Wash it yourself: how the boom of self-service car washes came to Russia. How to open a self-service car wash from scratch How to install a self-service car wash

The climate of our country, as well as the condition of the roads, forces car owners to wash their cars with high frequency. To do this, they have two options: wash it themselves, near the garage or in the yard of the house, or go to a car wash (long line, possibility of getting another scratch from a clumsy washer, high fee).

The first option irritates passersby, takes up the car owner’s precious time and leaves behind huge puddles. The option with a sink also has its disadvantages: a possible queue, the danger of getting chipped or scratched, as well as a high fee for the service. That is why an alternative option is now being developed - a self-service car wash. People pay a much lower amount and still receive the necessary equipment to professionally wash their car. How to open a self-service car wash? We will answer this question in our article today, and also provide expert advice and identify the pitfalls of this business.

In order to start engaging in commercial activities, it is necessary to choose the organizational and legal form of the future enterprise. Experts advise not to complicate your life and register as an individual entrepreneur, whose work is much simpler than that of a limited liability company. In order to open your own car wash, you must obtain permission from local authorities (according to Decree No. 584 of July 16, 2009).

Self-service car wash is a promising niche in business that is just beginning to gain momentum.

Car wash place

The determining factor for the success of a self-service car wash will be its location. Experts note several of the most popular places:

• entering the city, because cars after a long journey most often require washing;
• the central streets of the city, there are always a lot of cars on them, so there will definitely be customers;
• places near parking lots.

It is more profitable to open a self-service car wash at the entrance to the city or on the central streets

In order to build a self-service car wash for 2 parking spaces, an area of ​​250-300 square meters will be required, but in order for customers to have a place to wait in line, it is necessary to allocate an additional 200-300 meters. Renting land within the city with an area of ​​500 square meters will cost an entrepreneur 70-120 thousand rubles.

If you do not know whose ownership the land is, you can contact the State Register; the response will indicate the owner of the land, his cadastral number and the purpose of the land.

An important point is the availability of communications - electricity and water supply; their absence will seriously complicate the task of arranging a sink.

For a car wash for 2 cars, an area of ​​about 500 square meters will be required.

Equipment

High-quality equipment will allow an entrepreneur to win a client audience. The best option would be German equipment, which is ideal in comparing price and quality. An example is the BKF Carwash contactless car wash for two car stations. The price of such a car wash ranges from 2 to 3 million rubles. You will also need a two-station vacuum cleaner, costing about 250 thousand rubles. An entrepreneur will not be able to install the equipment on his own, so he will need to hire specialists at an additional cost.

In addition, the entrepreneur will need additional equipment. Since car owners will carry out the process manually, they will need:

• instructions for using the equipment, which describe in detail how washing is carried out (at each parking place);
• detergents purchased in sufficient quantities;
• special clothing for drivers (raincoats and boots) so that the client does not get his clothes wet.

You also need to determine in advance how payment will be made:

• by car wash time;
• fixed per car.

It will be more profitable to charge money for the washing time, but then it will be necessary to install special timers with a countdown for each parking space.

The price of equipment for two machine posts varies from 2 to 3 million rubles

Documentation

To obtain permission to build a car wash, you need to contact a construction company or design center; the employees of these organizations will make the project themselves and approve it. After this, you need to get the go-ahead from SES specialists, firefighters, labor inspectors and the environmental protection society.

Only after all the listed permits have been received, the entrepreneur can contact the local administration to obtain permission to open a car wash. In this case, it does not matter who is the owner of the land, the set of documents practically does not depend on this.

Staff

Since the car wash will be carried out by car owners themselves, there is no point in recruiting a large team of employees. All you need is an operator who will monitor the condition of the equipment, help customers and sell them wash tokens. If the car wash will operate 24 hours, then you need to hire 2-3 people who will work around the clock. In order not to spend too much on taxes, you can apply UTII, then the tax will be calculated on the area, not on revenue, and there will be no need for a cash register. The operator's salary ranges from 20 to 25 thousand rubles per month, and depends on the number of work shifts.

