There is basically not much difference between most glazes and polishes. It is just that some manufacturers like to call a specific product a glaze while another similar product may be called a polish. Both glazes and polishes are usually not very abrasive. However, they do play an important role in helping to create a deep, high gloss shine.

 

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

One thing to keep in mind with leather is avoiding any other leather that may come in contact with your seats. Leather jackets, leather belts and even leather handbags can and will transfer their color onto your leather seats. This is especially true when your car has light colored leather seats. Once the color has transfered, there is almost nothing that can be done to remove the discoloration. As a professional detailer, I have seen the transfer of color with leather happen time and time again. Maybe it is the type of leather, the age or the way the leather belt or jacket has been treated and dyed during the manufacturing process. It may also have something to do with the level of quality. Higher priced, quailty leather belts and jackets may not transfer color like more inexpensive types. Any way you look at it. It is a real problem that can and should be avoided.

 

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personally, I would never wear jeans, sneakers or t-shirts when I am out on a detailing job. That type of clothing is much too casual for operating a detailing business. I prefer to project a more professional image so that my clients think of my business as a professional detailing service. I like going with unique signature clothing, such as work hats, shirts and jackets that contain my business name. It is all about image and how I am best able to provide an image that is a step above the competition, while at the same time creating a professional appearance. I never wear sneakers while I am out on a detailing job. I usually go with oxford type work shoes. And I usually buy a new pair at least twice a year. It's not really because they wear out that soon, it is more because they just look a lot better when they are new.

 

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

Here is the basic routine that I have continued to use for my mobile boat detailing business. It is basically the same step-by-step process for every boat.

1- Wash by Hand

2- Clean Canvas
3- Clean & Protect Vinyl Upholstery
4- Clean Fish Wells & Storage Areas
5- Clean & Oil Teak Wood

6- Clean Chrome & Stainless Steel
7- Polish & Wax Fiberglass By Hand
8- Clean, Polish & Wax Outboard Motor
9- Clean and Vacuum Interior Cabin
10- Clean Glass, Polish Plastic Windows

FRANK CANNA
Mirror Finish Detailing

Here is the basic routine that I have continued to use for my mobile automobile detailing business. It is basically the same step-by-step process for every vehicle.
1- Wash vehicle, tires and wheels.
2- Polish and Wax by Hand.
3- Clean & Polish Chrome
4- Remove Road Tar
5- Apply Exterior Protectants
6- Clean & Wax Door Jambs
7- Clean & Protect Upholstery
8- Clean and Vacuum Carpets & Trunk
9- Apply Interior Protectants
10- Clean Windows and Mirrors

FRANK CANNA
Mirror Finish Detailing

I believe that in order to succeed in business you must first 'find a need and fill it'. In other words, you could use the best products, do the best work, have the lowest price, but if there is no need for your service, then you are nowhere. I have always concentrated my energy in the appropriate market segments where my detailing business is unique. This strategy has helped me to increase my market share in those segments. I fully understand how my mobile detailing business fits into the marketplace and whether or not there will continue to be a demand for my services.

FRANK CANNA
Mirror Finish Detailing

I found out very quickly that when you are trying to establish new business relationships, there is really no better way than talking directly with potential clients. Actually, I always liked the idea of getting out there and talking to people about my detailing services. That way, it gave me a chance to figure out whether or not that person would be the type of person I would want to work for. And at the same time, they would get a chance to meet me and find out a little bit more about my high quality automobile and boat detailing services. Doing it that way has always turned out to be a win/win situation.

FRANK CANNA
Mirror Finish Detailing

Here are the top ten things I had to do when I began to think about starting my own detailing business.

1 - Identify the type of business, market and customers I intended to service.
2 - Identify why the business would be profitable.
3 - Identify how the business would be affected by seasonal changes.
4 - Identify specific business objectives and goals.
5 - Decide whether the business would be a mobile or on-site operation.
6 - List my five nearest competitors.
7 - Identify how my business would be better than that of the competition.
8 - Identify my own experience and knowledge of this type of business.
9 - Identify my abilities, interests and reasons for going into this business.
10- Identify why I would become successful in this new business venture.

 

FRANK CANNA
Mirror Finish Detailing

 

The first thing I needed to do back in 1986 when I started my mobile detailing business was to write a basic description of the business. Then I had to document why I thought the business would be profitable. I also had to gather together information about what I had already learned about operating a detailing business from suppliers, other business people and trade associations. Finally, I had to write down what I thought would be unique about my business. 

 

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

 

I always use a quality checklist. Customers just seem to notice some things more than others. That's why clean windows are at the top of my list. Windows that are not completely clean are the one thing that customers will always notice first. I could spend hours polishing and waxing and achieve a flawless finish, however, if the windows are not completely clean, the quality of my work could be judged as sub-standard.

