Mobile Archives - Page 2 of 2

How Should a Mobile Car Wash Price Car Lot Washing Contracts – Price Per Car Strategies

Okay so, you run a mobile car washing business and you want to increase your revenue generation by adding some car dealership lot washing contracts. That makes sense because the car dealerships have lots of cars, and they must be cleaned to sell; no one wants to buy a dirty car right? Sure, so your next question is what price point can you charge and still make money. Not long ago, I was asked about this by an already successful car washing entrepreneur;

“I noticed on one of your posts [articles] you suggested $.85 for twice a week. Wow, can it be done for that without have the contract for detailing as well?”

He was referring of course to the synergy gained by detailing for auto dealerships and also maintaining the washing contracts as a bundled service, which is the favored strategy for mobile auto detailers and mobile car washing companies. But what if you only had the lot washing contract and not the detailing contract; does it still make any sense?

Well, yes, in fact, we had many accounts which were only wash accounts at between.65 and $.85 per car, where we did not have the detailing contract yet, for the auto dealership. For instance at the Sacramento Auto Mall, all the car lots are set on the street that looks like a giant circle, and we would have the crews going different directions on that street, and we would never quit. By the time we got done with one side of the street, it was time to start over, they just watched every day all day long.

Some of the other dealerships wanted us to be off of the lot by 10 AM so they could sell cars, which makes it tough in the winter because of the ice formation when you put water on the cars in many areas.

The detailing contracts for auto dealerships are very good when the economy is good, but you must understand that auto dealerships are very slow to pay and you don’t want to become a bank where you are doing services for them and they are paying you for three months. That just costs you a lot of cash flow and all that labor until you get your money.

Remember in a service business “cash flow” is king, everything else is just talk. You’re better off to go find something else to wash rather than letting some company string you out on payments and receivables. And remember that God made dirt on the first day, and that gets all over everything so you should be able to find something to wash other than just car lots.

It appears the mobile car washing entrepreneur agrees and is thinking here too. We used to consider car lots as busy work, keeping our crews busy and thus making money, but it was hardly our best profit center. Please consider all this.

How To Start A Mobile App Development Business With Little Investment

Most of the people who are planning to come up with their iOS Application development company usually think that they will immediately start earning twice as much for half the work which they use to do their regular jobs. Some folks do get lucky, but not everyone has that kind of luck. Before you enter the entrepreneurial world, it will be good that chalk out a solid business plan and a proper understanding of how the mobile app development industry works.

Given below are the few tips which will help you establish your mobile app development business:

Sign up as a developer: Let’s begin with basics i.e. gaining access to the Android and iOS app stores. As Google and Apple are one of the biggest players in the market, it is essential that you first sign up on these two stores. Once you completed the app, you need to submit it to these two app stores and each company will review your app before making it official on their store. The review process involves a check of app quality, interface, etc. And make sure you’re not embedding any malware or spam in the app.

Once your app is accepted by the app store, your app will be officially listed in their store, and you will get 70% of the selling price, and rest of the amount will be kept by the app stores. In order to get into the game, you to sign up for Apple’s iOS developer program which costs $99/year and for Android you need to register for Developer Console which has a one-time fees of $25.

Additional hats to wear: Having your own business means more flexibility with your time, but it also brings various other responsibilities which you have to handle efficiently. For instance, if you have started your business on sole proprietorship basis then you have to deal with different things like app testing, designing, interacting with clients, marketing and even have to handle the legal matters related to app ownership & contracts.

If you have a good budget, then you can Hire an iOS app developer who will design, developer and test the app on your behalf so that you can properly handle the marketing and legal tasks. Besides this, you can also start your business on the partnership basis and can take full advantage of pooled capital resources and manpower.

Build your app: If you have a small budget and have a good programming or coding knowledge, then you can write the app by yourself. Given below are four tools that will help you in building a feature-rich app:

Appery.io- A bit complicated for beginners, this tool packs an excellent integration of data services with apps. Appery.io comes with a free plan that allows maximum three pages and one user. And at the initial stage, three pages are enough, to begin.

Good Barber- This tool comes with a 30-day free trial package and after that, you choose their premium plan starting from $16/month. What makes this tool stand apart from others is its design elements, Google Font Integration and plenty of icons to choose from. Besides this, you can also find several online tutorials and webinars related to this tool.

