Articles
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Wheels & Tires: Shining Your Way to Success
01/16/2012
How to ensure you are delivering the shiniest wheels & best looking tires possible
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by Megan Loch
At Ecolab Vehicle Care, we recently conducted focus groups around the country to ask consumers their thoughts, concerns and preferences regarding professional car washing. Do you know what was cited as the most common “sign” indicating to them their car [...] -
Deodorization
12/01/2011
Techniques to effectively remove odors
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by Prentice St. Clair
Professional detailers are often faced with the challenge of stinky cars. For example, a well-used mini van that has carried several children munching on snacks in the back can become quite odoriferous in a matter of a few short months. Sometimes the standard interior detail will remove these [...] -
Shine On!
11/10/2011
Simple steps in wheel care to make wheels shine
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by Prentice St. Clair
Next to the paint, probably the next most important surface on the exterior of a car is the wheels. It’s amazing how a clean set of wheels with dressed tires can dramatically improve the look of almost any car. It’s no wonder that one [...] -
The Art of Safely Cleaning Wheels
11/10/2011
It is all about the wheels
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by Stuart Levy
There was a time when the perception of a clean car was centered on how the vehicles white wall tires looked. For the customer, if the white walls were clean then the vehicle was clean. For some reason this is all the customer saw when they examined their [...] -
Save Water, Reduce Pollution, and Save Energy
08/02/2011
Will Car Washes be Banned?
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By Dr. David Ghodoussi
Waste Water? Pollution? Climate Change? Arizona is on Fire. And, the fire is spreading to New Mexico. Its only June! Many parts of the country and the world are under severe water restrictions or drought conditions. Whether these conditions are caused by natural phenomena or are man made, [...] -
Detailing at the Car Wash
08/02/2011
Express versus Full Service Detailing
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by Prentice St. Clair
There are both opportunities and challenges in adding detailing services to a car wash. Automotive detailing, offered at a car wash, affords a potential additional profit center. Proper training and equipping of detail technicians will allow them to perform confidently and effectively. My goal is to stimulate thought [...] -
Detailing Services Menu
07/13/2011
by Prentice St. Clair
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Service Options
There are a number of services that go hand-in-hand with automotive detailing. Some are simply an extension of detailing while others are more advanced surface repair procedures.
On the interior of the vehicle, you can offer interior surface repairs such as leather repair and re-dyeing, vinyl and plastic repair, dashboard repair, velour [...] -
Auto Interior Cleaning
07/11/2011
Heavy Spills
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by Prentice St. Clair
A customer asked if I could help her out with an odor in her car. She indicated that a week earlier, she discovered that a gallon container of drinking water that she was carrying around had leaked on the carpeting of the rear foot well, and that, since then, an odor [...] -
Leather Restoration
07/08/2011
Re-Dyeing Leather
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by Kian Amirkhizi & Doug Snow
The artist has his brush, the sculptor his chisel and the interior restoration technician has a spray gun. You might think that the modern spray gun is just the marvelously engineered device that permits the efficient atomization of pigmented particulates. However, it’s much more than that, it’s the pivotal [...] -
Leather Care
07/07/2011
Extra-Ordinary Leather Cleaning
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When is a leather seat clean? I’m sure many detailers who are not intimately familiar with the conventional leather restoration techniques may often wonder how far they can go with their cleaning process before doing irreparable damage. And yet there is the other camp of the cleaning spectrum where any concoction is fair [...] -
What’s Your Engine Oil Telling You?
06/29/2011
Like Blood Work, Engine Oil Analysis Can Reveal Looming Maintenance Issues
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By Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor
Analyzing the oil in your car is like sending a sample of your blood to the lab — it reveals an astonishing amount of information about the inner workings of your engine without invasive surgery. By reading [...] -
Leather and Vinyl Care
06/22/2011
Beauty on the Inside
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By Kian Amirkhizi & Doug Snow
Interior cleaning is both an Art and a Science. And, the process is always full of surprises. There are many different types of surfaces to clean up or problems you may have to fix. But, one way or another there is almost always leather or vinyl, or [...] -
Rag Top Days Gone By?
