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Self-service car wash is a fresh idea for business. Self-service car wash business plan How much money do you need to open a self-service car wash?

The car needs cleaning - the interior needs to be cleaned every few months, and it is advisable to wash the car at least once every 1-2 weeks. And if owners of private houses have the opportunity to arrange cleaning, then residents of apartments have to go to a car wash. So, opening a self-service car wash can become a very profitable business.

The essence of the idea

The increase in the number of vehicles on the roads leads to an increase in car washes. Almost all of them offer a standard list of services, which includes car cleaning, tire blackening, waxing and others. Usually all work is performed by special personnel. Such services cost good money, which makes them accessible to people with average incomes. In addition, high competition and the need to pay salaries to employees significantly affects profits .

But today an alternative option has appeared - a self-service car wash. This is a small structure consisting of several boxes, each of which is equipped with a special car wash kit, which includes vacuum cleaners, dryers, guns with water and foam.

The machines operate using special tokens, which can be purchased in a special machine or directly from the operator. So, any driver can put his car in order on his own.

Due to its low cost, this service is in great demand, and the need for personnel and wage costs is minimized. Thus, opening your own self-service car wash is a good opportunity to make money.

Package of documents for starting a business

To open a business you need to obtain a number of documents:

  • Registration as an individual entrepreneur.
  • If you have purchased land and are going to build a building with a car wash on it, you need to obtain a construction permit and agree on the design of the building.
  • If the structure is temporary and is being erected on a rented plot, the following documents must be drawn up and certified by the competent authorities:

– architectural and planning task;

– technical specifications;

– permission from the executive committee for design;

- site plan.

  • Obtain permission to conduct activities from:

– fire service;

– labor inspection;

- nature conservation societies.

  • Conclude agreements for:

– provision of electricity;

– supply and use of water;

– removal and disposal of waste.

  • Obtain certificates for treatment facilities.

Selecting a location

In many ways, it is The profitability of a business depends on the choice of location. It is advisable that there is convenient access and more or less busy traffic near the site you have chosen. It is best to choose for these purposes the entrances to the city and exits from business districts.

An excellent option if there is a car market near the chosen location. Quite often, car washes open near traffic lights. This is due to the fact that while waiting for the green light, the driver can pay attention to nearby buildings and, seeing a car wash, become interested in it.

When buying or leasing land, it is also important to pay attention to its status. It must be allocated for industrial development or commercial construction. Communications should be located nearby - water and electricity. This will greatly facilitate the connection of communications.

It is necessary to rent land on the basis that one car needs about 150 square meters.

We present to your attention a business plan for organizing a self-service car wash (contactless car wash) for 3 washing stations.

How much money do you need to open a self-service car wash?

Building a self-service car wash is an expensive project. The approximate costs of building and launching one post, according to business plan calculations, range from 1.2 to 1.7 million rubles. Opening a three-post self-service car wash will cost the investor almost four million rubles:

  • Rent of a land plot for the duration of construction (3 months) - RUB 150,000.
  • Construction of a concrete foundation (3 posts) - RUB 1,000,000.
  • Construction of technical premises, installation of metal structures and supply of communications - 950,000 rubles.
  • Delivery and installation of equipment - RUB 1,300,000.
  • Advertising budget - 100,000 rubles.
  • Business registration and other expenses - RUB 200,000.
  • Total - 3,700,000 rubles.

Step-by-step plan for opening a self-service car wash

Opening a business begins with finding a suitable plot of land to locate a car wash. The main conditions here are: the presence of large vehicle traffic, convenient access roads, and the absence of competitors. Ideally, this should be a site within a large city, in close proximity to a highway, car service center or gas station.

In this case, you are guaranteed to receive a large flow of clients. You also need to look at the presence of other car washes in the immediate vicinity. Being close to a well-promoted competitor will not always have bad consequences. Very often, queues form at car washes and car owners, not wanting to waste time, will go to a nearby car wash.