 

Basically, I am not completely finished detailing a vehicle until I give it a final wipe-down. I have found that to be the best time to spend a few extra minutes inspecting every item on my checklist. Actually, this is one of the most important steps in my entire detailing process. It's when the appearance of both the exterior and interior gets a final quality inspection. The goal is to aim for a vehicle that so clean, it actually exceeds my own quality standards.

Quality Checklist:

1- Inspect overall appearance

2- Inspect windows and mirrors

3- Inspect carpets and upholstery

4- Inspect interior dash and vents

5- Inspect exterior painted surfaces

6- Inspect door-jams, trunk and trim

7- Inspect bumpers, front grill and chrome

8- Inspect exterior headlamp lenses

9- Inspect tires, wheels and rims

10- Final wipe-down

 

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

 

The key to keeping a boat looking good is to have it thoroughly cleaned, polished and waxed at least two to three times a year. Once you can see oxidation on the gelcoat, then it is usually too late to do anything to keep the oxidation from reappearing. Keep in mind that on a boat that contains heavy oxidation, it is possible to get it to look good again, however it is usually very likely to see the oxidation reappear within a short period of time. That's because the oxidation is coming from within the gelcoat itself. Of course, there are a number of good products on the market that can be used to make the surface look clean, smooth and shiney, however that good looking finish on a boat that contains an extreme amount of oxidation usually does not stay looking good for very long. You can think of oxidation coming from within the gel coat of the fiberglass, similar to the way rust comes from within the surface of metal. If you were to take a piece of metal and grind away the rust and then coat it with car wax you would probably see the rust begin to bleed thru just like the oxidation comes back on an oxidized boat.

 

From a business standpoint, my basic rule is when a boat is over five years old and it has not been polished and waxed on a regular basis from when it was new, then I will usually not take on the job. Generally speaking, if you see oxidation then it's a sure sign that the boat has not been maintained correctly. The key is polishing and waxing on a regular basis from when the boat is new. That's the only way to keep a boat looking good.

 

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

 

During the start-up phase of my business I needed to go out there and get as many new customers as possible. However, it was very important for me to get good customers. Customers who understood what professional detailing was all about and had a need for the high quality service that I was offering. I knew in advance that I did not want to start out with low prices just to attract new customers. This was due to the fact that I might begin to get price shoppers, who really did’nt know the different between a high priced car wash and a low priced detailing. And I realized that any attempt to up-selling my detailing customers on additional services probably went out of favor long before I got into the business. It turned out a lot better for me to stick with offering one complete detailing package at a reasonable price that the customer could easily understand.

Today's automobile industry is a good example of the advantages of offering one complete package at a price the customer can easily understand. You may not remember, but a few decades ago when you purchased a new car they didn't always come with power windows, air conditioning and all of the other goodies that are now considered standard equipment. Hey, if you go back far enough, cars didn't come with radios and heaters. Now that's way before my time. Somewhere along the line, the car manufacturers realized that if they included many of the options as standard items (and charged a higher price) then customers might just begin to feel like they were getting more value for their money. And let's not forget about those items that are now included as standard that some customers may not have ordered in the first place. The way the auto makers figured it out, they are basically getting you to buy the vehicle at a complete package price, even if there's something in the package that you may not have really wanted. So the car makers are basically up-selling but no one really looks at it that way. Of course, it's all built into the higher price, however, most customers never really think too much about that, especially when you think about all of the goodies that are loaded into cars now-a-days. So, when it comes to detailing, for me, it has always been one complete package at a price my customers consider a true value.

 

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

 

Although I have been in the automobile and boat detailing business since 1986, I have never considered using any type of mechanical polisher. I have always preferred to do all of the polishing and waxing only by hand. The way I see it, in order to be successful in business you have got to somehow figure out a way to separate yourself from the competition. In my case, that difference is simply that I do everything by hand. Think about it this way. How many detailers still do all of the polishing and waxing only by hand? Basically, it all comes down to how I want my detailing business to fit into the marketplace. It is all about the way consumers perceive my service. After all, perception is reality. I simply focus on taking care of well cared for vehicles. I do not do any low priced wholesale car dealership work. And since I continue to do everything by hand, that alone makes the service that I am providing unique and different. 

 

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

Writing my business plan was a lot easier than most people think. Basically all I needed to do was write an outline about what I thought was involved in starting and operating my detailing business. It was not something I did all at one time. Once I had the outline set-up, then I just added more and more information as I began to form my plan. It was really all about just getting my thoughts and business ideas down on paper. Hey, it was a lot easier than trying to carry all of that stuff around in my head.

 

Frank Canna

Mirror Finish Detailing

When it comes to pricing, I would say that the majority of my consideration is focused on the true costs of what it takes to operate my detailing business. It is really not about what other people think I should charge for my services or what the competition charges. There is a real cost of doing business and those costs must be built into the price.

FRANK CANNA
Mirror Finish Detailing