There are countries where a car can drive clean for weeks, even if the streets are slushy. But we can't do that. This means that in Russia the conditions for the car wash business are nowhere better.
For those who are thinking about opening "their own business" in one or another near-automotive service sector, washing is one of the most obvious ways to earn money. It would seem that this is a simple matter, and there will always be demand.
To an ignorant motorist, it may seem that the car washes employ the most unskilled personnel among all automotive services, and the business is run by entrepreneurs without much ambition and talent. In itself, this activity is not very inspiring: it is somewhat similar to the work of a shoe shiner. It is all the more surprising that in this area there are developed online communities of entrepreneurs, where participants lively discuss every nuance of the construction and equipment of car washes, the use of various auto chemicals, polishing technologies, and the like. There are even organizations providing consulting (!) services in the field of car wash management. They are ready to help organize personnel, expand the range of services, and, most importantly, they can put control and accounting on a professional footing. Moreover, consultants offer their services to small businesses - car washes with three boxes or more.
Needless to say, most owners of business school car washes never graduated, but they don’t spend money on consultants either, preferring to fill their own bumps, “optimize” taxation, or even put their business on an illegal track, using car washes as a cover for cashing out " black cash."
In Breaking Bad, the laundry business is portrayed as a classic "money laundromat". Legend has it that in the 20s of the last century, American mafiosi bought laundries through which it was easy to legalize "black cash". Any car wash, like a laundry, generates a constant stream of incoming cash, which is not very controlled by the inspection authorities. It is quite difficult to find out what part of the money in the cash register was actually paid by customers for actually rendered services, and what amounts were deposited into the cash desk from fictitious customers for the sole purpose of cashing out money. However, the creators of the series consistently prove to us that this is not an example to follow. And how much can you earn if you go the legal way? First you need to decide how much you need to invest ...
The architecture of purity
Lurid multi-colored structures made of sandwich panels have become a recognizable feature of the architecture of Russian cities. From an aesthetic point of view, these buildings can decorate only the most gloomy slums of the city outskirts. But such easily erected metal structures that do not require a foundation are an extremely cheap type of real estate that does not belong to the category of capital construction. The last one is a very important point. The issues of coordinating the construction of a capital building can put an end to the entire project.
Another plus of the modular design is that the building can be gradually expanded (for example, add a second floor, in which you can open a cafe or a spare parts store). In addition, the modular sink, if necessary, can be disassembled and reassembled at a new location. In any case, a miniature building, designed for one washing post, is quite ready for moving.
There are several companies in Russia offering ready-made projects from a penny building the size of a garage and costing from 700,000 rubles. to a multifunctional three-story complex with a total area of 650 sq.m., which houses eight washing posts, a tire fitting point, a shop and a cafe. Such a design will cost about 10,000,000 - 15,000,000 rubles.
The most rational option for those who understand at least something in construction is to build it yourself. That is, do not resort to the help of the organization, but hire employees on your own, purchase the necessary materials and sketch out a simple project.
God knows what kind of money - comparable to the price of "odnushki" in the province. However, one must understand that so far it has only been about the cost of the structure and equipment itself, but it is clear that the amount of investment grows several times if the cost of land is also included here (and land in advantageous places within the city is already a matter of large investments). For a novice entrepreneur, it is much more logical to look for a ready-made car wash for rent. Here, of course, as you're lucky, but it's not such a rarity. During the preparation of this material, we talked to an entrepreneur who has been creating car washes in rented premises for several years and succeeds in this. A decent-looking building with an area of 270 sq. m, in which three "wet" and three "dry" posts are organized, costs him 150,000 rubles. per month (in central Russia).
So, suppose you received the necessary premises and equipment. How it works?
internal kitchen
The main item of expenditure after the lease (or construction) of the premises is wages. A car wash in a good, walk-through place should ideally work around the clock, which means that the owner must introduce a shift schedule and flexibly vary the workload of staff depending on the flow of customers. As a rule, 20-40% of the revenue goes to pay for the labor of washers, but in a good way, downtime must also be paid (about 400-500 rubles per day). The remuneration of the administrator can be considered differently. If the car wash relies on a wide range of additional services (dry cleaning, polishing, body treatment with protective compounds, etc.), then it is necessary to make sure that the administrator finds it profitable to interest the client in these types of work. Here it is logical to introduce several wage rates, depending on the average check for the month.
