Pattern for success...
Good and thorough planning is perhaps the most important step toward building a successful business. First, you must determine if you really want to be in the vehicle wash business. Businesses that specialize in serving the motoring public are often prone to long hours of operation in all kinds of weather. Given that absentee ownership has many risks over and beyond the normal establishment of a business, plan on being married to the business to a large extent. A good accountant or consultant will be able to assist with the business plan, budgeting and cash-flow projections. Naturally, you will want to be conservative in your outlook. Developing a working relationship with a good banker and a competent attorney is also very important. Ask your contemporaries, who operate a successful business themselves, for suggestions.
Location, Location, Location!
Perhaps the single most important factor for the success or your new car wash location. Many factors add up to determine if a location is viable for a car wash operation. These include traffic counts, speed limits, area demographics, surrounding businesses and distance to the nearest competitor among other things. If you build a car wash in a location that doesn't have enough potential customers to support it or build it right down the street from an already successful competitor, all of the money and equipment in the industry won't help make you profitable. Many people in the car wash industry use traffic counts as a measure to the potential success of a car wash site. Rittiner Wash Systems offers you a FREE CARWASH SITE ANALYSIS
Investing in Car Washes
Investing in a car wash, with or without one of the car wash franchises, is a great way to put your money to work. Your car wash franchise can be open 24 hours a day, making you money while you sleep.
Competition for customers is fierce among food service providers, with a glut of choices that make it hard to make a buck. Not so among car washes and car wash franchises. Trends in auto ownership favor the car wash business. People are investing more in their cars and taking better care of them. Your car wash business will make it easy, fast, and convenient for your neighbors to care for their cars. A car wash is a cash business, with no receivables.
You don't have to be lucky to be successful in the car wash business! Our assistance in evaluating sites coupled with supplying the right equipment and chemicals and providing "world class" service make identifying and managing a potentially profitable car wash site more science than art. That means less risk for you.
General Steps to building a Car Wash
The following is a list of the typical steps you will follow when building a self-serve car wash. (Proper zoning is assumed.)
1) Speak with car wash equipment supplier for general budget numbers for cost of car wash equipment and ancillary equipment. Speak with contractor for general construction budget. Complete site analysis questionnaire for return on investment estimates.
2) Obtain a water, sewer, electric and gas availability letter from local utility authorities.
3) Select equipment supplier.
4) Work with local architect/engineer and equipment supplier to discuss local building codes and necessary utility requirements.
5) Architect/engineer draws complete set of building plans.
6) Submit plans to city for permitting and to potential contractors for construction bidding.
7) Finalize equipment order and select building contractor.
8) Obtain building permit and start construction
9) Make application for utilities... gas, electric and water/sewer.
10) Complete construction and install car wash equipment.
11) Utilities turned on and car wash equipment started up.
12) Obtain occupancy permit and open your car wash for business!
Rittiner Wash tends to appeal to the independent sort, the investor who wants their own business, the person who likes to run the show themselves. We don't make up the rules for success, but we know which rules work, and we'll share them with you.
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