I have always tried to remain focused on constantly giving my customers much more than they expect by exceeding their needs. The way I see it, my customers must truly come first. When my customers measure value, they are looking at the entire experience. Of course they want a good quality job, but they are also interested in other things such as; ease of making an appointment, whether or not the job is started 'on-time' and finish 'on-time', friendly yet professional explanation of services, etc. These are all factors that play a part in how my customers measure the value of my service.

As with most small businesses, I have experimented with a number of marketing techniques before finding what works for me. In my case, customer referrals have worked the best. My customers just love telling their family and friends about my detailing services. They are constantly sending me new customer referrals. I have also found that just talking with people who own expensive cars also yields very good results. That is why I always carry a couple of business cards with me at all times. I am always ready when someone asks about my detailing services.

Too often, detailing businesses fail because they are constantly trying to compete with other detailers by constantly lowering their prices. That is simply a mistake. A low price may matter when it comes to doing wholesale restoration work for a dealerships, however, my retail customers care more about getting a high-quality job. They know that along with a reasonable price comes a much higher level of personal service. 

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

I have constantly looked at everything from the point of view of my customers. After all, they are truly the only reason why I am in business. I treat my customers the same way I like to be treated and I only use the finest professional products, because that is what I use on my own cars. I realized early on that good detailing customers are not always interested in getting the lowest price. Instead, they are much more focused on knowing they are receiving high-quality, dependable service. 

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

The key to operating a successful detailing business is knowing what it takes to become a professional. Of course, customers expect to see good results. However, at the same time they are equally concerned with all of the things that I do to create an overall good experience. For example, since I operate a mobile detailing business, it is very important that I arrive on the job at the agreed time of the appointment. I also dress in clean, professional-looking, color-coordinated work clothes. Matching work hat with embroidered company name, etc. All of this creates a favorable image and helps to make a statement with my customers.

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

I guess you could say that my ability to do detailing was the result of my dad taking the time to teach me what he knew about how to properly clean, polish and wax a car. He always had a clean car, so it was only natural for me to follow in his footsteps.

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

I really believe that professional detailers need to concentrate on business principles even more than they concentrate on detailing principles. I would say that 80% of the educational effort should be focused on learning more about what it takes to own and operate a successful and profitable business. The other 20% should be learning more about the actual process of detailing. I think the number one reason why so many detailing businesses fail is because the owners are too busy taking care of the technical side of the business. Just because someone may be a good at detailing that does not necessarily make them a good business owner.

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

Once I completed the Study Guides for people who want to start their own detailing business, I began to put together a more basic detailing guide for beginners. The Automobile and Boat Detailing Guides that I wrote are very basic, easy to understand, do-it-yourself guides designed to offer the beginner detailer an opportunity to learn more about how to safely clean, polish and wax their own car or boat, just like a professional. For the past few years I have also been offering Online Detailing Courses which allow students to complete their studies anytime in the comfort of their own home.  

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

About eight years ago I began to write instructional information about how to start your own detailing business. The way I figured it, since it took a lot of hard work and planning on my part, why not document all of that work and make it a heck of a lot easier for someone else who wants to start their own detailing business. The Study Guides that I wrote for starting your own detailing business do just that. They give an entrepreneur the basic, yet comprehensive plans needed to get started in their own detailing business. Clients from all over the United States, Canada and Peurto Rico have purchased the Study Guides and continued on to start their own detailing business.

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

Along the way I have made a few changes to my original business plan. The first was getting involved in boat detailing. At first you would think that would be a natural progression. After all, it is a basic extension of car detailing. With boats, the materials you are working with are a bit different. I had a lot of learning to do about how to properly clean, polish and protect fiberglass gelcoat. Teakwood cleaning was another major hurdle. While I was out there beginning to add a few boat detailing jobs to the schedule, I was also beginning to develop and teach automobile and boat detailing courses. These detailing courses were held at local high schools throughout southern New Jersey as part of their adult evening classes. Over the years, these two additions to my business plan have had a positive impact to the overall success of my detailing business.

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

I didn’t jump right into the detailing business. I got some much needed education. I started by attending entrepreneur small business courses at Rutgers University in N.J., and followed that up with advertising and marketing seminars at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. One of the very first things I did after attending these business courses was to write a business plan. I still write down everything. Every idea, every thought still gets documented. The original mission of my business is still basically the same as I had written it back in 1986.