How to open a car wash?

Nowadays, the car wash business is popular with those who want to start their own business. The explanation is simple: even though the opening of a car wash is associated with certain troubles, but they are fully paid off by a fairly high income.

Other reasons for the popularity can be called the fact that the number of cars is growing in the country, and the increasing requirements make us wash the bodies of foreign cars more often.

Types of car washes

Today car washes are presented in numerous variations. Each of them has its own characteristics and benefits. Before embarking on the implementation of a business idea, you should choose which modification of a car wash is easier to open.

Standard sink

A manual type of washing a car is carried out by people using water, car shampoo, as well as sponges, brushes, rags and so on. Of course, it takes a lot of time to service one car, but this is the cheapest option, and the most popular among our mostly conservative population.

Building a traditional car wash is not an easy process. It will take several months, and the collection of permits may take years at all. But on the other hand, this is perhaps the fastest payback option.

Automatic brush washer

This is a type of contact sink, in which special automatic installations work instead of people. The car is cleaned with pressurized water, hot foam and rotating brushes, then a protective wax is applied and the car is dried.

The construction and purchase of equipment for such a car wash is more expensive than a classic car wash, but it can serve many more cars in an equal amount of time.

The main thing is to watch out and not skimp on brushes, as cheap and hard ones can easily leave scratches on the surface of the car. The payback period for such a wash will be 12-18 months on average.

Automatic contactless car wash

It is carried out using active foams, the main layer of dirt is washed off with water under pressure, then an active foam is applied, which removes everything else, and the foam itself is washed off by the next stream of water, then a protective polish is applied.

The advantage of such a wash is in the least harm to the body coating compared to others, and high throughput.

Such a sink is clearly not for our climate, since active foam may not cope with strong pollution. Therefore, in Russia, the construction of such a sink will not bring the desired profit, moreover, the prices for the equipment are not encouraging.

Without water (dry wash)

For cleaning, a special shampoo-polish is used, which softens the dirt and ensures the integrity of the paintwork, it is carried out by the motorist himself.
Its disadvantage is that it is inconvenient to handle hard-to-reach places of the car. Therefore, it is used to maintain cleanliness between two water wash sessions. Dry wash will be a good addition to classic or brush car washes.

Self service

This is an open type sink. Its main difference from the standard one is that the client washes his car himself, using standard washing equipment for this. And he pays not for the service as a whole, but for the time spent at the car wash. Among car owners, such car washes are gaining more and more popularity, since you can manage to wash your car for 100 rubles or even less.

For entrepreneurs, the opening of such a sink is also attractive because it does not require more effort and financial costs than, for example, opening a manual or automatic car wash.

Truck wash

The bulk of customers are truck drivers. If you find a good place with a large flow of trucks, the business will quickly go up the hill and will pay off in the first six months.

It is better not to build a full-fledged building, but to purchase a portable sink. This option is the simplest and most profitable. Or rent a hangar, but then you will have to bring communications if they were not provided.

Mobile car wash

Modern modification of the sink, which, if necessary, can be transported to a new location. It is assembled from sandwich panels and takes about ten days to install. The cost of such a car wash in the area 1.5 million rubles, however, a quick payback (about six months) makes such a project very attractive.

In this case, the collection of the necessary documentation will not take even a week before putting it into operation. This is the fastest and easiest way to open, if you have the required amount.

Aspects of activity

What does it take to open a car wash? In fact, there is nothing complicated in running such a business, you only need a few boxes, fairly simple equipment, and all this will bring the owner an income of 100 thousand rubles. per month.

The main risks are fines from the sanitary and epidemiological supervision in case of violations of the rules for draining or damage to the car during the wash, for which you will have to pay compensation.

In addition, in this type of activity, seasonality is clearly noticeable, so in the summer, when the streets are clean and dry, customers do not appear often, in winter, too, because the dirt serves as protection from reagents, which, thanks to city services, are very abundant on the roads. The queues appear mainly in the off-season.

Characteristics of clients

Almost every car owner prefers to move in a clean car. There are owners, especially people of the older generation, who wash their "iron horse" on their own in the yard, but most of them use car washes for these purposes.

These are people of average and higher incomes with increased requirements: businessmen, managers, doctors, taxi drivers and especially ladies.

The corporate segment, where there are good car fleets, is very important in the washing business. It is necessary to skillfully use the fact that many people prefer to wash their vehicles in one place, and corporate clients prefer to be serviced by one service provider.

Staff

Another important point is the solution of the issue of personnel, in order to wash cars you do not need to have special knowledge, therefore, as a rule, they pay little for it, despite the fact that it is very difficult. Students can be hired for the summer, but this is a temporary solution.

