How to open a car wash from scratch: business plan. How to open a car wash? What is needed to open a car wash Car wash in a village as a business

We offer the best car wash business plan for beginners. Calculations, tables, useful recommendations.

Starting investment in a car wash: 1,253,000 rubles.
Project payback period: 16 months.
Car wash profitability: 68% (self-service establishment – ​​75%).

Opening a car wash is planned mainly by those people who want to make a profit without having any special knowledge.

This business is profitable and has good development prospects.

Statistically, there is one car for every family in Russia.

Car owners want their cars to be clean and well-maintained. At the same time, the percentage of ownership of expensive imported cars is also increasing. Clients no longer trust their property to simple guys with a bucket and a rag. They want to receive a high level of service with quality equipment and specialized cleaning products. Therefore, the flow of car wash customers is growing.

Consider the standard car wash business plan, which you should focus on when creating your own.

Car wash business plan: planning

Car Wash Project Summary

For example, we will consider a detailed business plan for a car wash in Moscow.

The project aims to:

1. Satisfying the needs of customers to provide car washing services at affordable prices with adequate quality.
2. Creation of an enterprise with a high level of profitability.
3. Receiving profit from activities.

To open a car wash, an initial investment of 1,253,000 rubles is required.

The amount of 1,000,000 will be received from the investments of the project sponsors.

The amount of 253,000 will be compensated from the personal funds of the business initiator.

Marketing of the project “Car Wash Business Plan”

Car wash market overview

Market analysis in a business plan is necessary to identify the niche and competitors. Before opening, you need to carefully study the types of work provided by competitors, prices, and advertising strategy.

The relevance of the services offered can be assessed personally by visiting 3-4 car washes.

The absence of customer queues indicates low demand.

But it is necessary to take into account the time of day, the seasonality of such a business, and special occasions. The flow of customers increases on holidays and weekends and tends to zero during cloudy weather.

The crisis of 2008-2009 had a negative impact on all areas of providing services to the population. However, by 2010, the majority managed to recover to pre-crisis levels. As for car washes, since 2012 there has been an increase in indicators. Currently, 2/3 of car owners use the services. This led to the opening of a large number of new firms. However, there are still free places in this niche.

Competitive advantages of washing

In a business plan you can indicate the following points:

1. 24-hour car wash operating schedule.
2. The optimum ratio of price and quality.
   It is especially important to focus on this when opening a self-service establishment. After all, low cost of services is their main strong point.
3. Availability of a comfortable waiting room for clients.
4. Sale of soft drinks and tea/coffee.

Target group

To estimate the number of potential customers to include in a business plan, it is necessary to study data on the number of car owners in the region of interest. They can be obtained on the official website of the State Statistics Service.

In Moscow, the average statistical indicators of the target audience of car washes are as follows:

• About 47% of city car owners use car wash services;
• among clients 57% are men, 43% are women;
• income is average and above average.

It is better to present such data in a business plan in the form of charts and graphs.

Advertising campaign

A successful opening and subsequent effective development of a business is impossible without advertising.

Car wash promotion includes several options:

This includes, first of all, the sign.
It should be bright and attract attention. If the washing facility is not located directly next to the road, there should be a sign indicating the route to the building.

P.S. To attract the attention of customers, inflatable life-size puppets, flags and additional signs along the road are used.

To start, print 1000 pieces and replenish supplies regularly. They are given to clients and placed in thematic places: auto parts stores, car service centers.

Car wash room

There are two options for placing a sink.

• Build from scratch.
  Not recommended because the number of required permits from different authorities is huge. There is a risk of receiving a refusal from the administration, then the efforts will be in vain.
• Rent of finished premises.
  The option is more reasonable and therefore popular.
  A box or garage would be better. The premises can be purchased or rented with the option to purchase.

In addition to the main premises, make sure there is a parking lot and a waiting room.

You will also need a high-quality drain for water or the development of your own sewage pit.

Car wash business plan: equipment

Self-service car washes.

They require large investments to open, which not every entrepreneur can afford.
Clients wash their vehicles themselves using the equipment provided.
Opening a company with a self-service mode is only advisable for large cities with a high population density. They require.

Mobile car washes.

Instead of a room, a Gazelle-type vehicle is used. This allows us to provide services to clients in any convenient location.

Portal car washes.

They have a number of advantages: high throughput, profitability.
They are a fully automated washing process.
The main disadvantage: less gentle on car coverage. In addition, operator negligence can lead to damage to vehicles. Consequently - additional costs.

The most popular variety.
Washers serve customers using equipment that supplies water under pressure.

Although you don’t need a lot of equipment for a car wash, the cost of the best quality equipment is far from small. You can't save money on this.

The list depends on the number of services provided, which are also indicated in a separate list in the business plan.

Car wash staff

2 employees are enough for one box.

If the car wash operates around the clock, three shifts are organized. The total number of washers is six people.

This data is not relevant for self-service establishments. Car washes of this type require only two or three administrators working in shifts.

