Contents
Introduction
A robust business plan must showcase your business intellect, including your vision for the future and a clear strategy for expansion. After all, it is a document that lays out your initial plans for your car wash business.
Like food and grocery delivery, a car wash expert can also be sent to the customer’s doorstep. In other words, they can demand a car wash expert through the mobile app in a convenient manner.
In this blog, you can learn all about writing a business plan for your On-Demand Car Wash app, step by step.
But before diving into the details, let’s clear up some basic concepts.
The On-Demand Model
As the name suggests, the on-demand model provides services to consumers when they want them.
In the car wash business, this model allows customers to request a car wash at their convenience. They don’t have to step out of their house or take the vehicle to the car wash place.
Instead, a professional car wash expert can come to their premises with all the equipment and wash their car with ease. It’s like calling a plumber or electrician and booking them as per their availability via the mobile app.
Seeing the potential of the on-demand market, many car wash businesses are opting for solutions for customers in real-time. Overall, these services are offered digitally, giving your customers the ease to get anything anytime.
Crafting An On-Demand Car Wash Business Plan
For starters, a business plan for opening a car wash place is very different from launching an app-based car wash service. Here, you are taking the service to the doorstep of your customers. This means your aim is to build an app that attracts professional car wash experts and potential customers in the region. Later, your app connects both parties for a successful car wash, giving your business the recognition it deserves.
Therefore, a business plan must cover the best of both worlds, i.e., car wash service and app development.
Here’s how you can start.
Executive Summary and Background
Car wash businesses cater to car owners who do not have the time, equipment, or expertise to do it themselves. Therefore, the executive summary outlines the basis of the business, the app overview, its features, and the revenue streams from it.
Start by giving an overview of your car wash idea and the importance of having an app-based platform for it. Even if your plans are for business expansion, you must have a region to target initially.
Next, give a brief overview of the financial status, i.e., current assets and sales figures, without going into detail. Lastly, shed some light on your future ambitions to seek funding. This section gives the stakeholders or investors a clear idea of your business requirements.
However, none of the sections should be in great detail, as this is a summary document that “introduces” your business plan.
About The App
This is a vital section and differentiates your business plan from a common-looking one. Use this part to outline the information about your on-demand car wash app, its features, and different interfaces.
For example, your car wash business needs three solutions in total – an admin panel, a customer app, and a car washer app.
With a smart layout, you can easily control the data that you want to show.
Customer App
Explain the following advanced features in great detail in the business plan:
Manage Addresses
Your customers can easily add the service location in the app when booking the car wash service. With geolocation technology, the app automatically detects the user’s location.
Add Car Details
Your customers can add car details to provide more clarity about any specific type of wash they need.
Book a Wash Option
This option allows your customer to start the process of searching for the nearest car wash professional.
Cancel Request
The cancellation option allows your customer to cancel their car wash request. However, the customer could face a cancellation charge if the car wash professional was already assigned to do the task.
Push Notification
A feature that allows your customers to see offers, the status of their requests, and other information about your business.
Wallet
Ease of payment through multiple payment options with the addition of an in-app wallet is a great initiative. Customers can use this option to pay for their car wash without the hassle of paying in cash.
Washer App
Unlike the customer app, a washer app is made for car wash experts, both independent and business owners. The features and workflow of this app revolve around catering to the demands of a professional car wash expert.
For this, you are going to explain the following elements in your business plan:
Add Profile Details
The car wash experts can add which car wash service they are proficient in, along with quotes.
Manage Request
Car washers can manage service requests on the app. They can see all their upcoming/scheduled services in one place. Additionally, the professionals can accept or decline the pending requests depending on their availability.
Push Notifications
These notifications will help the car wash expert notify them about new requests as well as remind them about other real-time updates.
Rate and Review
This feature is present in the customer app as well as the car wash professional app.
Both parties can use this feature to rate and write reviews in great detail about the experience they had using your application.