The biggest challenge is maintaining quality at all times. After all, it is not necessary to wash the cars perfectly every time, but all employees must work "for the best".

The attention of workers is dulled due to high humidity, temperature fluctuations in winter that occur during the entry or exit of the car from the box, the monotony of work. The result of this inattention can be the minimum - the statement of claims by the customers, the maximum - the payment of minor but expensive body repairs due to the appearance of scratches.

The next problem is theft. If the employees cannot be morally influenced, then you need to deprive them of the opportunity to embezzle money, this can be done, either exclude the washer from the payment process, entrusting money to the administrator, or install cameras.

Equipment

The set of equipment will depend on the specifics of your car wash and the list of services it offers. When choosing equipment, it is better to pay attention to European manufacturers. Pay attention to the products Karcher , PORTOTECNICA, their quality is highly appreciated by car wash owners.

A standard list of equipment that must be purchased immediately:

• high pressure washer;
• floor washing machine;
• system with recycled water supply;
• equipment for carrying out dry cleaning of the salon;
• vacuum cleaner;
• steam generator;
• cleaning device for car wash.

List of services (basic and additional)

The list of basic services for your car wash will include:

• vehicle wash;
• washing the motor;
• body polishing;
• interior dry cleaning;
• wet or dry cleaning of the interior.

Every decent car wash has small resting areas for visitors, where car owners can drink coffee, watch TV or read a magazine while the car is being washed. According to statistics, today it is precisely such a free service that plays a decisive role when a customer chooses a car wash.

In addition, whole car services are often created on the basis of car washes. This includes a gas station, service station, tire service, auto parts store, cafe. Your car wash with these neighbors will be the most attractive for customers. After all, the car owner will be able to fully service his car by visiting only one place, which is very convenient. The savings in fuel and time are obvious, everyone benefits from such cooperation.

Where to open a car wash?

There are many ideas for opening a car wash, so if you don't want to come up with something of your own, you can choose one of the existing ones.

In garages

The most popular idea is to use garages for a car wash. It consists in renting several cooperative garages, which would be located near the highway, in an area where traffic is good and there are service centers nearby. After that, the garages are adapted for a car wash, the necessary equipment is purchased, modifications are made to the structure and communications are carried out.

It is good if there are residential buildings and a communications service nearby. Then it remains only to take care of the entrance to the sink, to asphalt it, to post advertisements nearby, for example, banners, and come up with a highlight that would distinguish your sink from many others. For example, to offer a special service, which means that people can wash their car themselves for half the cost of a regular wash.

Of course, there are specialists who are skeptical about this option. Some people think that garages are not reliable enough for this type of activity. In particular, they will not be able to withstand the effects of moisture for a long time and will partially collapse. There are also difficulties with the reorientation of non-core premises for the needs of a car wash. Because of all these drawbacks, experts advise either renting a car wash or building one yourself.

On the outskirts

Another idea is to open a car wash, which would be located outside the city, not far from a gas station or motel, for example.

For construction, you can use lightweight structures such as hangars, then construction will be quite fast and inexpensive.

In the room, it is better to highlight several zones in which they will carry out active washing, rinsing, drying, cleaning the interior, as well as the place where employees will rest.

In a large microdistrict of the city

The best option would be to open a car wash in prestigious areas of the city, where people drive good cars and are ready to give good money to keep them clean.

But there is one caveat: getting permission to open it is mega difficult. And it is almost impossible to find an unclaimed place in the center.

In the parking lot

Almost all large shopping centers already have car washes in underground parking lots. It is very convenient: the visitor can leave his car for a wash, and he himself can take a walk in the center for groceries.

In elite houses, car washes in the parking lot are also in good demand. It must be taken into account that it is necessary to provide for good communications and cleaning systems. The profitability of this idea largely depends on the number of parking spaces.

On your own plot, in a private house

What if you open a car wash on your own plot to save on land rent? But there is a catch.

The fact is that according to land legislation, each piece of land must be operated strictly in accordance with its purpose.

You will be able to obtain a permit for the construction of a car wash only on an area permitted for use. Therefore, agricultural land will not become the basis for opening a car wash.

In the village

The idea of ​​opening a car wash in the village is rather risky. In small settlements, as a rule, the number of car owners is insignificant. And it should be understood that the villagers prefer to wash their "Zhiguli" on their own in the nearby water bodies.

But a car wash in a village near a busy highway outside the city might be a good option. Provided that you can offer additional services to tired motorists.

Where to start opening?

Analysis of starting opportunities

It is better to start a business with an analysis of start-up opportunities, that is, the amount that you can spend on opening a car wash.

If this amount is less than one hundred and fifty thousand rubles, then instead of buying it is better to rent boxes.