• car wash administrator: resolves conflict situations, monitors the maintenance of cleanliness and inventory, organizes the work of the car wash, monitors compliance with the rules of labor discipline and equipment operation, issues tasks to other employees;
• washers: clean cars according to technical standards, ensure order in the car wash premises, monitor the correct operation of equipment, inform management about customer complaints and conflict situations.

Car wash business plan: implementation

Car wash project schedule

Event	Month 1	Month 2	Month 3
Paperwork
Conclusion of a premises rental agreement
Purchase of materials and equipment
Repairs in washing areas
Hiring staff
Opening a car wash

P.S. For a self-service car wash, the staff reception stage is eliminated.

Calculation of costs for opening a car wash

This will cost about 200,000-240,000 rubles.

Financial section of a car wash business plan

Monthly car wash costs

Now let’s calculate the monthly expenses for maintaining the car wash, which also need to be included in the business plan:

• Rent.
  If the premises are leased, the item is entered here, and not the opening costs.
  Let's take the average cost of 50,000 rubles.
• Consumables.
  Chemicals, sponges, buckets will cost 10,000 rubles.
• Taxes and payments for individual entrepreneurs – 10,000 rubles.
• Advertising.
  Depending on the type of advertising you choose, you will spend about 6 thousand rubles.
• Salary – on average about 35% of revenue (except for self-service car washes).

In the final part car wash business plan must contain information about the amount of profit and payback of the project. This section is especially important for investors and for obtaining a loan to open a bank account.

A selection of the best advice from an expert,

how to open a successful and profitable car wash:

Revenue and payback of a car wash

The total expenses in the business plan are:

• opening expenses – 1,253,000 rubles;
• expenses every month - 76,000 rubles. + employee salaries.

If the salary expense is 35% (126,000 rubles), the monthly amount will be 202,000 rubles.

The costs of maintaining the operation of a self-service car wash do not include the payment of a salary in this amount. However, the profit will be less due to lower prices for services.

Income is calculated according to the following scheme:

• the average number of cars serviced is 40 per day;
• The minimum cost of a service from the list of services provided is 300 rubles.

300 rubles*30 days*40 cars = 360,000 rubles/month.

Monthly net profit:

360,000 – 202,000 = 158,000 rubles.

This figure is achievable at least six months after the opening of the car wash.

For the first months, you should count on only half the amount.

The loan repayment period is calculated based on these data and the size of the loan, and must be indicated in the business plan.

Opening a self-service car wash, tunnel or manual, is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Taking into account the state of Russian roads and the growth in the number of cars, the conclusion about the potential success and profitability of the business suggests itself.

To achieve success, you must make a discovery and carefully adhere to it.

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A car wash is a profitable and high-margin business. Let's look at the main points of drawing up a business plan for a car wash. How to organize work? How much money, time and effort will it take? How quickly will such a business pay off and start making real profits? How to avoid common mistakes? In this article we will look at how to open a car wash from scratch and how to draw up a business plan with calculations.

Advantages and disadvantages of opening a car wash

The popularity of car washes is explained by their extreme practicality all year round. Autumn and spring bring with them slush and dirt, so during this period, visiting a car wash is included in the weekly schedule of almost every driver, just as in the summer, car owners try to maintain their vehicles. However, car washes are not idle even in winter - then reagents, salt and sand are washed off from them.

Let's start with the advantages and disadvantages of this business. The main target audience of a car wash is people of middle and high incomes who want to save their time and keep their car clean.

Opening a car wash from scratch: business registration

To register with a tax car wash, an individual entrepreneur or LLC is created. The table below shows and analyzes the main advantages, as well as the necessary list of documents for each form of business. When registering under OKVED, select the main activity: 50.20.3 “Providing other types of services for the maintenance of motor vehicles”, this group includes washing, polishing, applying protective and decorative coatings to the body, interior cleaning, towing and other similar types. Additionally, you can register OKVED 52.1 “Retail trade in non-specialized stores.”

Business profitability

A car wash is considered a very profitable enterprise that can generate considerable income. Experts estimate its profitability to be about 40-100%, but in reality this means full payback within one year and quarter (12-16 months), or, in the case of more expensive options, one or two years.

Answers to questions about opening a car wash (Nikolai Yarkeev)

The video provides detailed answers to typical questions about opening a car wash.

How to open a car wash: business plan

A business plan is one of the most important stages in planning the opening of an enterprise. Very often, further success depends on a well-thought-out business plan. We offer a universal version of this strategy that will help answer the question “how to open a car wash?” from the financial and material part.

Key points:

• business;
• business strategy;
• car wash market;
• marketing features.

Actual financial costs depend on many factors, including:

• preparation of documentation;
• land costs;
• location of the land plot;
• construction itself;
• costs of materials, equipment;
• expenses for repairing the car wash and operating the equipment.

Paperwork

This point should be taken extremely seriously so as not to run into problems at the very beginning of the journey.

The list of documents required to obtain a sanitary and epidemiological certificate can be found at No. 19 of Rospotrebnadzor order No. 776 of November 21, 2005.

