Starting my own business....any advice?

[Raging Squirrel]

Got my first business workshop booked for next Wednesday, and bumped into an old mate today who said if I needed a labourer then I could give him a shout, which is always good

 

[Raging Squirrel]

Got approved by Natwest for a business bank account today. I've got my first business workshop tomorrow which will help me with any grants or funding I may be able to get. My business cards, flyers, letter heads and company logo are all designed and waiting for ordering. Things are starting to move forward. Hopefully I can stop referring to myself as being unemployed soon.

 

[fossyant]

Great stuff. Remember keep all receipts, get a file etc. ask if unsure, as there are a few professionals here.

 

[Raging Squirrel]

will do, and i'd just like to thank everyone who's posted on this thread, your advice and support has been brilliant and helped me a lot.

i'll update the thread as more progress happens.

 

[Raging Squirrel]

Just an update from being to my business workshops.

Well, everything has changed. I've done some research and it would appear that fitting new suspended ceilings only really applies to new builds or business location renovations, the ceiling materials are now of such a high standard that even after 10 years they still look clean and crisp.

It also looks like building maintenance companies are usually responsible for replacing tiles, which is easier than opening a can of spam. I don't think there is a viable business just in doing the ceilings on a small scale, and to train in lighting would mean doing a sparks course, or paying someone to come in and sign off the work, and I don't think a contractor would sub contract the task out to a new and small company. So, after doing this research in depth, I've decided to shelve the ceiling installation business idea.

However, a couple fo years ago I wanted to start a business up, but didn't have the facility to do so. I've been thinking about it over the weekend, and woke up thinking about it this morning. In the workshop, the mentor mentioned the same business in an example of business growth and control, and it hit me that this is something I could easily do, and as it involves one of my hobbies, it'd be ideal.

I've decided to start a mobile and/or static car valeting business. I have always been into cars, and take a lot of pride in detailing (cleaning) my own car with the best products. It's something I know I can do, and it's something that I'm good at. I already have products that I can use, as well as a really good pressure washer so I already have an advantage. I've got a friend in the same business a few towns away who could help me set up, and being a bit of a petrol head, I have a large circle of acquaintances who I could offer my services to.

I was talking the idea over with my girlfriend and my parents, as well as others in the workshop course, and everyone, once I'd explained the in's and out's of the business, were really supportive and feel that this line of work would be more suited to me. I know it's a complete turnaround in what I was going to start with, but I really think that this business would be more sustainable and enjoyable for me.

 

[screenman]

As somebody who is very closely involved with the motor trade I will tell you that line of business is the lowest you can do, valeters are now down lower than £25 per car. The valeters are having to compete all the time with unskilled labour, which is where you are now, I suggest getting on as many courses as possible that are run by the chemical companies etc.

Petrol heads like you call yourself clean their cars themselves, the market is not there.

Main dealers now paying £14 for a full valet and an extra £5 if it wants machining, go figure who is doing the work.

High end detailing, now that takes a lot and i mean a lot of skill.

I own the businesses and do the training for people trying to get a leg into smart repair, it is not easy I hope your sales and marketing skills are top notch.

Good cheap business, try window cleaning, be reliable and good because most are not. You can buy a semi established round for a few quid or build your own. Add on extra cleaning jobs like inside windows, carpets, kitchens, new cleans etc. Old cleans for estate agents and lots more. the benefits of this is the fact you can earn 12 months of the year. How many people want their car valeted in the winter, not many that is for sure, I know guys that go pacing shelves during the Xmas months and they have been established for many years.

Not trying to put you off, just being a realist.

 

[vernon]

Four of my brothers have been involved in the car trade at various levels. All four of them eschewed valeting as a primary source of income - two of them after trying to make a living from the activity. Good weeks could be very lucrative but they were rarities.

 

[screenman]

Here is an example of my work which is PDR, small golf ball sized dents takes 15 minutes work £50+VAT Dent Devils charge £75+VAT.

Windscreen chip, the major companies pay me £45 a time takes 25 minutes and I always have 2 on the go at a time.

My valeting pals charge £25 use a lot of materials and take 3 hours per car approx.

Vernon lucrative meaning? I know very few that could make £500 per week, which is certainly not lucrative in today's world.

Whatever the guys does he as to be able to sell and sell again, marketing is the key. I know of many in fact a lot of very skilled craftsmen who do not earn their potential due to week sales ability.

 

[Archie_tect]

In Newcastle every closed down petrol station forecourt seems to have teams of East Europeans working hand car washes for between £3.50 and £6. They get through a lot of cars but there are teams of them all working fast. No doubt the boss is making money or they wouldn't be doing it but it looks cold, hard work.

