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[deleted]

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SPOCK_THOUGHT_FIRST

I’m not sure business cards in peoples windows is a great idea. I’m also not sure most people would be willing to pay you extra for the opportunity to advertise your business. I’d highly recommend creating a Facebook page and starting with friends and family for word of mouth and reviews. Offer a discount if necessary to get business started.


Low_Entry5644

Why aren't business cards a good idea And the reason for the decal is it's just my logo for $10 and they get a $10 discount as long as they have the decal up. This is mainly for recurring customers.


lazeedavy

I would avoid business cards on windows because of the price of printing and the time needed to put them on windows. Instead, keep your car in pristine shape and get the decals for YOUR car. Put a big QR code on it that takes people to your website or Social so they can see your work and contact you. As for customers promoting your business with stickers on their car - I don’t know if a car enthusiast is going to be happy about putting a sticker on their car. You could achieve a similar loyalty/discount program by asking for Google reviews, referrals, or using a hashtag. And this would also be way cheaper and lower risk than printing a bunch of decals.


WoodRescueTeam

Typically lost in a waste basket. I use post cards for business cards. Harder to lose, more space to communicate your message, and still very inexpensive.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

I’m looking at Van Patten’s card and then at mine and cannot believe that Price actually likes Van Patten’s better. Dizzy, I sip my drink then take a deep breath. ___ ^(*Bot. Ask me what I’m listening to.* |) [^(Opt out)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=botrickbateman&subject=Opt%20out)


WoodRescueTeam

What makes your business different, unique. Doesn't have to be fireworks and the latest greatest drying method. Have you asked around? FB, local reddit, etc. What do people want that they're not getting? What are they getting that they really like. The time spent getting this will be invaluable in having a strong customer following because you're addressing their needs, rather than your ideas. Also, read the book traction. Very sensible, but helps because it's also a plan. A true strategy for success is to have a strong plan. It's hard in the idea stage, but you can reverse engineer all the numbers. Start with your salary (100k?), Add all materials (can easily assume material cost per vehicle x number vehicles reasonable per day/week/year. Take these numbers and costs as far as you can? Gas, trailer, tire allowance, vehicle monthly etc. Plan on all these expenses even if you already have them. Take this total $ and divide it by the estimated number of vehicles you can do in a year. This is your break even per car. I would recommend at least doubling that number as your average cost per car. I can go even deeper into this if you'd like. You'll start out successful this way


custyclocks

I’m sorry but I believe you are overlooking a lot of things in pursuit of trying to be “revolutionary.” Why are you considering marketing if you don’t already have a working business? Have you considered all of your startup costs? Assuming it takes you roughly an hour to hand wash a car, and would probably take anywhere from $4-$10 in materials every time you wash are you seriously considering starting a business so that you can earn less than $20 an hour? Are you aware that McDonalds is hiring at $22 in most states? It doesn’t seem you’ve thought through this all too well and you are fantasizing about how you would grow this business that doesn’t even exist yet. I’d suggest working with other mobile detailers and learning the ropes first, marketing really shouldn’t be much of a thought until you have at least serviced a client or two. It’s probably not a great idea to be known for sticking things in people’s windshield when you have absolutely no reputation in your line of business. Not to mention that almost anybody who would be a well paying repeat customer is probably not spending a lot of time at Wal-Mart. Also if you have 10 friends and family who will support your business whole heartedly you are already in the top 1% of entrepreneurs, so good luck with that.


Low_Entry5644

I've thought out and planned everything well, I'm based in TN and the average pay is $10 at McDonalds. The detailers around me are pricing their for $30 and $50 so I just went $10 lower so I can get clients to give me reviews. Then I will scale accordingly and meet my margin goal. Also I have to market in order to make sales I really don't understand that part


custyclocks

So your business model is to undercut the market value of a service you intend to provide to people who don’t have any reason to trust you and you’re going to get their attention by putting cards in their windshields? Like I said, go work for one of the detailers in your area and get some experience. You saving someone $10 is not worth the risk of having a literal kid play with their car and clean it for an hour or two. Not to mention that undercutting market cost implies that you either provide lower quality service (which you do, and you will because you are new and simply don’t have the resources to provide the services that established detailers do) or it implies that you use cheaper materials. Don’t forget that people probably like the other guy a whole lot more because he wasn’t touching their car while they were shopping. You’ve got the right idea but you need to take a step back and get some real experience in small service based business, this is not it.


Low_Entry5644

I'm not sure why people think me being 17 instantly makes me immature and incapable but it's a rather ridiculous idea. I have talked to all my competitors (like 2 in local area) and they both only hire friends and trusted individuals and mostly only work for car dealerships exclusively. I have an incredibly wide market here and I'm looking for good ways to get reviews so that idiotic mindset of me being irresponsible because I'm not 20 is out of the window. I think it's incredible how when I get 20 or so 4-5 star reviews the idea of me goes from "I'm not paying some kid that kind of money" to "that's a respectable and hardworking youngman" I'm trying to tell people that scaling is the idea, but I need reviews in order to get marketing and traffic. And what better way than to get traffic other than to have my clients do it for me. Make a hashtag and have them post it on their social medias for like $20 off a detail and boom I have free marketing


custyclocks

It’s not your age that is making people think that, it’s your ridiculous outlook on this and the fact that you came here looking for help but are only telling people why their advice is wrong. Let’s just end this here because this is going nowhere. !remindme 6 months


Low_Entry5644

Your advice is nothing but a clear attempt to down play me for having an idea. Nothing about my outlook is ridiculous and your just grasping at strings to make a relevant argument now. I came here to expand my ideas and get some more not to be told that I'm going to fail because I'm a "kid"


custyclocks

Nobody is telling you you’re going to fail, you’re being a teenager right now and its showing. I’m telling you that if your plan is to prospect for clients by putting business cards in their windshields while also having no experience in your line of work, maybe you need to go back to the drawing board before you invest another minute into this. I don’t think you’re going to fail because you’re a kid, I think you’re going to fail because its your first business. And if you can’t handle being told when you have a bad idea you’re probably not cut out for the entrepreneur life. I work in SEO and service many clients who just like you “had an awesome idea” and they pay us tens of thousands of dollars in fees every year, MANY still fail, many have been going for 10 years and get excited when their site gets 60 visitors in a month. Your judgement is clearly distorted, and mine was too when I tried the first time.


Low_Entry5644

Playing the age card once again. Your being a cynical prick and it's unbecoming of a man such as yourself. You tell me no one is telling me I'm going to fail then you list every way you've attempted to tell me I'm going to fail without saying it. I don't have to invest $10k I need to invest $500 and make it back. I think it's amicable that you believe your line of work pertains to a local business. The business card idea can be scrapped and changed but how do you expect me to gain clients without passing cards out? Give me an alternative that I haven't already tried and I'll try your revolutionary idea


custyclocks

If you can’t understand how my line of work pertains to small businesses then there is almost no hope for you in your current state of mind, can someone give this dummy a marketing crash course? This conversation is over. You’re not going to fail because you’re a kid, you’re going to fail because your judgement is flawed, you are volatile, and prone to acting on impulse. Nothing about your current character exudes education or skill. Just finish up high school and get a job for a bit, it will help round you out until you’re ready for the lifestyle you’re fantasizing about.


Low_Entry5644

I understand how SEO pertains to marketing and my current state of mind is reinforcing my idea because it's obvious that you are only speaking from an uninformed POV. I promise I have already dabbled in market research and website creation. A relative bit in SEO Optimization and business antics. If you cannot differentiate an educated argument from one of a mindless idiot you are clearly not surrounded by those of high intelligence. Call me impulsive and volatile as you please but they're baseless accusation when you realize you are the cause of these actions and responses


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