What is the dumbest business decision you made at your SS wash?

[Gabriel]

Painting anything at a self serve wash turned out to be a awful mistake. I would never do that again.

 

[Fatboy769]

It doesn?t take a lot of skill or knowledge to get into the SS car wash business.


Unfortunately, that statement is true, but it does take alot of both to run a successful wash!

 

[Bubbles Galore]

1. Not raising my price soon enough. I procrastinated six months and now wish that I had some of that money that I let walk off my lot.

2. Not offering any type of detailing at the wash. I am now detailing at the wash and on a mobile basis, now that is a money maker.

 

[Waxman]

Fatboy:

You forgot the other key ingredient; HARD WORK!

I've been getting ready for my grand opening this week as well as detailing cars and managing the place. Today I feel twice my age; sore all over, tired and beat. But hey, I've gotta present a nice image tomorrow, so it's worth the temporary fatigue!

And I also think every carwash should offer detailing!

 

[tj.plymouth]

What is "KR soap"? I'm newer to the biz.

 

[MEP001]

KR = Kleen-Rite.

www.kleen-ritecorp.com

 

[Red Baron]

1. Putting FRP on the SS bay walls rather than the porcelain tile we later installed (installed grunge color - they never look dirty).
2. Ignoring Pat h's advice against an open bay.
3. Would do 2 IBA's rather than a 3/1.
4. No Air Shammee.
5. More pitch on concrete in auto bay...in fact, next one will have the corners very steeply pitched to help self-clean...maybe all areas outside the rails.

 

[galen]

Wow, very honest posts. Most people don't like to admit their mistakes. I've made many. I think my biggest mistake was thinking my customer base was or is big enough. Slow times will humble you.

 

[mmurra]

I'm with Galen. My idea was that a beautiful wash would overcome the defecit of a weak of customer base. It did not. The taxman is smiling, though!

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Seeing as how we are both from Michigan, have they began taxing you almost out of business? That is what they are doing in my area, it is unreal.

Best of luck to you.

 

[tj.plymouth]

I have a wash in detroit and they are taxing me at about $9,000 a year, and it's only worth 200k. I'm going to try and take it to the Michigan Tax tribunal this year to fight - any suggestions?

 

[Kevin James]

We?ve been to the board of equalization many times with different properties we own. Do your homework before you go. Get the property tax values of the other like properties in your area. Take pictures of the things that are wrong on your property, cracked concrete, anything that you?d think would lessen the value of the property. Most cities now don?t want carwashes in city because they are low profit eyesores that bring in the undesirables of society. There are high return uses for most car wash properties. I know of a city planner who lost his job for signing off on a building permit for a car wash. The property had just been rezoned for multi story condo?s that would have brought in $40K a year in tax?s where as the carwash only brings in $3K a year. Just remember the car wash business is nothing more than a low profit janitorial business there are better uses for the property. If it was such a great business there wouldn't be so many failing.

 

[mmurra]

My wash is now at $10,000 in real and personal property taxes (6+2). I appealed before and won. They have continued to raise me back to and now above the old rate. I will be appealing again this year. Now there is a LARGE fee to go to the tribunal in Michigan, win or loose. It is disgusting!

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I was just notified that my water rates are going to increase 50% in January since Detroit didn't sell enough water this past year. The tax man cometh....or is he already here?

I would definitely take that to the tax tribunal, what kind of fees are they charging you to go before them?

 

[mmurra]

They did a county wide reappraisal and my assessment doubled. The cost to appeal back to the original amount (an amount previously set by the tribunal), would cost over $1,0000, win lose or draw! Talk about between a rock and a hard place!

 

[Red Baron]

They did a county wide reappraisal and my assessment doubled. The cost to appeal back to the original amount (an amount previously set by the tribunal), would cost over $1,0000, win lose or draw! Talk about between a rock and a hard place!

Does Michigan really think this is how they will work themselves away from economic disaster?

 

[raisetheprice]

They had our equipment extremely overvalued...I printed off several automatics for sale from carwash consignment (the cheapest ones =]), showed them, and they lowered ours last year substantially. Charging a fee to hash out your tax bill is outrageous, steam should be coming out of your ears. THAT IS SO WRONG!

 

[Waxman]

RTP

Did you do this for taxes, insurance rates or both?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Does Michigan really think this is how they will work themselves away from economic disaster?

It appears to me that our democratic state government feels that for any revenue shortfall they have, all they have to do is increase taxes to make up the difference. Just my .02

Sorry for making it political Bill

 

[Earl Weiss]

Geez, if you guys think you have it bad you should be in the Chicago area. 2 of my tunnel locations are now at $60,000.00 for RET. A guy in the NW burbs has a place that I think was a 16 Bay SS. I think now he has converted 5 of the bays to house 3 IBA aand 2 addt'l equip rooms. I heard his RET is now over $100K a year.