You will also need the following documents:

• land lease agreement (obtain from the Moscow Land Office);
• conclusions from such city services as the Fire Service, State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision, MP "Mosvodostok", Moskompriroda;
• permission from the district government where it is planned to build a car wash;
• construction plan agreed with Moskomarkhitektura.

In addition, during inspections you may be asked to:

• land lease agreement;
• agreement on waste removal and site cleaning;
• documentation on registration of cash register equipment;
• situational plan with designated boundaries of the site.

In addition, before starting work, you should notify the Department of Communications and Transport of the Moscow Government about your plans.

Car wash place

Besides the question “how to open a car wash?” No less important is the question “where to open a car wash?” The most advantageous location of a car wash will be its proximity to gas stations, car parks, and technical stations, thus allowing the driver to comprehensively resolve all issues related to his transport.

It is also recommended to locate such enterprises at suburban entrances and exits, on busy highways, but too much traffic can have a very negative impact.

Note: it would be a good idea to personally visit three to five car washes and evaluate the following parameters: the number of customers per day, where the car wash is located, what is the capacity of the nearest road.

How to evaluate the client flow of competitors?

We offer one simple way to evaluate customer traffic, which will allow you to calculate possible income depending on the choice of location. In the car wash business, the key factor for success is location, and for a location, the main parameter is throughput, how many cars pass near the car wash.

To assess the customer flow (traffic) of competitive car washes, you must spend 1 day. You take three measurements: morning, afternoon and evening. For example, a car wash is open from 9-00 to 21-00 (12 hours). Take two measurements in the morning, afternoon and evening (i.e. 6 in total). The first measurement was how many cars pass within 15 minutes from 9-00 to 9-15, from 13-00 to 13-15, 18-00 to 18-15, and also how many cars enter the car wash. Next, we multiply by 4 and divide by 3, this gives the average amount of traffic on the road and the average number of customers in a car wash per hour. You can calculate the average percentage of cars that stop by (for example, it will be 2%, which means that 2 cars out of 100 stop by to wash).

To find daily traffic, multiply the average value per hour by 12 (12 hours of work). In this simple way you can calculate the traffic of your competitors. This value can then be used to calculate the car wash’s daily income. To do this, you need to multiply the number of clients per day by the average check of the establishment.

For example, we have 200 cars every day. The average wash bill is 500 rubles. This means the cafe’s gross income per day will be 100,000 rubles.

Required premises

The room should be quite spacious, but calculate the space so that it is enough for all clients, but there are no extra jobs for which there are not enough clients. Ideally, you can rent such premises at an ATP, which has a number of advantages. Thus, you will have fewer problems with documentation (you will not have to obtain a significant part of permits and other things), and this option will automatically link to your enterprise some of the clients who have previously used the services of this ATP. Don't forget to set aside part of the room for storage.

Water purification system for car washes (important point)

At first glance, it may seem that this is one of the most unnecessary points that must be observed to open a successful car wash, and that information about it can be completely scrolled through. But that's not true. Modern environmental standards require impeccable compliance with them.

Special filters for water purification are designed to purify the water used in work from chemicals, fats, petroleum products and other unwanted substances from wastewater. Such systems are placed in heated rooms where the temperature constantly exceeds +5 degrees.

The figure below shows a diagram of the placement of equipment at a car wash. As can be seen from the technological process, after washing the car, sand, dirt and silt go into the drain. Petroleum products remain in the chambers and do not enter further into the purification system. As a result, purified water is supplied to the washing pump from the pumping station.

How to open a car wash: footage

It is important to pay no less attention to the issue of hiring workers than to issues of a material nature or documentation. Each employer is guided by his own ideas about a good employee, but we advise you to first pay attention to the following two key characteristics:

• high professional level, availability of applied knowledge and skills;
• friendliness, ability to win over, responsibility (will allow you to attract clients and make them permanent).

The optimal operating mode is around the clock. Number of employees: 5 washers and 1 foreman.

For the position of foreman, it is better to look for employees who are executive and have experience in car washes; for the position of washers, you can select low-skilled personnel.

Cost of starting a business

The funds spent on opening a car wash can be divided into two categories: space rental costs + equipment costs. Equipment includes:

• high-pressure apparatus with heated water ($1800-3000);
• a high-pressure apparatus that supplies water to 1 station ($500-1300);
• cleaning systems ($4800-6600);
• compressor ($200-250);
• washing vacuum cleaner ($400-550).

The most popular types of washing equipment are devices from the German company Karcher. Equipping one location with a Karcher automatic gantry wash will cost $100,000.

In addition to German companies, Italian and Danish companies remain popular on the market.

In addition, you will need supplies (like shampoo, polish, certain chemicals). When servicing 30-40 cars daily, about $300 per month is spent on consumables.

How much can you earn?

Your profit depends on many factors, however, in order not to get confused in abstract phrases, we will give approximate figures that you can focus on. Calculations are based on a free-standing, non-garage type 4-place sink.

