| The recession has been very difficult on many | | | | independent contractor detailers go. He said he |
| companies in the auto sector. Not long ago, I was | | | | hated to make the recession locally any worse, |
| discussing this with someone who owned a detail | | | | by laying-off his workers, but he had no choice |
| shop, that is to say he ran an auto detailing | | | | because he didn't have enough business. |
| company. He noted that his wholesale business | | | | He said he was lucky because he could rent out |
| was down by 75% due to the fact that the car | | | | two of his bays out and sublet them to a couple |
| dealerships weren't selling any cars and they didn't | | | | of young kids that were building street car racer |
| need any new car preps, and they didn't have | | | | aftermarket kits, and if he hadn't been able to do |
| any customers requesting detailing as part of their | | | | that he probably would've had to close his shop |
| purchase. | | | | because he wasn't making any money at all. |
| Likewise, he indicated to me that no one was | | | | Now, however he sees light at the end of the |
| trading in their old cars to buy new cars, so there | | | | tunnel and understands that the economy is now |
| was no used car detailing to be spoken for at the | | | | out of recession, and he and I were strategizing |
| wholesale level. When I asked him about the | | | | on how to market his business to bring the |
| "Clunkers for Cash" program, he told me when | | | | customers back. We determined that it was |
| people traded in those Clunkers they went | | | | important to canvass the wealthier areas within a |
| straight to the salvage yard to be crushed, not | | | | 10 mile radius of his location, and also to target |
| put back on the lot like other used car trade-ins. | | | | single people between the ages of 25 and 40. |
| Had they been put back on the lot for sale, he | | | | We also determined that it was important to give |
| might've had a chance to get the car dealership | | | | quick service, or mini-details to get people in and |
| to pay him to do some wholesale detailing on | | | | trying his business out. Both of these strategies |
| each one. | | | | have worked for my company in the past; The |
| "How about the retail detail business?" | | | | Detail Guys. Indeed, that is what I would |
| Well, he told me that people were saving their | | | | recommend to you, if you are trying to figure out |
| money, and "in fear of a pandemic economic | | | | ways to market your fixed site auto detailing |
| depression or something," thus, they were not | | | | company in 2010 please consider this. |
| spending money, and he had to let several of his | | | | |