# Detailing Jobs...



## Clio1990 (Jan 10, 2009)

Why is it so hard to find a job within vehicle detailing! I am a qualified technician for Mercedes and i am just fed up, this is what i want to do but just can not get into it! 

How have you's guys done it?


Luke


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## byrnes (Jul 15, 2008)

Started from the ground up mate, thats how all the guys on here started.
Its not as easy as it seems, think about washing cars all day every day, a lot of work will be just simple valets to start with. Its not easy on the old back as well.


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## Clio1990 (Jan 10, 2009)

Yer the problem is paying for everything that i have at the minute. I mean i do a bit on the side at the weekends, but it will never be enough to live on. It would be nice to get a job with a proper company to be trained up, but i just cant see myself being that lucky!


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## The_Bouncer (Nov 24, 2010)

Long hard slog - check out the supporters interviews on here.

You never stop learning - did my first valet in 85, then worked with TVR through mid 90's - I'm still learning to this day.

Ooops - just given away the fact I'm an old b.....d - lol


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## dooka (Aug 1, 2006)

Hill and over pop to mind for some strange reason ..


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## The_Bouncer (Nov 24, 2010)

qstix said:


> Hill and over pop to mind for some strange reason ..


hahahaha > the old boys still got it > ( Ish ) :thumb:


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

i was thinking of starting up in a year or two, need time to save up the cash as i don't want to go into debt and have that pressure to get work..

basically since i moved back home i have no bills other than my car insurance and £25 for a contract phone. 
so for the first year or so would only be hoping to earn enough to cover the cost of van insurance and the relevant insurances (public liability ect)


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Is hard mate, and now seems harder as more and more people are doing it.

I started in 2005, with a old M regd rusty Ford Escort van with a water tank, generator and bags of enthusiasm.

Went door knocking round industrial estates in Manchester, generally getting told to sod off, but peristed and got a small client base.

Built on that fow a few years and as I had machine polished for years before I started offering polish jobs and high end valeting.

By 2008 and the old van dropped off at the scrapper I had build it up to mainly higher end stuff and paint correction. So I ditched the water tank and just used my estate car.

By 2010 I was trading as a respectable detailer, doing trade work, smart work for sdtone chips and window tinting.

2011, moved into a unit with my mate who does other car related services, plus tinting. So I kind of put tinting on hold for now and am happily detailing undercover as well as mobile.

In a nut shell, I nearlly gave up and went back plumbing, as £6 a wash was not making me a living. I persisted and now my companies turnover was £52k from April2010/March2011. I hope to do £70k this year with some investment in wheel refinishing spray and finishing equipment. Then the year after....well who knows!!! Open a chain of touchless automatic car washes with detailing studios attached??????

If you are a persistant person and can take rejection, then go for it.


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

well done steve :thumb:

great success story mate.


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## The_Bouncer (Nov 24, 2010)

CraigQQ said:


> well done steve :thumb:
> 
> great success story mate.


+1 :thumb: > hard work does pay off - tho I can imagine just how many times the towel was nearly thrown in..

Back to OP > my reckoning to 'Start' properly with van/insurances/equipment - earmark 7 - 10k before you earn a penny :doublesho


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

Sportscarprotection on here are doing franchises for Circa £10k, gets you all the training you need and lots more, I think he's still doing it.

I'll try find the link.


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=210418

Could be one way of doing it.


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## Doc943 (Mar 27, 2011)

A great success story for a small business and really nice to see. Clearly belays the years of backache and stress but l hope the OP takes heart that hard work, a modest investment and a lot of good luck is still possible now a days.


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

dedication is important.. building the reputation..
its not, build a website with a fancy name and there will be a line of ferrari's at your door the next day :lol:

hard work pays off, and perseverance, hard work and skill got steve to where he is :thumb:


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## Bel (Mar 1, 2011)

> Why is it so hard to find a job within vehicle detailing! I am a qualified technician for Mercedes


I'm not sure being a qualified tech will help. It won't hinder of course, but it doesn't bring anything to the job you're looking for.

Most detailers are one-man bands, so jobs - especially paid jobs - will be hard to come by.

The main reason for that is that they are their own brand.

They might have a company name, but for the most part by the time you get past the £5 Tesco car park wash, it's the individual behind that company name that makes the brand.

That means it's nearly impossible for most of them to trust anybody else, no matter how well-intentioned or skilled, to do the job.

And if they DO trust somebody in that way then they do so in the full and certain knowledge that the person is just building his skill (and perhaps his client list!!) ready to go it alone as soon as he can.

So I can well understand why it's so tough to break into unless you're going it alone and have the sort of dogged perseverance, not to mention individual charisma, to really make that work.


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## R0B (Aug 27, 2010)

Mirror Finish said:


> Is hard mate, and now seems harder as more and more people are doing it.
> 
> I started in 2005, with a old M regd rusty Ford Escort van with a water tank, generator and bags of enthusiasm.
> 
> ...


 a good example of some of what is involved touching on the many knock backs involved steve which people dont seem to factor in when deciding that the life of a detailer is the one for them.
excellent that your dedication payed off,well done.:thumb:

i undertake the detailing for one of the traders on this site and most of my mates assume its a steady stream of high end cars and supercars etc however the reality is that yes cars like this are worked on but it most certainly isnt always a 80k top motor booked in and its hard work to boot which isnt really acknowledge by many as something to be considered when starting out.

Again well done Steve a success story ,good on you mate


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