Wash Ideas Weekly

This week we have Eric Wulf Executive Director of the International Carwash Association and Frank Lash , a past ICA president, author of the Wash Week blog (which is very exciting), and owner of the Car Robics carwashes. We discuss the upcoming Wash Week event, what operators and distributors can get out of this event and discuss some insights on successful business ownership.

Featuring Ryan Carlson, Eric Wulf, and Frank Lash

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care and Carwash Profits

New Sponsor: To learn more about offering reward miles for YOUR customers when they use your wash visit the Thanks Again ‘More Information’ page and be sure to mention where you heard about their company.

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This week we have Fred Grauer of Whistle Clean Carwash and the author of “25 Questions you should ask your equipment supplier“, Robert Greene of Carwash Express, and Bobby Willis of Cool Wave Carwash. We talk about equipment suppliers and their role in making or breaking your business, how to choose them, and what questions to ask them before giving them your business.

Featuring Ryan Carlson, Fred Grauer of Whistle Clean Carwash, Robert Greene of Carwash Express, and Bobby Willis of Cool Wave Carwash.

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care and Carwash Profits

New Sponsor: To learn more about offering reward miles for YOUR customers when they use your wash visit the Thanks Again ‘More Information’ page and be sure to mention where you heard about their company.

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Podcast Feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/WashIdeas

I have with us this week Sandy Travis Bildahl, the editor of WashTrends Magazine. We discuss the joint efforts between Bay Media and the Mid-atlantic Carwash association and what they are doing with their quarterly publication to follow relevant trend-based topics and recognize “trend setters” each year.

Featuring Ryan Carlson and Sandy Travis Bildahl of WashTrends

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care and Carwash Profits

New Sponsor: To learn more about offering reward miles for YOUR customers when they use your wash visit the Thanks Again ‘More Information’ page and be sure to mention where you heard about their company.

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[Click here to download the episode to your computer]

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Podcast Feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/WashIdeas

You must come to terms with an ever-changing business climate as your customer base becomes inoculated against your marketing messages, pricing structures, menu signs, and relevance of your products or services. Change can be seen as an opportunity to finally reinvent your business or as a frightening abyss of inaction. You can certainly just stick your head in the ground like an ostrich and ignore the writing on the wall and ride things out while pointing your finger at gas prices, competitors, rising energy costs, local politicians, city councils, or the weather. Business owners that are willing to accept that they are perhaps losing touch with their customers and that their business needs a tune-up are those that will make the necessary changes and adapt. Those that would rather suck dirt and stick their heads in the ground are those that will be selling off their businesses or join the ranks of the foreclosed in the coming years.

I guess I’m a bit tired of hearing wash owners say, “I know I need to do something but…” which is followed by some excuse that is used to justify not making a change.

The changes in consumer buying trends has not only effected carwash businesses, it’s just that other industries have more successfully adapted to the current market environment. As stated earlier, consumers are becoming immune to the old way of doing business. We are now fighting for discretionary income against some of the biggest marketing machines in history. McDonalds, Walmart, Starbucks, iTunes, Amazon.com, and eBay see that people don’t have as much money in their pockets as they used to.

Here are some of the common places carwash businesses are losing touch with their customers and could look to reinvent or retool aspects of their business to be more relevant with today’s consumer. We will use the above businesses as examples of what to do right.

Be known for something, stay relevant! - You can no longer just be a ‘CAR WASH’ in your community, you need to be known for something. Whether you are the charity carwash, the eco-friendly carwash, the fastest carwash, or the carwash with the convenient club program… You fall from the publics eye when you fail to stand out.

Failure to offer payment options - I feel like a complete broken record here, but look at how consumers purchase goods and services these days. Customers do not want to be held hostage by changers, tokens, or trips to the ATM. They buy value meal hamburgers, rent .99 cent DVD’s from Redbox, order a $2.00 coffee, and purchase songs for .99 cents each with (drumroll) their bank card or credit card every day, all day, all the time. If you do not have a credit card acceptance device next to every coin slot or bill validator you can’t see the giant neon sign in the sky proclaiming that they purchase their everyday services with a credit card - this is an easy issue to tackle, it only takes money.

Ask for repeat business - Customer Data Collection - Have you ever purchased something from Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, or signed up for a ‘Customer Rewards Program’? I’m certain you or somebody close to you has - all of the businesses that are thriving and are not pointing fingers at anybody right now are those that realize it’s FAR less expensive to market to the customers they already have. If you do not have a way to capture your customers contact information (name, email address, mailing address, etc) you are missing out on perhaps the most effective and least expensive way to increase your bottom line. Just don’t go out and build a website with a “give me your information” page without having a plan… You need to create incentives, promotions, or build programs around gathering this information as an end goal. If your collecting the data from your customers good for you! If you are not doing anything with that data shame on you.

I’ve only scratched the surface… So if you feel overwhelmed and know you need to do something perhaps it’s time to find somebody you know that can help, attend an association education event, or seek the assistance of a professional.

Exploring how businesses (especially car washes) could utilize new media outlines like Facebook to grow their business. Jonathan Wold joins us again to share some of his expertise with creating and maintaining an online presence. This may not be your cup of tea, but perhaps a family member or one of your staff could spearhead this growing opportunity to build your business beyond the four walls of your wash.

Featuring Ryan Carlson and Jonathan Wold of sabramedia,

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care and Carwash Profits

New Sponsor: To learn more about offering reward miles for YOUR customers when they use your wash visit the Thanks Again ‘More Information’ page and be sure to mention where you heard about their company.

[Click here to subscribe to this podcast via iTunes]

[Click here to download the episode to your computer]

Click to play episode:

Podcast Feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/WashIdeas

This week is a FULL panel of those that were at the Tampa Roadshow put on by the South East Carwash Association (SECWA). We have Bob Schrum, Robert Greene, Ken Cook, and Kevin Wood on the panel. Two representatives of the association that put on the show and two attendees. This is a wild panel and it was really enjoyable talking to everybody - there are some great takeaways for this show.

Featuring Ryan Carlson, Bob Schrum of Flagstop Carwash, Robert Greene of Carwash Express, Ken Cook of Carwash Express, and Kevin Wood of Snappy Express Carwash.

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care and Carwash Profits

New Sponsor: To learn more about offering reward miles for YOUR customers when they use your wash visit the Thanks Again ‘More Information’ page and be sure to mention where you heard about their company.

[Click here to subscribe to this podcast via iTunes]

[Click here to download the episode to your computer]

Click to play episode:

Podcast Feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/WashIdeas

Click image to subscribe to the new iTunes feed

Just wanted to let you all know that in my efforts to streamline the publishing processes I’ve needed to change some of my “RSS Feeds” on the back-end. This means I needed to stop publishing podcasts to the old iTunes feed (you’ll notice that some of the episodes never posted and stopped showing up after episode #7).

There is now a NEW iTunes feed with the COMPLETE EPISODE listing.

What do you need to do if you are an iTunes subscriber?
1. Cancel your current subscription.
2. Re-subscribe by going into iTunes, searching for Wash Ideas Weekly - you will see the NEW album art which is the new feed. You will also notice that all 14 episodes will be available there.

Easiest way to re-subscribe is by clicking on the ’subscribe via iTunes’ button on the home page on the right —>

What do you need to do if you are NOT an iTunes subscriber?
1. Make sure you have the current feed in your RSS reader / or check Feedburner to make sure you’re getting your email updates properly (if you got this message via email, your fine)
2. All of the ’subscription links’ on the website (www.washideas.com) are all current and up to date.

This week we have a great interview with Holly Macriss, the Exectutive Director of the Western Carwash Association. We talk about the fall show, upcoming educational opportunities, and discuss the state of the industry and the direction it’s going.

Featuring Ryan Carlson, Holly Marcriss of The Western Carawash Association

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care and Carwash Profits

New Sponsor: To learn more about offering reward miles for YOUR customers when they use your wash visit the Thanks Again ‘More Information’ page and be sure to mention where you heard about their company.

[Click here to subscribe to this podcast via iTunes]

[Click here to download the episode to your computer]

Click to play episode:

Podcast Feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/WashIdeas

This week we have Travis Walker of Carwash Profits.com and Jonathan Wold of sabramedia to discuss marketing, mailing, and online strategies, those looking to find better ways to advertise won’t want to miss this show.

Featuring Ryan Carlson, Travis Walker of Carwash Profits, and Jonathan Wold of sabramedia,

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care and Carwash Profits

New Sponsor: To learn more about offering reward miles for YOUR customers when they use your wash visit the Thanks Again ‘More Information’ page and be sure to mention where you heard about their company.

[Click here to subscribe to this podcast via iTunes]

[Click here to download the episode to your computer]

Click to play episode:

Podcast Feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/WashIdeas

I know that I was really bummed out that I missed the State of the Industry Address by the current President of the International Carwash Association, Lisa Lyons. I heard a lot of good things about it and now you can watch it on the associations website.

Lisa provides wise words about hard work and innovation. It’s time that our industry brings a new level of professionalism to this industry and starts making the changes needed to meet the needs of consumers that are changing.