Expenses for water, electricity, gas (heating) are directly proportional to the number of posts and amount to about five to eight thousand rubles per month per one post. But we must not forget that all equipment - even if it is quite simple at the sink - requires maintenance and periodic repairs. Hoses wear out, gate cables break, vacuum cleaners fail. Based on one post, it turns out a little - about 500 rubles a month.
Conflict situations
One of the unpredictable cost items and the eternal source of headache for the car wash owner is conflict situations with customers. It is not so often that a car is damaged in the process of removing dirt from the body, but disputes can arise due to the fact that the owner did not see minor recent damage on a dirty car, but immediately after washing pays attention to them. First of all, he, of course, makes claims to the washer and administrator. All owners of car washes take advantage of the fact that most customers have little idea how to defend their case in court, and, therefore, entrepreneurs are extremely reluctant to compensate for the damage voluntarily. Not to mention the fact that among the clients there are those who are not alien to consumer extremism (on the basis of which they demand unreasonable compensation). However, if the fault of the sink is really obvious, then it would be most honest for the entrepreneur to agree with the claims and give the client a receipt that you agree to compensate for the damage caused (damage calculation is a separate issue; if there is disagreement, then the client must defend his case himself, involving independent experts). If an agreement cannot be reached, then months of litigation cannot be avoided. And then there is the question of for whom this procedure will be more difficult and burdensome - for the client or for the entrepreneur.
Finally, more or less noticeable amounts will be "dissolved" in consumables of various kinds. Here the spread can be quite large, depending on the quality of the services offered. According to car wash employees, most organizations buy the cheapest products: for example, a concentrate worth 750 rubles can be used for interior dry cleaning (including leather). for 10 liters, which is diluted with water. Serious car washes do not do this by buying specialized products, but this is a completely different price level. For the same 750 rubles you get a bottle with a capacity of 0.5 liters, and this is not a concentrate, but a ready-made composition. As a result, at a “no-claims” car wash, the cost of consumables per month will fit into 10,000 rubles, while at a pretentious “detailing center” they are five times more. How these mysterious "detailing centers" differ from ordinary car washes will be discussed below.
Debit and credit
If a novice entrepreneur opened a car wash in an unsuitable place, or the place is not bad, but the premises are not suitable, then such a businessman can only sympathize: quickly moving to a better place or expanding the area is quite problematic. But some things can be changed right on the fly, giving your sink a new impetus for development.
Pessimistic scenario
Input data:
Services - washing only (three wet posts and three dry posts)
Premises - for rent
Number of cars during the day (from 9:00 to 21:00 three cars per hour) - 30
Number of cars at night (from 21:00 to 09:00 at 0.5 cars per hour) - 4
Permeability - 1054 vehicles per month
Average bill - 350 rubles.
Nanotechnology in the hands of the washer
In recent years, there has been a new boom in the field of car washes - "high technology" and all that. Businessmen are always looking to splurge on customers and come up with new services, but this is a whole new phenomenon in the "wash" culture. His name is "detailing".
Abroad, there have long been extra-class masters who care for the appearance of supercars and other rare vehicles. They elevate the art of body cleaning and polishing, leather and plastic care, and so on to unattainable heights. And now, ordinary Russian car washes also began to adopt a wide range of the most diverse elite car chemicals, which have gone far from the standard "shampoo for contactless washing."
It’s not enough for fans of detailing that their cars just look clean. If the car looks like it was just bought at a dealership, that's another matter, but it's even better if it gives the impression of an exhibit of an international car show. And this means that all the little things in the engine compartment should shine perfectly, not to mention the interior and paintwork. All cracks around nameplates, moldings and emblems are cleaned, and each wheel is removed and thoroughly washed.
