Jump to content

So, what do you all do? (Off Topic, Slightly...)


bpsmith
 Share

Recommended Posts

Slightly off topic but is very much linked to this part of the forum, so hope you dont mind me posting it here, as this is where I visit very regularly and catch up with the regulars. Anyway, read on to see why it fits.

This is solely out of interest to get a straw poll of what you regulars do for a living? I dont expect everyone to reply, as some people dont like telling people what they do for a living, for so many different reasons...

Anyway, just interested in hearing if you are in the detailing trade, either selling products, actually detailing, or both, or self employed doing your own thing, or whether you work hard for someone else to cream the profit!?!

I work in IT for the Civil Service myself. Not particularly interesting but not that bad either tbh. Have always thought about doing my own thing and setting up my own new challenge but never got around to it and not likely to for a long time now I have a 15 month old lad!

I am particularly interested in hearing from those who have been employed and then made the break to something on their own, or vice versa, and any tips you may have should I ever make the break myself.

Cheers Guys! 169144-ok.gif

jump.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cool, had a feeling it may be you to post back first. You certainly sound like you are having a ball with it tbh.

I have a few ideas that I would not mind doing. Detailing is one of them, and so was the product side of things but got other things in mind too.

Need loads more experience in detailing first, and more spare time to do it in too, but not writing it off yet as I love doing it and the people I have met whilst doing so too!

I wont be jumping in for a while though as a few things to do first but will be seriously looking into the costs and local competition too but dont know of too many in my neck of the woods.

Anyway, I hope it continues to go well for you fella!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

HAHA!! The IT CROWD! I too work in IT, i own a company on the edge of London we do all sorts of things from business to home services. I love doing it b/c we offer a real dedication to customer focus. At a price i suppose but its certantly rewarding to do a "proper" job of things.

We are also the contract holders for dealing with learning and physically disabiled people in North, East and SE London as well as some of Essex and Hertfordshire. Thats a really representation of patience.

Its pretty fun to hook up Sonos audio systems which is one of our newest things we have taken up. Also, going in to businesses that care about IT and their staff improving IT is good too.

In many ways, i would love to detail for a living. Im not sure i could deal with all the correction though. I find it can be tedious and i might not enjoy the whole process so much when its more then just a relaxing thing.

Maybe if Autoexpress etc ever want to give REAL reviews of cleaning products used properly in there magazines they might want to consider me. I could be the first Detailing journo! HA! Travel to the shows like SEMA etc, test out sneak peeks of new product. Do reviews and "insiders" on from car detailing product production centres etc.

Or maybe opening up/running one of these with all different brands:

Pretty cool?

Geoff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

lol, you nutters! I forgot about that and now reading back it fits perfectly to my post too!

Cant comment on that whatsoever sorry, but dont work anywhere near that dept thank you very much! ;-)

Interesting post from you Geoff, as always. Sounds like you really enjoy what you do and that is exactly what I am looking for. Dont think that Detailing will be the way I go, as love it too much and someone once told me "its never the same when you HAVE GOT TOO, rather than WANT TO". Who knows, this could be the one thing for me, but think I will end up staying close to what I do now and maybe go it alone, or maybe join a colleague in a little venture we both think is a new take on something that has been done for years but brought up to minute with new technology.

Not going to say too much now, but the place we have thought about getting our hands on has a sort of lock-up attached that could be very useful for the relaxation talked about above!?!

Fingers crossed...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Definitely seems to be an IT bias here - bit surprised really as guys I've come across in IT through work over the years have no attention to detail whatsoever tongue.gifgrin.gif

I work as an account manager in online advertising sales. I guess guys like me are better known for abusing company cars and wanging them through spikey scratchy car washes every four months or so grin.gif Someones got to be different!

I think some folks on TSN think that only anal Mr Bean type charactors reside in this part of the forum yelrotflmao.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[ QUOTE ]

Cool, had a feeling it may be you to post back first. You certainly sound like you are having a ball with it tbh.

I have a few ideas that I would not mind doing. Detailing is one of them, and so was the product side of things but got other things in mind too.

Need loads more experience in detailing first, and more spare time to do it in too, but not writing it off yet as I love doing it and the people I have met whilst doing so too!

I wont be jumping in for a while though as a few things to do first but will be seriously looking into the costs and local competition too but dont know of too many in my neck of the woods.

Anyway, I hope it continues to go well for you fella!

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks mate. To be honest, it's knackering. When I set up WD, I took a big risk, and kept some fingers in other pies I had. As I started to get more and more bookings, I sold off other stuff I was doing so I could concentrate solely on detailing. Suzy, my other half, pretty much runs the online store; I just answer the queries and recommend the products etc, so I'm not tied up with detailing all day, then coming home and sorting shop orders out. Even with Suz's help though, I'm still working long days, sometimes leaving at 6am and not getting back til 9-10pm. Running any business is hard - detailing both physically and mentally. I was kind of prepared for it, but it still came as somewhat of a shock when WD got into full swing, and what was previously doing friends and families cars, without much effort, changed into having to do proper paperwork, accounts, keeping tabs on what's going out and what's coming in (vs just looking at your payslip at the end of the month!)

I'm happier now than I ever have been, and the shop is there as a bit of a filler should detailing go quiet (or such as has been the case the last week - the weather being bad.) It's all products I use anyway - so relatively easy to set up - I just order x20 more!

You absolutely have to go for setting your own business up though - it's so so worth it. You absolutely need a good business head, and you need to take as much advice as you can. It's scary, yes. At present, with the exception of my regulars, which don't count for a huge proportion of my income, I don't know where money is going to come from post the second week in Feb which is when I'm booked up til. You just keep at the marketing, and awareness, and hope that work keeps coming in.

If all else fails, then you can always just go back to a regular office job etc. But not trying, well, you'll never know how your life could have ended out!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately I don't work in IT, sorry to let the side down!

NHS for me, specialising in cancer care - kind of focuses the mind as you might imagine. Also, it has given rise to my own thoughts of End of Life - often wonder if my last thought will be 'I wish I'd spent more time washing the car?' - probably not!

Still, cleaning the GTI keeps me sane of a weekend!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...