When servicing (on average) about 200 cars per day, the cost of servicing each order is within 500 rubles. In this situation, the total monthly gross profit reaches 3 million rubles.

The main expense items are taxes and salaries. In general, under this item you will have to pay a monthly total of 2.2-2.5 million rubles. Net income will be about 500,000 rubles (conditional figures). Business payback 1-2 years.

Let us repeat that these are only approximate figures, which in fact may depend on many factors and will change both in the direction of increasing income and in the opposite direction.

Assessment of the attractiveness of a business by the magazine website

Business profitability	(3.5 out of 5)	Business attractiveness 3.3
Project payback	(3.0 out of 5)
Ease of starting a business	(3.5 out of 5)
A car wash is a highly profitable and quick payback project. There are more cars in Russia every year, and the need to save time on car washing is only growing. The payback period for initial costs is ~1.5-2 years. The business has seasonal sales and possible downturns in the summer, which will require additional staff and financial safety margins. The key factors for business success are: location close to vehicle traffic.

A business plan for opening a car wash allows you to calculate the risks and expected profits from your own business. Many car owners are thinking about starting a car-related business. The simplest and most budget option is to open a car wash, which will accommodate 3-5 places. The data calculated in the plan will create an idea of ​​the business and help figure out what expenses will be required to open the service. Since the sink can be opened in different sizes, it is also necessary to calculate which option will be more profitable and will pay for itself faster.

Types of sinks

There are several types of sinks, which differ not only in their operating structure, but also in size. Before opening a self-service car wash, a standard car wash or other types of services, it is necessary to calculate all the factors that may affect the flow of customers and the demand for the service. Depending on the number of workers who will be employed to service the vehicles, the amount of tax or the form of the facility may also change.

Most often, motorists use the services of hand washes, which is why these types of services are the most abundant. It takes a lot of time to service each car, so you need to consider that employees will spend at least half an hour servicing the car. It is also necessary to have consumables in stock in the form of:

• sponges;
• brushes;
• special car shampoos and other detergents.

The advantage of this type of mine is that you do not need to immediately buy expensive equipment. This point allows you to save a lot of money when opening services. This type of car wash is the most budget-friendly to open and can be a good start for developing a network of services. The cost of services and the costs of building and organizing a car wash allow the project to be repaid within a couple of years.

A manual car wash requires approval from many authorities, so after creating the project and before implementing the idea, you will need to collect a lot of documents and spend money on various permits.

Automatic washing with brushes is a fairly expensive type of service that provides good body cleaning. Cleaning equipment can cost several hundred thousand rubles. A car station has greater productivity than manual labor, so the payback for a car wash can be within a year to a year and a half.

For successful business prosperity, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the machines and use only suitable brushes and consumables.

When washing a car with hard brushes, damage to the paintwork may occur. Defects that arise during the washing process will need to be compensated to the car owners, so car service owners should not neglect the rules.

This type of car wash involves removing contaminants using special devices that supply water under pressure. Active foam is also used to remove even stubborn dirt. The foam is washed off again with water under pressure, leaving the car clean and presentable. The final step is to apply a special polish that protects the car from ultraviolet radiation and other negative natural phenomena.

A contactless car wash causes minimal damage to the car's paintwork and allows you to accept many more vehicles per day than other types of washes. The disadvantage of this type of service is that it is not adapted to the difficult climatic conditions of Russia. In winter, when the roads are sprinkled with reagents, the car wash cannot cope with 100% removal of contaminants.

When cleaning the car, special shampoos and polishes are used. The products soften the dirt and it can be carefully removed using brushes and rags. This type of sink is not very common, as it does not cope with all types of dirt and certain areas cannot be cleaned. In regions with warm climates, the profitability of dry car washes is high, but in cold regions it is better to opt for opening a different type of car wash, and include this procedure in an additional list of services.

Self-service car washes are becoming increasingly popular. The client is given the opportunity to clean his own car using the service’s washing equipment. The advantage of this type of service is that a minimum number of service personnel is required. Payment for the car wash is based on the amount of time spent in the service.

As car owners increasingly prefer this type of car wash, a self-service car wash can be a profitable investment.

To organize a business, you will need much less money due to the fact that there is no need to pay salaries to washers, pay taxes for them, or have complex professional equipment. To organize a car wash, you will need to fill out paperwork, rent a premises, provide communications there and purchase washing equipment.

Since most car washes have a limitation on washing large vehicles, the popularity of specialized services is growing. If the car wash is properly organized and located in a place where there is a large flow of trucks, then the payback period for the business can be only 6 months. Truckers highly value the cleanliness of their cars, so they often turn to special services. Since trucks are large, a regular car wash building is not suitable. It is better to choose to rent or build a large box.

The building should easily accommodate twenty-ton trucks, since this is the main type of customer at car washes.

Compact boxes can be installed anywhere provided the permits are available. Mobile car washes usually consist of sandwich panels that are installed within a couple of days. Building a complex from scratch takes only 10 days, so if you have a package of documents, opening a mobile car wash can happen very quickly. Permits for this type of car wash can be issued in just 7-10 days.