Of course, such an “elite” car wash is designed for a certain category of people who admire brake calipers and leather stitching in the cabin as works of art. And the cost of such a service is quite high - from 1500 rubles. And this is just the beginning. Real fans regularly undergo expensive body polishing, dry cleaning of the interior and disks, ceramic nano-coating on the body, and much more. But there are progressive types of washing designed for less refined customers.
Of course, it is difficult for a car wash administrator to convince a casual client to become an inveterate "detailer". But to persuade him to try a premium class sink, which is only 200 rubles more expensive than a regular one, is quite realistic. Here they will explain to you that the usual shampoo, which is used for contactless washing, is actually only suitable for pre-cleaning the body. Somewhere there will be a matte coating, and some particles of dirt are literally magnetized to the body, and you can’t wash them off either. Not to mention the fact that only special compounds can give the body a deep shine and protect it, with which the car must be treated after washing. So, in any case, they explain in all "decent" washing centers. The specialist will definitely tell you that a high-quality sink must certainly be two-phase and contact. At the first stage, only partial removal of the most severe contaminants occurs, but at the second stage, the washer will stop in detail at all difficult places. If you are especially curious, they will explain to you that the second phase is carried out with the help of compounds with a high content of tensides.
This service is no longer designed for individual maniac clients, but for a broader mass of motorists who like to keep their car in perfect condition. Almost any owner of a freshly purchased device is a potential client of such a "high-purity" washer. And the representatives of the fair sex - even more so.
Ideally
A startup that can understand all the intricacies of car care, recruit and train a team, find investments and build their own premises, should probably go into a more promising business than washing cars. But suppose that this person puts all his talents into the creation of a “dream car wash”, and he is lucky. How much will he earn from this?
Pessimistic scenario
Input data:
Services: washing, detailing (three wet posts and three dry posts)
Premises - own
Passage - 1550 cars per month
Number of cars during the day (from 9:00 to 21:00 three cars per hour) - 36
Number of cars at night (from 21:00 to 09:00 at 0.5 cars per hour) - 6
Average bill - 480 rubles.
So, if you own the car wash, the flow of customers is decent, and the average check is optimistic, then a small business turns into quite a good income, from which a cafe, a service station or even a network of similar enterprises can gradually grow. However, all motorists are well aware of the state of most car washes and the quality of their services. No matter how often our fellow citizens have to wash cars, the washing business cannot be called the simplest and most profitable.
- Washing as a project
- Description of services
- Production plan
- Recruitment
- Financial plan
- What equipment to choose
- Similar business ideas:
An example of a business plan for opening a small car wash for two posts. It can be used both for personal justification of the expediency of investing in a business, and for attracting funds from a private investor. We bring to your attention a typical business plan (feasibility study) for opening a car wash. This business plan can serve as an example for obtaining a bank loan, government support or attracting private investment.
Washing as a project
The aim of the project is to organize a car wash in the city of N. The project involves the provision of a car wash service, incl. cleaning of the hull, wheels, bottom, polishing of the body, as well as cleaning and dry cleaning of the interior.
How much money do you need to open a car wash
To implement the project, it is planned to attract investments in the amount of 2.1 million rubles. Their own funds will amount to 300 thousand rubles, and 1.8 million rubles - credit funds. Economic indicators of the project implementation:
- Net profit per year = 989,406 rubles;
- Return on sales = 38.5%;
- Payback of the project = 25 months.
What taxation system to choose for opening a car wash
The organizational and legal form of the organization will be individual entrepreneurship. Project initiator - Ivanov I.I.
As a tax regime, a simplified taxation system will be applied, 15% of the company's profit.
Currently, practical activities have begun to implement the project:
- Registration of individual entrepreneurship in the Federal Tax Service;
- A lease agreement was concluded for a municipal land plot for the placement of a one-station mobile car wash with an area of 80m2. Rental price - 10,000 rubles per month;
- A preliminary search was made for a company supplying turnkey modular (mobile) car washes.
The organization will include 5 people: an administrator and four car washers.