Such car washes do not require a large number of employees; customers wash their cars themselves

Income and expenses

This business cannot be classified as cheap due to the purchase of expensive equipment at the initial stage, the construction of a car wash, and the rental of a large area of ​​land. The main costs at the first stage consist of:

• purchase of washing equipment (2 stations) – 2-3 million rubles;
• purchase of a vacuum cleaner (two-station) – 250 thousand rubles;
• equipment installation – 200 thousand rubles;
• construction of a car wash – 3 million rubles;
• registration of permits, ordering a car wash project, etc. – 300 thousand rubles;
• advertising - 1 million.

Total one-time expenses will amount to approximately 7.8 million rubles.

Let's add to this amount the monthly expenses for renting land - 100 thousand rubles, employee salaries - 75 thousand, purchasing detergents and other small items - 100 thousand. We get monthly expenses of 275 thousand rubles.

The price of a half-hour wash of your car is estimated at 300 rubles, that is, in a month with a good influx of clients, you can realistically earn from 600 to 900 thousand rubles. In this case, the payback of the project will take 1-2 years. Only through a competent advertising strategy and high-quality equipment will an entrepreneur be able to convince customers of the profitability of this car wash, thereby ensuring a decent profit.

As we were able to see, opening a self-service car wash is a very expensive business, but the prospects of making millions in profits per year attract many wealthy entrepreneurs. Therefore, if you have 7-8 million, then this business is an excellent investment.

Self-service car washes appeared in Russian cities relatively recently. Just ten years ago they could be counted on one hand, but recently the number of such sinks has been growing exponentially. This is due not only to the obvious fact that washing a car in such car washes is cheaper than in automatic or manual ones. One of the incentives for going to such a car wash is the fact that there are practically no places left for washing your own car by hand in large cities, and such a “procedure” in nature causes legitimate indignation among others.

In the late 90s and early 2000s, self-service car washes were unprofitable, since the equipment for them was much more expensive than for manual ones, and labor was cheap. If 15-20 years ago the payment for washers was 20-25% of revenue, today it is 50% or more. All this creates conditions for an increase in the number of self-service car washes. The use of such car washes is especially popular among people who like to drive dusty cars. For minor stains, many of them prefer the quick and inexpensive option of washing the car themselves.

Although self-service car washes are theoretically “deserted”, nevertheless, at each facility there is a person on duty around the clock who helps customers with their difficulties. But the most “sore” point of such sinks is the maintenance and repair of equipment. Experts are well aware of the problems with equipment in standard hand washes. These problems increase many times over, since the equipment at self-service car washes is operated by amateurs. Sometimes such exploitation borders on barbarism.

If you consider a self-service car wash as a business, then this is definitely a worthwhile venture. Let's consider everything in order.

Car wash registration, OKVED codes, documents

If the car washing business is not something new for you and you are registered as an individual entrepreneur or legal entity, then this section is not for you. If you are wondering how to open a self-service car wash from scratch, then you should start with registration. It is best to register as an individual entrepreneur and use the simplified taxation system (STS).

The choice of the simplified tax system option (6% of gross income or 15% of the “income minus expenses” scheme) depends on the business plan drawn up. If confirmed expenses are less than 60% of revenue, then the first option is preferable.

The main activity should be “washing vehicles, polishing and providing similar services” (OKVED code 45.20.3).

For beginning businessmen, a particular difficulty is the coordination of documents with supervisory authorities (ecology, sanitary and epidemiological service, energy supervision, fire inspection, and so on). The easiest way to resolve this issue is if you order a self-service car wash project from a specialized organization. There are probably several of these in your city, and such organizations provide a fully coordinated project. This is not the cheapest option, but, in practice, the fastest and most reliable.

Selecting a site and constructing a car wash

There is no need to repeat that choosing the right location for a self-service car wash is half the battle. However, there are limiting factors when choosing a site. There should be minimal infrastructure near the site:

• running water or other source of clean water;
• sewerage (except for cases of completely closed systems, which we will discuss below);
• possibility of connecting to electrical networks.

Connecting to these networks “eats up” the lion’s share of investment in the construction of a car wash.

It is generally accepted that the most suitable places to locate a self-service car wash are the outskirts of residential areas, preferably on roads leading to business and industrial centers. Also attractive are the routes that connect residential areas with the city center. The ability to visually view the car wash from the highway is very important.