What do you need to open a car wash?

In order to calculate how much money is needed to open a car wash, you need to find out what permitting documents will be required. First of all, you will need to decide on the form of doing business. Car washes open with two registration options:

To organize a small car wash, opening an individual entrepreneur will be enough. This option has a simpler registration and taxation scheme. If you have not previously had experience opening an individual entrepreneur, you can contact special companies involved in registering legal entities. An LLC will be required when organizing large companies and a network of car services. The form has a complex control system, so novice entrepreneurs should not choose it.

There are several taxation systems. The simplest of them is the simplified tax system. The simplified taxation system involves paying only one of two parameters:

• 6% of total income;
• 15% of net income.

The choice of indicators from which payment will be calculated is left to the taxpayer himself. You do not need to hire an accountant to submit reports.

The advantage of the simplified tax system is the ability to conduct accounting independently.

To open a car wash, you will need to collect a list of documents. The papers will allow you to work openly without problems with the law. The list of required documents includes:

1. Documentation on the form of registration of a legal entity and its registration.
2. A rental agreement for premises or documents confirming ownership of the facility in which the car wash is planned to be located.
3. A land lease agreement or papers that confirm ownership of the territory where the future car wash is located.
4. Agreement with electricity supply services. Without proper lighting and proper registration, a permit will not be issued.
5. Agreement for connection to water mains and disposal of excess liquid into the sewer system. A prerequisite is the installation of special equipment for wastewater treatment in car washes. If professional equipment is installed, the purified water can be reused inside the sink.
6. Agreement with waste disposal companies. When organizing your own business in the form of a car wash, you will need to remove not only household waste, but also various other types of waste.

After the entire package of documents has been collected, you will need to visit Rospotrebnadzor. Employees of the institution will issue written consent to carry out business activities.

How much money does it take to open a car wash?

The main cost of implementing a washing project is the rental or purchase of premises. The cost may vary depending on the location of the property, its condition, and communications. Typically, a building can cost anywhere from 400 thousand to several million rubles. If such an amount is immediately beyond your means, then you should pay attention to the possibility of renting a suitable room. How much space is required for the full functioning of a car wash depends only on the number of seats. The price of real estate includes registration of all permits and approval of the project in specialized services.

The second major expense item is the purchase of equipment. On average, professional equipment costs around 2.5 million rubles. If a self-service car wash opens, the cost of washing machines can be reduced to 700-900 thousand. When opening a car wash with automatic equipment, the cost of this item can increase to 5-6 million, depending on the number of places.

The next expense item is the wage fund. In the regions, the minimum wage can be set within the minimum subsistence level (10-12 thousand rubles). In large metropolitan areas, the wage fund should be significantly larger.

Since a car wash involves the use of large volumes of water, it is worth taking into account the payment of the first payments for it in the initial costs. For a car wash for 2-3 cars, this amount is usually 50-60 thousand rubles. Also, when using special equipment, you will need to take into account energy costs. Depending on the type of car wash, the cost of opening it includes an additional 50-100 thousand rubles for various unplanned expenses. If you calculate how much it costs to open a car wash from scratch, then for a service for 2-3 cars the amount will be about 1.3 million with minimal costs.

Where is the best place to open a car wash?

Since a small car wash usually opens at the beginning, services for 10-15 cars will not be considered. It’s better to start with services for 2-3 machines. If the niche of car washes in the city is tightly occupied, then you need to immediately think through a list of services and bonuses to attract customers. Also, opening promotions can attract the attention of future customers and increase earnings. If there is a dense location of car washes in the city, it is best to place the car wash in crowded areas:

• markets;
• parks;
• shopping and entertainment centers;
• business centers;
• cafe.

Another place where a car wash would be relevant is a gas station or a car service whose list of services does not include car washing. If the car wash is located within the city, then it is necessary to consider its location in the center of residential areas. Car enthusiasts living in high-rise buildings often entrust their cars to specialized companies for washing. If you serve your customers correctly, your first customers can become people who will visit your car wash for a long time.

The second important factor besides the location of the car wash is the recruitment of employees. Cheap labor, as a rule, is dishonest in their job responsibilities, so work is often performed at a low level. First of all, you should refrain from hiring schoolchildren and students. It is better to pay wages at a higher level and have professionals with extensive experience on your staff than to save on wages and have non-professionals who can damage the car’s paintwork and other parts of the car.

Since opening a self-service car wash is the easiest way, if there are no competent employees, you should give preference to this option. Even a self-service car wash needs to hire staff. These could be managers, cleaners, foremen who, if defects are detected, will help eliminate equipment malfunctions. All these employees must be well paid so that they have an incentive to work and improve.

Competent and courteous staff are the key to the success of every company.

What equipment do you need to purchase?

