A car wash is one of the most convenient services available. A customer pays their money, drives in, enjoys a few minutes of relaxation time while their car is washed for them, and then simply drives out. For car wash owners, these facilities are a win-win; they provide convenience to customers and can be almost completely self-contained, offering secure money handling and instructions to customers without the owner ever having to be physically present. But creating a business plan for a car wash requires some thought and planning. Even before you create your plan, there are a few things to consider.
Location
Although a car wash service is definitely convenient, it’s often only as convenient as its location. Those who review your business plan will want to know more about the location of your car wash. For instance, they may wish to know more about:
Ease of Access – how easy will it be for customers to enter and leave your car wash, and will your facility require any additional building for things like access for the disabled?
Competing Businesses – what types of businesses are located near your car wash? A lot of competitors may not necessarily be a bad thing, but this needs to be mentioned in your business plan.
Passing Trade – unless your car wash will be located in an area where a large number of known future customers already exist, your business plan will need to demonstrate that your car wash will be located in a convenient position to capture passing trade.
Parking – offering parking spaces can add more to the convenience of customers, but you must have enough not only for the current amount of customers but for those who will become your customers in future.
Staff and Equipment
Who will be working in your car wash, and what do you plan to offer them in terms of benefits, sick leave, holidays and the like? All of these costs can add up, especially if you plan to rent your premises. You may also want to consider what kind of equipment your staff will be using. It’s important to consider every cost, as this will affect how your service will be priced.
Insurance
Not only must you ensure the safety of your staff, but also your customer. Although you may not expect to run into any issues as far as accidents or injuries on site, you just never know what can happen. Public liability insurance can protect you should a customer become injured whilst on your premises or using your services.
Environmental Law
There are certain governmental guidelines in place which can limit how your car wash business is managed. Any legitimate business must think about the consequences of irresponsible waste effluent disposal. For example, the water used to clean a car can end up containing any number of contaminants, from oil and dirt to grease and other road contaminants. This effluent, when left to enter storm drains or the mains water system presents a significant legal violation that can end up costing a business owner hundreds of thousands of pounds in abatement and legal costs.
Because a car wash involves considering not only you, the owner but the safety of all of your staff and customers, it requires a different set of considerations. Not only that, but your plan needs to be worded in such a way as to communicate your intentions clearly. This can be a daunting task, especially for the first-time business owner.
Where this is the case, it can help greatly to have the advice of a professional on your side. Someone who deals with business plans on a daily basis can help you create a professional plan in far less time than it can take you to do so on your own.