People are not proud

“They told me: here in Russia people are proud, they will never wash their cars themselves,” recalls Andrei Shestakov, founder of the Wave-S company. But the skeptics’ forecasts did not come true: in 2015, he earned about 80 million rubles by selling 32 sets of equipment for self-service car washes. His kits are among the most inexpensive on the market - Shestakov produces them himself in Russia.

Founder of Wave-S Andrey Shestakov (Photo: Oleg Yakovlev / RBC)

In 2006, the entrepreneur registered Crystal World LLC (in 2014 he changed the name of the legal entity to Clean Planet) and began selling German equipment for classic car washes. By 2012, he increasingly began to receive orders for equipment for new types of sinks. “When they started pulling at us from all over Russia, I realized that it was time to change my profile,” says Shestakov.

It turned out to be easy to rebuild: the equipment for self-service car washes was the same, it only remained to configure the ability to use it in automatic mode. To do this, Andrey hired two programmers who wrote software for the control terminal, and two engineers - they created drawings for new boards. It took about 2 million rubles to pay for their labor, and the development took a year. Andrey decided to produce the equipment himself: he placed orders for the production of metal boxes, circuit boards and screens at factories near Moscow; he ordered parts that were not produced in Russia - high-pressure pumps, bill acceptors, pistols - from Italy, Canada and Germany.

In 2013, Shestakov sold his first set of self-service car wash equipment consisting of six stations for 2.5 million rubles. But sales were bad. In all of 2013, only four washes were needed, and in 2014, another 15. The income from the sale of classic washing equipment saved us. “If people decided to open such a car wash, they went to distributors of Western equipment: they did not trust domestic manufacturers,” says Shestakov. The wave of demand began in 2014: after the currency surge, prices for foreign equipment doubled, and the crisis forced car owners to save on car maintenance. The golden age has arrived for Wave-S.

The average markup, he said, is about 35%. At first, requests came only from the regions, but in the last six months Moscow has been bringing in more orders than all other cities combined. At the moment, according to Shestakov, there are about 30 new types of car washes operating in the capital. The potential is great: 15 million Moscow residents will create demand for at least 700 more self-service points, he assures.

What is a self-service car wash

The main feature of self-service car washes is the lack of staff. There is one administrator on duty in the pits, and car owners wash their cars themselves. In addition to the usual washing stations, such a car wash has a terminal with control buttons for options, a bill and coin acceptor, in which a board with software is “hardwired”.

To wash the car on their own, the client must deposit money into the terminal and select a mode: high-pressure water washing, foam washing, waxing, etc. The client pays for the washing time - water, foam or wax flows into the hose as long as there is water in the terminal money (the balance is visible on the screen). Usually you can wash a car with foam and water in five minutes, spending 100-160 rubles.

How to open a car wash

To open a car wash, the owner will have to go through a number of approvals and receive a package of permitting documents. So, for example, if the site is located near a highway or in a residential area of ​​the city, the entrepreneur will have to obtain permission to carry out car wash work, independently install communications (water, sewerage, electricity) and organize access to the site. All this work can cost up to 3 million rubles. and last for about a year. For those who open on a site owned by a shopping center or industrial enterprise, it is easier: all approvals and construction costs fall on the shoulders of the owners.

In any case, increased attention from the state is guaranteed, warns Daria Korobitsina, an expert at SKB Kontur. First of all, they check compliance with sanitary requirements: the distance of the car wash to residential buildings, the equipment of the premises, the quality of water and the procedure for waste disposal. You must inform Rospotrebnadzor about the start of your work.

A standard set of equipment for a six-station self-service car wash costs Wave-S customers 2.5-3 million rubles. This price includes the washing stations themselves and control terminals with bill acceptors. A complete installation of six posts with a team of workers on site for two to three weeks will cost 200 thousand rubles, installation supervision, when only the foreman goes to the site and controls the installation process by a third-party team, will cost 15 thousand rubles. per day (usually the process takes three to five days).

