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have a business that allows me to make $40-50 per hr.. how to go about marketing it?

by ScottM17909
13 replies
Market info
I started up a small mobile headlight restoration business. Headlight restoration is process that involves reconditioning foggy/oxidized headlights using a sander, buffer, and a clear coat. Research shows nearly 1/3 of cars on the road have unsafe/oxidized headlights. Many drivers are also unaware there is a service to restore their headlights rather than replace them(very expensive $200-300 average per lens) Do-it-yourself kits don't provide professional/long lasting results. The national average price for this service is between $75-150 per pair. I charge $50-60(depending on what i list the promo as) which is a steal for most people. Each pair takes ~35 minutes from start to finish. driving on average is 10-15 per appointment in my city.

Business info
First thing i did was make a website which was obviously very cheap for me to build. My initial supply/startup costs was less then a $150(proper tools/website). Next i immediately got in contact Deal site platforms like Groupon, Amazon, Living Social, etc and pitched them my service and ran a promo after my company info was verified. I actually got hundreds of 100s of orders between all the platforms but the problem is most of these group buy sites want you to discount your price by 50% and then take 30-50% of each order on top of that. On average customers pay $30 for a groupon and my cut is $18. ~87%(yes i keep track) of my customers via deal sites/group buys pay an extra $30 for a cleat coat upgrade with a year warranty up front in cash that i do not have to share with the deal sites so i am able to make the deal worthwhile. My average net profit is 40-45$ per order(including gas/supplies exp) and i can do about 7 or 8 on a good day. These deal sites over the past several months have translated to a lot of traffic being sent to my site and as a result i have very good placement in search engines(just about any keywords pertaining to 'headlight restoration' in my county will show my site/yelp reviews as #1/top)

once i made some money i invested it back in the business made business cards, implemented scheduling software(book straight from the website) and used fiver to create a logo, professional voice greeting,

Question
I am currently looking to stray away from the group buys and advertise solely via web and through my site. I have tried passing out professionally made flyers, postcards, etc and have had little success that route. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to bring this niche business to the next level/have experiences with social media marketing?



here is also a link to my site affordableheadlightrestoration.com

Any input on site would be greatly appreciated.

I would also be glad to answer any questions anyone may have
#&gt #> #$150 #$4050 #business #make #started
  • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
    Nice to hear that you've been successful with this.
    There are many ways to promote the business and
    from reading your post, I can see that you're familiar
    with some of them.

    I helped a neighbor get started cleaning headlights a while back.
    He was able to build a little route, that involved auto repair shops
    and a couple of used car lots. He also found a need for detailing
    odor removal, dent and paint chip repair, upholstery repair, windshield
    repair and a few other things.

    As you indicated, finding people interested in having their headlights cleaned
    can be slow going. Especially if you don't have a referral system in place.
    It's a one-off type service, so you need a constant flow of new prospects.

    My neighbor started offering the other services along with headlight cleaning
    to fill in the gaps. Here's what he found.

    There are a ton of cars out there on leases and people need to have
    them cleaned up, before they turn them in. In most cases they don't
    want to do it. They will pay well to have it done for them.

    If you get into odor removal, think veterinarian's offices.
    These are a "goldmine". Ask if you can leave your cards
    on the counter for their customers to see and pick up.
    A lot of their customers will have leased vehicles. People
    who take their animals to the vet have money to spend.
    They will pay to have their cars cleaned and deodorized.


    One thing leads to another. They are interconnected.
    Adding services can double your average ticket and fill
    in the gaps, during slow times.

    By adding the other services, like detailing, you'll be taking care of the
    same customers over and over. That's a heap easier than finding new
    headlights to clean all the time.

    Hope some of this was helpful.

    Best of luck!

    Ron
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    • Profile picture of the author ScottM17909
      Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

      Nice to hear that you've been successful with this.
      There are many ways to promote the business and
      from reading your post, I can see that you're familiar
      with some of them.