The plot can be rented for a long term with a subsequent right of purchase. The land for washing must be transferred to the appropriate category of use. In this case - for industrial development. The placement of a car wash must be coordinated with regulatory authorities: city architecture, Rospotrebnadzor, Rostechnadzor, environmental management and fire protection.

What documents are needed to open a self-service car wash?

Documents that must be in the hands of the case organizer include:

  • Organizational documents (LLC registration certificate, charter);
  • Lease agreement or certificate of ownership;
  • Agreement for garbage and solid waste removal;
  • Agreement for the removal of sludge and disposal of oil-containing waste;
  • Certificate of completed work on the construction of the facility.

Self-service car washes do not need car washers, but they do need administrators who monitor the proper operation of the equipment and advise car owners on using the service (especially those who first arrived at such a car wash). The administrative staff must consist of at least three employees working in shifts.

Marketing plan

Despite the great competition in this area, self-service car wash is a promising project. The main advantage of such a service is the price, which is 1.5 - 2 times lower than in classic car washes. In our country, at the moment, only 10% of self-service car washes are open, out of the total number of car wash complexes.

The niche is actually free. Car wash services are in greatest demand in spring and autumn. In summer and winter, demand drops significantly. Therefore, the time of opening a business must be planned in advance so as not to fall into the low season.

In this case, one or two bright banners will be enough to attract the lion’s share of customers.

Financial plan

Let's calculate the main indicators of the economic efficiency of a self-service car wash. Fixed monthly expenses

  • Rent of land - 50 thousand rubles.
  • Chemicals for washing - 45 thousand rubles.
  • Salary + insurance contributions (3 people) - 100 thousand rubles.
  • Outsourcing services (accountant) - 10 thousand rubles.
  • Pumping out contaminants from treatment pits - 8 thousand rubles.
  • Water supply (250 m3) - 15 thousand rubles.
  • Electricity (4500 kW) - 14 thousand rubles.
  • Depreciation of equipment - 15 thousand rubles.
  • Garbage removal - 5 thousand rubles.
  • Other expenses - 30 thousand rubles.

Total - 292 thousand rubles. Income

  • Average bill: 150 rubles per car
  • Number of cars per day per post - 40
  • Revenue per day from 1 post - 6,000 rubles, from 3 posts - 18,000 rubles.
  • Total monthly revenue (minus rainy and frosty days) is 450,000 rubles.

How much can you earn from a self-service car wash?

Hence the profit is equal to: 450,000 - 292,000 = 158,000 rubles. Business profitability is 35%. The return on investment, taking into account the period for business promotion, will occur after 30 - 35 months of work (three years).

Alexander Kaptsov

Reading time: 7 minutes

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You should always keep your car clean, regardless of the time of year or weather conditions. This is an axiom that does not require proof. The annually increasing number of cars on Russian roads creates favorable conditions for the development of the car wash business. The demand for these services is growing steadily. But what kind of car wash to open largely depends on the future plans of the businessman and his financial capabilities.

There are several types of car washing services.

  • Portal and tunnel - car washing is fully automated.
  • Manual - the car is washed by car wash staff.
  • Open (self-service) - the driver washes the car independently using the provided products.

A self-service car wash is a set of equipment capable of providing high-quality and safe car washing. The entire set of equipment in such a service (vacuum cleaners, dryers, guns supplying water and foam) is characterized by maximum simplicity.

Each client can intuitively understand for what work and what to use. Therefore, washing your car yourself will be a quick process for any car owner, and also more profitable. And this is a high-quality result for less money.

How to wash your car yourself at a car wash?

Practical and thrifty clients just need to pay for the service and perform some actions

  1. Wash with warm water and powder. In this case, the dirt is removed (this is done by contact or non-contact method).
  2. Wash using cold water. The resulting foam is washed off.
  3. Applying wax. This procedure will give the car shine.
  4. Polymerization. It will not allow water to leave streaks on the surface of the car.

Russia is famous for its frosts, so in winter entrepreneurs may have a question: what to do with liquids that are susceptible to rapid freezing?

