How to start a professional car wash business

In Nigeria, there are manufacturing businesses that require the actual production and delivery of physical products, at the same time there are also non-manufacturing businesses  that do not require any type of production whatsoever. Most times these non-manufacturing businesses come in the form of rendering services instead of delivering physical goods. The shocking fact which is easy to understand is that this category of businesses require less cost for maintenance because production costs are entirely
eliminated and stress is also reduced to some extent.One good example of such interesting businesses in Nigeria is Car Wash. A car wash is a business or job type that offers physical car cleaning services and car body maintenance. Besides the efforts spent on cleaning and washing of cars brought here, it is a quick business and a very profitable one. Some car wash, have over 20 cars to wash daily and on weekends, the number multiplies. Over half of private car owners in Nigeria prefer the services of Car Wash to Home wash and cleaning, why is this so? This is because these establishments are acclaimed professionals whose only intent is to see your car neat
and get paid for it, as a result they are committed to their course.

Would you like to start a professional car wash service in Nigeria? Here is what you should do!

1... Rent a good workshop
A car wash usually requires a large area, at least one that can accomodate 10 cars at a go would be a very nice place to start with. Most times its an open place, but if you can, I'll advise you rent an enclosure, a fenced yard. This is because this reflects
professionalism in a more better way, also it reduces the possibility of car hijacking and external theft of people's items from their cars since they would be leaving their keys behind for you to do the cleaning with, there is every possibility that you might just for a minute leave the car open to go get some stuff from your inner workshop and something gets missing on your return. So a fenced yard though not usually the case would be a perfect idea.

2... Hire skilled workers
Most definitely you'll need assistance even if you
started off alone, willing workers would come to apply or worse yet when the work gets serious, inarguably you'd need more hands, yes you'll need workers. However, not just any type of willing worker would do. From the onset you need to scout for diligent workers, people who are not lazy and inasmuch as you shouldn't be a perfectionist, you still need people who would accomplish their tasks in a near-perfect manner. Good job speaks for you, if you do not do satisfactory jobs, clients would leave and never return and it wouldn't even count if it were your workers who did a bad job, it'll certainly rain on you
as the master and owner.

3... Find the best cleaning agents
For every cleaning activity, there are prescribed agents for best cleaning effects. For instance while trying to clean off a floor covered with black oil or engine oil, the best solvent to use is Diesel oil because it dissolves the heavier Oil and makes it absorbable, while trying to wipe off the floor neatly of fresh paint stains, petrol or gasoline is a perfect solvent for dissolving paint completely so your choice of cleaning agent depends on the cleaning activity in
question. You may need to contact other existing car wash centres to inquire what type of solvents and cleaning agents they use for best effects, getting the average from a poll of 10 answers would be a good insight. However, if you see the direct approach as a problem, you could carry out an indirect research by sending your car to different car wash centres for cleaning and with the pretence of being in a hurry, you stay back and carefully observe what mixtures of cleaning agents they make use of.

4... Print complimentary cards and inform friends
Now because we're trying to run this in an official way, we need to implore all necessary avenues for officiating this business. Firstly I do not know for sure if you need a license for this if you need to register with some union but what I do know is that you need to be legally occupying wherever it is you're establishing on to avoid legal trouble from the landlord. Secondly you need complimentary cards to give to people you know or people you meet while trying to tell them what you do, especially car owners you come in contact with. Do not overlook this, your friends who are car owners are the very first set of
persons you should start cleaning Cars for. So inform them long before you actually start up, it makes it no more news when you finally request they bring their cars to patronize you.

5... Charge slightly below average for a start
Lastly, here is a strategy for quicker acknowledgement and more patronage. Assuming the majority of car wash centres around you charge per say N1, 500 per washing service, if you could charge N1, 200 per car wash service and still make enough profit to sustain you and your workers, it's a very good way to start. Believe me, as long as your services are good, you could even end up charging N2, 000 per service with time but that would be after your clients must have been impressed gently by your work. And remember you would even be having more number of cars in your garage then which means more money. The reason for lesser charge is to attract clients and prove to them that you can do better.

Ogbaragu Michaels

Best regards