Start a car wash center
With weather conditions, daily circumstances and general car use, cars tend to get dirty easily, both inside and outside the vehicle. This, accompanied by the daily occupations of its owners who cannot dedicate themselves to its cleaning, leaves us as a result a problem to which a car wash center can respond and grow.
Full list of businesses that are service oriented
If the car industry catches your attention and you want to jump into one of the most profitable fields, then you should read this article to know how to set up a car wash center, let’s see.
One of the key points of a car wash center, after having fulfilled all the requirements of the project, the physical space and the opening of the premises, are the prices that will be placed for the different services that will be offered.
These depend on whether it is an external cleaning, an internal washing, a complete cleaning, an internal washing, or a complete cleaning that includes both the interior and the exterior. Also the price varies if other services are offered such as changing the tires, oil, polishing, among others.
Another aspect that can give added value to the car wash center, is a comfortable space that has internet access for the client to wait while the car is being washed. The key point of this space is the comfort of the area.
It is also very important to consider the image aspect of the business, so you need a name and logo that attracts and draws attention, that is special for people to remember.
How a car wash works
In a place that allows the entrance of at least one or two vehicles, we can install our business, counting on the main services of water and illumination to carry out each process, without leaving aside the equipment and products necessary for it. Since initially we do not need such high extensions of land, we can count on less personnel.
So, how do we start?
Get to know the business today
If you do not have experience in this type of business, then it is convenient to know the new trends, the new equipment being implemented and in general, how the sector is behaving with respect to customers, rates and movement of demand.
Washing center registration
To start incorporating our business it is very important that you first register the name of your business and know there all the procedures and licenses you need to get so that your business can provide the service according to the conditions of law. Each of these processes depends on the city or region where you are. Some of them can be:
Licenses for the use of land
Environmental impact of operation
Hazardous waste collection commitment
Use of recycled water and reduction of the volume of water used
Get the premises
Make sure that the place you buy or rent has easy access for vehicles to enter and exit. As we mentioned, it can be conditioned so that two cars enter at the same time to be washed. You must have the main sewage, water and lighting services to carry out the processes. We recommend you to be located in an area with high vehicle traffic to be more visible. However, try to be located far from similar businesses, far from the competition.
Equip your business
In addition to the services that the premises must have in order to provide the car wash service, your business must have other elements, such as: car cleaning equipment, foam machines, internal cleaning supplies, chemical products, carpet washing machine, microfiber gloves and personal protection, sealing machine, hydro washers, hoses, among others.
Select your staff
When hiring staff, you need to make sure that each person who is in the business knows about the procedures and uses of each piece of equipment to provide better service. This implies that you must have previous knowledge about the operation of the car wash center. To increase the quality of your service, you can send your staff to training sessions to improve the processes. When selecting your staff, take into account punctuality, efficiency, skill and attention to your customers.
Set your schedule
The weekends are the days in which the demand grows substantially because many people take advantage of these days of rest to clean their cars and start the week again, so we recommend on these days to make the day a little longer and with more staff to take care of them in each entry and exit of each car. During the week there is also demand and the schedules can be very varied, so you can start from 7:00 in the morning, provide lunch time and rest time to finish at 2:00 pm and you can even have a night shift.
Promote your business
To make your business known, in addition to the advertising installed on the premises, you can promote it with street signs that easily direct your potential customers to your car wash. It is also convenient to distribute flyers, notices and cards to drivers passing through the area to publicize the location and the service you offer. A good way to attract them is to offer a discount to first-time visitors, for example.
Requirements for starting at the Car Wash Center
First of all, a physical space is needed to receive the cars for the respective hygienic service, the space must have a space for vacuuming, washing and drying.
You can choose the type of car wash you want to set up, there is the conventional method that is to acquire a payroll to do absolutely the entire process of cleaning the vehicle from vacuuming the interior to washing and even polishing to add the service in the business.
Acquiring the permits and choosing the perfect location are advisable steps for this business, according to the country where you want to mount, the use of water may have legal limitations, as well as access to vehicles, so the location should preferably be in an open space that does not interfere with vehicle circulation.
Acquire the necessary equipment, if you decide to install an automated vehicle washing system or decide to follow the classic route of vehicle maintenance.
Advantages of having a car wash center
The automobile is a common tool in society today, so the user needs multiple services every day, including the cleaning of the same, which is why, the business of car washing represents an advantage, which can bring great profits during the day, due to the repeated need of the consumer to maintain the cleanliness of the personal vehicle.
In addition, there is public transportation that requires maintenance of cleanliness more often than a personal car. Therefore, the connection is logical with the presence of the car wash.
Once the investment has been made, this is a business that remains stable over time, due to the latent need of the common user, being one of the last to close in times of crisis, due to the high profitability that can be brought about by the use of the service.
Tips for setting up a car wash center
It is advisable to look for a good company that helps design and install industrial vehicle cleaning equipment, in this way you can save money in payroll, properly automating the service processes of the business.
Secondly, surround yourself with reliable people, in car washes you can have contact with people who do not have very good habits, so it is advisable to know well who to hire and which people to surround yourself with to avoid personal and legal problems.
It is advisable to locate the business near others whose field is similar, such as spare sales, gas stations or sales of miscellaneous for the vehicle, such as decorations or parts designed for adaptation.
Problems that can occur at a car wash
First, the cost of water service can be a problem, so regulations on the supply and use of the service for this type of business must be closely monitored.
Having a payroll always brings a percentage of problem since not everyone can always be happy with their working condition, so dealing with payroll can be a bit annoying, it all depends on the empathy you have when dealing with the human resource.
Security is another problem that can occur, because this type of business receives a diversity of customers in the establishment that can lend to insecurity, it is advisable to know how to choose a location to establish the local self-service car wash, it is also advisable to be close to other businesses dedicated to the car as spare sales, gas stations and others.
Another potential problem of having a car wash is that its success may depend on the geographical location, since the business may be seasonal. Also, if you operate a full-service car wash, you need to hire and manage employees.
Another factor to consider also includes the ability to manage cash flows. There can be good and bad seasons, so you need to manage money wisely. It is very important to know that, the business usually requires long hours of work and physical tasks, so a high level of energy is also needed.
Success stories
A successful case can be found in the car wash OLIVA S.A, with 31 years of experience in the maintenance and washing of vehicles, has managed to position itself as a transparent company in the world of automotive maintenance, located in Valencia Spain, being leaders in vehicle washing, having at the same time spaces of automotive maintenance and other departments, complementing the company as one of the many multifaceted in terms of vehicles existing in Spain.
This company, like many others, has proven to be successful in this type of business, given the massive need for vehicle maintenance, whose user does not have the time or the knowledge and strength to perform it.
Inconveniences that can appear: Locating us in an area that drivers cannot easily reach or see on their way in the vehicle, could mean the little arrival of customers and therefore, a loss of investment, so it will be necessary and priority to install the car wash center in a busy area or at least one or two blocks from main streets and roads.
Final recommendation: In principle, don’t look for a very large space that will take most of your investment in the first payment of rent or purchase. What we are looking for is to distribute correctly the money we have, so with a relatively small space of one or two vehicles, we can start to grow productively. Loyalty should be one of your main goals.