Description of services
Consider the main services that our organization will provide:
1. Car body wash. It includes washing the body and rims. Will be provided by two washers within 10 minutes. The average cost of the service is 250 rubles;
2. Car interior cleaning. This service will include wiping windows, cleaning fabric and leather surfaces of the interior, cleaning dust and debris (vacuum cleaner). The average cost of the service is 300 rubles;
3. Interior chemical cleaning. This service includes cleaning of seats, floor, ceiling, doors, seat belts, plastic. The average cost of the service is 1000 rubles;
4. Polishing services. This includes bodywork with liquid wax, polishing the body with polish, polishing the front panel and plastic, etc. The average cost of the service is 400 rubles;
5. Additional services. These are services such as cleaning disks, blackening wheels, processing locks, removing traces of insects, etc. The average check for these services is 100 rubles.
It is planned to establish an operating mode from 10:00 to 20:00.
The share of each service in the total volume of services provided is presented in the form of a diagram:
Download car wash business plan
Step by step plan to open a car wash
In our country, the number of car owners is growing from year to year, and the demand for car wash services is growing accordingly. The number of middle class people who are the main customers of car washes is also growing. These are mostly middle managers and entrepreneurs.
Our car wash will be located in close proximity to a gas station with a large flow of cars. This is a very good location, so the organization does not need additional advertising. The population of the area where our car wash will be located is about 30 thousand people.
The closest competitors are at a respectful distance. There is no such object within a radius of 500 meters.
The presence of two boxes for washing a car will allow you to avoid a long queue and, accordingly, exclude the possibility of a client leaving for the nearest competitor. Let's move on to calculating the estimated revenue of the organization.
It is assumed that the average passability of the car wash will be about 30 cars per day. That is, 15 cars for each washing box. With an average check of 350 rubles, daily revenue will be about 10,500 rubles, per month - 315,000 rubles.
However, take into account the seasonality in the car wash business. The peak of revenue occurs in spring and autumn, and the decline begins in summer and winter:
Monthly revenue by periods will be:
- Spring period - 504 thousand rubles (+60%);
- Summer period - 157.5 thousand rubles (-50%);
- Autumn period - 472.5 thousand rubles (+50%);
- Winter period - 126 thousand rubles (-60%).
Based on the above data, the annual turnover of the organization will be 3,777,000 rubles.
Production plan
A mobile two-station car wash has a number of advantages over conventional capital facilities:
- Low initial investment for starting a business;
- The design of the car wash allows you to install the premises in the shortest possible time;
- Mobile car wash is a completely independent module that does not require construction and installation work;
- In case of an unsuccessful location, the car wash can be moved to another location. The design of a mobile car wash allows you to change the place of deployment about 30 times.
The object package includes:
- Power frame;
- Insulated outer contour, which provides thermal insulation of the room from +30 to -30 gr.;
- The inner and outer cladding consists of polymer-coated sandwich panels;
- The car wash is equipped with a three-stage circulating water supply system with a coagulation chamber;
- Tank with a capacity of 80 liters for diesel fuel;
- Supply and exhaust ventilation system;
- Completely independent air heating system on diesel fuel;
- Electrical wiring in waterproof design;
- High pressure pump for washing cars, manufacturer - Germany;
- Vacuum cleaner for dry interior cleaning;
- Compressor for blowing locks and other equipment.
Recruitment
The planned staffing of the organization includes:
Annual salary costs will amount to 1,312 thousand rubles.
Financial plan
The fixed costs of our organization are presented in the following table:
Total fixed costs per month will amount to 214,220 rubles.
The structure of annual costs is presented in the form of a diagram:
The main costs of the organization will be the cost of paying wages to employees - 51% of the total costs, as well as the payment of insurance premiums for employees - 42% of the total costs of the car wash.
The calculation of economic indicators is presented in the table - the forecast of income and expenses of the organization:
How much can you earn at a car wash
The net profit of the car wash at the end of the year will amount to 989,406 rubles. The profitability of the car wash is 38.5%. With such indicators of the business plan, the car wash project will pay off in 25 months.
Recommended download car wash business plan, from our partners, with a guarantee of quality. This is a complete, ready-made project that you will not find in the public domain. The content of the business plan: 1. Confidentiality 2. Summary 3. Stages of project implementation 4. Characteristics of the object 5. Marketing plan 6. Technical and economic data of the equipment 7. Financial plan 8. Risk assessment 9. Financial and economic justification of investments 10. Conclusions
What equipment to choose
Car wash equipment will need the following:
- washing chamber;
- overpass;
- ventilation, water treatment and lighting systems;
- power supply and heat supply systems;
- washing equipment;
equipment for supplying water and waste liquids. Usually all the equipment is already included in the complex, but if you want to provide additional services, you will need to buy the equipment necessary for these types of services.
What documents are needed to open a car wash
First of all, you need to register an individual entrepreneur or LLC with the tax authorities. If you plan to provide services only to individuals, you can stop at an individual entrepreneur. If you are going to serve businesses, it is better to register an LLC.
Which OKVED to indicate when registering a car wash
You must also select the OKVED code for business registration. For a car wash, you can use the OKVED code 45.20.3- "Washing of vehicles ...". In this case, this is the most suitable OKVED, and you can stop at it.
Do I need a permit to open a car wash?
You will also need permits from the Chamber of Architecture, SES, State Fire Supervision, Environmental Service, as well as a copy of the project certified by the BTI. Documents must be submitted to the local administration, which, after their verification, will allow the construction.
Research from the Moneymaker Factory
Every year in Russia the number of cars increases by 1.5 million units. In addition to the increase in demand due to the increase in the number of cars, the car wash business is already experiencing a frantic shortage. The advantage of self-service car wash stations is a quick payback for investors, because they are in demand among the population due to the low price of services and a controlled level of quality.
What is a self-service car wash? This is a service with which the car owner will be able to independently wash and care for his car.
For this purpose, stationary posts designed for one parking place are organized in the car wash complex. Each post is equipped with a special panel with connected equipment, where the user can select a number of paid services, such as:
- Washing: hot or cold water, with foam, with osmosis;
- Waxing;
- Insect treatment;
- Drying.
Compared to traditional car washes, self-service car washes are cheaper and take less time. there are practically no queues at such car washes, and the washing procedure itself is fully automated. The owner of the car himself acts as an operator and can independently control the thoroughness and quality of washing.
In times of crisis, the overwhelming majority of consumers will prefer a self-service car wash over a traditional service. After all, it is much cheaper, besides, there is a real time saving, and the quality of washing increases many times, since the owner independently controls the entire process of washing and caring for his car.
If we compare self-service in a car wash service with a seemingly even cheaper alternative, such as washing in the yard of a house or near a reservoir, then here, in addition to the realization that the car owner causes significant harm to the environment by his actions, there is also a high probability of imposing an administrative fine. The amount of the fine will be from 3 to 5 thousand rubles, while self-washing at a car wash will cost only 100-200 rubles.
Now let's find out how popular car washes are in Russia - for this, let's get acquainted with the following statistics.
The need for car wash services
According to the State traffic inspectorate, as of the beginning of 2016, 56.6 million cars were registered in Russia, of which 44.2 million were passenger cars and 2.2 million motor vehicles. The annual growth in the number of vehicles is 1.5 million units (+ 2.7%).
The average car owner washes his car at least 2 times a month. According to the investment company ROSTA, which specializes in the construction of turnkey car washes, a self-service car wash with 6 posts can service up to 900 cars daily.
This means that, despite the provision of the market with car wash services, due to the increased number of vehicles, the annual need for car washes will increase by 110 units.
1,500,000 new cars * 2 times/month * 12 months = 36,000,000 washes per year for new cars
36,000,000 washes / (900 washes/day * 365 days) = 109.6 sets.
The above calculation is very general, because does not take into account the seasonality of the business. In periods such as March-April, October-November, which are peak periods, the load is maximum - standardly loaded car washes may not be able to cope with the influx of visitors.
In addition, car washes rarely work at maximum technical load all 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The density of car washes also plays a big role - it is not uniform everywhere. Therefore, the annual need for the construction of new car wash complexes to cover the growing needs will be 200-300 centers for the provision of such services.
