Managing Profitability in a Mobile Onsite Car Wash Business


By Lance Winslow


Having been in the mobile cleaning business and specifically mobile car washing for over 25 years many people have asked me; Is Mobile Car Washing a profitable business? Well, it certainly can be if it is managed correctly and efficiently. But like any business it can easily be run into the ground by poor choices, incorrect market mix, inefficiencies and improper equipment. Managing Profitability in a Mobile Onsite Car Wash Business is not as easy as it looks, as it appears to be one of the simplest businesses in the World.

Profitability in the mobile car washing sub-sector really depends on route size and efficiency? Just hiring people to go out is not an easy management endeavor without serious consideration to profit sharing incentives and commissions. One unit can do very well, if run correctly.

Many people make this a full time living and do as well as their Middle Class neighbors or better due to the cash business aspects. Some fail. Business acumen and sales are key, this of course depends on you more than the business model itself.

The costs to get in can be as low as $2500 if you build a small unit on a trailer. Some of the units we have been building range up to $65,000 but many are multi-use "Wash Anything" type units, as in some areas weather in winter requires this. These are all consideration on the managing for profitability in the mobile onsite car wash business.


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