Entrepreneurship-Services32 Comments

Car Wash business is one business that can easily be setup 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 business is so profitable that making a N500k per month is as easy as a poker game.

The business is not limited to a particular class of the society. It can be started by 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 ever again.

SEE ALSO: How To Start A Lucrative Barbing Salon Business And Be Making N600K Monthly

Here Is The Step By Step How To Start A Car Wash 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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32 Comments

  • Anonymous September 5, 2013

    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.

    • Darlinton Omeh September 8, 2013

      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.

  • Anonymous September 8, 2013

    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.

  • Anonymous September 8, 2013

    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)

    • Darlinton Omeh September 9, 2013

      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.

    • Anonymous September 10, 2013

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

    • Joseph Odey October 15, 2013

      Thank you very much.

    • Esther March 16, 2016

      Thank you for this great info Mr. Bello, even a baby can follow these steps easily :).

      God bless

    • jude June 15, 2016

      Thanks Mr. Bello pls does ur N250000 include the land rent or purchase.

    • aychuks January 20, 2017

      #250,000…cool…..does it mean u had already made land

    • Dirt Cheap Cars June 29, 2017

      Awesome!
      This is indeed helpful for me as one of my kid brothers is about setting this up in Nigeria.
      I know in the US power washers are the main equipment but with your detailed information,the sky is the limit.
      Thank you once again
      Should anyone have interest in cheap car purchase from the US and Canada,check out my blog!

      Imagine 2011 Nissan Altima sold @ $1000?…yes its no misprint but a seller’s price

      Only @:

      Cars are sold mainly by private individuals at very ridiculous prices
      Have a good nite all
      DirtCheapCars

      • ayoola April 9, 2018

        send me your blog and whatsApp number. Am interested in used car from USA and Canada

    • nath442 April 22, 2018

      Sir much does the car pressure washer cost you ?

  • Anonymous September 8, 2013

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

  • Anonymous October 25, 2013

    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.

    • Nicholas Tunde November 12, 2013

      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:

  • ayo November 29, 2013

    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.

  • Daniel December 13, 2013

    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.

  • Anonymous January 2, 2014

    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.

    • Darlinton Omeh January 2, 2014

      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.

  • Sherifat Balogun-Raji January 8, 2014

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

  • Sam February 24, 2014

    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

  • Anonymous May 5, 2014

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

  • emmanuel okorie July 11, 2014

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

  • Sam November 5, 2014

    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.

  • UGOCHUKWU NNAMA June 16, 2015

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

  • Esther March 16, 2016

    Thank you Mr. Omeh, this is very useful and what a great info shared freely.
    God bless

  • Michael April 16, 2016

    Hello. Am a graduate of Geography Unimaid and intend starting up a car wash in abuja. this is very inspiring and helpful.

  • nath442 April 22, 2018

    How much can you make daily from A professional car wash ?

  • Bruce May 12, 2018

    How much does the washer cost please?

  • jessica May 22, 2018

    big thanks to you sir

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