According to Shestakov, 10 million rubles invested in the purchase and installation of equipment, construction of boxes and installation of communications pays off in 1.5 years of work. “The topic is very popular - there is a queue at almost all such car washes,” he says. — One of my clients in the Tula region received 400 thousand rubles over the weekend. revenue." According to Andrey’s calculations, the revenue of a self-service point should be 1-1.2 million rubles. per month, and the net profit due to small expenses on salaries reaches up to 900 thousand rubles.

The 10 million rubles promised by the founder of Wave-S. you can manage by purchasing the cheapest equipment and saving at all stages of the launch, says Vyacheslav Kolomiets from Alles. Six posts in Alles will cost about 4-6 million rubles, construction of boxes and installation - about another 4.5 million rubles, treatment facilities will cost 500 thousand rubles, landscaping and advertising - from 500 thousand to 1 million rubles Not less than 200 thousand rubles. you will have to pay monthly rent: a place with good traffic (sites near shopping centers and at the entrance to residential areas) is the main condition for successful work.

Market of independent

Western manufacturers of self-service car washes were the first to enter the Russian market. German Ehrle and CWTech, Polish BKF opened posts in the Rostov region and St. Petersburg in 2010-2012. They developed quickly: for example, BKF’s client (the H2O company) managed to conclude an agreement with the St. Petersburg chain of hypermarkets “Karusel” and within a year opened ten car washes in the areas adjacent to the stores. “There were 30 cars in line every day, the demand was huge,” recalls Vyacheslav Kolomiets. By 2012, Russian entrepreneurs also entered the market: some sold imported equipment, others tried to produce themselves (Imoy, Iself, Wave-s, later Alles).

Until 2015, the market was divided by several large Western and Russian manufacturers. At the height of the crisis, domestic players increased their share: they were able to set prices 15-30% lower than foreign competitors. Today, BKF remains the leader in the number of points opened on its equipment (150 washes). Second place is shared by CW Tech and Ehrle (35 washes each). Wave-S, according to its own estimates, sold about 50 sets of equipment, Alles - 15.

Party at the car wash

The reality, as usual, is somewhat at odds with the words of equipment manufacturers. For example, Elena Kucherenko from Nizhny Novgorod, who together with her husband has been in the car wash business for 20 years, sees almost no profit from operating a self-service car wash. In a good month, the outlet brings in 200-300 thousand rubles. revenue and 50-100 thousand rubles. net profit in the low season (January-February) is much less. “Last February, right at the peak of the crisis, we seriously thought about closing: we didn’t even have enough money to pay the administrators’ salaries,” she admits.

What saves Kucherenko is that the self-service car wash shares space with a regular car wash: this way, the rental load (250 thousand rubles per month for 120 sq. m) and utility costs are distributed between the two points. One standard washing station brings from 25 thousand to 500 thousand rubles. revenue per month, that is, four posts can bring in up to 1 million rubles. turnover with a profitability of about 15-20%.

However, the reason for the low demand for self-service car wash services is an unfortunate location, Elena is sure: her car wash operates in a residential area, and only central areas or highways with good access can generate heavy traffic. “If it was not possible to grab a good place, then such a business, at least at first, can only work in conjunction with some other profitable business that will keep the car wash afloat in the off-season,” Elena sums up. In a small town, she says, a standard car wash generates a more consistent income than a self-service car wash, but the latter is “much less of a hassle.”

Location is a very important factor, agrees Mikhail Dzhugan, owner of four self-service car washes in Kazakhstan. But choosing a place with good traffic is only half the battle—it’s important to create a cozy space at the car wash. “At night, they come in whole fleets, and at the car wash in the city center, in general, a special clientele is young people from car clubs. For them, this is a party place,” says Mikhail, “music, drinks and no aggression.”

Dzhugan is a legend among Wave-S clients: he opened his four car washes in Almaty in less than a year, and is now launching two more points. He got the idea to develop this business after living for several years in Croatia, where there are practically no ordinary car washes. Having moved to St. Petersburg, I decided to open a self-service car wash there, but realized that the niche was already occupied. Then Dzhugan went to launch car washes in his native Kazakhstan. This is a temporary project, says Mikhail. In two years, he plans to open another 10-12 points in Almaty, transfer the business to the manager and return to St. Petersburg.