At the same time, renting has both pros and cons. If the car wash was unprofitable, then before renting it, it is worth analyzing the reasons, because if the matter is in low traffic, high competition, problems with communications or supervisory authorities, then it is wiser to look for better options.

On the other hand, a ready-made car wash is focused on this type of business and the premises will not require additional costs. And an energetic businessman is quite capable of organizing an influx of clients and resolving misunderstandings with inspections.

Organizational and legal form of business

Registration as an individual entrepreneur or LLC is a mandatory procedure for opening any business.

In the case of a car wash, it is better to give preference to individual entrepreneurs.

In this case, you will avoid many problems with the collection of documents and significantly save time.

The most popular among small businesses is the simplified system (STS). It is she who in most cases is recommended for opening your own business. Advantages of this option: there is always a choice - to pay 6% of all received income - "dirty", or pay 15% of the "net" profit. The second option, according to experts, will make the business much more profitable.

Permits documentation

After a specific place has been chosen and a preliminary consent has been obtained from the city authorities, the most interesting begins, namely, obtaining permits. This task is quite difficult and the term of its completion can stretch up to a couple of years.

The following steps will need to be overcome:

1. First, a petition is submitted to the city administration, in which there will be a sketch of the washing project, written permission from firefighters, SES and the architectural department.
2. If there are no problems with the above and the administration gives its consent, then it is time to move on to the next stage, that is, draw up an architectural project of the assignment.
3. Then you need to get an examination from the fire inspection.
4. At the same time, it is necessary to knock out "Yes" from architects, sanitary and epidemiological supervision, labor protection and nature protection services.

After all the above points are completed, you can draw up an act for the permanent or temporary possession of land, and then obtain written permission to start construction.

If a rented industrial premises are used for your car wash, the collection of permits will be significantly reduced. You can go straight to the stage of carrying out all the necessary examinations.

Environmental nuances

If we analyze the main reasons for the bankruptcy of car washes, we can highlight the main mistakes that businessmen make.

First of all, this may be a problem with the sewerage system. At first, it is resolved on a personal level with the supervision of the supervision, however, if complaints from residents of nearby houses continue to flow, then the business will not stay here for a long time. The cardinal solution to the problem is a professional solution to choosing a treatment plant.

The filtration system should depend on the area in which the sink will be located. So, at the entrance to the city from the side of the dacha or hunting grounds, washing technologies are needed not the same as in the center of the settlement. Jeeps, of course, are not afraid of dirt, but it is more difficult to wash it off them than from slightly splattered women's cars.

Your future relationship with environmental inspectorates depends on what equipment you purchase. Installation will cost a minimum fifty thousand rubles, the maximum depends on the level of cleaning required. So, cleaning a car requires about 60 liters water, and a large-sized jeep-type car about 160 liters, therefore, the price should be flexible, which will not scare away customers. So it is worth starting planning with the choice of a cleaning system.

Car wash cleaning filters are small portable units used both locally and as additional filters for an already installed wastewater treatment plant. Water purification is carried out by a stepwise method. Thanks to the circulation tank, a reverse cycle of water use is formed, and the release of water into the sewer becomes minimal. Water passes through the filters many times, which allows you to achieve maximum purification from pollutants.

Such a system allows you to dramatically reduce the volume of waste, and, accordingly, costs. The water purification system operates at a temperature of at least + 5C, therefore, in the cold season, it will work only in a heated box.

Business development

Opening a car wash does not automatically mean profit, for this you still need to work. There are several techniques for increasing profits quickly and efficiently.

Attraction of clients

To provide a car wash with a profit, you need to find money clients for it. This is possible regardless of the size of the city and its location, because everywhere there is a wealthier circle of car owners.

Besides the profit from a single visit, it is important to take care of a long-term relationship. After all, it is better to secure a car enthusiast as a permanent source of income than to attract a new one every time. To do this, you need to create an attractive impression of yourself, make sure that customers do not leave you in a bad mood.

For most of your new customers to become repeat customers, you need to deal with their traditional grievances.

And this is most often:

• long time or poor quality of car trash,
• bad service,
• there is no clear price list,
• no appointment,
• the timing is not respected,
• there is no client waiting area.

The quality of car washing is determined by standardizing washing operations, selecting and training personnel correctly, making their payment dependent on how well they will work.

A client waiting area is a must. And preferably with a bar or, if there are business centers nearby, then with a diner. Also, customers need to be entertained, magazines or an Internet access point are useful for this.

You can also achieve positive emotions by doing more than the client expects. For example, to give a freshener or a small service - the very fact of the gift is important here, because your car wash should be remembered so that the client turns only to you and tells his friends and acquaintances about it.