06/21/2011
Convertible Top Care
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By Prentice St. Clair
The Love For Rag Tops
Looking back on the history of motoring, it’s humorous to discover that, what we consider to be a luxury—driving with “no top”—was the norm for early automobiles, which did not have roofs at all. The first covered vehicles actually came about as a result of the [...] -
Detailing; Building a Successful Business
06/12/2011
BEING EFFICIENT
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by Prentice St. Clair
Many operators begin a detailing business because it seems like an easy way to make money. Yet running a professional detailing operation as a sole proprietor requires the owner to do much more than simply wash and wax cars. In fact, there are multiple tasks that have to be performed so [...] -
Paint Protection Systems
06/12/2011
TECHNOLOGY OF CLEARCOATS
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by Tom Horvath
In the last 100 years, humans have produced a lot of VOC (Volatile organic compounds). All industries have had to look at ways to reduce VOC, and hopefully repair any damage to the earth that has been done either by just waste or by vapor.
When I started painting cars professionally 35 [...] -
Paint Care and Your Car
06/10/2011
DETAILING SECRETS
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By Prentice St. Clair
One of the concerns of most car lovers is the painted surfaces of their vehicle. Professional automotive detailers need to be able to handle both basic paint care as well as advanced paint correction techniques.
For those of you who are veterans of automotive paint care, this will be a good review [...] -
Is ROI Overrated?
05/19/2011
By James T. Brown, Ph.D., president, SEBA Solutions, Inc.
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Return on Investment (ROI) is probably the most popular business case measure for assessing projects and initiatives. However, it is fraught with pitfalls and is the most overrated project selection method. I am using ROI here to represent a variety of financial measures that can be determined [...] -
Vanity Plates – The New “New Car Buy” Feel
05/16/2011
By Elayne Matthews
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As I view the road when driving long distances nowadays, I tend to notice the increase of vanity plates. What was once a rare sight on a long trip is now a common view around town. Who purchases a vanity plate and why? And are they as cleaver as early plates we occasionally [...] -
Robert C. Stempel: A Car Guy, A Visionary
05/12/2011
By Alan Preston, CarCareBuzz.com contributor
On Saturday, May 7, 2011, Robert C. Stempel, former CEO of General Motors, passed away in Florida. At CarCareBuzz, we join with many in sharing our condolences to the Stempel family on his passing.
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General Motors said this in their announcement on May 10, 2011:
“The General Motors family mourns the passing of [...] -
Music and the American Automobile-Is the Song Over?
05/05/2011
By Elayne Matthews
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Where has the great music depicting the great American automobile gone? Is it the lack of American automobile innovation to inspire the music artist, or has music forgotten the love between owners and their automobiles? As The Who sings, “The song is over, it’s all behind me, I should have known it…”
As I [...] -
Your Auto Shows…at CarCareBuzz
04/26/2011
By Elayne Matthews
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Ahhh….Spring is in the air and summer is around the corner. Along with the usual sights and sounds of the season come the sights and sounds of the car show. The revving of the muscle car, the elegance of the classic car, the nostalgia of your favorite television car star, the wacky concept [...] -
Car and Stars? Just Cars?
04/26/2011
By Elayne Matthews
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This past week New York hosted the New York Auto Show. Along with new, beautiful gleaming cars poised in the showrooms, came a bevy of entertainment. No, I did not attend this auto show; my town’s auto show came only with the cars; however I would have gone if only to see the [...] -
Environmental Responsibility
04/07/2011
Water Supplies
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The environmental impact of water efficiency is crucial and the sustainability of our rivers, lakes and aquifers depends on it. Diminishing fresh water supplies is one of the most critical natural resource issues facing the world. Some experts predict that if nothing is done by 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population will not have [...] -
Unions: A force to be reckoned with or a weakened force?
04/07/2011
By Elayne Matthews, www.carcarebuzz.com Contributor
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Lately, the topic of unions and their importance have been in the news across the nation. The strong emotions felt by both sides of the issue have resonated in the evening news, written word in newspapers, and internet blogs. There seems to be a strong sense of urgency to maintain and [...] -
Four Ways to Make Social Technologies Relevant to Your Business
04/06/2011
By Scott Klososky
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Social media/networking and the collection of tools they have spawned have moved solidly into the strategy toolbox for organizations. If you want to be the Zen master of social tools, then first understand the need to implement elements of social that will both drive revenues, and cut back office costs. Too many people [...] -
Ingenuity
04/01/2011
Success Requires Investment and Ingenuity
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by Stuart Levy
It’s almost as if the seven plagues have come down on us all at once. For the past few years the car wash industry has been in a real funk. I have been doing this for almost fifty years and never have I seen the industry suffer like it [...] -
The Need for Speed
04/01/2011
By James T. Brown, Ph.D., president, SEBA Solutions, Inc.
