How To Start Mobile Car Wash Franchises From The Ground Up

Mobile car wash franchises can be one of the best businesses for entrepreneurs to gain experience running a business. It is a fun, profitable, and interesting business for those who exhibit business savvy. With the right location, great service and proper business marketing, you, as an entrepreneur, can serve large amounts of customers for large profits. However, just like starting any business, joining a mobile car wash franchise requires significant time and money commitments. Read on to discover how you can start mobile car wash franchises from the ground up.

Establish A Business Model

Establishing a business model and details such as pricing is often the first step in starting any business, and mobile car wash franchises are no different. Mobile car washes are great and practical for beginners because of the low overhead, allowing you to charge competitive prices. Additionally, this lower overhead leaves more room for your business to grow and add extra services. You will be spending a significant amount on your initial franchise investment. Therefore, choosing a business model specific to your needs and capabilities is imperative in ensuring your business remains profitable. Certainly, establishing a business model and pricing details is a first step in starting a profitable mobile car wash franchise.

Gather Proper Legal Documents

Ensuring the propriety of legal documents is a second step in starting a mobile car wash franchise from the ground up. Of course, these will heavily depend on your location. Some states may have laws restricting aspects such as where you can wash cars, where you can discharge water, and what chemicals you are allowed to use. Your franchisor should be doing 99% of this legal work, but knowing these laws will serve you well in your continued operations. In addition, many franchises have locations in many states with different laws. For these reasons, consulting with a local lawyer as well as hiring a CPA to ensure compliance may be a prudent decision. Surely, ensuring legal compliance is a second step in starting a mobile car wash franchise from the ground up.

Insurance Considerations

Making insurance considerations is a third step in starting a mobile car wash business from the ground up. This is also something that your franchisor should be handling the bulk of. However, there is a myriad of insurance types out there, so having at least general knowledge of the types affecting your business will help you navigate any issues. Garage Keeper’s Liability insurance is one of the most popular policy types for mobile car washes. It will cover you and your business while you are working on and in possession of a customer’s vehicle. Additionally, you will want to ask you insurance carrier to check the driving records of any potential employees before hiring. You or your customers may not want anyone with a questionable driving record behind the wheels of client cars. Definitely, insurance considerations are a third step in starting a mobile car wash franchise from the ground up.

Consider Your Competition

Considering and researching your competition is a fourth step in starting a mobile car wash franchise from the ground up. Do your best to get a feel for other local car washes. Ask yourself questions such as “how many customers do they have?” and “how are they marketing?” Figuring out the answers to these and similar questions will greatly help you develop free internet marketing strategies that will keep your franchise on top. However, you will be differing from most competition in a big way as a mobile car wash. You will be traveling to your customers instead of your customers traveling to you. For this reason, you shouldn’t worry too much about competition from established brick-and-mortar car washes. However, thinking about their marketing strategies and customer base will be a great boon to your own marketing strategies and customer base. Indubitably, considering your competition is a great fourth step in starting a mobile car wash franchise from the ground up.

Marketing Your Business

Marketing your new mobile car wash business is the final step in starting one from the ground up. Again, franchisors usually handle this, but that doesn’t mean you can’t supplement their efforts with your own. The best marketing plans usually include both distribution of physical flyers and other ads as well as digital ads on various social media platforms. Additionally, offering incentives for first time customers such as discounts will help to establish a customer base broadly. Contests on social media represent another great idea for engaging and establishing customers. Customers could enter by liking, sharing, or otherwise engaging with your social media marketing posts. Of course, marketing your new business is a final step in building a mobile car wash franchise from the ground up.

There are many ways to start a mobile car wash franchise from the ground up, and franchisors will do most of the work for you. However, you still need to decide on a business model and its specifics such as price. You’ll also need to stay on top of legal documents such as permits in order to navigate future issues better. For the same reason, keeping on top of your insurance policies is a prudent decision. Thinking about your competition and the best ways to compete with them will draw customers to you. Finally, marketing your business both physically and on social media will ensure that your business thrives. When wondering how to start a mobile car wash franchise from the ground up, consider the points above.