Equipment for six washing stations costs Dzhugan 3.5-3.8 million rubles, the entire launch procedure, including installation of equipment and construction, costs 5.8-7.8 million rubles. He opened all the car washes with his own savings - Mikhail previously owned a network of hundreds of coffee machines. “Car washes are essentially the same as vending machines, but instead of coffee, I now sell water and time,” he says.

Kazakhstani car washes show good financial results: 250-500 cars pass through one point per day, the average bill is 60-120 rubles. Dzhugan achieved popularity among local residents through advertising campaigns: for example, when opening one of the outlets he offered to wash a car for 20 rubles. There was a queue of dozens of cars in front of the car wash. But the entrepreneur does not see the 75% of net profit promised by the manufacturer: with revenue from 700 thousand to 1 million rubles. profit is 350-500 thousand rubles. The main expense items are rent (60-120 thousand rubles), purchase of chemicals (60-80 thousand rubles) and utility costs (50-70 thousand rubles), which increase by 10-20 thousand in winter. rub. due to heating fees.

Business for the stingy

Having opened a self-service car wash in Velikiye Luki in the summer of 2015, Andrei Mozgovkin was not a pioneer. In a city with a population of 200 thousand people, three such points were already operating at that time. Nevertheless, there was demand for the service. “This is not related to the crisis, it’s all due to simple Russian stinginess: we are always trying to save money on everything,” he is sure. When choosing an equipment manufacturer, everything was simple: Andrey was looking for the most inexpensive option. He spent 2.4 million rubles on equipment for four posts, and another 1.5 million went to purchase 12 acres of land. These costs have not yet paid off: the average bill in the Pskov region is lower than in Moscow - about 100 rubles. The point's revenue is usually about 400 thousand rubles. per month, net profit - 220-300 thousand rubles. “Wave-S is an option for those who cannot afford to spend money on imported equipment,” admits Mozgovkin. “The equipment often breaks down, in principle, like any equipment, but in fact the company does not provide any warranty service: if a part breaks down, either send it for examination to Moscow and wait a month while the sink is idle, or repair it at your own expense.” At sub-zero temperatures, the foam in the hoses freezes and cars can only be washed with water and shampoo.

With a small number of posts, it is also not particularly possible to save on employee salaries. “People have not yet learned how to use such washers: they get tangled in the hoses, trip, and can accidentally tear something off. Therefore, you can’t go anywhere without control,” warns Andrey. Four administrators work in shifts at his car wash, and about half of all expenses go to the salary fund.

The best option is a symbiosis of a classic car wash and a self-service point. Car enthusiasts save on daily car washes and are ready to hold a gun in their hands after spending 100 rubles, but once every two to three weeks they still give the car for a full cleaning. “Washing your car yourself and having it professionally cleaned is like taking a shower and going to the bathhouse,” confirms Elena Kucherenko.

In large cities, car washes are found at every turn. But despite this, customers have to wait a long time for their turn, since the process of washing one car takes 30–40 minutes. In this regard, a new alternative method has emerged - a self-service car wash. This service is in great demand among car owners. Before you open a self-service car wash from scratch, you should familiarize yourself with the main features of this business.

Business Features

Self-service car washes can have different equipment and sizes. They are united by one important factor - the lack of maintenance personnel. A special structure is installed in the room, somewhat reminiscent of a canopy, divided into several blocks. Each separate box contains car washing equipment. In addition, terminals are installed here with which the client can pay for the service. To gain access to a vacuum cleaner and other equipment, you need to purchase a token for a certain time or for one wash.

This type of car wash has many advantages. First of all, this is the price. It is several times lower than at conventional car washes. In addition, many car owners do not trust their car to other people, so they prefer to wash it themselves. But, if a person lives in an apartment, he does not have the opportunity to wash his car at home. And at a self-service car wash you can do this for a small fee without any problems.

Business registration

Let's figure out what you need to open a self-service car wash? First of all, contact a specialist construction company to develop a project and obtain the necessary permits. If you are renting a plot of land, you will need a decision from the local executive committee, an architectural and planning assignment and a plan for the plot itself.

