new idea

jamesy08

Hi All,just looking for some input into a new idea i have,I was renting a warehouse 7 miles from the city,where i was building swingsets,small garden sheds,etc,and i was also washing cars out the back,just to get a bit of money in,in order to get customes up to my warehouse,i spent a lot of money advertising on the papers,etc,so during the xmas period,i located another warehouse,this time very close to the city and on a very busy road,so i upped and moved there in jan/feb,had to refit the warehouse myself,so that cost me a bit,but have it all done now,i put a few swingsets out the front,but because of the R...... word,sales have been very slow,and weather not helping,last week i put a small sign outside saying we now do car wash.valeting,and i got quiet a few cars into the yard,plus we can also do the valeting indoors if the weather is bad,do you think its worth pushing the car wash big time,small ad in the paper,flyers etc,and really shove it,there isnt many competitors on my road,one or two garage machines all right,but no hand car wash.

niceirishfella

If you can do cars/valeting etc, and turn hard cash doing it, why not.

Idea, contact the local radio station and do a contra for wasing all their cars/jeeps or vans etc every week in exchange for some airtime/sponsorship on air to promote your bizz.

DubTony

Good stuff. Responding to the market needs is the way forward. Remember, Nokia used to make toilet roll.

antoinolachtnai

Is it a business? I mean, have you done the sums and can you actually make money doing it after you have paid your staff, yourself, your suppliers and the taxman?

jamesy08

Yes,I can run it as a business,ive already bought all the chemicals,have my vat receipts,wash money will be entered in the books,my employee is on the books,

wyndham

Few things come to mind:

Insurance situation- As the nature of your business has changed, be careful to inform your insurers and amend your coverage in relation to public liability, etc.

Water Bills- Is the premises metered? You could have a nasty water bill.

Do/could you offer something for the customer to do while their car is being washed? Have a couple of newspapers/magazines? Free pot of pour-over coffee on the go and some disposable cups costs very little, but is appreciated by a lot of people.

I'd say the key would be to build up a hardcore of regulars, the kind of people who get the car washed religiously every Sat/Sun/whatever, whether it needs it or not. To assist in this, a little loyalty card that you stamp may not be bad idea. You see them a lot in sandwich/coffee places.
Every 5th carwash free. Won't really cost much as most of the time people lose them anyway.

Few flyers wouldn't be a bad idea, design and print yourself, offer say 10% off with the flyer. Deliver them yourself or have a trusted person do it- you don't want them ending up in the nearest bin.

niceirishfella

Good advice; re your water charges.

byrne0f56789

If you are making a return on the cars then go for it. Fair play to you for being flexible enough to follow the market. That's the best form of market research.

MB74

If you are going to do flyers or an ad you need to have a hook. Maybe for the lads have the tv on sky sports or video of Leinster beating Munster (:D). Something to make you different, or even a pinball machine or something not too expensive for you. Also make it that when they do come to you they leave their wallets behind, coffee machine, papers, internet, etc....