      I helped a neighbor get started cleaning headlights a while back.
      He was able to build a little route, that involved auto repair shops
      and a couple of used car lots. He also found a need for detailing
      odor removal, dent and paint chip repair, upholstery repair, windshield
      repair and a few other things.

      As you indicated, finding people interested in having their headlights cleaned
      can be slow going. Especially if you don't have a referral system in place.
      It's a one-off type service, so you need a constant flow of new prospects.

      My neighbor started offering the other services along with headlight cleaning
      to fill in the gaps. Here's what he found.

      There are a ton of cars out there on leases and people need to have
      them cleaned up, before they turn them in. In most cases they don't
      want to do it. They will pay well to have it done for them.

      If you get into odor removal, think veterinarian's offices.
      These are a "goldmine". Ask if you can leave your cards
      on the counter for their customers to see and pick up.
      A lot of their customers will have leased vehicles. People
      who take their animals to the vet have money to spend.
      They will pay to have their cars cleaned and deodorized.


      One thing leads to another. They are interconnected.
      Adding services can double your average ticket and fill
      in the gaps, during slow times.

      By adding the other services, like detailing, you'll be taking care of the
      same customers over and over. That's a heap easier than finding new
      headlights to clean all the time.

      Hope some of this was helpful.

      Best of luck!

      Ron
      thanks for the reply Ron it is much appreciated. I think implementing some kind of referrel system is a real good idea considering that everyone knows someone who needs this service. I wonder if i can find a way to actually pay people(maybe via paypal) like a $10 referral commission or something for every order that comes through. I wonder if this incentive could generate alot of new leads.


      Oder removal is an interesting add that ive actually looked into adding based on what ive read, Ionizers and ozone generators(professional machines that remove odors) are are actually extremely harmful to your health/lungs. Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners | Indoor Air | US Environmental Protection Agency

      Im trying to stay away from the basic detailing since it is an over-saturated market and a little gimmicky IMO. Detailing is really just a glorified carwash and i dont see any value in it as a step forward in the right direction.

      Id rather stick with more niche services like headlight reapair/removing oders/carpet/upholstery cleaning(this could be popular, not alot of people doing it) but i def agree adding another service or two would be a good idea. i just need to find the right equipment and services to add.
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    Add pet groomers and trainers to the list of people to network with.

    Perhaps MeetUp groups to meet busy business people.
    Signature

    "If you think you're the smartest person in the room, then you're probably in the wrong room."

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  • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
    The deal sites have given you:

    I actually got hundreds of 100s of orders between all the platforms but the problem is most of these group buy sites want you to discount your price by 50%

    Or roughly a $75,000.00 a year business.

    And you can do 7 or 8 on a good day...then these "deal sites" have kept you busy for months and months, right? Why change when they have given you so much business? And where are the referrals from the "100s of orders"?

    I don't get why you need more advertising. Having done this, and we had video proof on youtube of doing 7 cars in an hour at a small used car lot in Carlsbad, NM, at 30 bux a car and a few minute process, for 210 dollars, which was a good deal, I'm having trouble with the 100s of orders you've received. Just seems like you have got it down pat.

    I think you have a system other guys would gladly pay you hundreds of dollars to learn.

    gjabiz

    PS. The site is very nice looking (a few typos), professional and if it gets traffic, you should do great.



    Originally Posted by ScottM17909 View Post

    Market info
    I started up a small mobile headlight restoration business. Headlight restoration is process that involves reconditioning foggy/oxidized headlights using a sander, buffer, and a clear coat. Research shows nearly 1/3 of cars on the road have unsafe/oxidized headlights. Many drivers are also unaware there is a service to restore their headlights rather than replace them(very expensive $200-300 average per lens) Do-it-yourself kits don't provide professional/long lasting results. The national average price for this service is between $75-150 per pair. I charge $50-60(depending on what i list the promo as) which is a steal for most people. Each pair takes ~35 minutes from start to finish. driving on average is 10-15 per appointment in my city.