After this, you need to visit the fire inspectorate, environmentalists and SES. Their permissions are needed in order to obtain a decree from the local administration that you can open a car wash. Any organizational and legal form can be chosen. Most often this is an LLC or individual entrepreneur.

We figured out what documents are needed to open a car wash. Now you need to decide on the choice of premises.

Location

To open a self-service car wash from scratch that will generate good income, you need to choose the right location. This is a very important factor on which the feasibility and profitability of a business largely depends. If you open such an enterprise in the wrong place, it can become unprofitable and eventually go bankrupt.

Previously, car washes were located in the courtyards of multi-story buildings, since renting premises in such a place is much cheaper. Today they have appeared along the highway, which is much more profitable and convenient. To prevent customers from driving past your car wash complex, you should install signs 1-2 km on both sides. The best option is a car wash located immediately behind the traffic light. While waiting for the green light, the driver has time to look at all the surroundings, so he will definitely notice your car wash.

When drawing up a business plan for a self-service car wash, you should decide how much money you can allocate to purchase or rent a plot of land. Another important point is the availability of communications. To ensure the operation of such an enterprise, you will need water, sewerage and electricity. Therefore, before the location on which you want to organize a car wash, check that the necessary communications are connected to the premises.

Car wash equipment

The ideal option is a ready-made modular car wash from European manufacturers. In Western countries, this type of business is developed at the highest level, so many manufacturers produce corresponding devices of excellent quality. For purchasing questions, it is best to contact official dealers operating in our country. Do not forget that first of all, customers pay attention to the equipment, so the car wash must be equipped with decent equipment.

Many aspiring entrepreneurs are interested in how much does a self-service car wash cost? The prices for such equipment are quite high, but despite this, you cannot save on purchasing equipment. Due to frequent breakdowns, the quality of service decreases and, accordingly, the number of customers decreases. If your business's reputation deteriorates, it will not generate decent income.

At the start, it is advisable to purchase a reliable device without additional options. This is a budget option for opening a self-service car wash. After you reach a net profit, you can buy more expensive, modernized devices.

Staff

Since customers wash their cars themselves, there is no need to hire many employees. All work can be done by one operator. His responsibilities include maintaining equipment, assisting customers, and selling tokens. The 24-hour car wash should hire more people to work in shifts. The operator's salary is approximately 20-25 thousand rubles.

Financial part

If you decide to open a car wash service, the price of the issue may be different. To roughly calculate costs, it is necessary to determine all the main stages of this process:

• As mentioned above, equipment for self-service car washes is purchased in Europe. An ideal option for the city is a sink consisting of six blocks. It will cost 9.5 million rubles. In addition, you will have to spend 375 thousand rubles for its delivery and installation. Another 1 million rubles should be allocated for the purchase of treatment facilities;
• Each entrepreneur decides the issue of renting or purchasing land depending on his financial capabilities. Some rent space in parking lots or hypermarkets, while others buy land from the state. You will spend about 120 thousand rubles a year on renting a room;
• To attract customers to your business, you need to provide effective advertising for your car wash. These can be banners, signs, signs, as well as advertising leaflets, for which approximately 50 thousand rubles should be allocated;
• Summing up communications - 270 thousand rubles;
• Improvement of the territory - 180 thousand rubles;
• Paperwork - 200 thousand rubles;
• Salaries and taxes.

Many novice entrepreneurs who do not have experience in this area prefer purchasing a self-service car wash franchise. Working under the name of a well-known brand is an excellent option for those who are taking their first steps in business and are afraid of making mistakes at the start.

We figured out how much money you need to open a self-service car wash. Now let's talk about profit. If your service operates around the clock, the maximum number of clients should be expected from 8 to 10 a.m. and from 5 to 10 p.m. During the day, the enterprise will be loaded at only 20%.

Video on the topic

On average, it takes 20 minutes to wash one car. This means that you will serve no more than 3 clients per hour. Two posts can serve at least 60 cars daily. The cost of washing is about 500 rubles. If you add additional services, its cost will be about 750 rubles. Accordingly, it turns out that the car wash will generate revenue of 1 million rubles per month. If you subtract monthly expenses, the amount of net income is 230 thousand rubles. Additional profit can bring. Such products can be purchased in bulk or produced independently at a service station.