Depending on the type of sink, you will need to purchase different types of equipment. If the car wash is manual, you will need:

• high pressure washer;
• floor cleaning apparatus;
• installation for water purification after use;
• equipment for cleaning the interior with chemicals;
• steam generators;
• vacuum cleaners.

It is better to give preference to professional equipment, since Chinese analogues quickly fail and do not perform cleaning as efficiently. When choosing equipment, it is better to give preference not to well-known brands, but to trusted brands that have proven themselves as manufacturers of reliable and practical devices. It is also worth paying attention to environmental friendliness and hypoallergenicity.

What disadvantages should you avoid?

A car wash is a profitable business, but if you only care about getting money, then soon customers will stop visiting the service. There are several reasons why motorists refuse to visit car washes:

1. Long car wash and poor quality of service.
2. Rude and unfriendly staff.
3. Lack of a price list indicating exact prices for each service.
4. Lack of prior registration or non-compliance with it.
5. Poor service and lack of a waiting room for clients.

First of all, when a client visits a car wash, he wants comfort and quality services. If the service cannot provide these two points, then the next time the client will not visit this establishment. A good way to check the quality of service is to order a secret client visit to the car wash.

Advertising

An important point is proper advertising. A competent specialist can significantly increase sales of a company’s services. When opening a car wash, it is better to place an advertisement on banners, distribute leaflets, and run advertising on the radio. Such measures will allow a larger audience to learn about the opening of a new service.

You can also offer a promotion for a free car wash on a certain day or a cumulative 10+1 discount. An interesting advertising ploy is a discount using a promotional code or flyer. A few days before the opening of the car wash, you can start distributing leaflets that will indicate the size of the discount, for example, in the first week after opening.

(23 ratings, average: 5,00 out of 5)

Car washes are a profitable business that, with proper development, can become truly highly profitable! Agree, the number of cars on our roads is not decreasing, but, on the contrary, is growing every year, which is why the demand for this type of service will only grow. To open a car wash you don’t need certificates - just desire!

Advantages and disadvantages of opening a car wash

Pros:
1. High demand for this type of service
2. This is a highly profitable business
3. There is practically no competition, and if there is, it is insignificant.

Minuses:
1. High initial investment, which not everyone can afford.
2. The likelihood that you will have to take out a loan to open
3. There is constant humidity in the car wash premises, so repairs will need to be done quite often.

Yes, opening a car wash will be much more difficult than closing (the likelihood of this is quite high, since if SES standards are not followed, the administration will not allow your business to exist for long), but, nevertheless, the choice is entirely yours.

Do you need a business plan for a car wash?

It is worth understanding that a car wash business plan will help you clearly formulate your idea. If you are your own investor, then this project will put everything into perspective and allow you to better navigate what is happening. But, if you have partners, or you are planning to get a sponsor, then a business plan is the only way you can get investment!

The most interesting example in this case is Japanese businessmen. If you divide into percentages all the time they spend preparing for the opening, you can see that 80% of this time is spent on developing a business plan and working out all the details, and only 20% on the actual implementation of the idea! The Japanese are real pros in this matter; their plans take into account any force majeure and work through the opening process every minute!
It is precisely this fact that a well-drafted and high-quality business plan is the key to your future success and its first step!

What you need to open a car wash: documents and permits

The first and most important thing will be to obtain a resolution from the city administration. They must confirm that they have nothing against opening a car wash in a certain area. But the paperwork won't end there. Next, you should submit a letter of petition to the administration of this city, in which you make a request for the allocation of the selected plot of land for construction.

OKVED code for car wash:

50.20.3 - Providing other types of vehicle maintenance services (main point).
This grouping includes:
- washing, polishing, applying protective and decorative coatings to the body, interior cleaning, towing and other similar activities.
52.1 - Retail trade in non-specialized stores.

Next, you should write a letter addressed to the mayor, in which you need to enclose all the documents received thanks to the above actions. You should definitely receive a response letter - in which either consent or refusal will be expressed. If the answer is positive, then this will be the ticket to opening your own business.

Only after this letter can you begin to develop a building project. As soon as this process is completed, it should be sent for examination to the SES and agreed with the labor and environmental protection service. Next, meet again with a representative of the fire inspectorate and architects - having received permission for direct construction. And only after all these steps will you be able to submit your project to the state. examination, which must approve the project and issue a certificate allowing construction to begin.

The act can be of two types: for temporary and permanent construction, it depends on many factors. In any case, after this examination, you will be allocated a plot of land and issued a construction warrant.
If you think that all this “walking through torment” is completely not worth it, then you are mistaken. Yes, many procedures seem difficult to complete and absolutely pointless, but once you start collecting documents, you will understand that everything is not so difficult!

Rent or construction of a box

If you are determined to open a serious business and you have sufficient start-up capital, then, without a doubt, it is worth building your own boxes.

Car wash equipment

Among this list, the most popular, and, as is generally accepted, the highest quality is Karcher. This company provides really high-quality products and at the same time pleases with a wide variety of goods! Among its range you can find everything you need to clean a car, moreover, these products are suitable not only for commercial use, but also for internal production.

