Auto Detailing Company

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

Mobile Shine Detailing is a mobile auto detailing company serving car owners, fleets and small businesses in our city and the nearby suburbs. We come to the customer to clean, polish and protect cars, trucks and SUVs, inside and out. People care about their cars, but few have time to take them to a detailing shop and wait. Many mobile detailers are hard to book, rush the work or leave water spots and missed corners. We will win customers by coming to them, being careful and on time and showing results with before-and-after photos. Here is what our numbers show. We expect sales of about $74,500 in Year 1, growing to about $298,200 by Year 5 as we add detailers and win more fleet and premium coating customers. We expect losses of about $17,700 in Year 1 and $19,500 in Year 2 while we build our customer base, then a profit from Year 3 (about $15,100), growing to about $64,700 by Year 5. We need $60,500 in total. That covers $27,200 in startup costs (a mobile detailing van or trailer, water and cleaning equipment, polishers, opening products, insurance and advertising) and a cash cushion of about three months of bills. I am putting in $10,000 of my own money, and I am asking for $50,500. The startup costs include a used cargo van or trailer set up for mobile detailing. I am David Diaz, the owner. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Mobile Shine Detailing will be a limited liability company (LLC) in Montana, owned by David Diaz. We will work from my home, with the van parked in my driveway and products stored in my garage. What we believe. Come to the customer, treat every car like our own, tell the truth about what is possible and leave nothing missed. What we offer:
- Interior and exterior detailing packages. - Premium and ceramic coating packages. - Interior deep cleaning and stain removal. - Headlight restoration and paint correction. - Regular detailing for fleets and small businesses. Licenses and insurance. Mobile detailing needs few licenses in most places, but rules vary. Some cities require a business license, and many have rules on where wash water can go, since soap and dirt should not flow into storm drains. Our city allows washing on lawns but not in storm drains, so I use a containment mat and a wet vacuum. We will carry general liability insurance and garagekeepers coverage, which protects customers' vehicles while they are in our care, and workers' compensation once we hire. Where things stand today. I have worked at a detail shop for three years, I own a vacuum and polisher, and I have detailed cars for friends and neighbors.

Problem & Opportunity

Car owners near us want a clean car without giving up their day. 1. No time. Taking a car to a shop means dropping it off and picking it up. 2. Hard to book. Good detailers are often booked for weeks. 3. Rushed work. Missed corners, streaks and water spots are common. 4. Unclear prices. Customers often do not know what each package includes. How we know people want this. Ten friends and neighbors paid me to detail their cars last year, and a car dealer said he needs a reliable detailer for his lot.

Products & Services

What we sell. 1. Standard detail packages. An inside and outside detail at the customer's home or work. Our plan assumes an average of about $95 per detail in Year 1, rising to about $107 by Year 5. Products and direct costs run about $22 per detail. We expect about 500 details in Year 1 (about 10 a week), growing to about 1,642 a year by Year 5. 2. Premium and ceramic coating packages. A longer detail with paint correction and a protective coating. Our plan assumes an average of about $450 per package in Year 1, rising to about $502. Products cost about $130 per package. We expect about 60 packages in Year 1, growing to about 244. Our prices. Interior or exterior detail from $75. Full detail from $140. Ceramic coating package from $450. How it works for the customer:
1. A quote by text or app, with a clear list of what each package includes. 2. A time and place that works for the customer. 3. Careful work, with the water and products controlled. 4. A walk-around with the customer, and before-and-after photos. Gross margin, explained. "Gross margin" is the share of each sale left after paying for materials and direct job costs. Our plan shows about 75% in Year 1. That money pays the owner and crew, vehicle costs, insurance and other bills.

Market Analysis

Who will hire us:
- Busy professionals and families who want a clean car without the hassle. - Car owners who want paint protection or a coating. - Small businesses with company vehicles and fleets. - Car sellers and dealers who want vehicles ready to show. Where we will work. A service area close enough to keep driving short, starting with our city and the nearby suburbs, within 20 minutes of my home. Season. Detailing is busiest in spring and summer, and before holidays. Fleet customers and interior work help fill the slower months. Our plan is careful on purpose. About 10 standard details a week in Year 1 is a pace one owner can handle well.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices customers have:
1. Car wash and detail shops. Shine Auto Spa (a made-up name) charges about $150 for a full detail; known for quality, but you have to drop the car off. 2. Other mobile detailers. Some are good, but many are one-person operations that are hard to book. 3. Doing it yourself. Cheaper, but takes time, skill and the right products. How we will win customers: convenience, careful work, clear packages and prices, photo proof and insurance.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How people will find us. - A free Google business listing with before-and-after photos, and a simple website with online booking. - Asking every happy customer for a review and a referral. - Social media with short videos of finished cars. - Relationships with car dealers, apartment managers and small businesses. - Monthly membership plans for regular cleaning. Marketing budget. About $5,000 a year. The van lettering, business cards and website are paid for from startup costs.