  1. Firstly, The self-service car wash must be equipped with a heated floor system, which is laid directly under the covering. It consists of pipes through which running warm water circulates. At the right moment, the gas (diesel) boiler turns on, and then water heating starts in the system. Thus, the coating does not freeze or become covered with ice even when washing the car.
  2. Secondly, For washing, you need to choose devices equipped with devices for constant water movement. For example, guns that supply water under high pressure. In this technique, even when it is not in use, water still flows, but in a small stream - it passes through the storage tank, then is filtered and again passed through the gun. As a result of the continuous circulation of liquid along the freezing chain, water in the guns does not occur.

In order to estimate the cost of building a turnkey self-service car wash, you need to consider all the key stages of this process and sum up their costs.

  • Purchase and delivery of equipment and treatment facilities

Equipment for this type of washing is ordered in Europe. The best option for a big city is a 6-post car wash, the average cost of which does not exceed 9,500,000 rubles. The buyer pays for delivery, which costs at least 375,000 rubles. The cost of purchasing treatment facilities will be no more than 1,000,000 rubles.

  • Purchase or lease of land

Each businessman solves this issue in his own way. Someone enters into a lease agreement for space with parking lots, hypermarkets or shopping centers. Others decide to purchase state land. This type of business will require an area whose sizes vary from 150 m² to 650 m². Moreover, in the first option, the activities for registration and approval of documentation (permits, connecting all communications, and so on) will amount to about 1,000,000 rubles, and in the second - more than 3,000,000. The price will also be affected by the region of the country, the location of the site, and others factors.

  • Construction works

The construction budget may exceed 4,000,000 rubles. These costs will include excavation work and laying communications, installation of heated floors and highways, concreting and asphalting work, installation of metal structures, installation of treatment facilities and, of course, landscaping of the surrounding area.

  • Installation of ordered equipment

As a rule, 10% of the total price of the equipment is spent on its installation and startup. In this option, it turns out to be 950,000 rubles.

  • Advertising

This item is not as expensive as all the others. The minimum set of advertising activities will consist of an advertising frieze along the entire perimeter of the car wash, several banners with instructions, a couple of signs or signs located at the entrance to the car wash. With a reasonable approach, expenses will not exceed 100,000 rubles.

As a result, taking into account all the costs described above, the approximate cost of building a turnkey self-service car wash will cost the amount not less than 19,000,000 rubles.

Where to buy the necessary equipment in Moscow and St. Petersburg?

The question of purchasing the necessary equipment for car washes, where customers serve themselves, is quite natural.

Most of this equipment is imported from Europe. This type of entrepreneurship is widely developed there, so the production of all the required devices has been established. Many European companies have a network of direct dealers in Russia. You should contact them directly regarding purchasing issues.

We must not lose sight of the fact that customers are primarily attracted to high-quality equipment. Since the car wash business is only gaining strength in Russia, in small towns there may not be companies capable of equipping a car wash with decent equipment.

However, there are enough such organizations in Moscow and St. Petersburg. They offer devices with maximum functionality and full adaptation to the climate of our country.

In addition, recognized leaders in the production of washing equipment, such as Karcher, NERTA, Kranzle and others sell through official online stores.

Prices for car wash equipment designed for customer self-service are quite high. And yet you should not save on equipment, since frequent breakdowns can reduce the quality of service, reduce the flow of customers, and spoil the reputation of the car wash, which, of course, significantly reduces income.

If you're going to save money, it makes more sense to buy a device that is less functional and without additional options, but still reliable. As your business expands, you can purchase more modernized equipment.

The approximate cost of a set of equipment for frame self-service car washes for 6 stations varies within 100,000-130,000 euros. Naturally, the euro exchange rate, or rather its fluctuations, will significantly influence the purchase price.

Business plan for opening a new self-service car wash from scratch

Let's consider a business project for a self-service car wash consisting of 2 posts with an area of ​​90 m² (60 m² for two posts, 30 m² for other premises) with an adjacent area of ​​90 square meters.

