Opening a car wash business can be lucrative and rewarding for entrepreneurs looking for a new investment, but there are a few drawbacks. Often, prospective car wash owners don’t consider all the facts before going into the auto wash industry. Here are a few of the top misconceptions would-be car wash owners should look out for, and how to combat them.
Car Washes Are Always Busy
It’s easy to think car washes bring in money hand over fist while you’re waiting in a line four cars deep on a Saturday morning. After all, you’re there to wash your car, and so are the other customers. But it could be a different story, were you to pass by when the weather has been chronically poor, or during an off time, like a Thursday after lunch. Also, don’t forget possible downtime. Car wash pumps or other equipment can sometimes malfunction, and your profits will stop while you see to the problem. You’ll need a marketing plan and a preventative maintenance plan to keep your car wash busy and profitable.
Car Wash Owners Don’t Need to Be On Premises
Car washes seem like very automatic operations. Some of them don’t even seem to require employees. But car wash owners know that their businesses need attention like any other. Car wash supplies need to be ordered, equipment needs to be maintained, and customer issues need to be addressed. Even if you hire a manager to do this for you, you should be sure to offer the kind of training he or she will need to keep your business running smoothly.
A Car Wash is a Cash Business
Cash only businesses hold a certain appeal, and it’s true that, in the past, car wash owners were reluctant to start accepting alternate methods of payment. Especially in a self-serve operation, the temptation is there to install a coin or bill acceptor and leave the payment solutions at that. Fewer and fewer U.S. customers are carrying cash, however, and a credit card swiper could make or break your car wash business. Be sure to give your customers as many ways as possible to give you their money, or they might end up giving it to the car wash down the road!