11 Factors That Determine the Success of Your Car Wash Business

Opening a car wash business, whether it is self-serve, full-service, or a mobile hand-car wash operation, can be a fun and rewarding experience when your new business venture is successful. Achieving success does not happen overnight. It is something that you need to work on regularly and in an ongoing fashion.

There are also several key factors that play a role in determining how successful your car wash business is or is not. Before starting your car wash business, we recommend taking the time to review these factors and understand how they can affect your new business.

Factor #1: Location, Location, Location

The location of your car wash business is essential to its success. If you build your car wash in an area that does not have much traffic, it won’t do that well. You want to find a location that provides easy access to high traffic areas.

Some great locations are near shopping centers, strip malls, and grocery stores. People are already out doing other errands. So, taking some time out to wash their car thanks to your convenient location is a no-brainer.

For mobile car wash businesses, the location may not seem like as big of a factor, but it still is. You don’t want to have to drive hours from one customer to the next. Ideally, you want to choose residential and commercial areas with large numbers of potential customers.

Factor #2: Find Out What the Competition Is Doing

Blindly opening a car wash business and not knowing how many competitors there are and what they do is a huge mistake. Take the time to drive around and check out their operations. Look at what services, car wash supplies, and other things they offer.

Make sure to answer these questions too:

• Is their equipment up to date?
• Are their employees friendly?
• Do they do a good job?
• Did everything work correctly?
• How much do they charge?
• Do they offer any special packages, incentives, rewards programs, etc.?

Factor #3: The Quality of Your Car Wash Supplies

The types of car wash supplies and products you offer your customers help influence your success or failure. If you use generic, off-brand products and supplies, customers are less likely to try them, let alone give your business a chance. If you use more popular brand name products and supplies, like Armor All and Little Trees, that are familiar with customers, then they are more willing to trust you and your business.

This is not to say generic, off-brand products and supplies may not be just as good. However, when you first open, it is better to stick with the best car wash vending machine supplies and product brands consumers are most familiar with. You can always experiment with these things later, using special promotions or offers a guarantee to try it and, if you don’t like it, you get a full refund.

Factor #4: The Quality of Your Customer Service 

No matter what type of car wash business you open, customer service is vital to a successful business. Customer service is not just dealing with customers when there are problems and issues. It also means being polite, showing them you care, and offering them access to the best car wash supplies, products, and services in your area.

Factor #5: The Quality of Your Employees

If you open a full-service car wash or mobile car wash business, the quality of your employees is an important factor in your success. Employees should be neat, clean, and knowledgeable about the car wash supplies, products, and services you offer.

They should treat each customer with the same level of respect and attention to detail, no matter what level of car wash or service they have purchased. They should also be open to sharing useful information in hopes of upselling a customer to a higher wash level or purchasing specific products or supplies like a Little Trees air freshener for their vehicle.

Factor #6: Offer Services That Save Customers Time

People are always looking for things that can save them time, including washing their cars. Make sure your car wash provides this convenience with a wide range of wash options, quality car wash supplies and products, and more.

Factor #7: The Cost of Car Washes and Other Services

Pricing is a major factor that plays into the success or failure of your car wash business. People are not going to pay higher prices when they do not get anything in return. This is why many car washes offer different wash tiers and packages. By doing this, it allows the customer to purchase the car wash tier or package that best fits their needs and perceived value.

For self-service car washes, you need to make sure the timers on the washing equipment and vacuums are not set too low. If customers have to keep depositing money to wash or vacuum their cars, they may be put off by how much it costs.

When deciding on pricing, consider the costs of car wash supplies, wash soap, wax, etc. per wash to establish acceptable pricing points that are sure to keep customers coming back.

Factor #8: Advertising and Use of Social Media

To attract customers, you need to advertise your car wash and the services you provide. There are several effective ways to do this. Social media should be on the top of your list.

Choose a few social media sites where you can easily manage, monitor, and post regular updates. By gathering social media followers, they are likely to become customers when they learn about your new car wash business.

Don’t overlook other advertising opportunities, too, like passing out flyers at a grocery store or shopping center near your car wash. Just make sure to get permission from the store manager or proper representative first.

Factor #9: Signage and Lighting

For self-service and full-service car washes, you want to make sure you use the right signage as allowed by the zoning ordinances in your area. Your sign should be easily noticeable. You may want to also have an area on the sign where you can post messages, special offers, and deals.

Lighting is equally vital to your success, as not everyone will get their car washed during the daytime.

It does get dark earlier in the fall and winter months. Make sure you have sufficient lighting so that it is easy to see whether your customers wash and vacuum their cars themselves or you do it for them.

Factor #10: Don’t Cut Corners and Skimp on Maintenance

Maintaining your car wash equipment, vacuums, building, and other such things is vital to be successful. Customers can tell when you are not keeping up on maintenance, as it is reflected in non-working and damaged car wash equipment vacuums and so on.

For mobile car washes, not doing maintenance affects how many cars you can wash and detail per day. Not taking the time to do weekly maintenance will affect your bottom line and the success of your car wash business.

Factor #11: Access to Car Wash Supplies and Products That Add Value

Providing customers access to the best car wash supplies and products that add value not only can boost your bottom line but also make your business successful. Self-service car washes should have vending machines stocked with essential car wash supplies like microfiber towels, Armor All products, Little Trees air fresheners, and more. Rotate items seasonally, too, like snow brushes and ice scrapers in winter.

For full-service car washes, you can sell these same items in your lobby or out of vending machines. Remember to take the time to upsell your customers by offering tips and tricks to maintain that great shine on your tires, pick up some Armor All tire foam, and to reapply in between washes.

For mobile car wash operations, you, too, can offer your customers various supplies and products like Little Trees air fresheners, wiper blades, steering wheel covers, Armor All products for quick touch-ups, etc.

By taking the time to understand how each of these factors influences the others and works together and how they can affect the success or failure of your car wash business, you will be set up to do well and succeed.

For the best car wash supplies, products, accessories, replacement parts, and wholesale auto supply items like wiper blades and snow brushes, please feel free to browse our online store or contact Superior Car Wash Supply at 800-554-9274 today!