First of all, let us clear the air and explain the difference between car valeting and detailing. Car valeting refers to the process of cleaning, polishing, and waxing a car. This is to help you maintain the ever-new kind of look.

What about detailing? Car detailing has to do with the cleaning and restoration of a car to the point it also looks new. So what is the huge difference between the two?

Car valeting narrows down to cleaning wheels, shuts, dressing exteriors, paintwork, etc. At times a clay bar may be used to get rid of paint contaminants for example bird droppings and tar spots. Hard to reach areas are also cleaned leaving the car ready for a showroom appearance. Interior areas such as the seats, dash, carpets, center console, and such are thoroughly vacuumed.

The Market Is Ripe For Valeting Business

There is a growing demand for mobile car valeting service providers. We are living at a time where people value the time spent in every activity plus nowadays, everyone has no option but to multi-task. Mobile car valeting is not only convenient in terms of location but it also offers higher quality service as compared to a general carwash. Having a professional pulling up to your home is more appealing especially to people who mind their motor vehicle investment. Car valets in the Uk can make around £600 – £800 weekly.

Here’s a simple calculation. A valet can charge about £30 depending on the size of the car. It could take them an hour or so to work on which means theft could work with 30 cars per week. This is not a bad amount. A car valeting business owner determines their work hours and if it is a mobile service, then it is easier to establish rapport with your customers and build a client list of regular customers.

There are several different services a mobile car valeting business can offer to increase its revenue. The job is flexible which means you can choose when to work. This allows you to handle manage a huge customer base with ease.

There are more car owners today than a decade ago. This means that car valeting potential is at its peak. You will have competition but remember, every seller has a unique selling point plus it is an industry that has been shown to be performing well.

 

Starting Your Mobile Car Valeting Business

You will need to determine what you need and what the law requires you to meet in order to run a mobile car valet service. You can opt to use your savings or get a loan at a friendly interest rate. Car valeting isn’t cheap but neither is it expensive.

 

Plan every detail

Planning is the most important thing. The first thing in your plan is checking up your competition. If the competition is stiff this means that you have to put in double effort in your setup. You will have to invest in marketing plus find out or create your unique selling point. Having too much competition does not make it impossible to run a mobile car valeting service but you really need to put in a lot of work. If you are operating on a shoestring budget then paying for marketing may seem hard. You can opt to conduct a Google search for competitors. Type in the name of your local area and all car valet services will pop up. Check their sites and see what they are offering. Ask yourself what you can do better. Make use of Google My Business to advertise your business for free. Google is the best way to find new business that is not related to you via family and friends.

 

Profit margins

What do you expect to earn? A mobile car valeting business has the potential to earn you a lot of money. Customers are willing to pay and all you need to do is deduct the cost of the products you will use which leaves you with a strong profit margin. As a valeter, you require strong skills but training is not necessary. In case you want to expand, you can hire staff and offer a minimum wage or something above it.

 

Customer research

Now that you already know your competition, you will need to know who are your potential customers. You can also choose to specialize. There are car valeting services that only work with car dealership vehicles. Find out your preference but just note that there are pros and cons. Private customers are more profitable per hour, may offer tips, get you meeting new people and they rarely work from one place. The downside of all this is that work is not always guaranteed and it tends to be time-consuming traveling to different work locations every time.

The equipment

Gather all the necessary equipment. For a basic mobile car valeting business you will need the following:

• Van
• Petrol electric generator
• Cleaning Chemicals
• Vacuum cleaners ( dry and wet )
• Baffled Water tank
• Car valeting accessories (Electric buffing machine and snow foam lance )
• Steam cleaner

 

Start in your locality

Once you have all the equipment plus a van, you are good to go. Just ensure that you are well trained for the job. Do not drive to the next town to get customers instead talk to family and friends. You can even go ahead and set up a Business Page on Facebook including all your contacts. Ask your friends to like and share.

 

Work on your brand or start a franchise with us.

Have a brand that stands out. It could be your business name or logo but it should not be too hard to remember. As your van passes by, it should be easy to note you.

 

Upsell and offer incentives

There is nothing wrong with charging a little bit extra for an additional service, for example, machine polish. At times you may offer valet services that cater to a different vehicle brand. Customers cannot all be the same. Offer a free mini valet service for every referral that used your service. This is definitely a way of utilizing word of mouth as great publicity.