hours a day. When such businesses are positioned in areas with significant traffic, prospective customers may stop by at more hours and enjoy the convenience of attending the car wash whenever they wish.

Car Detailing (Level 3)

Because this type of car wash business typically seeks out clients with luxury vehicles, a great strategy is to partner with businesses that host clients that are most likely to drive such vehicles, such as five-star hotels for example. Offering guests to have their cars cleaned and detailed overnight so they wake up to a fresh, sparkling vehicle would be an attractive offer to many clients.

Automatic and Touchless (Level 4 & 5)

These car wash businesses can use any of the above outlined promotional methods. The only difference is that they use more sophisticated equipment, which in itself could be a promotional point highlighting the quality of the final result.

Securing Returning Customers

Promotion and marketing are great for bringing in new clients, but the real key to a thriving business is to convert them into repeat customers to secure future business. One way that a car wash business can keep customers returning is by tying a discount in with their promotional strategy of clients referring other clients. For instance, a discount card can be distributed identified by a particular number.

If a client refers a friend or family member to the car wash, that client gets a free car wash if a reference is used. This will not only assure that the client comes back for a free wash, but it will make them more likely to keep promoting and advocating for the particular car wash brand, as well as coming back to the business for repeat services.

Another method is to offer a free car wash after a predetermined number of paid car washes. This is in essence a program that rewards a client’s loyalty for coming back to this car wash, securing repeat business. Repeat customers are the lifeblood of any business, and in terms of the car wash industry, those car washes located in areas with lots of snow, dirt, or pollutants can make serious business gains by performing good services to customers who need their cars cleaned weekly.

Step 9: Set Up Website For Business

Once the brand and logo have been developed, it’s time to set up a business website for your car wash. This tends to incite a level of panic among people looking to start a car wash business because they feel that they are out of their element when it comes to building websites. But with how far website building technology and tools have come in the last 5 to 7 years, the unfamiliarity with website building is just no longer an excuse.

Building your car wash business’s website is not something you should even consider delaying for several reasons. For one, it’s essentially a requirement for any business hoping to survive in this day and age. Some business owners like to pretend that having a Facebook and LinkedIn profile is comparable to having a website, but these methods pale in comparison to having a website dedicated to the business specifically.

Finally, there is no need to hire a web designer or even learn to code. You can create your own website with few clicks within 2 minutes using Bluehost , then you will need a great looking Theme from Eleganthemes, after that get some professional Plugins that will help you in your SEO and keywords ranking with the use of Thrivethemes. Every website business needs an email list to engage with your audience and increase sales, for that Aweber is the best choice. Now, you have to write some great content talking about your business but you need to target low competition keywords, Long tail Pro will do the job for you.

Your business needs some traffic that will be transformed to future clients. Get UNLIMITED traffic to your website or funnel now by “Claiming a FREE Copy of the ‘Underground’ Traffic Playbook to Get Hundreds Or Even Thousands of Hungry Buyers to Your Car wash Website and your first Funnel.

Step 10: Business Phone Setup

Owners not looking to get flooded with business calls on their personal lines are advised to set up a business phone line. Not only does it free business owners from a constant torrent of phone calls at all hours of the day, helping separate their business life from their personal one, it also helps to legitimize and automate their business, as well as giving a consistent contact number for clients to contact them.

How is this done? Well, there are quite a few companies out there who offer the services of setting business phone numbers up, which business owners can contact to get these services taken care of.

Who Is The Car Wash Business Best Suitable For

To illustrate the journey of someone getting into the car washing business, consider this story of a once-wealthy businessman from Myanmar who was robbed by the jealous government of the native country of his wealth secured from selling bird eggs, a national delicacy. Left in financial ruin, he made his way to America with nearly no money to his name.

The only job he could land in the US, without speaking English, was as a dishwasher at a fancy restaurant where he impressed the owner with his dishwashing skills. One night, the owner, using sign language, asked if he would wash a car. Having previously owned a luxury vehicle in Myanmar, a poor country where anyone seldom had the resources for such an acquisition, he knew how to maintain and clean the vehicle well. Knowing how to wash his own car in the past helped him out when he did a stellar and impressive job on the owner’s car as well.

The patrons of the restaurant typically stayed for 2 to 3 hours when attending, which gave the dishwasher an idea. Once again, utilizing sign language he inquired with the owner about the possibility of washing the cars of the customers while they dined at the fancy restaurant. The owner considered this a great opportunity for diversifying the services offered at his place of business and gave his patrons the option of having their vehicle washed while they ate.

He incorporated this into a promotion of free car washes for restaurant attendees. No longer was the man on dishwashing duty, he was now relegated to washing the vehicles of those customers who wanted to take advantage of the offer.

The result was a success. Those who had their cars washed were very satisfied and tipped the valets even more than usual for their perfectly cleansed vehicles. Portions of those tips went to the Myanmar man, as the popularity of the restaurant grew.