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There is nothing wrong with speed when a system is designed for it. I had a harrowing taxi ride in Germany on the autobahn. The ride was uncomfortable not because of the very high speed, but the condition of the dilapidated taxi I was riding in. [...] -
Tips on Towels
04/01/2011
New Sub-title: Towels; Expert Advice
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By Valerie Sweeney
Keeping track of towel inventory can be a nerve-wracking task for many car wash managers. Eventually all towels will either wear out or slowly disappear by being left in customers’ cars, or “borrowed” by a customer who forgets to return them. Towels are relatively inexpensive compared to most other [...] -
Successful Business Ownership
03/31/2011
Results from Better Business Management
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Craig Burr, Multimedia Publisher offered comments and thoughts on business development and transition—then went to the “Brain Trust” and asked authentic industry leaders like Dave Dougherty (PDQ) to share his expertise and experience.
Craig Burr offered his observations.
We all realize that the car washing business is changing. There are trends that are localized [...] -
Innovation in Question
03/31/2011
The State of Innovation in Car Washing
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Craig Burr, Mulitmedia Publisher for CarCareBuzz.com offered the comments and thoughts on innovation for the purpose of seeking and sharing the expertise and experience of some of the industry’s “Best Thinkers”. Following are Ryan Beatty’s (Mark VII) comments and thoughts in reply to concerns about the state of innovation [...] -
ICA Water Savers
03/30/2011
ICA Leads Industry on Water
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By Tiffany Graves
The ICA, International Carwash Association’s enhancements to the WaterSavers program are official. The updated membership criteria now allows more car washes to participate in the industry’s leading environmental recognition program making today the ideal time for you to take advantage of this program. You’ll be joining the more than [...] -
Water Usage and Consumption
03/30/2011
Total Water Demand
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Water, water usage and consumption, and water quality. Perhaps the most essential and most misunderstood ingredient in the car washing business. Start with day one of the planning stages of building a new car care facility. This fictional car wash facility is not an actual location, but rather a combination of the many [...] -
Successful Business Ownership
03/30/2011
Results from Better Business Management
Read more...
Craig Burr, Mulitmedia Publisher offered comments and thoughts on business development and transition—then went to the “Brain Trust” and asked authentic industry leaders like Dave Dougherty (PDQ) to share his expertise and experience.
Craig Burr offered his observations.
We all realize that the car washing business is changing. There are trends that are [...] -
Chemical Drying Agents
03/24/2011
Use Less Chemicals, Optimal Usage
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By Brent McCurdy
How do you get the driest car ever? Well, the ultimate answer to the driest car ever may be a story of less is more. Why would you want to use less chemical? If a drying agent isn’t working well, wouldn’t it make more sense to turn it up? [...] -
Water Quality is Key
03/22/2011
Water Quality & Drying Agents
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by S. Levy
Are you using a business model that would actually have you choose to eliminate jobs and damage the environment? Without hands to dry a vehicle, and using chemistry instead, the exterior-only car wash option is a popular business model to avoid labor expense. If you’re primary cleaners are alkaline [...] -
Chemistry and Profitability
03/21/2011
INVENTORY CONTROL
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By Stuart Levy
A few years ago, ‘Just in Time Inventory’ practices were all the buzz. Today, the investments required to maintain a proper and safe chemistry inventory are escalating. Safe storage and transport of chemistry products must be balanced with the operating necessity of have proper inventory on hand. Out of stock situations [...] -
Consumer Expectations
03/21/2011
Upgrades to Services Deliver Value
By T. Horvath
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As the economy has weakened over the past few years, consumer confidence has dropped. News programs compared the economic conditions to The Great Depression and began consistently reporting unemployment statistics. Investments and job security fell to an all-time low and virtually eliminated disposable income. Consumers examined their spending [...] -
Odor Control
03/17/2011
Vehicle Appearance and Odor Problems
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By Bob Dunklau
Cigarette smoke and chemical spills are among the most common causes of odor problems in vehicles. This contributes to unsafe air quality and endangers vehicle drivers and especially children passengers.