By the way, there is another great business idea for opening a waterless car wash. But this is a topic for a separate article, subscribe to updates so you don’t miss out!

Is it profitable to open a car wash and what income does it bring?

Let's look at this in numbers:

1. Purchasing the necessary equipment:
- water supply apparatus
- high pressure apparatus supplying warm water
- used water purification system
- washing vacuum cleaner
- compressor

In total, this equipment will cost you 230-250 thousand rubles.

2. Consumables:
- shampoos, products that allow you to clean wheels, bumpers, interiors, polishing products
This “pleasure” will initially cost (and will continue to cost) about 9,000 rubles per month (assuming that the car wash will serve about 30-40 cars).

3. This is where we see all the advantages of renting boxes. To build a car wash, you need to collect a huge number of permits and certificates from officials. If you don’t believe it, then go back a little higher, to the point where we talked about it. To make it a little clearer, consider the figure: you will have to collect about 160 signatures from officials and authorities... The cost of construction itself will amount to about 3 million rubles. That is why spending about 50-100 thousand a month on rent is much more profitable.

4. Personnel costs.
Car washers' salaries are most often piecework. That is why you can build it in relation to your capabilities. In any case, this is about 20-40% of daily revenue.

Taking into account all these conditions, you can earn monthly (with the deduction of expenses) about 200 thousand rubles. The profitability of a car wash directly depends on its location and the quality of the services provided! All in your hands!

The number of cars in cities and other populated areas is growing steadily. In this regard, the demand for all services related to cars is growing. Entrepreneurs are increasingly turning their attention to business related to cars: car services, car washes, gas stations.

In what cases is this beneficial?

The prospects for a car wash depend on many factors, including, for example, the level of service, the ability to service both domestic and foreign cars, the availability of additional services and their range.

This is a business with little specificity. For those who are wondering whether it is profitable to open a car wash, the main deciding factors will be the liveliness of the chosen area and the absence of nearby competitors.

What do you need to open a car wash?

You should send a written request to the city administration and obtain its consent to open a car wash in the selected area. The period for consideration of such applications is one month.

It is necessary to prepare a preliminary design and coordinate it with municipal architects, as well as obtain approval from the SES, fire inspectorate, and environmental service.

Based on the received technical specifications, a complete set of design documentation is developed. After which you will need to approve it, obtain a positive conclusion from the state examination and permission to build the facility.

Appropriate agreements must be concluded with resource supplying organizations.

Types of car washes

It is better to decide on the type of car wash at the planning stage, because both the size of the investment and the profit will depend on this.

Car washes are divided into:

• mobile;
• manual;
• automatic.

Mobile car washes– a popular and rapidly growing direction. They require little initial investment, and modern detergents allow us to provide very high-quality services.

Manual car washes are divided into:

• contactless;
• contact.

In the first type of car wash, water and detergents are supplied through equipment, and the worker only controls the process. In the second case, people wash the car. This is the cheapest and most common type of car wash. However, nowadays it is increasingly losing relevance. The large time costs of washing a car are often not justified. In addition, careless actions can lead to damage to the body.

Automatic car washes can be:

• portal;
• tunnel.

Portal washes are designed in such a way that an automated arch structure moves along the car, cleaning the body using high pressure or brushes.

In tunnel washes, the process is organized in exactly the opposite way: here the machine moves on a conveyor belt along the washing units.

Automatic car washes are good because they allow you to save on staff. For normal operation of the sink, only two people will be enough. However, you will have to spend a lot of money on purchasing equipment and building or remodeling the premises, since often the existing premises do not correspond to the equipment for automatic washing.

Requirements for car washes

During operation, the washers discharge wastewater into the sewer system. Therefore, before starting work, it is necessary to conclude an agreement with the city water utility. There are regulatory requirements regarding the composition of wastewater. The volume of wastewater is specified in the contract, as is the inadmissibility of discharging toxic substances hazardous to the environment into the sewer system.

Water treatment equipment must be installed at the sink. This is usually a compact and inexpensive unit. Similar equipment is designed to purify incoming water.

Selecting a location

The first thing to start opening a car wash is choosing a location. You should choose a suitable room in the optimal area of ​​the city, town, or choose an option on the highway near a gas station.

Next you need to find out the cost of rent. Renting a property will usually be more profitable than buying it, especially if you enter into an agreement for a long period of time and with a fixed payment amount.

Its profitability will directly depend on the location of the car wash. In residential areas there will be fewer customers than in the city center or on the highway. But the rent will be more affordable. In addition, municipal authorities often do not like the opening of car washes in the center.

The optimal choice would be an elite area located close to the center. Residents of such areas usually have expensive cars, can afford regular car maintenance, and often order many additional services.

There is no need to build your own sink. You can find an inexpensive option for a ready-made building. In any case, the main thing is that there is free access to the car wash, which does not depend on road congestion.

How to open a car wash from scratch: choosing equipment

The required set of equipment will look like this:

• high pressure apparatus for supplying and heating water;
• compressor;
• water purification systems;
• washing vacuum cleaner;
• detergents.

The equipment, of course, will depend on the specific manufacturer. Supplies to the Russian market are mainly carried out by large foreign companies. Their prices are appropriate, so you won’t be able to save much.

Main manufacturers:

• Karcher;
• Carebridge;
• California Kleindiest;
• Weidner.

It is important to properly zone the car wash and include areas for customers and staff. This will make your work as comfortable as possible, and good service will attract many regular customers.

The optimal minimum is a place for a cash register, an administrator's office, a staff rest room, and perhaps also a place where customers can drink coffee or even have a snack while waiting.

It has long been proven that customers are more willing to choose those places that guarantee them a lot of comfort.

The standard set includes a comfortable sofa and armchairs, magazines, and a TV. No special luxury is required here, the main thing is functionality and a focus on productive work.

In order to offer coffee to the client, you don’t have to invest huge amounts of money in a cafe. You can install a coffee machine or simply place a cooler with hot water and offer customers something like cookies or chocolate for tea and coffee.

Staff

Selection and hiring is the last stage before opening a car wash. This is not a difficult task, but it requires an extremely responsible approach. It is quite possible to choose car washers without work experience or special knowledge, but there should still be minimum requirements for candidates. The main qualities of a good car wash employee are:

Some car washes operate 24 hours a day, so the washer must be prepared to work during the night hours.

Types of basic and additional services

The main services include:

• body wash;
• interior dry cleaning and drying;
• polishing

Additional services do not mean selling coffee and hot buns to customers, but services that are directly related to washing.

Additional services will require additional staff training and increased salaries. It is absolutely obvious that the motivation for introducing a number of additional services for the car wash owner will be to increase the number of clients, and for the employee, washing the engine using the anti-sweat and anti-rain technique will be justified only if there is an appropriate financial reward.

Traditionally, a car wash is understood only as a purely external car wash. However, the range of additional services can be incredibly wide. The main thing is to be able to make the right offer to the client.

The most common additional services offered in big cities include:

• applying a protective wax layer;
• blackening of bumpers;
• blackening of wheels;
• engine washing;
• radiator washing;
• abrasive polishing;
• elimination of holograms;
• cleaning plastic in the cabin;
• tinting;
• reservation.

It is clear that the wider the range of additional services, the more in demand the car wash itself becomes. You can also open a tire workshop, which will attract even more clients to your complex.

For a small business it can be the next step in the development of an entrepreneur.

Possible car wash franchises

If we approach the issue from a purely theoretical position, then to open a car wash you will only need premises, detergents, several washers, and a minimum set of equipment. However, such a car wash will only be successful in small towns where the choice of the population is very limited.

If the business is planned in a large city, then you can purchase a franchise.

The concept of “franchise” is quite multifaceted and covers a whole range of actions and activities. But to put it simply, a franchise is a paid right to use a particular trademark for commercial purposes.

Using an already promoted brand makes it possible to quickly start making money from a well-known name. Here you won’t have to re-establish a good reputation and client base.

Today, there are several companies operating in Russia that offer car wash franchises to entrepreneurs. Their offers differ in conditions and prices. Let's look at the most interesting options.

LuxCarwash

Thanks to this franchise, you can organize a car wash, which will cost about 8 times less than the usual and standard box.

Fast and Shine

When purchasing this franchise, the entrepreneur will immediately receive ready-made business solutions and a business plan. The company has its branches in 60 Russian cities.

"Mobile car wash"

The uniqueness of this project is that the washers themselves go to a pre-agreed location to provide services to the car owner. No water is used in order to avoid leaving puddles and dirt. Only the latest chemicals are used for washing. In the future, the company plans to create stationary car washes near shopping centers, gas stations and other places.

Option of non-stationary car washes from the ChistoCar company

Self-service car washes “POMOY SAM”

How much does it cost to open a car wash and its estimated profitability

Opening a car wash is not an easy process and involves certain difficulties. But a car wash pays for itself pretty quickly. Car owners are increasingly refusing to wash their cars themselves.

Russia is known for its bad roads and frequent and heavy rainfall. All this does not allow you to enjoy a clean car for longer than a few days, after which the car owner will again have to use the services of a car wash.

In addition, competition in the market here will not be as high as in other types of business. A newly minted car wash owner will quickly begin to receive a stable profit if he takes into account some of the specifics of the business and the peculiarities of the market situation.

If we talk about the initial investments, then all the equipment will cost approximately 300 thousand rubles. Cleaning supplies would cost approximately $300 per month if 30 machines were serviced daily. Construction of a box for a car wash from scratch costs approximately 2.7 - 3 million rubles.

The average profitability is 40%, which is quite high. The initial investment pays off in a period of one to three years.

The main difficulty in opening a car wash is the high threshold of basic investments. In order to reduce these costs, you can start a business by opening a portable car wash, and later, after building a customer base and making a profit, build a full-fledged washing complex.

Video - the process of building a stationary car wash for 3 stations: