Learn more about creating visibility for your business this November with the Grace for Vets program in this weeks interview with the founders of the program.
Wash Ideas Weekly #59 - "In the News: Big Box Car Washing"
The past few months have been surrounding the big businesses moving into our humble car washing industry. Time to speculate and prognosticate what this means for the rest of us.
#58 - "How Your Carwash Can Be a Superhero"
Learn more about how to get your business behind a cause worth supporting.
#57 - "Hoffman's Helping Hands and Community Involvement"
Learn more about what goes into the Hoffman Carwash Charity Fundraising program
#56 - "Running Successful Charity Car Wash Events - Part 2"
Discussing charity car wash events for self service car washes with Lisa Lyons of Buggy Bath Carwash in Southern California.
#55 - "Nuts and Bolts of Successful Charity Carwash Events"
Nuts and bolts discussion on "how-to" a charity carwash event at your location
Wash Ideas Weekly #54 - "4th Graders, The Ultimate Guerilla Fighters for Professional Carwashing"
This week we are discussing the recent response to charity carwashing, how to approach charity car wash organizers, discuss several indications of overall industry improvement, and as always some great marketing ideas to put into action today.
Wash Ideas Weekly #52 - "How carwashing is different Down Under
This week we are talking with operators, associations presidents, and carwash suppliers from Australia to discuss what their challenges are and how they are overcoming them.
Wash Ideas Monthly Bonus: A Tale of Two Carwashes - Part 1
Monthly bonus episode that follows a car wash operators retrofit story
Wash Ideas Weekly #51 - "How Car Washing is Saving Lives"
How car washes are bringing new meaning to "a customer for life".
Wash Ideas Weekly #50 - "Getting ahead by planning ahead
We are celebrating the 50th episode of the podcast with a fantastic panel of guests both old and new to discuss long term planning.
Wash Ideas Weekly #48 - "Learning from your Competition"
We take our panel this week of industry insiders and operators to talk about looking to the local competition with fresh eyes. How can we learn about being a better business and a better competitor? Great show this week - a MUST listen.
Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Curt Aton (Franklin Carwash), Kyle Doyle (CarwashTV.com and Blue Sky Media Group), Robert Greene (Carwash Express Inc.), Kate Carr (Editor, PC&D)
Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems
Wash Ideas Weekly #47 - "Beating the Summer Slump"
Talking about how to combat slow business during the summer slump.
Wash Ideas Weekly #46 - "Industry Insiders with Kyle Doyle"
Interview with Kyle Doyle about the launch of CarwashTV.com
How customers react to revolution, not evolution
Within the first camp there are the washes that have been running successful operations and have been making incremental changes and updates to their locations to meet the demands of an evolving customer base over time. These businesses won’t be perceived as those that are making “Quantum Innovations” because they are already seen as a successful business that give their customers what they want whether it’s convenience, a compelling wash-club, a price point that fits their community.
Then there are the businesses that have gone so long without making updates, changes, or modernizing their equipment that ANY changes that they make are going to be perceived as a Quantum Innovation. These are the businesses that are now struggling because they are losing business to competitors or have been recently purchased by new owners as a “fixer-upper.” The community is going to see new paint, new sign, new equipment decals and maybe even a new service or the ability to pay with credit cards in the self-service bays as a major leap forward. Any one of these changes is on it’s own not going to make a major impact on customer perceptions about whether the business made a “quantum innovation” but, a business that does many small things can make a big impact. Car wash owners that have any construction on site see a significant increase in their business during those months because people are curious and want to know what’s new.
Business owners looking for strategies to turn an ailing business around need to plan on doing more than one or two evolutionary changes to the location—the perception needs to be that revolutionary changes are being made. In concert with new equipment, launch a new marketing promotion, find ways to stand out from the other competitors in town that may be doing the same incremental updates.
Make your plans now to make a splash—if you’re going to make updates come out of the gates swinging. If you want to take full advantage of making upgrades or site updates make certain you’re doing a mix of visible changes with your back-room changes.
Businesses that are looking to improve their already successful car wash business are in a great position to find out what updates could strengthen their position in their territory. Would a monthly wash club be well received? Is your community receptive to businesses that “Go Green?” Have you focused on the businesses in your community and are you attending to their need for a fleet-friendly car wash?
Don’t be afraid to ask your customers what they would like to see—you might be surprised with what they tell you!
Wash Ideas Weekly #43 - "Looking to the Future!"
This weeks show is just fantastic - we are going to discuss and prognosticate (guess) what the Car Care World Expo is going to be like in 2010 based on pre-registration numbers that are very surprising! We also spend the second half of our show discussing how to dig your business out of a hole in the current economic climate, what can operators do to improve their business now that business isn't so great?
Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Robert Greene (Carwash Express), Mike Perry (Consultant), Tony Jones (Editor, Modern Car Care)
Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems
Wash Ideas Weekly #42 - "Self Service Carwash 2.0 - Gated Self Service"
Learn more about the gated self service concept and hear a success story
Wash Ideas Weekly #41 - "A Lack of Customer Service"
Suggestions on how to deal with bad customer service
Wash Ideas Weekly #40 - "Texas Style Wash Education
We are going to be talking about the great ideas we learned at the SCWA Expo from Late February. We have operators as our first time guests (and long time listeners).
Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Tim Jones (Owner, Champion Carwash), Jay Brown (Owner, Shawnee Suds)
Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems
Wash Ideas Weekly #39 - "Brought My Sweetheart to Savannah"
What we learned and what you missed if you didn't make it to the SECWA Savannah Roadshow