Protect Your Profits

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Protect your Profits: What to consider to maximize your bottom line

A variety of costs will affect your profit margin. Costs for monthly expenses, like water, electricity, natural gas and chemicals, will vary month to month by overall use, the location of your wash and the suppliers you use. Here are a few top expenses and some of the ways you can cut down costs to improve your profits.

Electricity: Car wash systems can consume a lot of energy to run effectively, from lighting to operating dryers. It can quickly suck up your profits.

Curb the cost: Ensure all non-essential components are switched off when not in use, especially at night. Install timers where you can. Switch to LED lighting to bring down your overall usage and cost.

Natural gas: Natural gas provides the hot water needed to clean vehicles, warm the bays and heat the air rushing through the dryers.

Curb the cost: Turn off dryers when not in use. Turn down the temperature in your bay when no one is there and the bay is not in use.

Water: Let it flow, let it flow, let it flow…but it will cost you. Water usage may be washing away your profit margin, but you can’t run a car wash without water.

Curb the cost: Reclaimed water systems, which run water from previously washed cars through a system so it can be used again, can significantly improve your profits.

Ditch the Wrong Detergents: Ditch cheap detergents for formulas that are tough on grime but cost-effective. Sometimes you need to pay a little more to get a return in the long run.

Curb the cost: Just because a detergent or soap is cheap doesn’t mean it is effective, which means it might require the wash system to use more but still yield a poor result. Invest in soaps that do the job right the first time.

Labor: You need manpower to run your car wash, from the desk to the wash system.

Curb the cost: Cross-train your employees so that everyone is operating at maximum efficiency. Look at your wash trends to determine peak volumes and staff accordingly, so that you’re not wasting dollars over-staffing low periods.

Equipment: Tired, dated equipment is going to require a lot more power to keep it running. It will also increase your maintenance costs when the system starts to become temperamental.

Curb the cost: Invest in newer equipment to operate with maximum efficiency and reduce overall costs. Less maintenance means more money in your pocket.

As an operator, maintaining a finely tuned wash system will provide you with optimal operations, better consistency and a big cost advantage. Give us a call. Our experts can help you optimize your car wash.