In 2010, 4 billion dollars were spent in the United States to keep the interior and exterior of vehicles looking [...] -
Safe Chemical Inventory
03/17/2011
CHEMISTRY MATH
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Managing your chemistry inventory can be challenging and dangerous. Many car washes use as many as 13 different products ranging from cleaning detergents to waxes and polishes to tire dressing. If you had a back-up drum for each product that could be as much as 26 drums of inventory. That’s a lot of chemical [...] -
Chemical Hazards
03/17/2011
Chemical safety protocols and emergency response procedures are a key to running a safe business. Employee safety is based on knowing how to properly handle chemistry and is key to helping make your car wash operation a safe and healthy place to work. Chemical hazards are a risk to employee safety and are a responsibility [...]
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Water Usage and Consumer Satisfaction
03/15/2011
Water Spots
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You are using far too much water at your car wash! Has anyone ever said that to you before? Excess water usage is not only a concern for delivering a clean, dry, spot-free car, it is also a concern of your customers that you are not wasting water in order to satisfy them. The [...] -
Dealing with the Slow Season
11/30/2010
Strategies to get a jump-start on next year
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by Prentice St. Clair
In some parts of the country, the detail shop all but shuts down during the worst part of the winter. Other operators rely on dealership work during these times because the dealers, regardless of the weather, must have incoming used cars cleaned up in preparation [...] -
Beep! Beep! … Hold On To This!
11/30/2010
Steering wheel refinishing
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by Kian Amirkhizi & Doug Snow
It’s probably safe to say that last night you weren’t lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, pondering your steering wheel—but I did. Few, if any, ever give the steering wheel a second thought; it’s just taken for granted. But, from our perspective, that device that is used [...] -
Quick Money Makers
11/03/2010
Increase your per-vehicle revenue with minimal investment
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by Prentice St. Clair
Those who have followed my writing over the years are certainly aware that I have a bugaboo about pricing. For many years, one of the most common problems in the detailing industry has been inappropriate pricing. That is, most detailers don’t charge enough for the [...] -
Leather Cleaning: Zero to Expert in 15 Minutes?
11/03/2010
Will reading this article make you an expert in leather cleaning?
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by Kian Amirkhizi & Doug Snow
Well … maybe not an expert, but well on your way to becoming appropriately informed. In the past, when leather seats needed cleaning, you may have grabbed the closest bottle of all-purpose cleaner and an equally proximate brush. You began [...] -
Detailing the Details
08/31/2010
Tips & tricks to provide superior service
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by Prentice St. Clair
Over the past nine or so years, I have contributed articles to this magazine covering all sorts of topics related to detailing. Yet sometimes the best advice is the simplest. To that end, I occasionally submit an article describing some of the little extras that make [...] -
Everything you ever wanted to know about VELOUR!
08/31/2010
… and then some!
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by Kian Amirkhizi & Doug Snow
It’s Saturday morning and you are riding along in the car with your wife. Roaming the neighborhood streets looking at garage sales only after your spouse “suggested” you spend some face time together with this “incredibly stimulating” activity. Now on your third stop, you pause as your [...] -
Automotive Leather Care
08/31/2010
Becoming a leather care expert
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by Prentice St. Clair
An important part of an interior detail is seat care. Automotive seats are commonly upholstered in one of three types of material: leather, vinyl, or fabric or cloth. Less commonly, some manufacturers offer a suede or synthetic suede. Of the three, leather is by far the most common [...] -
Nothing Succeeds Like Excess? Not in Leather Repairs!
08/31/2010
A minimalist view in repair philosophy
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by Kian Amirkhizi & Doug Snow
As a veteran of the interior repair industry for many years, I can verify that repairing leather is an art that technicians express in varying degrees of aptitude. All dependent on the training of the individual, the amount of time he has been working with [...] -
No Crystal Ball
08/03/2010
How to spot an embezzler
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by Philip Toppino
How do astronomers spot a black hole if they can’t see it? The trick is since a black hole exerts enormous gravity on nearby objects, you look to see its effects on surrounding matter. That is how you spot an embezzler.