So what is the moral here? It’s actually quite simple. The only thing that ultimately drove this story’s success is that the Myanmar man loved washing cars. And just for the record, this is not a theoretical story. The Myanmar man is very real, his name is Mr. Tan, and after learning English he went on to become a millionaire by setting up two prominent car washes in California. And all that it took was the love of washing cars to spark this level of success.

A Typical Day At The Car Wash

So what does a typical day at the car wash look like? Let’s take a look at this through the prism of the car wash types again.

Hand Car Wash (Level 1)

• Get the attention of cars on a busy street
• Assure you have ample supplies and a way to recoup the supplies when they run low
• Try to partner with businesses in prominent areas to get them to refer car owners to your place of business.

Self Service Car Wash (Level 2)

• Daily checks to make sure all of the washing, vacuuming, and waxing stations are operating correctly and reliably.
• Emptying coins earned on the previous day from the coin boxes drivers used to pay for cleaning their cars.
• Reloading the bill exchanger with coins, as many customers will need to insert their dollars to get coins back in order to you the machines.
• Assure that the operating facility is in tidy shape. No one will want to wash their car at a filthy carwash. Not taking care of the space is very self-defeating in that sense.

Car Detailing (Level 3)

• Assure the supplies are in ample stock to take care of not only washing the car but also keeping it tidy inside.
• Assure that a reliable team of workers is on the staff to be certain that they show up on time and do a good job in serving the customers.

Automatic Car Wash (Level 4)

• Assure that equipment is in working order.
• Replace any parts that are worn or not working properly.
• Make sure there are adequate supplies on hand.
• If the car wash utilizes automatic money or coin boxes, they will need to be emptied in order to place the funds in the bank.

Touchless Car Wash (Level 5)

• Assure equipment is at an optimally working state.
• Assure you have ample supplies to get through the day.
• Assure ample, knowledgeable, professional staff is present to attend to the clients.

Skills And Experience For A Successful Car Wash

When the service provided is either of the hand-washing or car detailing variety, it helps to be a sociable, gregarious person who has an easy time reaching out to and interacting with strangers (potential new clients). Self-serve, automatic, and touchless car washes very much rely on the convenience of their location because that is how vehicle owners find out about those businesses.

It should go without saying that the services provided should be nothing short of excellent, with clients given all the attention they need. If they drive away with a positive experience, they are far more likely to tell their friends about the car wash, earning that business more prospective clients to work with.

Car Wash Growth Potential

When more than one location is available for a hand wash or car detailing car wash business, there are more possibilities of clients being convenient enough to stop by across various locations. In all other terms, having one centrally located, highly visible location might be sufficient, but if the first one is very successful, opening a second one can boost the profits even more. However, it is important to open multiple locations far enough apart from each other to keep them from cannibalizing each other’s business prospects.

The Next Steps

Armed with all of that information, it’s time to take the next step to open a car wash business. But it is important to remember certain vital steps to help become an effective business owner:

• Business Mentor: Experience is the key to success, so it’s important to connect with free business resources to assist in securing a connection to a mentor who has been through the trials and tribulations of starting and running a business. By reaching out to a free business resource, a new business owner can become part of a network that will be there when times get tough or new, difficult situations call for advice from someone with loads of experience.
• Resources For Women: In some respects being a business owner and a woman presents a bigger challenge. Luckily, Startup Savant has put together these essential Women In Business documentation to help bolster women’s success on both a personal and professional level.
• Team Building: To have a successful business, one needs a team of employees or partners that will help get the job done. The need for the type of team varies based on the car wash level.
  • Level 1: One person can get the business started, but getting assistants can make the work go faster and more cars can be attended to.
  • Level 2: While no formal staff is actually required for a self-service car wash, it is important to remember that maintenance staff must be on hand to tend to the equipment quickly in case of a malfunction. Additionally, the upkeep of the business is important for the optics of customer perception, so hiring part-time maintenance crews may help a busy owner who cannot perform such cleanings 2 to 3 times a week on their own.
  • Level 3: While working solo is possible, traditionally car detailing businesses do not operate quickly enough with just one person, so it helps to have a staff of at a minimum of three people, one to work on the insides of cars, while the other two work on the outside. Three people can do the work more rapidly and efficiently, but if the business receives additional clients, a bigger team might be called for.
  • Levels 4 & 5: A team of at least 6 people is required to operate a commercial car wash efficiently. Workers for these types of businesses are not difficult to come by, and they typically get paid minimum wage plus tips. A good place to find potential employees is in the form of students from nearby colleges. Touchless car washes do require a bigger team, typically necessitating at least 12 people or more depending on the volume of cars services on a daily basis.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, starting a car wash business requires careful planning, a solid understanding of the industry, and a willingness to invest time and resources into the venture. From choosing the right location to purchasing the necessary equipment and developing a marketing strategy, there are many factors to consider when launching a car wash business.

Frequently Asked Questions: