America's Car Care Business originally published this article in September 2001

TRUE PROFESSIONALS

Fifteen-year veterans Gary and Diana Bean keep learning and growing in their detail business

When starting a business, most any business, there are so many things that you have to think about. There is finding a good location, developing a business plan, figuring out who your target audience is, and then finding a way to market to them. With all of this on your mind, maybe the last one that business people think of is professionalism. However according to Gary and Diana Bean, owners of Every Detail Auto Care of Lodi, CA., professionalism and quality of service are maybe the two most important aspects that set their detail shop apart from many others in the area.

Small Beginnings-Big Rewards

          Like many detail experts, Gary¹s idea to start Every Detail Auto Care began as a passion in the back of his garage more than 15 years ago. As the business began to build a loyal base of clients, Gary decided to open up his own shop, and slowly built a small business. However it was not until three years ago, when his wife Diana entered onto the scene, that the business really began to take off.

            "When Diana came on board, and established our marketing plan and we started advertising on a daily basis our business nearly tripled (more than 400% in the last two years)," says Gary. "It¹s not like we had this huge advertising budget. We just started advertising on billboards, began making and handing out fliers and brochures, and putting our company name and phone number on vehicles, but it has transformed our business. Currently our advertising budget includes 30-second commercials with cost ranging from $3 to $18 a spot."

            Today the business has four full-time employees and five bays. More than 99 percent of the stand-alone detail shops business comes from pick up and delivery of which they don¹t charge because of the advertising opportunity which it offers them, and prices start at $200 for a standard car.

            "Each one of our vehicles has a logo on it, so when we pick up a vehicle from a home or an office, our vehicles serve as a billboard everyplace that

we go," says Gary. "It¹s free advertising all day and all night, wherever we may be."

            What this marketing effort also has created, is a name awareness throughout the northern California community, as well as a chance to bring in new customers and educate them on the benefits of detailing their vehicle.

"A lot of people that are in business don¹t want to invest back into their own business, especially on the marketing side," says Diana, "The logo that we invested in on each of our vans, the brochures and fliers that we distributed has all created interest in our business. In addition, because we are professional in what we do and how we do and explain to our customers what we are doing and why, they in turn have told their friends and family and it just snowballs."

            As a stand-alone detail shop Gary and Diana face a number of different challenges that a detail shop associated with a car care faculty might not. For one, they don¹t have the volume that a car wash might be able to generate but by capitalizing on each and every customer, this has not hindered their growing business.

            We don¹t have the volume that a car wash might have; however by doing only detailing we can concentrate on making sure that all of the services that we do offer are done precisely and correctly," Gary says. "We have been very selective when it comes to adding different profit centers to our business. We don¹t want to add anything that we can¹t do and don¹t feel comfortable with."

            One of the few profit centers that Gary and Diana have added is the administering of paint sealant which has added an additional $5,000 to $10,000 a month to their bottom line. However, maybe their most important aspect that the Bean¹s stress about their shop is the professionalism and service that they provide to each and every customer.

            "One of the most important parts of gaining the respect of customers is how they are treated and how you portray your business to them." Says Diana. "We make sure our shop is always clean. I know this sounds like a small thing, but when a customer is bringing their vehicle to you to have their car cleaned up, if your shop isn¹t clean, it portrays a bad image. The same goes for employees. They should be dressed professionally, and in uniforms at all times."

            Another aspect that Gary and Diana feel goes into being professional is pricing. Although their prices are considered to be at the top of the detailing price range in the area, they continue to add business.

            "We just had a detailing shop open up in town and they are trying to sell a professional detail for $99," says Diana. "The money is out there and people will pay for a quality job and the biggest mistake that I see detailers making is opening up and trying to sell a complete detail for $50 to $100. Our complete detail package is one of the higher priced packages in this area. However, we get more customers than most detailers because our customers know that they are going to get a first rate job done when they bring their vehicle to us and they are willing to pay for that."

            The Bean¹s also do not discount their services in any way and do not offer coupons, but again this has not resulted in a loss of business.

            "Our customers don¹t even ask about discounts," Diana says. "And if a fleet manager does come in and ask for a discount to detail all their vehicles we just tell them that we want to keep our service level and quality high and most of the time they are fine with that."

            The one aspect that the Bean¹s say has held their business back from growing even more is the industry wide labor problem. "We screen very carefully and most times employees look good when we hire them and then two weeks down the road they won¹t show up," says Gary. "We get a lot of first time workers and high school kids. The market is tough right now. You do get what you pay for."

            For those new detailers or the one¹s who might be looking into going into business on their own, the Bean¹s offer some very simple advice.

            "The best way to learn what is going to make you successful is to participate in the organizations that have been created to help business people succeed," says Gary. "Join the associations and attend their trade shows. Go to the seminars because they offer a lot of really good information.  It seems all of us (detailers) get caught up in doing things a certain way and don¹t realize there are other options. There is a lot to learn out there."

            Gary and Diana also have a few goals of there own they are continuing to reach for including opening up a second and maybe eventually a third detail shop.

            "That is our goal," says Diana. "Right now the tight labor market is holding us back. For now we are content to grow the business that we have and see where the chips may fall."