If you develop a competent business plan for a self-service car wash with calculations and strictly adhere to all its points, the initial investment can be returned within one year.

Advertising

In order for your business to generate good income, you need to learn how to quickly promote a car wash or car service and attract customers. The advertising campaign should start immediately after the opening. Since self-service car washes are a relatively new service, there are few such businesses in large cities, so you can safely count on the fact that there will be enough visitors.

Many Russians these days are looking for an acceptable way to earn a reliable income, and the thought of organizing their own business is increasingly capturing the minds of their fellow citizens. Where and in what area can you make money relatively easily? Where to go if you don’t have huge funds to organize a serious business or buy a new business? And what to do if absolutely all the niches have been occupied a long time ago, and inventing something new is still a task?

What's the benefit?

Let's not reinvent the wheel and today we'll talk about one of the classic, well-proven types of business, the opening of which, although it requires quite serious investments, is still a very real task.

We are talking about washing cars. How to open a car wash from scratch? What is needed for this, and how to organize the business correctly in order to guarantee profit and not losses? In this article we will tell you how to open a car wash correctly and explain some important nuances.

How relevant is this?

Why a car wash? The relevance of this business in modern urban conditions has been proven by life itself. Judge for yourself: car washes are in demand absolutely everywhere - from a metropolis to a small town, and people use their services in any season.

In winter, every driver needs to visit a car wash to wash off salt, sand and reagents. In spring and autumn you have to look there at least once every 2-3 days due to constant mud and puddles on domestic roads. In the summer, it is customary for car owners to carefully polish their cars until they shine. And today we will talk about how to open a car wash from scratch.

This business (according to professionals) has a fairly high profitability (30-40%), that is, it is one of the profitable enterprises. We can talk about full payback approximately 12-16 months after the opening of the business, of course, provided that it is successfully established and promoted. If we are talking about a portal, more expensive option, then this period is extended, and it will be possible to calculate the net profits in a year or two.

How to open a car wash from scratch: business plan

2. Visit the administration of the area where your business will be located for permission, and also obtain opinions from the Fire Service, Moskompriroda, MP “Mosvodostok” and the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision Authority.

3. The construction plan should be approved by the Moscow Committee for Architecture.

What else will need to be agreed upon?

In addition, the Moscow government will require you to provide agreements for renting a site, cleaning the surrounding area with the removal of solid waste, with the boundaries of your site marked, and a document indicating that your cash register equipment is registered.

Before opening a car wash from scratch, information about the proposed construction of the facility will need to be submitted to the Department of Communications and Transport. To obtain a SEZ and approve the project, you will have to contact Rospotrebnadzor (its territorial department).

We select a location and premises for our car wash

The payback rate and, as a consequence, the profitability of this business project are directly related to the location of the car wash. An almost ideal place for this is the sides of central city avenues; also pay attention to the busiest highways.

Car washes are often organized at the entrance to the city, near the customs or border post. But, being in the area of ​​a large transport hub, drivers most often refuse the idea of ​​using the services of a car wash due to the increased bustle and crowd. It will be more profitable to offer your services near gas stations and service stations.

Rent is cheaper

How to open a car wash from scratch when building your own building for it is an impossible financial task for you? In this case, renting premises at an ATP that is suitable in all respects may be a good option. In addition, you will have to complete much less paperwork. Car enthusiasts, as a rule, are familiar with all such enterprises in their city.

The type and volume of services provided depends on the parameters of the premises. For example, if you're thinking about how to open a truck wash from scratch, there are a number of additional factors to consider, starting with the height of the ceilings.

Don’t forget about the need for an auxiliary area where you will store consumables.

Water purification at a car wash

Due to the growth of serious environmental problems, car wash owners are faced with requirements that you will certainly have to take into account when opening. For example, a purification system will be required, the filters of which will remove fats, oil products and other chemicals from wastewater.

Such equipment is quite compact and belongs to transportable units. The water purification procedure itself proceeds in stages. The existing circulation tank allows the liquid to be purified using a reverse cycle. Thus, circulating several times in a row along the circuit, the water remains practically free of impurities.

