Are You The Perfect Candidate for a Car Detailing Franchise in Edmonton?
Are You The Perfect Candidate for a Car Detailing Franchise in Edmonton?
Hey Stephane, how are you doing today?
Good, how about you?
I’m doing good, man. Doing good. You’re out in Florida enjoying the good life, and we’re here in Edmonton working hard for you, making sure that Starfleet Detailing becomes a household name, at least in the mobile fleet detailing department.
We were just having a discussion before we turned on the Zoom about selling the franchise and really finding the right person for the franchise business. Maybe talk a little bit about some of the things you’ve done to try and sell the Starfleet Detailing franchise and the types of people that you were coming up against. Maybe we can speak to somebody who is the right fit for Starfleet.
Yeah, what we’re doing is we’re trying to find the right fit, and the right fit would be somebody that has experience in detailing. It is something that requires physical activity, physical work, and we want somebody that enjoys working.
It’s not a franchise just to invest money and get somebody else to do the work. You can do that, but at the early stages you have to be hands-on, and there’s a benefit to that because then you really understand the business.
We started like that, and if you ask me any question on the topic, I have an answer. It’s not because I just invested in the business and stayed home. It’s because I was hands-on and involved. I did problem solving, tried to figure out the best products and the best techniques to resolve certain issues.
What Makes a Good Franchise Candidate?
In our franchise, when it comes to commercial detailing, the whole point of companies calling is because they want us to solve their problem. We’re problem solvers.
That in itself has a certain satisfaction, knowing that these big multimillion-dollar companies are counting on us to come and help bail them out of a situation.
Those situations could be mold remediation. It could be a vehicle or a truck that was left outside for a few months. It happens in the off-season. These companies have these vehicles out there and somehow mice get in and build a nest. They go to start it up and use it, and it’s like, “Oh my goodness, what happened here?”
That’s when they call us.
It could also be smoke. Most companies don’t allow smoking inside their vehicles, but that doesn’t mean people listen. They’ll have a truck, let’s say they fire a guy or he quits, and then all of a sudden they find this disaster, an ashtray smell in their vehicles. The next guy that comes into that is like, “I can’t use this vehicle.”
They call us up and we solve their problems.
The detailers that we’re looking for are people that enjoy going in and helping people out because that’s what we’re doing at the end of the day.
Let’s talk about the type of people that go to franchise shows versus reality. People go to franchise shows. What are they looking to do?
When they go to a franchise show, they’re excited to see what’s out there. It’s like any type of show. You don’t really know what to expect, and you’re kind of excited. You go there with an open mind.
Then you start to be mesmerized by all these salesmen trying to sell you a franchise. Our franchise is actually probably the cheapest franchise you can buy.
Our initial investment to get into the franchise and get all your equipment and your van is about $70,000 Canadian. Most are at least $100,000 and up, and a lot of them are U.S. funds.
People don’t realize that.
The Reality of Owning a Mobile Detailing Franchise
When they get there, they are overwhelmed by all the different options, and they all look like great options. Now they’re starting to dream.
“Boy, all I have to do is invest $100,000 and then I’ll just stay home and enjoy life.”
That’s not what it is.
With a franchise, you have to be involved. You’re opening and investing into a business. You have to start from scratch.
Most franchises don’t really start making a profit for several years because you have to get your initial investment back. You have to get employees, a physical address, a lease commitment, furnishings. By the end of the day, you’re half a million in.
That’s what I like about our franchise. It’s $70,000. You don’t have to have a location. It’s a mobile business. You’re your own boss and you control how much money you want to make.
You want to make an extra $200 or $300? You just work a couple hours more.
It’s really the perfect scenario as far as freedom, being your own boss, and making good money.
The one thing that I really like about franchises in general is if you’ve never operated a business before, there’s a lot to it. It’s not just opening up a business, having a website, and you’re off to the races.
The good thing about a franchise is there’s a proven system already built into the cake. As long as you listen, you’re teachable, and you follow the systems that are in place, you should be successful.
That’s what I like about that.