This topic is a tough one folks because it [...] -
Industry Commitment
07/13/2010
Invest in your industry
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by Prentice St. Clair
I heard a great quote the other day. It was by Theodore Roosevelt and goes like this: “Every man owes a part of his time and money to the business or industry in which he is engaged.”
This inspiring quote was shared with the Board of Directors of the International [...] -
Looking for Ways to Differentiate Your Car Wash?
07/13/2010
These proven marketing ideas are more than a token effort
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by Dottie Hopkins
Competition is alive and well in the car wash industry. And while it might be easier to carve out niches within segments like hand-washing or detailing—that can be a daunting task for self-serve car washes. But with some creativity and imagination, operators can differentiate [...] -
The Case for Leather Repair
07/13/2010
An opportunity awaits!
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by Kian Amirkhizi & Doug Snow
Think about your career choice for a moment. How did you end up there? Do you enjoy your work? Are you having fun or do you dread the everyday monotony?
Many of life’s choices “just happen” including your profession. As John Lennon said, “life is what happens while you’re [...] -
Coming Soon!
07/13/2010
Converting your self serve into an in-bay automatic
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by Karen Ott
Is the revenue from your self serve not quite what it used to be? Considering making some changes to your car wash? Perhaps you want to convert an underperforming self serve into an in-bay automatic. Or maybe you need to bring your site into the 21st [...] -
The Value of the Product On Hand
07/08/2010
Chemical purchasing & understanding container labels
by Stuart LevyHow many of you belong to one of the big box stores bulk purchasing clubs. The clubs that encourage you to purchase much more of something than you really need because there is a discount or deal associated with the purchase. If you have a big enough [...]
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Red Flags
07/08/2010
Be careful who you take as a partner
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by Philip Toppino
We are coming to a close on my seven part series of articles, this one being close and dear to my heart. I selected this topic as the main subject in order to cast another perspective of a business partner after the honeymoon is over. They [...] -
Bring Your Vision to Life
07/08/2010
Are there critical ingredients in the recipe for success?
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by Vinny Carfora
What is success?? Is there a formula to achieve success? Are there critical ingredients in the recipe for success? Is success achieved through luck?
I believe that success is varied on perception … is it achieving or accomplishing set goals, buckets of cash, or favorable or [...] -
Investment in the Future
06/29/2010
How to choose the most efficient on-premise laundry equipment for car washes
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by Steve Hietpas
In the quest for the best car washing equipment, many car wash owners pay less attention to the equally important selection of machinery for their on-premise laundry (OPL) areas, where hundreds of towels are washed on a daily basis. The selection of [...] -
Determining Value
06/10/2010
Business valuation is a top-down process
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by Vinny Carfora
A car wash business might be a relatively uncomplicated business to operate, but determining its value usually is a challenge. Business valuation is a top-down process that starts with an extensive analysis of the overall economic trends. The understanding of the industry’s prediction and risks are also a [...] -
Tricks of the Trade
06/10/2010
Specialized detailing—odor control
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by Bob Dunklau
According to the Car Care Council, four billion dollars were spent last year in the United States on enhancements to keep the interior and exterior of vehicles looking like new. And since the average American spends nearly 20 hours in their car per week and travels more than 200 miles, it’s [...] -
Incorporate New Services
06/10/2010
Case Study: Adding value to your car wash with a laundromat
Savvy business owners are always looking for ways to build their businesses by incorporating new services or finding creative ways to add value for their customers. When entrepreneur and local business man Fred Greenway purchased an empty lot in Exmore, Va. to build a [...]
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Stay in the Black by Going Green
06/10/2010
It is an economic reality to invest in eco-friendly car wash technology to maintain reasonable profit margins
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by Jimmy Belanger
When “going Green” and “car wash” were used in the same sentence 10 years ago, the subject almost always turned to water—use, reuse and treatment. In the past, discussions focused on “drive way” washing and the toxic [...] -
A WOW Experience?