Since the operation of the cleaning equipment is intended at temperatures above +5 ° C, it should be installed in a heated room.

What's next?

A commission of representatives of the administration, firefighters, traffic police and other services should be present at the opening of the car wash. They will be signed by your object.

Advertising on billboards located in the immediate vicinity of your location will be very effective if you briefly indicate its location, opening hours, discounts, main services and important bonuses.

We select personnel

Having overcome bureaucratic obstacles, start recruiting suitable personnel. What should it be like? The main requirements for applicants for employment are the ability to understand cars of the category that is supposed to be serviced in your case, contact (to form a list of regular customers) and polite treatment.

In order not to lose consumers of services, it is advisable for the car wash to operate around the clock - such a schedule is optimal for it. In this case, you will have to hire 5 or 6 washers and one foreman.

A higher education is not necessary for your employees; students can also work for hire. They should be paid based on the amount of work performed. Workers should be motivated through additional financial incentives, and stylish work overalls with a company logo will help raise the image of a car wash as a reputable enterprise.

Let's calculate the cost of the project

When calculating mandatory expenses, proceed from the rental price. This amount will vary depending on the premises and the area where it is located. Investments in the purchase of equipment should be added to the rental.

A high-pressure washer with water heating function will cost you between $1,800 and $3,000. A device that supplies water to 1 station - 500-1300 c.u. e. Compressor - 200-250 dollars. Washing vacuum cleaner (or vacuum cleaner) - $400-550. - $4800-6600

Most car wash owners prefer to purchase imported equipment. In this market segment, 80% of sales belong to the German company Karcher. In addition, Italian and Danish equipment is valued. Water purification devices are usually purchased from Russian manufacturers.

The list of basic consumable materials consists of car shampoo, polishing agent, products used for dry cleaning, cleaning wheel rims, engines, and bumpers. Monthly expenses for them will be about $300, provided that the car wash services 30-40 cars daily.

In summer, the flow of clients usually dries up. Car wash services are mainly used by those who want to wax their car. What should a businessman do to avoid losing profits? The only way out here is to slightly lower prices while simultaneously expanding the range of services. Secondly, try to offer customers additional reasons to visit your location. For example, set up a small tent with tables next to the establishment, where those who wish can relax and have a snack (for example, barbecue). While on vacation, someone will definitely want to wash their car.

An excellent solution is a mini-market with groceries or a small store selling spare parts within walking distance.

What to do if there are not enough funds

Perhaps you want to spend as little money as possible and are wondering, for example, how to open a self-service car wash. Well, this option is quite possible. Its advantages are that savings are achieved on staff salaries. Of course, this type of service has individual characteristics that must be taken into account when drawing up a business plan.

If you come up with the idea of ​​​​how to open a car wash in the garage, it is better to abandon it immediately. Apart from the need to sort out issues with management, the problem of water supply, “busy” space and installation of all the expensive equipment mentioned above arises.

The main point due to which this project can be considered unviable is the inability to connect to water supply and sewerage networks. Even if there is one, you will be required to build a wastewater treatment system. In a word, this idea is not very successful.

How to open a self-service car wash from scratch: a few tips

Let's say you want to get this type of sink. You already know how to open a car wash from scratch. The business plan in this case should only be slightly adjusted to the specifics of such service.

As you know, car washing services can be portal or tunnel, in which washing is carried out in a completely automated way, manual (the staff is involved in washing cars) and open - based on the principle of self-service.

In the latter case, drivers wash their cars themselves with the products provided. Such a sink consists of a set of equipment with a set of necessary materials. All equipment (water guns, vacuum cleaners, dryers) is as simple and understandable as possible. Customers use the services of such a car wash much more willingly because of the opportunity to save money.

The list of services provided includes washing with warm water and powder (removing dirt), rinsing off foam with cold water, applying wax to the car, and polymerization to remove drips.

The main problem when setting up such a car wash is what to do with freezing liquids in winter? There is a solution, and it consists in installing a heated floor under the covering using a pipe system with circulating running hot water. Heating of water in the system is ensured by automatic switching on of a gas or diesel boiler at the right time. Equipment should also be selected with continuous circulation of liquid, such as guns for supplying water under pressure.