From the initial planning stages to the grand opening of a new car wash, there is a lot that has to happen. We’re going to address 7 of the most important elements in starting a new car wash business.
Building Design – Whether you are going to build a modern express wash, a luxury hand-wash, or a few automatic wash bays, a good design is important. You want a good flow of traffic through the lot and a comfortable waiting area for a luxury wash where drivers will be getting out of the car for a time.
Getting Capital – A business plan is an important part of getting your car wash off the ground. You need to convince a bank that you are a reliable borrower. That may mean displaying a diverse portfolio, especially since turn-key car wash construction can come in at $2-3 million plus land costs.
Lot Acquisition – Where you choose to locate your wash can make or break the business. Will drivers have easy ingress and egress to and from the lot? Are you in a high enough traffic area to get a driver to pull in for a quick clean?
Car Wash Construction – Now you get to see your vision come to life. The construction process is one of the longer stages of the project and involves major choices such as the car wash equipment you will use.
Employee Hiring – Once you have a car wash, you need people to run it (unless you plan to be there yourself 24/7 – but that’s not how most car wash owners operate). Developing a handbook with employee guidelines is important so you can ensure your customers get the same experience regardless of who happens to be working that day.
Marketing Your Business – As with any business, a car wash is only as successful as the number of customers it brings in. Your marketing plan is vital for helping people to find out about your wash and convincing them that yours is the best in town.
The Grand Opening – Schedule this for a few weeks after opening so you can work out any of the bugs (like an unruly employee) before your big celebration. This is a great opportunity to showcase your car wash and convince car owners to become loyal customers.
Have the Pros Design and Build Your Car Wash
Car Wash Pro Designers have been designing, building, and managing car washes since 1991. Put our first-hand industry expertise to work for you and get the best possible start for your new investment.