In addition, about 5,000 car wash services are required to meet the needs for washing all existing vehicles - today this need is not even half met.
The deficit among car wash services is clearly demonstrated on the example of the city of St. Petersburg in the following graph (Fig. 2):
Advantages of self-service car washes
With the existing shortage of services, which was demonstrated above, and in a crisis, only self-service car washes will be in primary demand (due to the price of the service (3-4 times lower), the quality and speed of receiving the service), so it would be more rational to give focus on this type of business.
As for the speed of service at car washes, we will study such data. They are clearly shown in Table 1.
Based on this, it becomes obvious that in a crisis, the most popular service that can cover the growing need for this type of service due to an increase in the number of cars will be a car wash at a self-service station. The benefits are visualized in fig. 2.
Rice. 2. Advantages of self-service car washes.
According to the investment company ROSTA
Main advantages
Profitability.
From an economic point of view, building and maintaining self-service car washes is more profitable than owning and operating traditional car wash complexes. This is due to the fact that there are savings:
- On wages, as the number of staff is reduced (washers are not needed);
- At commissioning, since this structure is being built from lightweight prefabricated metal structures, i.e. it is easy to install. Also, for such structures, the requirements for registering land plots for ownership or long-term lease have been reduced.
Fast payback and low competition
The quick payback of the project is ensured by the high demand for this type of service among the population, as well as greater service productivity. In addition, there is still low competition for this type of car wash, since this type of service began to be popularized in Russia only 5 years ago.
All-season service
Due to the fact that car wash stations are equipped with an anti-icing system, downtime in service due to very low air temperatures is close to zero. Such car washes close only when the temperature drops below -30 degrees Celsius. And this is no more than 4-7 days a year. This makes it possible to use such complexes with benefit in all climatic zones of Russia.
Usually the temperature in winter does not fall below -10 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, self-service car washes operate smoothly - this mode of operation is ensured by laying a constantly operating snowmelt system in the concrete floor in the form of heated antifreeze circulating through pipes.
Turnkey price
Find out what the turnkey price of a self-service car wash includes.
According to R. Matsarin, co-owner of the Rosta holding company, the turnkey cost of a standard container type facility for 6 posts will cost 10 million rubles.
Where did these numbers come from? This is easy to follow using the following calculation formula (Fig. 3).
The advantage of container-type car wash complexes is that all equipment is assembled in a separate technical container. The equipment installed in the technical container ensures uninterrupted operation of up to 8 posts (according to the Italian company MIX).
The technology container looks like this:
Container station with 6 posts:
A modular type car wash will cost less, because. it is created on the basis of a prefabricated frame structure, so the main share in its price is the cost of equipment with commissioning services.
The price of a modular type car wash includes:
- Production of permits and design documentation (20-25% of the cost of the object);
- The cost of building materials + construction work (30-35% of the cost of the object;
- Equipment (40-45% of the cost of the object);
- Installation supervision (5% of the cost of equipment).
As an example, here is an excerpt from one thematic forum (Fig. 5) - here the entire cost part for the launch of a 6-post car wash complex is decomposed:
According to Aqua Technology, the profitability of the business is 83%, and the payback period is 2-3 years. The average check is 60 rubles, the duration of washing with waxing is up to 10 minutes. Service temperature - up to -30 degrees Celsius.
Among the most economically attractive calculations, one can single out the one that was made according to Elematica. So, the cost of arranging one post will be from 120 thousand rubles. When calculating the maintenance of up to 140 cars per day with an average bill of 150 rubles, the payback period for 1 post will be 2 months.
Payback period for self-service car washes
The average profitability of a self-service car wash, according to Rosta, is quite high. Here is the data for one of the implemented projects - fig. 6.
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that self-service car washes will be in increasing demand every year. And with the constant increase in the number of vehicles on the roads, which can be observed even in a crisis, it is these car washes that will be in high demand. First of all, because of the economy and lack of queues.