The fact that Starfleet Detailing is so economical, I’m not going to say that’s no money, it’s a decent investment, but at the same time it’s low in comparison to a restaurant, a fast-food chain, or any of these other franchises out there.
Experience and Work Ethic Matter
If you’re talking to somebody today on the video that is interested in a Starfleet Detailing franchise, what would be a list of things they should be prepared to do or have before they commit?
Before we even talk about money, it’s important to have certain experience in detailing.
If you’re not an enthusiastic person when it comes to cars or cleanliness, then you’re not really going to care about it. If you have a car and it needs a detail and you don’t care, most likely you’re not going to be a good candidate.
It has to be somebody that’s passionate about it.
For example, when we hire employees in our business, we hire somebody with experience because what we’ve seen through the years is that whenever we say, “This person sounds like a good candidate, he’s young, he loves cars, doesn’t have experience, but really wants to make something of himself,” we train him and next thing you know it’s like, “It’s not really for me.”
They’re gone.
We waste money training people that don’t really know if they like detailing.
You wouldn’t want to invest $5,000 on a franchise for detailing and not know anything about it. It doesn’t make any sense.
It has to be somebody that has some experience in cars.
My best workers have been detailers that have been doing it right out of high school because for whatever reason they like cars or maybe they don’t like school, so they want to work physically.
As they gain experience, they’re like, “Okay, I want to start using my mind now.”
Having a franchise like this helps them do both.
If you’re a hands-on person, you’ll hate a desk job. Now we’re giving you both. You get to use your mind, you get to use your hands, and then you can be your own boss and build something.
When you’re buying a franchise, you’re committing to a business. After 10 years you can renew, but you can also sell your franchise. It’s your business. You’re building up your customer base and building value.
If you try to start a detailing outfit by yourself, there’s nothing to sell. For us, there’s brand recognition and relationships with companies.
You’re really building a business, and we help you do it because if you try to do it by yourself, the rate of failure is so high.
Building a Business With Star Fleet Detailing
There’s so much involved in building a business. It’s not just doing the work. It’s being organized. It’s also being able to market yourself and build relationships.
Another thing that’s important is having a strong work ethic because there’s no boss pounding down your door saying you have to be there at 8:00 a.m.
You have to have that internal drive.
Even when the phone isn’t ringing, be motivated to do something in the business, whether it’s working on a system, improving your sales skills, or sharpening up your detailing skills.
You’re acting as an owner and no longer an employee.
The biggest motivator is money.
If you’re working for somebody else making $20 an hour and your boss says, “I need you to work a couple extra hours,” you’re like, “It’s only $40.”
But when you’re your own boss and you say, “I’ve got to work a couple extra hours but I’ll make an extra $200,” that’s a big motivator.
You’re also building your business. It’s your name and your reputation.
Once someone is established in their Star Fleet Detailing business and they’ve got somebody working with them, it gives them more time to build relationships with other companies and grow the business.
If you have an employee and you’re paying them $20 an hour and you’re billing $100, you’re left with $80. That’s pretty good.
I recommend, though, that you start off doing everything yourself so you really understand the business.
That builds empathy too because you would never ask somebody to do something you weren’t willing to do yourself.
As a franchisee, once they buy into a franchise, we help them from A to Z. We help them buy their van, their equipment, train them on how to become a top-notch detailer, and how to run the software.
We also help them generate work through cold calling and different marketing options. They have guidance.
It’s not just, “Okay, you bought it, good luck.”
We have a schedule. We walk them through everything step by step.
Most people need somebody to train them. That’s what I’ve found through the years.
A lot of businesses today are franchises because brand recognition is everything now.
When you search for mobile detailing, everything looks generic. There’s no brand building.
Franchising and brand building are intertwined, and if you’re going to start a business, a franchise is the way to go. Which type of franchise, that’s for you to figure out.
If you’re interested in building your own Starfleet Detailing franchise, there’s support available from startup to launch.
For more information about franchise regulations and business ownership, review franchise resources from official business organizations.
Awesome. All right, man, thanks so much for talking with us today. This is going to be some good information for people, and hopefully you’ll get more calls and more people interested in purchasing franchises across Canada.
Yeah, right. Thank you.
You bet. Take care.