Appy Pie: You can enjoy this tools free services if you let them run ads in your app else you can upgrade to ad-free plan which starts from $7/month. Appy Pie comes with pre-set app categories like restaurant, banking, radio, photo-sharing, etc. Apart from that, they also offer the wide range of features by which you can add different functionalities like GPS location, push notifications, and much more.

Game-Salad: If you are planning to create a mobile game then this tool is perfect for you. Most of the Android application development services provider have this tool. The free version of this tool consists of ads, but there’s a $299 version which removes ads completely and makes in-app purchases available. If you want to earn money via in-app purchases, then this tool will help you add this feature in your game.

Test, Test & Retest: Before you submit your app to the app store, it will be good that you check your app correctly. This is something which you cannot do it on your own; you can ask your friends to run the beta version of your app and tell them to provide you with the proper details of any issues, lags or bugs they detected while using the app.

Besides this, you can also roll out the early versions of your app that consists of limited features. By this, you will get a real-time response related to the functionality and user-interface of your app. You can also Hire Android app developers who will test the app on your behalf.

Submit your app to the app stores: After testing and re-testing your app, it’s finally the time you submit yours to the respective app stores. Once you have submitted your app, it will be reviewed by the developers working for the app store. An average time taken to review an app is 13 days. If your app excels in the app store’s quality tests, then they will list your app on their store, and you will receive a welcome mail related to the acceptance of your app.

Marketing your app: To increase the number of downloads and active installs it is essential that you promote your app using different marketing channels. You can start from word of mouth promotion by asking your friends and family members to download and use the app. Beside this, you can also deploy social media advertising techniques and list your app on various pages that will help your app reach international audiences.

Conclusion

In this post, you will read few tips that will help you start your app development business. Before you start, it will be good that you gain a good knowledge of ongoing & upcoming market trends and also chalk out a solid work plan which will help you achieve the desired target.

Van Storage Ideas to Start a Mobile Locksmith Business

Starting your own mobile locksmith business is a great opportunity as an entrepreneur, and protecting your inventory and equipment with proper van storage will improve the overall return on your investment as you begin your business.

Outfit your van properly, and you will be more organized, efficient, and committed to your work. It’s frustrating trying to accomplish a task when you have to search around a haphazardly arranged van arrangement to find the right tools or supplies.

You don’t need to buy a brand new van to start your mobile locksmith business; however, it would be a wise investment to spend some time and money on the storage ideas that will help you do your job more efficiently. Some of the higher vans allow you to actually move around inside and sit at a workbench while cutting keys, without the risk of banging your head whenever you need to locate a tool.

Here are three things to consider when selecting van storage systems for your locksmith business.

Plan Van Storage Space for a Workbench

Since you are a mobile locksmith business, plan your storage space with a workbench in mind. Don’t settle for standing outside, at the rear doors of your van. Put yourself inside your mobile office and get yourself out of the weather to do your work in comfort. Take time to measure out your space and find the best location for a workbench and a step stool for comfort. A good mobile workbench allows for six or seven feet of space to spread out and accomplish your tasks.

A full-length workbench can accommodate a key machine as well as file storage and the locking drawers necessary for your keys and other supplies. Maximize the storage space at your workbench by including catalog organizers, hooks, safety equipment and other accessories that will make your job easier.

Van Storage Should Include Locking Drawers

There is nothing more annoying than listening to hundreds of key blanks jangling like loud wind chimes while you are driving down the road. Storing your product in well-cushioned, locking drawers is a wise use of your cargo area. The keys will be protected from “road rash” marks from rubbing against each other or other items.

Locking drawers as part of your storage space will also protect you from flying objects if you need to stop or swerve suddenly. Plus, it looks very professional to have drawers full of your product, categorized and ready to use.

Van Storage is Best Organized with Adequate Shelving

One of the most important storage concepts is to determine your shelving needs. What tools and equipment will you need for your mobile locksmith business? What storage location of these tools will make your work most efficient?

Look at your van as a mobile work cell, and set it up as efficiently as possible. You will accomplish your service calls faster, and will be able to make more service calls throughout the day because your van storage plan has helped you become efficient.