Cleaning cars?

[thanetspeedshop]

Let me state right from the get-go that I'm not remotely interested in cleaning my own car,let alone cleaning other people's for a living, but what got me thinking was:

A friend of mine has a small dry-cleaning business, with a little Berlingo van used for daily collection rounds. I look after this van mechanically and have been recently doing some kerbside repairs; service, wishbone bushes, a little body-work, etc., and I can't believe the number of people who've come up to me asking if I offer a mobile service and what I charge - no, not for mechanical work, but for car valeting.

The van is fully sign written ('M*** M******* Valet Service'), but it also has a picture of a steam iron and then goes on to say something along the lines of 'dry cleaning, alterations, curtains, ironing, etc.' so these people obviously ain't too bright, but it must have happened half a dozen times in the couple of days that I had the van.

Now I live in one of the country's most depressed areas, so most of these people were pikeyish chavs with blinged up Vectras, so it made me wonder how there could be much demand for car valeting when everyone round here, myself excepted, drives such horrid cars. I always own filthy dirty cars meself, never really see the point of washing them, but I guess I could see how some of you'se lot on here with proper, nice cars would keep them clean. It's just that I don't get it for the people round here.

Anyway the Poles always seem to be busy in their numerous local hand-washes and there's often a queue in the garage jet-washes, so I guess my question (finally) is do I buy a cheap van, fill it with gear and put someone out on minimum wage mobile car-valeting for me?

Any thoughts?

[singlecoil]

thanetspeedshop said:

so I guess my question (finally) is do I buy a cheap van, fill it with gear and put someone out on minimum wage mobile car-valeting for me?

What you need is a way of trying it out without having to invest too much. Maybe hire a van for a month, hire some equipment (if it's needed) get an unemployed friend to do the work. See how it goes.

[Simpo Two]

Someone was selling an entire valeting business (van plus all gear) on here recently.

[Chris_OCR]

Simpo Two said:

Someone was selling an entire valeting business (van plus all gear) on here recently.

Yup, Kieran AKA Sidekickdmr

[markcoznottz]

How many were genuine enquiries though? - mobile valeting seems to attract an audience, its a difficult trade to ply well, despite it looking easy, it isnt.