06/10/2010
Is the customer’s perceived value worth the investment they just made?
by Stuart LevyAll over the country car wash prices range from between $3 to in excess of $20. The difference is what your customer wants applied to his vehicle. A polish wax application costs extra. Tire dressing, extra. Super sealant, to make the car [...]
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Grade Yourself
06/10/2010
A guide to proper chemical usage
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by Stuart Levy
It’s so easy to misunderstand exactly which chemical cleaning products should be used, why they should be used in a particular application and how they should be applied. Application can also be based upon the type of car wash; tunnel, in-bay (frictionless or touch) and self service. You [...] -
The Competitive Edge
06/10/2010
It’s important to evaluate your business & see its hidden potential
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by Rachel G. Capps
The car wash industry embodies a competitive edge to it that most operators fail to stay on top of, but it’s important to evaluate your business and see its hidden potential. Think about how your ideal car wash would benefit from the [...] -
The Drying Process Begins With the Cleaning Process
06/10/2010
Car wash cleaning & drying are codependent
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by Ron Holub
It is more than obvious that today’s economy and high unemployment is having an adverse effect on most car washes. Many are experiencing lower volumes due to rising gas prices and unfavorable weather compounded by increases in food and other daily living expenses. In searching for answers [...] -
Choose Your Partner Wisely
06/10/2010
Advice is typically worth the money you pay for it
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by Philip Toppino
If you are thinking about opening a new business, this article shares with you suggestions and tells of specific things to avoid and if followed could save you over $500,000 in renovation expenses and/or new construction cost overruns. Unbiased and educated advice is truly [...] -
Profitability?
06/09/2010
Understanding the business horizon
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by Ken Dollhopf
Of course the goal is that every quarter, month, week, day and hour should be profitable. The fact that there is a synthetic calendar day as a threshold for the year is just that synthetic. What is real is the week’s payroll nut, the monthly utilities and the balance in [...] -
Achieve Significant Business Benefits
06/09/2010
The TOP 5 reasons to use automatic payment terminals
by Jim Belanger
1. Improved Customer ServiceOne of the first things on an operator’s mind when considering an upgrade is how will my customers benefit from the upgrade. Automatic payment terminals provide operators the flexibility to offer features such as multiple gates, expanded payment options and no [...]
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Energy Efficiency
06/09/2010
Untapped savings for your car wash
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by Jim Belanger
A flat economy and rising energy costs[1] have put tremendous pressure on car washes to find ways to lower variable costs. Implementing energy-optimizing initiatives is no longer an option. Proven methods for car washers to reduce energy consumption are already at hand. These cost-effective solutions promise substantial return-on-investment [...] -
Express Vending
06/09/2010
A natural profit center for the express car wash
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by Becky Kube
Vending is the natural fit for an additional profit center for express car wash operators. Products are always available and no attendant is needed. Whether the operator uses an attractive decal on a stainless steel vending machine or a glass-front model, the products sell themselves. [...] -
Customer Education
06/09/2010
The fine line between education & selling
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by Prentice St. Clair
The first step in any detail, especially with a new customer, is to conduct a customer interview. The customer interview has three parts: information gathering, vehicle inspection, and customer education. The interview gives you the opportunity to determine the customer’s needs, wants and desires, while at [...] -
High & Dry
06/09/2010
Next-generation dryer technology can improve car wash performance, cost & efficiency
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by David Dougherty
Let’s face it, when drivers pull into an in-bay automatic car wash, they have two simple goals in mind: 1) to drive away in a clean car, and 2) to drive away after the shortest passage of time possible. In the past, that [...] -
Maintaining Your Most Important Tool: The Body!
06/09/2010
With an ounce of prevention …
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by Kian Amirkhizi & Doug Snow
There he lay, on a hospital gurney. Debilitating chest pains crippling his fragile body. From all observable respects this man is having a severe life-threatening heart attack. Meagerly, he lifts his arm and motions his brother to him, uttering what might be his last words. [...] -
Wheels & Tires: Shining Your Way to Success
06/09/2010
How to ensure you are delivering the shiniest wheels & best looking tires possible
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by Megan Loch
At Ecolab Vehicle Care, we recently conducted focus groups around the country to ask consumers their thoughts, concerns and preferences regarding professional car washing. Do you know what was cited as the most common “sign” indicating to them their car [...] -
What to WATCH for in Wheel & Tire Cleaning Chemicals
06/08/2010
by Stuart Hulsey
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What’s one of the first things customers look at when they leave a car wash? What is one of the top complaint areas customers have post-wash? If you answered “wheels and tires,” you’re right.
Next to clear, streak- and spot-free auto glass, pristine, shiny tires and wheels are what customers want the most. And [...] -
Maximize Your Wash Quality Without Increasing Chemical Costs
06/08/2010
Success requires the talent & attention of the operator on an on-going basis
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by Ron Holub
Rising gas prices, adverse weather, a sluggish economy … they all mean one thing for car wash owners: lower volumes, less profit and hard times. You can compound these wash problems by factoring in high unemployment rates, an uncertain economic [...] -
A Car Wash: Just What the Doctor Ordered
06/08/2010
You have just the remedy to help ease the pain
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by Rachel G. Capps
Car wash operators rejoice! March 20th marked the first day of spring this year and with the interesting weather we’ve had over the past few months, we’re in for an exciting pollen season. Predictions for this spring suggest it will be much warmer [...] -
Does Anyone Win The Race To The Bottom Line?
06/08/2010
There are things you can do to turn your bottom line around & actions you need to avoid at all costs
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by Philip Toppino
In most any town in America you’ll find three groups of businesses side by side. Fast food chains like McDonalds and Burger King, and home improvement chains or drug stores will typically park [...] -
Finding the Right Retrofit
05/13/2010
Introducing new equipment & technology to your in-bay automatic wash system can lead to improved marketing, efficiency & customer satisfaction—if done right
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by David Dougherty
The American automobile industry, despite all of its current troubles, has usually done a pretty good job of evolving. The big-finned boats of the 1950s gave way to the sports cars of [...] -
Take a Class in Bow-Wow Diversification
05/13/2010
Add a pet wash
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by Mike Dancha
Tired of trying to run a business in a recession? How about taking a simple, virtually risk-free venture into a $14 billion market that has been recession-proof for the last five years? Add a pet wash. That’s right. The pet industry is huge, and while many of us eat [...] -
Selling Paint Sealants
05/13/2010
Why consumers should choose you for their automotive protection needs
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by Prentice St. Clair
You call a detailing customer to make an appointment for his regular six-month detail and he informs you that he just bought a new car. You say, “Great! How exciting! What did you get? Say, why don’t we put a paint sealant on [...] -
In-Bay Additions
05/13/2010
Making the decision to add an in-bay automatic to your self-serve site
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by John Holzinger
“How do you intend to grow your business over the next five years?”
All business owners are faced with this internal question as they do annual business planning. It’s one of the reasons why you may be considering the addition of an automatic [...] -
Detail Training at a Car Wash
04/20/2010
Increase the effectiveness, efficiency & consistency of your detailing operation
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by Prentice St. Clair
Running a car wash is a lot of work. For the hands-on owner or the onsite manager, the day is filled with equipment maintenance and breakdowns, customer interface, and employee management. Now, add to this a separate business—the detail center—with its own set [...] -
Vacuum System Selection
04/20/2010
Appearance, quality and reliability make a lasting impact on profit potential
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David H. VanGorder
Whether you’ve been in the car wash business for many years or you’re just starting out, it is important to keep in mind that your vacuum and detailing services are a major part of your operations. The revenues and profits generated by your [...] -
Simply Sophisticated
04/20/2010
Next generation of pay stations simplify the entry process for customers while offering a wide array of sophisticated options for the car wash operator
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by David Dougherty
It may sound like an oxymoron, but in describing the current capabilities of pay stations as they relate to car wash applications, the phrase “simple sophistication” does a pretty good [...] -
Building Fleet Clients
04/20/2010
Develop and implement an action plan
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by John Holzinger
Fleet business at the car wash is an area that eludes the majority of operators. I find this, as an equipment salesman and industry analyst, to be quite frustrating. The technology to enable this activity has been readily available for years and new capabilities are constantly developed.
The potential [...] -
So You Want to Build a Car Wash?