 

[swee'pea99]

Think odd niches that take a degree of (not easily replicable) skill, and/or a modest but significant investment in kit. A friend of mine got into cleaning awnings for restaurants/bars/shops. He bought in special tools & chemicals from America, did a training course, then drove around in a van popping into anywhere he saw that had an awning. Got work with no difficulty, made a fair livelihood. Or train to do dog grooming. Dog groomers seem to be permanently busy, and they charge a fortune. Basically, as others have said, it's hard to make any kind of living doing something anyone can do - there'll always be someone hungrier than you. It only takes a little bit of skill to see off 98% of the competition; add £1,000 in upfront investment and you've seen off pretty much all of the rest.

 

[Raging Squirrel]

As somebody who is very closely involved with the motor trade I will tell you that line of business is the lowest you can do, valeters are now down lower than £25 per car. The valeters are having to compete all the time with unskilled labour, which is where you are now, I suggest getting on as many courses as possible that are run by the chemical companies etc.

Petrol heads like you call yourself clean their cars themselves, the market is not there.

Main dealers now paying £14 for a full valet and an extra £5 if it wants machining, go figure who is doing the work.

High end detailing, now that takes a lot and i mean a lot of skill.

I own the businesses and do the training for people trying to get a leg into smart repair, it is not easy I hope your sales and marketing skills are top notch.

Good cheap business, try window cleaning, be reliable and good because most are not. You can buy a semi established round for a few quid or build your own. Add on extra cleaning jobs like inside windows, carpets, kitchens, new cleans etc. Old cleans for estate agents and lots more. the benefits of this is the fact you can earn 12 months of the year. How many people want their car valeted in the winter, not many that is for sure, I know guys that go pacing shelves during the Xmas months and they have been established for many years.

Not trying to put you off, just being a realist.

Thanks for your reply

I've put this question to a few people, one was my mentor who says he has a lot of experience with valet businesses, another was a friend who has a valeting business, and another is an acquaintance who set up his girlfriends valeting business up in the North East, and all 3 said that they have work 12 months of the year and there's just as much work in winter as there is any other season. The guy in the North East also has a detailing supplies website tied into the valeting business, and I know for a fact that they are raking it in (the girl has just bought an Audi S3, then swapped it for an Audi TT-RS and an A5).

I am talking about higher end detailing eventually once I'm established, there's courses with Meguiars, Chemical Guys and Dodo Juice that I'm currently looking into with regards to full machine polishing and paint correction.

 

[Raging Squirrel]

In Newcastle every closed down petrol station forecourt seems to have teams of East Europeans working hand car washes for between £3.50 and £6. They get through a lot of cars but there are teams of them all working fast. No doubt the boss is making money or they wouldn't be doing it but it looks cold, hard work.

I understand what you mean, but I wasn't planning on this route of the business, although there is a guy a few towns away who has a massive (if not one of the largest) house in the town and he owns the local Hooters hand wash, nice big house with a nice Merc S500 AMG on the drive, so he clearly has the right idea and gets the guys to work out in the cold while he details the Lamborghini's in his heated unit haha

 

[slowmotion]

It's going to sound trivial, but the best bit of advice I was given is this......don't scribble things down on bits of paper and hope that you will file them later. Buy a stack of ring binder spiral bound notebooks and write all your lists, doodles, ideas, etc etc in there. Write the date at the top of the page every once in a while. That way, everything is in one place. You could always use a laptop, but it means lugging one around.

 

[Raging Squirrel]

Think odd niches that take a degree of (not easily replicable) skill, and/or a modest but significant investment in kit. A friend of mine got into cleaning awnings for restaurants/bars/shops. He bought in special tools & chemicals from America, did a training course, then drove around in a van popping into anywhere he saw that had an awning. Got work with no difficulty, made a fair livelihood. Or train to do dog grooming. Dog groomers seem to be permanently busy, and they charge a fortune. Basically, as others have said, it's hard to make any kind of living doing something anyone can do - there'll always be someone hungrier than you. It only takes a little bit of skill to see off 98% of the competition; add £1,000 in upfront investment and you've seen off pretty much all of the rest.

The area where I live has the potential to pull in a lot of clientele due to the facilities the town offers. There's a huge amount of offices, warehouses, transport companies and such in a 4 mile radius, so I would hit these areas with marketing to try and pull in some clients.

I think I have the experience and knowledge to get some good marketing ideas working for me, and will be getting some decent funding to get me started.

 

[Raging Squirrel]

It's going to sound trivial, but the best bit of advice I was given is this......don't scribble things down on bits of paper and hope that you will file them later. Buy a stack of ring binder notebooks and write all your lists, doodles, ideas, etc etc in there. Write the date at the top of the page every once in a while. That way, everything is in one place. You could always use a laptop, but it means lugging one around.

good advice

i'm an ex document controller so dealing with anything hard copy is my forte, and my girlfriend has OCD when it comes to anything that needs organising but she says otherwise