The amount of one-time costs will be 1,662,000 rubles, it will include a number of items:

  • purchase of equipment - 720,000 rubles,
  • installation of equipment - 72,000 rubles,
  • provision of additional electrical power, water supply and drainage - 270,000 rubles,
  • landscaping of the adjacent territory - 150,000 rubles,
  • renovation of premises - 180,000 rubles,
  • obtaining permits - 270,000 rubles.

Monthly expenses are 780,000 rubles, which include:

  • labor costs - 270,000 rubles (a total of six employees working in three shifts of two people),
  • expenses for renting premises including utility bills - 120,000 rubles,
  • other costs - 120,000 rubles.

Calculation of estimated profit

The service operates around the clock, but its maximum load occurs from 8.00 to 10.00 and from 17.00 to 22.00. And in the remaining time the workload is 20% of the maximum.

It takes an average of 20 minutes to wash a car, which means you can wash 3 cars in an hour. Therefore, the number of cars passing through one post per day is calculated as follows:

3 * (2 hours + 5 hours) + 3 * (24 – (2 hours + 5 hours) * 20% = 30 cars

Every day, two posts will be able to service 60 cars every day, and they will wash 1,800 cars per month.

The average price of a body wash is 500 rubles. If we also take into account additional services (body polishing, interior cleaning and others), then the average bill for each client will be 600 rubles.

1800 * 750 = 1,080,000 rubles per month

After deducting monthly expenses and taxes, the net profit will be 235,200 rubles per month. The project will pay off in seven months.

Buying and selling a franchise business

Car washes, where customers can service their cars themselves, are a new profitable way of investing. Since this market segment in our country is still at the stage of formation, those who wish may well have time to occupy the most promising places, build sinks on them and thereby “skim off all the cream.”

Investing in a car wash business can be equated to investing in real estate - reliability and legal protection based on the right of ownership or long-term lease of a land plot and on documentation agreed with the authorities.

However, the profitability of a car wash is several times higher than from purchasing apartments or office space. A businessman who owns a self-service car wash does not spend much time managing his business. This business has certain features that allow you to keep all business processes under control.

Franchising is an advanced way of running a business. The franchisor, for an agreed fee, “hands over” to its partners (franchisees) the right to use the brand, and also provides them with a proven and reliable methodology for managing the business.

There are several principles at the heart of a successful car wash franchise.

  • Franchising must be relevant and timely.
  • Extremely simple business organization.
  • Timely delivery of consumables.
  • A well-thought-out business strategy for further development.
  • Unique business concept.
  • The attractiveness of the enterprise for investors.
  • Availability of support from the state (currently the Ministry of Economy of the Russian Federation subsidizes various innovative enterprises).

By joining the franchising system, an entrepreneur buys a franchise and also receives information about the amount of necessary financial investments and an established procedure for conducting business. This method, despite the presence of risks, provides a stable income and increases the profitability of the business compared to the option when starting your own business from scratch.

  1. According to statistics, out of 100% of car washes opened from scratch, only 20 percent are still operating after a year.
  2. The picture is different with car washes opened under franchise agreements: out of 100%, after three years, 80 remain afloat.

* The calculations use average data for Russia

1. PROJECT SUMMARY

The goal of the project is to open a self-service car wash to provide a range of affordable and high-quality services to customers in a city with a population of more than 1 million people. The establishment's main source of income is payment for the use of specialized washing equipment. Self-service car wash offers an automated service, with the help of which the client independently takes care of his car. The advantages of this business include:

Demand for this type of service;

High throughput;

The price is 1.5-2 times lower compared to conventional car washes;

Savings on personnel costs;

High level of income.

The target audience is car owners who value quality, speed and low cost of car wash services. Price segment – ​​average.

Investment costs in the amount of RUB 5,533,000. aimed at the construction of a self-service car wash, landscaping of the territory, the purchase of specialized equipment and the creation of a working capital fund.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY AND COMPANY

Every year in Russia the number of cars grows by 1.5 million units. According to the traffic police, over the past 10 years the vehicle fleet of Russians has increased by 65%.


Rice. 1 – Dynamics of the Russian passenger car fleet

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The total number of car washes in Russia is more than 12 thousand, but this is not enough to meet the demand for car wash services. The need for car washes increases by 110 units annually.

Car washes remain a fairly popular and profitable type of business. Washing market trends reflect the growing popularity of self-service car washes. In Europe, the share of self-service car washes is 50%, but in Russia it is only 10% - that is, the niche is almost empty. At the moment, the self-service car wash market is in a stage of active development, which is also explained by the investment attractiveness of the business - the initial investment pays off within 1-1.5 years, and the profitability is 85% or higher.

Self-service car wash is an automated service through which the car owner can independently care for his car. For this purpose, stationary stations are installed in the car wash complex, designed for one parking space and equipped with a panel with connected equipment. A simple interface allows you to select a number of paid services, such as: washing - hot or cold water, with foam, with osmosis; waxing; drying; dry and wet cleaning of the car interior and trunk using a vacuum cleaner. Depending on the number of services chosen, the final cost of washing is determined - the average bill is 90-150 rubles. A full car wash at self-service stations takes 7 minutes, which allows you to avoid long queues and save on staff - two operators working in shifts will be enough. Thus, the phenomenon of self-service car washes consists of the following advantages:

    saving time and money for the car owner;

    no long queues;

    traffic capacity up to 900 vehicles per day;

    quick payback of the project;

    low level of competition;

    the ability of the car owner to wash the car himself, which eliminates complaints about the quality of services and ensures savings on personnel.

In times of crisis, this type of car wash is becoming especially popular, since traditional car wash services cost car owners 1.5-2 times more, and washing one car takes an average of 30 minutes. The obvious saving of money and time is a significant advantage of self-service car washes. In addition, such car washes are trusted by customers, since the car owner himself can control the thoroughness and quality of the wash. Another important parameter in favor of self-service car washes is their ability to service up to 900 cars per day. Table 2 shows comparative characteristics of various types of car washes according to this criterion.

Table 1 - Average productivity of various types of car washes

Based on the data presented, it becomes obvious that during a crisis, the most popular service in the car wash market is self-service car washes.

3. DESCRIPTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES

When organizing a car wash, we considered two key parameters - geographical location and equipment that provides a range of services. The profitability of a car wash depends on these two parameters.

Plot. The most significant issue when organizing a car wash is finding a suitable site and collecting all the necessary documentation for the construction of a car wash. We will choose a convenient location for the car wash, since its profitability depends on this. The most attractive areas for a car wash are those located in an area of ​​high but slow traffic:

    parking lots of mega-complexes, shopping centers;

    parking lots;

    areas at the entrance to residential areas;

    busy city streets;

    entrance to the city.

The most suitable area is the area behind the traffic light. While waiting for the green signal, the driver can look around the area and will definitely notice an advertising sign or sign leading to a car wash.

After choosing a site, you must contact the local administration and inform about your intention to open a car wash in this area. You should also find out the status of the site - the land must be intended for industrial construction. Another important nuance is the presence of the necessary communications or the ability to connect power to electricity, sewage, and water supply.

The next stage is the preparation of construction and permitting documentation. The list of required documentation includes:

    Permission from the SES;

    Permission from the fire department;

    Permission from town planning authorities;

    A copy of the self-service car wash project certified by BTI;

    Permission from the environmental service.

If the site is rented, the following should be added to the specified list:

    Land plan;

    Plan of the building to be built;

    Permission from the local executive committee.

Approval of the project will take up to 6 months, the construction and commissioning stage will take 2-3 months. On average, it will take about a year to launch a car wash built from scratch.

The entire stage of car wash construction is shown in Fig. 2.


Rice. 2 – Stages of creating a self-service car wash

Ready ideas for your business

It should be noted that the demand for car wash services has a pronounced seasonality - the greatest demand for car wash services is in the fall and spring, and in the summer and winter the demand decreases significantly. Therefore, the time of opening a business must be planned in advance in order to hit the peak of consumer demand.

Equipment and services. Customers will give preference to a sink that is equipped with convenient and high-quality equipment that has wide functionality at an optimal cost. Most self-service car wash machines provide the following types of services with an average price per 1 minute of use:

    Water supply - knocking down dirt and foam from the car body with water (20 rubles)

    Foam - applying contactless foam to the car body (50 rubles)

    Air - blowing out residual moisture from locks and rubber seals with compressed air (5 rubles)

    Wax – applying a protective layer of wax, which ensures quick drying and protection from dirt (30 rubles)

    Osmosis - churning with water without salts to prevent marks and streaks when drying (30 rubles)

    Vacuum cleaner - dry and wet cleaning of the interior and trunk of a car using a vacuum cleaner (10 rubles)

    Turbo wash - washing the car body with a mixture of water and non-contact emulsion chemicals, designed to eliminate special contaminants (40 rubles)

Self-service machines allow you to choose the required set of services, which determines the cost of washing. The average cost is 150 rubles.

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Manufacturers offer various types of equipment, the cost of which depends on the set of functions and the number of expected parking spaces. The average cost of 1 set of equipment is 470 thousand rubles - manufacturers such as Avant, Alles, CW TECH fall into this price segment.

The most budget-friendly equipment option is offered by the domestic company Aqua-Group: 6 packages - from minimal to premium, differing in the range of functions. The cost of such equipment ranges from 220 to 470 thousand rubles.

It is recommended to organize a car wash with 3 or more stations - otherwise the car wash will be unprofitable. This business plan considers a self-service car wash with 4 parking spaces. To organize a car wash with 4 stations, an area of ​​about 250 m2 is required. The rent of such a site in an average Russian city will range from 50 to 150 thousand, depending on the availability of communications and the location of the facility.

Thus, fully equipping 4 self-service car wash stations will cost approximately 2 million rubles. It is also possible to purchase washing equipment for rent. For example, the Moi-sam car wash chain offers equipment with a rental fee of 44 thousand rubles/month. This business plan assumes the use of washing equipment from the manufacturer Aqua-Group, Premium package: the cost of a set of equipment for 4 posts is 1,480,000 rubles, the throughput is 576 cars per day. This equipment includes all the basic functions listed above.

4. SALES AND MARKETING

To organize a self-service car wash, we chose to create an independent enterprise with its own brand.

A memorable name is a way to attract consumer attention. The assistance of naming specialists will cost an average of 6,000 rubles - the price includes the development of a brand, logo, and name. Of course, this is an optional expense item.

Ready ideas for your business

The most effective advertising for a car wash is outdoor advertising. It is recommended to install the sign 2 km before the car wash. The production and installation of one sign next to road signs costs an average of 15,000 rubles. To increase the effectiveness of outdoor advertising, it is planned to produce two signs that can attract the required number of customers.

5. PRODUCTION PLAN

The target audience is car owners for whom speed, quality and low price of services are important.

The work schedule is around the clock, which will increase the number of clients.

To operate a 24-hour self-service car wash, two operators are required who work in shifts. The operator advises car wash clients, monitors clients’ compliance with the rules for using car wash equipment, refills consumables, and maintains order in the car wash area. A repair specialist conducting service maintenance is also required. The specialist is expected to work part-time.

Table 2 – Optimal staff of a self-service car wash and payroll

Insurance premiums amount to 32.06% of the payroll, that is, 22,442 rubles. Thus, personnel costs, taking into account all deductions, will amount to 92,442 rubles.

The average number of car wash clients per day is 40 cars per post, that is, the car wash will receive 160 cars per day. Based on an average bill of 150 rubles, daily revenue will be 24,000 rubles, or 720,000 rubles per month. With a maximum load of a car wash at 4 stations, the daily revenue will be 86,400 rubles, or 2,592,000 rubles per month.

6. ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN

In order to implement the project, an individual entrepreneur is registered. The form of taxation is the simplified tax system with the object of taxation “revenue” at a rate of 6%. Types of activities according to OKVED-2:

45.20 “Services for maintenance and repair of motor vehicles” - it is recommended to indicate as the main one, in addition you can indicate:

45.20.3 Vehicle washing, polishing and similar services.

50.20.3 Provision of other types of vehicle maintenance services

77.39 Renting and leasing of other types of transport, equipment and materials not included in other groups.

It should be noted that lawyers do not advise specifying vehicle washing as the main activity, since in fact, at a self-service car wash, the main service is the rental of specialized equipment, and car washing is carried out directly by the client. Based on this fact, the Federal Tax Service classifies the activities of self-service car washes as “the provision of services for the rental of special equipment and working space for washing cars.”

7. FINANCIAL PLAN

The financial plan includes fixed and variable costs. To start a project, it is necessary to calculate the amount of initial investment. To do this, you need to determine the costs of construction, equipment and inventory.

Table 3 – Initial investment

Expense item

Price, rub

Notes

Development (receipt) of design and permitting documentation

Construction

Average indicator according to the Aqua-Group company website

Specialized equipment for 4 posts

Washing equipment manufactured by Aqua-Group, Premium package, 4 stations

Individual entrepreneur registration, stamp, account registration

TOTAL:

5083000

It is important that the initial investment should include the cost of renting a plot in the first months while construction work is underway (3 months * 150,000 rubles). Thus, the required amount of initial investment will be 5,533,000 rubles.

Table 4 - Monthly expenses

The financial plan of the project is given in Appendix 1.

8. EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVENESS

The payback period of the project with an initial investment of 5,533,000 rubles is 20 months. The net monthly profit of the project upon reaching planned sales volumes will be 250,000 rubles. It is expected that the planned indicators will be achieved in the sixth month of operation of the car wash. Return on sales in the first year of operation is 33%.

9. POSSIBLE RISKS

To assess the risk component of the project, it is necessary to analyze external and internal factors. External factors include threats related to the economic situation in the country and sales markets. Internal – the effectiveness of organization management.

We list the main risk factors when creating a self-service car wash and ways to respond to threats. TO internal risks relate:

Poor choice of location for a car wash. This risk has the highest probability and significant consequences. A qualitative geomarketing analysis of the area, infrastructure, and traffic flows will allow you to eliminate the wrong decision, which will allow you to more accurately assess the level of sales taking into account the density of potential consumers.

Technological risks, which include incorrectly selected equipment, breakdowns, inappropriate use of technological capacities, which can lead to the stoppage of business processes. This risk can be reduced with regular monitoring of equipment serviceability, high-quality after-sales service, and proper selection of equipment.

Low level of personnel competence. Irresponsible attitude towards property and poor quality of service can lead to serious financial losses. To avoid this, systematic control, financial motivation, and standardization of personnel work are necessary.

External risk factors:

Opening new points in relative proximity, dumping direct competitors. The emergence of new car washes will lead to a redistribution of the customer base and profits. Reducing this risk is possible by creating your own customer base, developing a unique selling proposition and stimulating consumer loyalty.

Regulatory and regulatory changes are a low probability risk but should be considered. The risk may lead to stricter requirements for opening and running a car wash business. This risk can be avoided at the level of choosing the form of management and taxation.

Seasonal decline in sales. For the car wash market, this risk is one of the main ones. The difficulty of managing the risk of sales seasonality lies in the fact that it is difficult to determine its time boundaries. It is possible to mitigate the risk by developing a marketing strategy, effective advertising policy, and shifting seasonal emphasis in sales.

In this series, we told you why classic marketing tools for car washes don’t work. How, then, can you increase profits? The secret is that almost all of the competitive advantages of a car wash are laid before the launch.

High traffic area

We have talked about this more than once, and we will not go into detail: a good site for a self-service car wash is half the success. You can read more.

Price-quality ratio

In car washes, as in any business, there is a rule of word of mouth. What does it take for customers to continue to wash at your car wash and recommend it to everyone they know? You need to surprise your client. And best of all – value for money. The main thing is to provide the service quickly and efficiently at an affordable price. To do this you will need, first of all, and large car wash area to minimize queues.