04/13/2010
Part 4:Tips for planning—avoiding the pitfalls
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by Andy Pazz (Pazeotopoulos)
In this, our last installment of “How To Build” advice and knowledge from Andy, he provides strategies and recommendations on varying subjects from; vacuums to security and equipment. Also provided is a summary of the previous three sections. If you would like further details please visit Andy’s [...] -
Positive Business Experience
04/13/2010
Creating a better supplier/operator relationship
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by Ron Holub
For many years the relationship between car wash suppliers and operators was based primarily on the personal relationship between the operator and the supplier. Most operators were reluctant to change suppliers as long as they felt they were getting a good deal for products and service and liked the [...] -
Money Changer Advice
03/29/2010
Practical and personal considerations
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by Mike Coons
There are numerous considerations to evaluate when choosing a change machine for your car wash business—some practical and some personal. And there are options and models to suit most customer requests. Basically it boils down to two basic considerations—What do you want to take in? And what do you [...] -
Cross Promotion Makes Sense—and Dollars Too!
03/29/2010
Inventive car wash operators share their success
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by Dottie Hopkins
As you read this there are potential customers driving right by your car wash. So how can you get them to stop by? That’s the million-dollar question. While each situation is different, here’s how several car washes have benefited substantially from cross promotional efforts with nearby businesses.
Drawing [...] -
Fragrance Service
03/23/2010
Maximize profits with quality service
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by Steve Osborn
Why should you offer fragrances at your car wash? Very simply: clean cars should smell clean. While that is one reason to provide fragrance services, certainly another reason is the profit. But how do you maximize sales to make the most profit?
Create the Impulse
Fragrances offered at a car wash [...] -
Salesmanship & Pricing
03/23/2010
Pricing starts with excellence in service
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by Prentice St. Clair
The detailing industry has long had as one of its main challenges the correct pricing and selling of the service. These two concepts go hand-in-hand. First, one must possess the confidence to set prices that are fair to both the customer and the operator. Second, one [...] -
Time Stands Still For No One
03/18/2010
Is there a better way to sustain your car wash business in today’s environment?
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by Stuart Levy
I was having a conversation the other day with Craig Burr the publisher of this magazine. The topic of the conversation was “sustainability.” Actually it was more of a philosophical discussion on how businesses and individuals may need to [...] -
Curb Appeal: The Art & Science of Enticement
03/18/2010
Curb appeal is that all important first impression
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by Joe Cameron
How often have you wondered why people, when confronted with multiple choices for the same goods and services, will choose one place over another?
Is it because they know or have heard that company A makes a better product than company B?
Is it because one company is [...] -
So You Want to Build a Car Wash?
03/18/2010
Part 2: Tips for planning—avoiding the pitfalls
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by Andy Pazz (Pazeotopoulos)
Last month, we discussed how to get started in the car wash business. In this issue we continue the discussion including topics that will help you avoid some of the pitfalls while planning.
Prior to Applying For Permit
Select Your Architect
Be sure that the architect you hire [...] -
Increasing the Bottom Line With More Than Just a Gift Card Loyalty Program
03/18/2010
Technology & new card programs can eliminate problems
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by Ken Allmacher
Wash tickets, annual passes and loyalty punch cards have been around forever. The concept is not new, but with the advancement of technology with computers and the Internet there has been a significant improvement in administering these types of programs. With the old-fashioned, labor-intensive paper programs [...] -
Dirty … Grimy … Filthy … Seatbelts!
03/15/2010
Get the dirt on seatbelt cleaning
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by Kian Amirkhizi & Doug Snow
If you are in the business of cleaning cars then you have more than likely been challenged with seatbelts that were dirty, grimy and filthy! Yes, the seatbelt is the universal sponge for all omni-present gunk floating around in our car interiors. The nexus of [...] -
Defining Success
03/15/2010
Weathering the recession by reducing costs and increasing productivity
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by John Holzinger
We would, in normal times, have a clearly defined discussion regarding business success. Increasing profitability, generating customer loyalty and gaining market share would be main topics for examination and discussion.
Now, unless you have been in a cave for the last 18 months, success can be [...] -
The Show Must Go On
02/25/2010
Give customers the quality wash they deserve
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by Marco Marinelli
Let’s face it; we have all seen better times in this business we love. Washing a car has become a luxury for some as opposed to a weekly visit to their local car wash. We now have a smaller clientele than ever before and those customers are [...]