In order to organize your business, it is important to decide on the location of the car wash - a place with busy traffic will be the best. You also need to choose the appropriate format (number of posts) and decide on the equipment. As can be seen from the presented price range for equipment, you can start your own business even with minimal investment. The quick payback of the project will allow to expand profitably and in the shortest possible time.
The high profitability of car washes has become the reason that the business in this direction is becoming more promising and attractive. Experts say that at present the Russian car wash market is experiencing another round of development. Our topic today is a car wash from scratch: a business plan and organizational issues.
general information
Our country is largely oriented towards the West. Let's turn to his experts and on this issue. Europeans believe that one portal sink should be for every 50,000 people. If these data are used in terms of our country, then we will understand that the Russian car wash market is still far from being saturated. Although the initial boom in washing stations has passed, the business has not yet been fully mastered. This applies to both the range of services and their quality level.
What to expect
Experts say that the profitability of car washes reaches 30-40%, and often even higher rates. On average, a business pays off in a period of one to one and a half years. When installing expensive equipment (portal or tunnel), you should expect a period of up to 3-4 years. But at the same time, much higher financial turnover will be formed.
When renting premises for a car wash, the entry threshold for this business segment is $20,000-30,000.
Car wash: where to start, how to succeed
The described type of business, like any other, requires a thorough analysis of the market. In order to open a car wash from scratch, you need to draw up a detailed business plan. You will rely on it when organizing the case. There are several main stages to which you should pay special attention when planning.
Documents and registration
Registration with the tax authority is the first thing you need to open a car wash. You can register as an individual entrepreneur or LLC. With the first option, significant tax savings are possible. In the future, you will need permission from the SES authorities, the fire department, and the district administration. The whole procedure is quite lengthy and may require a considerable amount of time, therefore, having decided to implement the project, please be patient.
Place
The payback and profitability of car washes largely depend on the right place. First of all, you need to decide what will be the bet in your business - on high performance or on a wide range of services provided. Let's see why this is so important.
Highways that connect residential areas and business centers, highways at the entrance and exit of the city, are a good place for a high-performance car wash. This is due to the fact that the client here will be more casual than regular.
In such places, it is good to install portal or tunnel stations, the service speed in which is many times higher than in manual ones. A potential client, seeing that the line of cars is small, will quickly decide in favor of using the services of your car wash. When locating a station on highways, you need to understand that it will be quite difficult to attract regular customers.
Many simply do not want to drive through the whole city, even knowing that your services are an order of magnitude faster than in the washing stations closest to the house. Betting on high traffic, you must equip the car wash with the most powerful equipment, but sacrifice the ability to place additional services at the station. Experience shows that they often remain unclaimed.
The situation is different if the owner wishes to provide his station with the maximum range of services. In this case, it is best to choose a place in one of the prosperous sleeping areas. Here the focus is on attracting regular customers living in the nearest streets and districts. In addition to car washing, the client can order the following services:
- interior cleaning;
- stain removal;
- engine wash;
- tire blackening;
- panel polishing, etc.
Powerful washing equipment in quiet areas of the city will pay for itself for too long, so many entrepreneurs install manual car washes for several posts. The client understands that it will take more time to wash the car, but arrives at the station knowing that there is an opportunity to order additional services.
In addition to the above two points, a car wash can be located near a gas station, a service station, a large shopping center. Pay attention to convenient access and parking for cars.
We must not forget that when choosing a place, you must take into account the requirements of the SES. Car washes should not be located closer than 70 meters in relation to residential buildings.
Rent or construction?
It is good when the premises used for business belong to its owner. But this is not always possible. The financial costs of building a building are significant. Not every novice entrepreneur will master them. In addition to financial investments, you need to go through more than a dozen instances in order to obtain all permissions and approvals for the construction of an object.
Another option is to rent a plot of land and order a ready-made car wash design for the required number of posts from specialized companies. This is also a rather expensive method, since the cost of a turnkey two-portal station starts from 2 million rubles. You can rent a room suitable for washing and equip it with the necessary equipment.
Types of car washes
Before answering the question of how much it costs to build a car wash from scratch, let's understand their types. The final cost figure will depend on the equipment of the station.
