How to Start Small Scale Car Wash in Nigeria

Car Wash is one business which can be easily set up if detailed feasibility study is carefully carried out. Such study does not require the service of an expert to be successful. It is a business that can be handled from one person up depending on how big you plan to start


Car-Wash
 The business is not limited to a particular class of the society. It can be started by the youths, graduates, unemployed, businessmen, women, investors etc. it is so viable that anybody that set it up would never dream of changing his line of business.

As easy as the business seems, there are some important tips that had to be strictly adhered to, to stay afloat and become successful, please stick to these steps;

1. Finance - the first thing that should be uppermost in the mind of anyone going into a car washing business is raising of capital. You need finance to get necessary tools to work with. From rough estimation it is a business you need nothing less than two hundred thousand naira only to commence operation.

2. View others - one area that pushes some people out of business is lack of needed expertise in such business before delving into it. To succeed in this business, please visit at least three to five other outfits (in same line of business) and see how it is set up generally.

Ask helpful questions, get facts and figures on how to bill and treat customers so they would always come back. Be confident and very observant you never leave anything out during your tour of these places (if possible go with a writing pad and a pen).

3. Location - deciding on a particular spot to cite the business is another step that requires careful consideration. Don’t locate the business out of sentiment as this might push you out of business. Get a place where there are lots of vehicular movements. You won’t last long in this business if you settle for a remote spot or an area out of town not known with lots of traffic.

4. Approval - after deciding on your location, the next step is to get needed approval from authorities where the business falls. Don’t ever commence business without getting this approval as there necessary things that ought to be in place due to nature of the business.  The authorities must confirm such area has good drainage and gutter so that dirty water won’t flood the road.

5. Borehole /well - water is the livewire of any car wash business. Take every effort to sink a borehole (this is a small machine sunk to the ground with the ability to produce water where there is none). Another alternative is by digging a well. Make sure the well is treated on a regular basis to give clean water suitable for vehicles.

6. Overhead Tanks - the tanks would be strategically placed to store water for any period when there is none available. A small thank will do in this instance to save cost. As time goes on you can then go for the bigger ones.

7. Power - you can generate light by getting a small generator (which is about ten to fifteen thousand naira). You need it to power the borehole to produce water as at when due. You also need power to illuminate your surroundings when it’s getting dark.

8 Detergents -
Go for detergents that are vehicle friendly (you must have learnt this in course of viewing other car wash outlets). From experience, some detergents might be too harsh on paint of vehicle. Am sure you don’t want to run into unnecessary debts.

9. Buckets - Towels, Brushes: other materials needed include hand brushes (used in washing vehicles), towels to mop dry and buckets to mix detergents. All these are very easy to get in any neighborhood.

To cap it all, you need lots of humility and self restraint when dealing with customers. Some of your customers might have gone through some tortuous moment in traffic; they are ready to flare up at the slightest provocation. Treat your customers well and you'll have constant supply of cash.
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21 comments:

  1. Thanks for this great piece! please could you kindly give the cost and breakdown of setting up such business in Abuja? Thanks for the anticipated response.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since I do not stay in Abuja, I wouldn't be able to come with the specific cost of setting up the business in Abuja. That should form part of your business plan. Go out there and find out what it takes to start it there and come back here to share it with us.

      Delete
  2. 4gt to mention, I am Ibrahim Ahmad Bello by name, the CEO of Sparkles Car-Wash (Katsina) and the Director of AgonBello Global Services Ltd.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gud day, with hope that this reaches you in a gud state of health. As mentioned earlier, am the CEO of Sparkles Car-Wash(Katsina), I will give you an insight of some things you will need to start-up a car-wash centre. Its left for you to do your research and fill the blank spaces:
    Get a good space and approval = #_______
    Dig a well or borehole. = #_________
    Buy a water pump (if its a well) = #_________
    Buy a car-pressure washer. = #_______
    Buy a water tank. = #________
    Construct a concrete wash bay. = #________
    Erect a canopy above the wash bay = #________
    Erect a canopy for customers shade = #________
    Buy a container and convert it to a shop for selling drinks and snacks and create a space. In it as your store. = #_________
    Buy buckets, brushes, sponges, towels, etc = #___
    As u kick start d biz, u will start having ideas on what to add to these.
    Mine cost me roughly #250,000 in katsina state, I am planning to expand to another location in kaduna state (in 3months time). The start-up cost should be relatively higher in Abuja.
    I am a 24year old graduate of physics dept, ABU Zaria, and my degree doesn't stop me from doing the washings my self. I have two employees who r sec.skul grads that assist me, and each earn an average of 20k monthly + I pay for dia daily feeding. You can imagine what I (the CEO) earn monthly. I hope this little write up helps. Thanks and remain blessed.
    Yours I. A Bello (CEO Sparkles Car-Wash and Director AgonBello Global Servises Limited)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Mr. Bello. I think people will find your information very useful. If you can write article about car wash, we will be glad to publish it here with credit to you.

      Delete
    2. Ok sir, I will do just that. Once again, thanks for everything.

      Delete
  4. As 4 Mr Darlinton, Kudos and thanks for the good work

    ReplyDelete
  5. my name is Excel, am a graduate of Unimaid and Unibuja. Beautiful write ups, i find all this information very useful, cus i am planing to start up a car wash services in Abuja. my question is, how much do u pay your staff, and how many cars minimum do you render services to per day to, how do u calculate depreciation etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As per your questions
      "how much do u pay your staff"? it depend on skill of staff you hire. i will advice you to pay them by commission so that they can be serious about the work.

      "how many cars minimum do you render services to per day to"? As many as you can. if you have more customers, then you can hire more staff.

      "how do u calculate depreciation" you can hire someone for a secretary to be taking the record of inflow and outflow of cars.
      you can read this post for more info: http://hotbusinesslink.com/how-to-start-a-car-wash-business/

      Delete
  6. Hello Sir's

    I am Ayo i am planning to open a car wash in Lagos . I need you to please advice me where it will be best situated and other information. I intend to make it 1st class grade.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a lovely writeup as I am at the verge of this. It would have been very best if you can create your contact info to reach you anytime for more easy conversation.
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello, I am a graduate of veterinary Medicine, Unimaid. And I wish to start a car wash business in Sokoto. I find all this informations very inspiring. But I am a female and just the way I found vet a male world and still I dominated, I am scared of a female going into this type of business. Pls help anyone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can do well in any business as long as you put your heart into it, it doesn't matter your gender after all management is not a physical thing but brain work.

      So, be it Car Wash or Vet Practice - you can be the best you can if you try.

      Delete
  9. Thanks a lot, I hv never seen a blog with so much infor. Only God can bless you for this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sherifat, remember to bookmark the site, have a nice day

      Delete
  10. Thanks for the write-up. Pls I need ur advice on the type of car pressure washer I should purchase in starting a car wash business and I will also appreciate if you can help me with how much it costs

    ReplyDelete
  11. Pls, my name is Chris
    After securing space, must someone seek approval? If yes, which authority can someone seek approval from? Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  12. pls, l am living in japon, l will like to know how much is car wash ??

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you all for all this great insight as a businessman in desperate need of other stream of income this comes at a better time for me and really like to know the kind of approval and from which tiers of gov e.g local, state or federal pls also advice on the best pressure washer as earlier mentioned. i had made lots of investment in error in the past reason why i must get all my fact right. thks.

    ReplyDelete
  14. THIS WRITE UP IS VERY INTERESTING. MY QUESTION THOUGH IS HOW MUCH IS DOES IT COST ON AN AVERAGE TO WASH A CAR.

    ReplyDelete

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