Now then, the market in Savannah is a little tricky, but it has a great population base. There are several “Detail Shops” there that have hand wash car washing. Also there are several mobile units operating successfully. However, with that said, there is tremendous potential in that, there are over 400K in the county now there, so there is lots of opportunity. Hilton Head is much higher end and has good potential. Both areas on each side of the river enforce their NPDES permits, for storm water, so you will need a reclaim system.
There are a number of ways you can do this business, I would recommend that if you are over 30 years old that you concentrate on a positive image and go first class, but do so with economy, as to not over spend on equipment. Also it makes sense to treat this like a real business, with community involvement, chamber membership and operate like a class act. Why, well because you will be competing with 20 year olds, with less detail to such things, this will allow you to stand out for quality and command a price that will make his business viable.
A trailer unit will be the most inexpensive way to go, and most likely can be had for under 10K or so. Of course, you will need a truck to tow it. There is some theft issues in Savannah and some tight parking lots in Hilton Head, which makes a truck mounted unit somewhat more desirable to some degree.
Now, you can get a truck-mounted skid unit which can fit in the back of let’s say a Dodge Ram Dually, which will look quite professional or a 1-ton pickup like an F-350. If you go with a smaller tank, let’s say 110 gallon loaf tank you can go down to an F-250 or similar. These are the initial thoughts you must consider when setting up a Mobile Car Washing Business or Mobile Auto Detailing Company in either Savannah GA or Hilton Head SC.