Stay one step ahead of your competitors

Yes, without a good site and equipment, success in the car wash business really cannot be achieved. However, there are 2 more big BUTs:

  1. This business operates on a high volume. And in order to achieve the desired profitability parameters, the client flow must always be high.
  2. Competition is actively growing. When building a car wash now, when there are often one or two self-service car washes in the city, you need to understand that in five years there will be not one car wash nearby, but twenty-one! To understand this, you don’t need to be a genius. It’s enough to look back and remember what happened 15 years ago - how many shops, cafes, gas stations, beauty salons, service stations and other enterprises were around that provided various services to the population? You could count it on your fingers! Now there are such enterprises at every step, and it has become very difficult to survive in this business.

When opening the first self-service car wash in the city, low price and short service time are key advantages for the consumer. Compared to ordinary car washes with staff, the difference is cardinal. Therefore, regardless of the location, the level of installed equipment, the area of ​​the self-service car wash, ease of access and other important components for any car wash, the consumer will be satisfied with the price/quality ratio and will recommend the car wash to all neighbors and friends.

When the next self-service car washes open, the consumer begins to compare not with traditional car washes, but with self-service car washes. If a competitor opened at the other end of the city, then the competition between them is weak; at large distances, most of the competitive advantages are leveled out by the selected site for a car wash. If it is closer to a person to go to a particular car wash, then in most cases he will go to that particular car wash.

But when more and more car washes open, and even within a radius of several kilometers, then real competition begins.

And here you need to pay attention to all sorts of little things that no one attaches importance to in other types of business (except for highly competitive retail).

What does this include?

Bandwidth

Why do we always recommend opening a car wash at maximum capacity? It is in our interests to make your business profitable. Business at self-service car washes, even well-equipped, is still subject to seasonality and increased activity at certain hours - the bulk of the profit comes from this “hot” time. If your car wash can't handle it or you make customers wait in lines for a long time, you've lost.

This also includes car washes, thanks to which the work of the car wash does not stop during frosts, and the competent selection of consumables - effective, but economical.

Car wash area

As we said above, it is important big square car washes to avoid queues.

In addition, it is worth thinking about landscaping, which assumes:

  • spacious entrance and exit from the car wash,
  • separate area for washing trucks,
  • place for wiping the car,
  • a sign visible from the road, or better yet more than one,
  • rest area for passengers,
  • good lighting for night time,
  • wind protection.

Appearance

With increasing competition, factors that today seem secondary will play an increasingly important role, for example canopy design car washes. When the consumer has a choice between two or three car washes nearby with good quality of wash, convenient check-in and similar prices, psychology will come into play - it’s more pleasant to return to a stylish and beautiful car wash than to a nondescript one. And although the canopy could hypothetically be improved in the future without covering the sink, do not forget that in this case you will still have to pay twice. If you're smart about your investments, it's best to think about design now.

Purity

When a consumer comes to any car wash, he comes for cleanliness. And here it’s a question of psychology, how much a person wants to receive that very “cleanliness” in a dirty place. Therefore, it is very important to monitor the condition of the car wash. This applies not only to cleanliness at posts, which must be cleaned regularly, several times an hour during the season. This also applies to the general condition of the car wash, including equipment and grounds. Any rust (on the canopy, on the control panels, or anywhere else) will offend your customers. Any malfunctions also irritate people. The car wash area should be clean and well-groomed, and nothing except your own dirty cars should spoil the mood of visitors.

Service

This includes:

  • a wide range of options, comprehensive programs and additional services,
  • different payment methods,
  • attentive and friendly staff,
  • the presence of adjacent service points nearby (our own or partner ones) - gas station, service station, store, cafe, etc.

We will talk about this in more detail in the following articles of the series. We hope we were able to convey one simple idea: the profitability range of a self-service car wash can be very wide, and your final performance depends only on you. Do not save time and money at the start in order to build a profitable business that will work for you decades later.

Oleg Logachev.


December 13, 2018