The function of attracting potential visitors can be performed by the car wash itself. Do not skimp on ordering bright outdoor advertising, the sign with the name "Car wash" should attract attention. It would also be nice to attract print media and radio.

Minimizing seasonality

The car wash business, unfortunately, shows a sharp drop in profits in summer and winter. And since the owner will have to pay rent for a land plot for a car wash every month, the situation becomes even more deplorable. But this does not mean that you will have to put up with such a state of affairs as the seasonality of a car wash.

One option to minimize seasonality is to close the main car wash during a quiet period. In this case, you can open an economy car wash, or leave one box working, thereby reducing the cost of maintaining a business.

For the period of calm, it will be advisable to reduce the prices for services, as well as the cost of wages. Some of the staff can be cut down altogether or sent on vacation.

In addition, it is recommended to expand the range of services offered. A good solution would be to install vending machines at car washes. Your client will be happy to drink a cup of aromatic coffee while his car is taking "water treatments".

Car wash business plan from scratch

Probably, even talking about the existence of a business plan for opening a car wash, like any other business, is not worth it. It is clear that one should not start without a rough (and sometimes very detailed) analysis.

How much does it cost?

Start-up costs, without which the opening of a car wash, cannot be reduced to the annual lease (purchase) of premises with a land plot of at least 300 sq. m., purchase of equipment, auto chemicals, hiring workers.

And so the initial minimum costs at the starting stage of opening a car wash:

The approximate cost of a set of necessary equipment is 220-240 thousand rubles.

Table 1. Operating costs of the sink (monthly):

Is it profitable?

Undoubtedly, the profitability of a car wash will be high if some of the rules of this business are observed. The service is in demand constantly, daily and even around the clock. To receive a monthly net profit of 150 thousand rubles, the owner needs to properly organize his business.

It should be noted that the payback period of a car wash is about 12 months on average.

Therefore, in the first year of work, you can expect, at best, half of the amount of income declared in the business plan.

Let's calculate the profit. On a working day, a car wash with one set of equipment can accept 40-50 Vehicle. The services are very different: from surface washing of the body, to engine cleaning and internal dry cleaning. Average price per service RUB 300

300 * 40 * 30 (days) = 360 thousand rubles per month.

Subtract salary costs on average 35%: 126 thousand rubles per month.

Total monthly expense: 126 thousand. +76 thousand rubles = 202 thousand rubles

Net income per month: 360 thousand - 202 thousand. rub. = 158 thousand rubles.

In each city, there are about three hundred car washes per one million of the population. That is, 200-250 in each large city, one hundred - in the city where about 300 thousand people live. Of course, all these figures are approximate and can be adjusted from case to case, both upward and downward, depending on how developed the city's economy is. On the other hand, even the presence of the specified number of car washes does not mean that the market is completely saturated.

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If we analyze the opinions of entrepreneurs who own a car wash business, it turns out that there are two extremes in them.

Some believe that this business is very profitable: in a city with a population of half a million, even three car washes will be completely clogged. At cost 250-1000 rubles, the queues will be constant, and they will gain the greatest popularity from the owners of expensive cars, for example, jeeps or business class, so an average car wash will cost about 750 rubles... So the costs will pay off in a matter of months.

Pessimists believe that everything is not so good, primarily because of problems with its opening. After all, apart from technical issues such as buying a garage, repairing it, buying equipment, you will have to solve many problems with authorities, sanitary and epidemiological supervision, firefighters, redevelopment, traffic police, if you need to organize an entrance, and so on.

Most car wash owners agree that building a car wash is a complicated process and often does not pay for itself.

In addition, many gas stations are ready to provide boxes for washing. The lease should then be concluded for several years at once.

Another option recommended for beginners is the purchase of a ready-made car wash with equipment, rent, washers, video surveillance, etc. Naturally, a ready-made, well-established business does not require as much diligence from its owner when opening as starting from scratch. But capital investments will also be required substantial.

When choosing a place for a car wash, pay special attention to the availability of communications. Often their eyeliner is very expensive, and sometimes it is completely impossible. If there is no water supply, you will need to obtain a permit to drill a well. You can save on heating if you install a gas boiler room.

80% of your success will depend on choosing the right location. It is good if you open a car wash on your own land and best of all in the first line from the highway. In this case, it is much easier to promote a business. And, of course, a car wash paired with a tire service, an auto parts store or a cafe is the most promising option.

According to the experience of car wash owners, four to six wash boxes are enough. A larger number will require high costs, and it is not entirely justified, since the competition in this market is very high.

As you can see, opening a car wash is not an easy task, but due to the growing number of vehicles on the roads, it is very profitable.