Starting up a new business venture in 2021 is quite a feat. In these unprecedented times, developing, funding and owning a business can be tough. Whilst a valeting company is not any different, it is an extremely viable business venture currently.
Starting up a valet company could be a really sound investment as this industry is still booming and will continue to do so throughout 2021 and beyond. They key to starting any business is conducting research, this is where you should start too.
Research is Key
This may be obvious, but research is key. When starting a valet company in 2021 you must consider the area in which you will work, estimate your demand, discover your audience, understand the legal and tax requirements, the services you want to offer and how to promote your business.
1. What is the best location?
For any valeting company their location really can determine their success. If they are situated close to a big city or airport then they could see a rise in users. If you find a suitable location close to a car seller, or car sellers forecourt then you could join as a partnership with them to increase your usage.
For many businesses the location is important, but this is especially true for a valeting service. It is a detrimental factor for their success, if they are in a smaller town, or less accessible location they wont be favoured as much as those that are.
2. Estimating your demand
This can be a tough job to tackle, it involves a lot of market research and time spent delving into your local area. First off you need to consider your competitors and their offerings, this can help you align your own offerings for the better. These can come from a range of sources; your competitors may include other independent or franchise-based businesses. It is important to consider being a pop-up business to better suite proposed partners.
Some places may operate out of garages, car repair centres or other auto-centres and superstores that specialise in cars. Remember to try and find a gap in the market, this could help you to gain more demand. It is also important to consider to either find your niche, or offering a larger service for your clients.
3. Discover your audience’s wants
It is possible that you may not be the only valeting service in your local area; this means to gain a wider demand you must appeal to your audience. It may be important to do some market research, by speaking to your target audience and competitors you can discover the strengths and weaknesses of their businesses.
It is also a good idea to speak with potential clients too; many host some focus groups or speak with those willing to offer their opinions.
From these sessions you should look into how much people are looking to pay for the service, if they are satisfied where they go now and what you should do to enhance their decision to change and use your own business. Please remember that market research should be continued throughout the whole time the businesses is open. This way you will be constantly adhering to their needs.
4. Know the legal and tax requirements
At present there are no licences required for a car valeting services, but there are a few legal requirements that should be considered. If you hope to play music in your premises you must get a Music Licence from PPL PRS Ltd. This way you can have the radio on for your staff and customers when they are in the store.
You will need permission from your water and sewerage provider; in a rented place your landlord will be able to provide this for you. Please pay close attention to The Car Wash Advisory Service (CWAS), they host many campaigns to raise awareness of unregulated car washes, high polluting car washers and those that do not discharge of their waste legally. This concerns issues such as releasing hazardous substances into the environment, issues with employee sanitation and general employee guidelines.
5. Decide which services to offer
Many valeting services offer their customers a few basic options or additional services. A full valet covers the interior and exterior works on the vehicle, but there are many variants of this service that you can embellish to offer your clients.
The additional valeting options that you could decided to offer your clients as an extra service could be; steam cleaning of the under body or your car and wheel arches, alloy wheel refurbishments, a paint restoration job, windscreen cracks, interior damage and vehicle deodorising. There are other specific offerings related to larger vehicles, buses or caravans and motorhomes, which could offer you a niche.
6. Promote your business well
The promotion of your business will directly effect how well it is received by the general public. If you choose the wrong forum or site to focus your promotions on your loyal clients could miss out on savings and offers. To best promote your business you may look to local papers and directories, that way you will gain the response of the local people. If you were to print some leaflets and flyers and distribute them in community centres, petrol stations or through doors it can evoke a good response.
You could partner with our car-based businesses offering them and their customers a discount to use them. That way you are bound to have a nice client list straight away. It is also important to have a strong online presence, this makes your business look more professional and easier to find.
Conclusion
To conclude when looking to start a car valet service, you must do your research. This is the key to success; once you have researched your target area, audience and the other points mentioned above you should have a good starting point. This will be the ultimate way to ensure that you get the best response for your new venture.