Operations Plan

How the business runs day to day. Bookings and jobs. The owner books jobs by area, drives to the customer and does the detailing. In Year 1 the owner works alone. We add one detailer in Year 2 and grow to two by Year 5. Each job has a checklist, a walk-around with the customer and photos. Equipment. About $20,000 to start: used cargo van or trailer, set up for mobile detailing; pressure washer, water tank and generator; carpet and upholstery extractor and steam cleaner; dual-action polishers and pads; commercial vacuum; work lights and paint inspection tools; canopy, hoses and hose reels; tablet and card reader. We set aside about $2,500 to $3,500 a year for repairs and replacements. Upkeep. Polishers, extractors and pressure washers cleaned after every job, pads and towels washed or replaced and the van serviced on schedule. Safety. Careful use of chemicals with the right gloves and ventilation, safe handling of electrical equipment near water, and controlled wash water. Customers' vehicles are inspected before and after, with photos. Running costs in Year 1: detailing supplies and products about $9,000, vehicle and equipment maintenance about $5,000, marketing about $5,000. Scheduling and billing. A simple booking and invoicing app on my phone, with customers paying by card at the end of each detail.

Management & Organization

Who runs the business. David Diaz, owner. As owner I will detail cars, book and quote jobs, keep the equipment running and handle the money side of the business. I plan to pay myself $44,000 a year in salary in Year 1. Crew. Detailers at about $32,000 a year each (or part-time pay): none in Year 1, one in Year 2, one in Year 3, two in Year 4 and two in Year 5. People who will help us: a bookkeeper or tax preparer, an insurance agent, and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Maria Ramirez serves as a key volunteer advisor.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them. - Before starting: register the business, get insurance, buy the van or trailer, equipment and products, and set up booking and the website. Target start: March 2027. - First year: complete about 500 standard details and 60 premium packages, for about $74,500 in sales. - Year 2: add our first detailer, about $115,800 in sales, and a loss of about $19,500. - Years 3 to 5: grow to two detailers and about $298,200 in sales by Year 5. Growth depends on hiring good people and winning the work, so treat the later years as goals, not promises. What we check every week: details done, rebooking and reviews, product costs, and cash in the bank.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total needed: $60,500. This number comes from the Funding Need Calculator in this plan. It adds up: - Startup costs of $27,200, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section (about $20,000 for the van or trailer, water system, extractor, polishers and tools, $2,500 for opening soaps, polishes, coatings and towels, $200 for the business license, $2,500 for the first insurance payment, $500 for business setup and bookkeeping software, and $1,500 for van lettering, business cards and a website). - A cash cushion of about $33,300: the deepest cash dip in the early months plus about three months of bills, so slow weeks do not put the business at risk. Lenders call this "working capital." - Together that comes to about $60,500 (rounded up to the nearest $500), which is the total we are planning for. Where the money comes from: - My own money: $10,000. - Amount requested: $50,500. Kind of funding we are looking for: an SBA 7(a) loan through a local bank or community lender. How we will pay it back. We expect losses of about $17,700 in Year 1 and $19,500 in Year 2 while we build our customer base, then a profit from Year 3 (about $15,100), growing to about $64,700 by Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank every year of the plan. The loan is planned at 12.75% interest over 10 years, the most the SBA allows for a loan this size, so payments of about $747 a month are already included in our cash flow. What we are offering the lender: our van and equipment as collateral and my personal guarantee A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan: - Phase 1: start with a pressure washer, a vacuum and basic products, detailing cars at customers' homes on evenings and weekends while keeping your current job. Startup can be under $1,500. - Phase 2: once you have more customers than you can handle part-time, buy the van or trailer, extractor and polishers and follow this plan. To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match. All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume (one page is fine) and any licenses or certificates. - A personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form). - Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov). - Proof of insurance, or a quote. - Quotes for the equipment and vehicle. - Your price list and a sample written estimate. - Photos of past work and references, if you have them. If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue. The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Standard Detail Packages: about $95 per detail in Year 1, rising to $107; about $22 per detail in direct costs; about 500 details in Year 1, growing to 1,642. - Premium / Ceramic Coating Packages: about $450 per package in Year 1, rising to $502; about $130 per package in direct costs; about 60 packages in Year 1, growing to 244. - Owner salary: $44,000 a year. Crew: $32,000 a year each, from none in Year 1 to two in Year 5. - Other yearly costs in Year 1: detailing supplies and products about $9,000, vehicle and equipment maintenance about $5,000, marketing about $5,000. - Tax rate: 21%. - Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs