Cleaning cars for a living might not sound glamorous but it could be the start of an incredibly lucrative career if you turn it into a business. Welcome to the world of car valeting – a world where you can be your own boss and where the barrier to entry is little more than a few simple cleaning supplies and a lot of ambition.
Becoming a car valet may appeal to those who want to spend time working with cars and have a passion for delivering excellent customer service. If you think you might have a knack for keeping cars spotless with a smile and you want to set up your own full-time business, here are some tips on how to get started. But let’s start with the basics.
What is car valeting?
A car valeting service either travels to a customer’s home, workplace or specific parking location to clean their car inside and out and can offer everything from a basic wash and wax to full interior cleaning and even painting if you have the tools and the skills. It’s a business with very few startup costs and is ideal for young people just out of school trying to get a foot on the first rung of the career ladder. And with millions of cars on the road, your customer base is practically limitless.
Make sure you have the right skills
To be a car valet full-time, you need to be meticulous and have a keen eye for keeping things spick and spotless, as well as having the desire to offer a high standard of service to customers. If you are the kind of person that leaves a job half-finished and can happily call it a day, valeting probably isn’t for you.
Be covered
For this kind of work, you will need insurance so that you are protected whilst carrying out your job and are safe in the knowledge that you have a financial backup should anything happen. Taking out motor trade insurance for your business is highly important and being able to declare you’re insured should also help customers take you more seriously.
Sort your gear
As a bare minimum, you’ll need to supply your own cleaning supplies. This means a solid, portable, battery-powered vacuum cleaner, a range of soaps and sponges and different waxes that are suitable for different exterior bodies.
Grow your customer base
One of the best ways to be successful when first starting a business is to tell local people about it. Begin by asking your friends and family members and hopefully, they’ll spread the word. Then consider setting up a social media profile and distributing flyers and business cards. Your business will only be as successful as you make it, and you won’t be able to scale unless you build a brand for yourself.