    Business info
    First thing i did was make a website which was obviously very cheap for me to build. My initial supply/startup costs was less then a $150(proper tools/website). Next i immediately got in contact Deal site platforms like Groupon, Amazon, Living Social, etc and pitched them my service and ran a promo after my company info was verified. I actually got hundreds of 100s of orders between all the platforms but the problem is most of these group buy sites want you to discount your price by 50% and then take 30-50% of each order on top of that. On average customers pay $30 for a groupon and my cut is $18. ~87%(yes i keep track) of my customers via deal sites/group buys pay an extra $30 for a cleat coat upgrade with a year warranty up front in cash that i do not have to share with the deal sites so i am able to make the deal worthwhile. My average net profit is 40-45$ per order(including gas/supplies exp) and i can do about 7 or 8 on a good day. These deal sites over the past several months have translated to a lot of traffic being sent to my site and as a result i have very good placement in search engines(just about any keywords pertaining to 'headlight restoration' in my county will show my site/yelp reviews as #1/top)

    once i made some money i invested it back in the business made business cards, implemented scheduling software(book straight from the website) and used fiver to create a logo, professional voice greeting,

    Question
    I am currently looking to stray away from the group buys and advertise solely via web and through my site. I have tried passing out professionally made flyers, postcards, etc and have had little success that route. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to bring this niche business to the next level/have experiences with social media marketing?



    here is also a link to my site affordableheadlightrestoration.com

    Any input on site would be greatly appreciated.

    I would also be glad to answer any questions anyone may have
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    • Profile picture of the author ScottM17909
      Originally Posted by gjabiz View Post

      The deal sites have given you:

      I actually got hundreds of 100s of orders between all the platforms but the problem is most of these group buy sites want you to discount your price by 50%

      Or roughly a $75,000.00 a year business.

      And you can do 7 or 8 on a good day...then these "deal sites" have kept you busy for months and months, right? Why change when they have given you so much business? And where are the referrals from the "100s of orders"?

      I don't get why you need more advertising. Having done this, and we had video proof on youtube of doing 7 cars in an hour at a small used car lot in Carlsbad, NM, at 30 bux a car and a few minute process, for 210 dollars, which was a good deal, I'm having trouble with the 100s of orders you've received. Just seems like you have got it down pat.

      I think you have a system other guys would gladly pay you hundreds of dollars to learn.

      gjabiz

      PS. The site is very nice looking (a few typos), professional and if it gets traffic, you should do great.
      thanks for the reply Gj.

      the problem is the deal sites are on and off and the orders pour in simultaneously.. so i do great for a month or so but once all the orders are fulfilled by the end of the month i have little to no orders. After a few days your ad/listing gets bumped down on the deal sites so not very many people are seeing it which is part of the problem with those sites too. i got 90% of the orders the first 3 or 4 days on all the deal sites then the other 10% came in over the course of a few months. Also have to drive out to each person as i run a mobile service so its not like i can do 7 cars in 1 hour.

      If i could stay at the top of the deal sites i would do WELL but the problem is these deal sites are inundated with other business who want to there shot at the top of the search listings as well so amazon and groupon only feature each company for a limited period of time before you move down in ranking regardless of your sales/popularity.

      I got a few orders here and there from referrals but still a relatively low amount.

      also i would like to know how you were able to do each car "in a matter of minutes".. on average it takes me about 20-30 minutes minimum per car(prep time included) to do a professional job on the lights.. would love to know how you knocked them out so quickly and were able to maintain quality on the lights.
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      • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
        Sent you a PM.
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      • Profile picture of the author dmaster555
        Originally Posted by ScottM17909 View Post

        thanks for the reply Gj.

        the problem is the deal sites are on and off and the orders pour in simultaneously.. so i do great for a month or so but once all the orders are fulfilled by the end of the month i have little to no orders. After a few days your ad/listing gets bumped down on the deal sites so not very many people are seeing it which is part of the problem with those sites too. i got 90% of the orders the first 3 or 4 days on all the deal sites then the other 10% came in over the course of a few months. Also have to drive out to each person as i run a mobile service so its not like i can do 7 cars in 1 hour.

        If i could stay at the top of the deal sites i would do WELL but the problem is these deal sites are inundated with other business who want to there shot at the top of the search listings as well so amazon and groupon only feature each company for a limited period of time before you move down in ranking regardless of your sales/popularity.

        I got a few orders here and there from referrals but still a relatively low amount.

        also i would like to know how you were able to do each car "in a matter of minutes".. on average it takes me about 20-30 minutes minimum per car(prep time included) to do a professional job on the lights.. would love to know how you knocked them out so quickly and were able to maintain quality on the lights.
        When you actually get these customers are you doing anything to keep monetizing them? Are you creating an e-mail list? What up-sells are you offering? Referral system, etc.

        The service businesses who really profit off deal-sites are the ones who have a system in place to keep those customers coming back, not constantly depending on a new influx of customers from posting their deal on the site.
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  • Profile picture of the author JodyRossDeane
    Weird I know but I reckon this could potentially work on Instagram. You could post your flyers. Pictures of happy customers. Pictures of headlights before and after etc, infographics etc.
    1. Follow people in your local area through hashtags.
    2. Like and comment on their pics.

    Hey presto. Another lead gen machine.
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    • Profile picture of the author ScottM17909
      Originally Posted by JodyRossDeane View Post

      Weird I know but I reckon this could potentially work on Instagram. You could post your flyers. Pictures of happy customers. Pictures of headlights before and after etc, infographics etc.
      1. Follow people in your local area through hashtags.
      2. Like and comment on their pics.

      Hey presto. Another lead gen machine.

      what do you mean by following people through hastags? Do you mean do a hasttag search for others related business's or just anyone in general? I never got into instagram so i dont know how it works.
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      • Profile picture of the author JodyRossDeane
        Originally Posted by ScottM17909 View Post

        what do you mean by following people through hastags? Do you mean do a hasttag search for others related business's or just anyone in general? I never got into instagram so i dont know how it works.
        Hashtag for example #yourcity #yourcounty and follow all these accounts. but also just keyword search your town or area and follow those accounts, and when you post, always hashtag all your posts with your location keywords.
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  • Profile picture of the author mydream247
    FB ads is the way to go, create a video with before and after footage, upload to youtube, and promote with FB ads, you can target your city or area you cover so your cost can be pennies and can reach hundreds, probably much more than daily deal sites, other suggestion, make sure your site is mobile friendly.

    Good luck to you...
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    • Profile picture of the author JodyRossDeane
      Originally Posted by mydream247 View Post

      FB ads is the way to go, create a video with before and after footage, upload to youtube, and promote with FB ads, you can target your city or area you cover so your cost can be pennies and can reach hundreds, probably much more than daily deal sites, other suggestion, make sure your site is mobile friendly.

      Good luck to you...
      I would agree with this - but the first few weeks should be dedicated to split testing ads and the funnel.
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  • Profile picture of the author Patrick Christoph
    Scott,

    Great business! No overhead to speak of and totally scalable. Consider an arrangement with car washes. Customers have higher disposable income and care about their vehicles. Approach while they are in their cars waiting in line on busy days and sell direct. Car wash get a %.

    You can scale this by hiring commissioned sales people at the locations as well as people you have trained to do the labor. Spend your Sat and Sun visiting locations to supervise results and upsell hand offs from your people on site.

    Oh, and get contracts asap from the CW's so you don't get cut out by a competitor. I'm assuming you already have a usp, proprietary process, etc, that's superior to your cheaper competitors - if not, better make one up : )

    Good luck!
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