by Paul Davidson
I absolutely hate the idea of working for someone else my entire life. I don’t want to spend most of my waking hours slaving away for some faceless corporation where I’m just one employee out of thousands, where my labor and skills are making a bunch of money for that organization while I recoup only a fraction of that revenue in the form of a salary. No, I want to branch out on my own and be my own boss. After doing a lot of research into the different franchise opportunities out there, I’ve decided that buying a car wash business is right for me. 
Out of all the franchises I looked into, a car wash business has a couple of distinct advantages. First of all, there’s a relatively low buy-in fee. Sure, we would all love to own a McDonald’s at busy intersection of a bustling city, but it takes big bucks to break into that game and getting a loan of that size just isn’t feasible at this point. But a car wash business is different. Depending on location and equipment, I can buy in for anywhere from $50,000 to $75,000, which is not bad at all. Most would-be investors can use their own capital for half of the start-up costs, take a loan out for the rest, and be up and running in no time.
Another advantage of a car wash business is that it’s a decent moneymaker that doesn’t require my full attention. I’ve talked to many current owners already, and they tell me they can retain about 30 to 40 percent of their gross revenues as profit. That’s a terrific rate that I would be perfectly satisfied with. I know it might take some time to start earning at that level, but I can be patient.
Right now, my focus is on getting a loan so I can become a franchisee. Towards that end, I’ve got to sit down and write a car wash business plan to bring to the bank with me. This could be a stumbling block, though, since I’ve never done anything like this before and hardly know where to start. I might have to bite the bullet on this one and hire a professional to create my car wash business plan for me. After all, this is a critical step since I won’t be able to move forward without bank approval for that loan.
Overall, I am very excited about venturing off on my own and starting a car wash business. I might not have all the details worked out yet, but a general vision is already taking shape. I’m not going to let the details stop me from pursuing my dream here. All I know is that once I secure the necessary funds and get my franchisee license, I’ll finally be my own boss and will have a much more fulfilling career as a result.