Admin Panel
You, as the business owner, need to have a platform that provides a comprehensive overview of all the metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) of your business. Therefore, a single dashboard with various controls and business management features is critical for the success of your business.
An admin panel is built to cover these details with real-time numbers to keep you on track of everything that is happening.
In addition, some key sections that must be present in your admin panel are:
Manage Registration
Every registration made to the car wash app can either be modified or deleted using this feature present in the admin panel. Whether the registration has been done by the user or simply by the car wash expert, the ‘manage registration’ section gives the admin an expansive overview of all the registrations made on the platform.
See All Request
Using this feature, the business admin has the ability to see all the successfully completed car wash requests in one place
Earning Report
Admins can access their earning reports anytime using the panel. They can use these reports to make improvements in their business. For instance, if the reports show that their profits are going down, they can choose to increase their commission rates.
Manage Payout
Manage payments coming from different revenue sources like commission, in-app advertisements, and subscription models.
Mass Push Notifications
Notify your customers as well as your drivers about the business details, achievements, and offers in one go.
Remember, the ‘About the App’ section of your business plan is a place for you to showcase what your business does. Since this section varies for every other business, you’ll have to make it clear, engaging, and persuasive.
Intellectual Property Rights
Intellectual property (IP) is a means by which you own any other practical expression of the ideas that drive your business forward. These are your business identity, technology, logo, and slogans, among others.
Start by clearly outlining your company’s intellectual property (IP) or any unique methods that give your business a competitive edge. This includes patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets as well. Showcasing the unique value proposition of your business can open the door for further funding rounds.
When drafting your IP rights, you need to decide the level of technical detail you want to include to make the technology you’re using understandable to readers.
For example, your investors may want to know if you own the copyright to the source code of the car wash app. By incorporating this information, you bring your IP to life, showcasing its importance rather than just its legal status. Adding such information makes a big difference in the eyes of potential investors.
The Market
This part of your business plan delves into the nature, volume, and features of your potential customer. It provides insight into the market segments you aim to serve for success and growth.
A neatly illustrated market analysis in your business plan allows the investor to take your business more seriously. First, you need to identify your car wash market segments. These include various charts around age, location, income level, or specific behaviors.
For instance, a mobile app car wash business might segment its market into smartphone users and car wash businesses seeking on-demand tools.
Next, describe the specific features of your target market. This includes their purchasing power, preferences, and needs. Adding all such information is vital, as it helps investors understand the potential demands that your business can easily satisfy. You can use industry reports and government statistics or conduct your own research to showcase the data.
Finally, don’t forget to touch on your competition. Understand who they are, their strengths and weaknesses, and carve out your niche.
Remember, the “The Market” section is not just about providing data and statistics. It’s about painting a clear picture of the environment in which your car wash business operates.
Above all, it’s about demonstrating that you understand the on-demand model, your competitors, and the challenges in the long run.
Marketing Strategy
Start by giving the investor a sense of where you are now in terms of marketing efforts. Discuss the current marketing channels and campaigns you have in mind. Here, a quick recap of your target market is essential.
For example, you can include the demographic detail that you found in the market research and pair it up with the marketing strategy. Also, mention the different marketing channels you plan to use. These could range from traditional methods to digital strategies. Explain the reason behind choosing each method and state whether these channels carry a cost or not.
Finally, end your ‘Marketing Strategy’ section by adding plans to target new markets or expand your marketing efforts. Apart from this, there are also ‘Financials,’ ‘USP,’ and ‘App Development’ sections that you can add if you want. For this, you can clearly mention the app development phase, from buying the source code to the app launch.
What Differentiates A Good Business Plan From an Excellent One?
In general, your business plan must provide answers to the following questions:
- Who are your customers?
- How will you reach these customers?
- Do you know your industry and the current trends in the market?
- Are your financial projections believable, and do they make sense?
- What will you do to make it easy for people to do business with you?
If you maintain a clear approach to answering these questions, then consider that half of the job is done. However, if you still have some issues, consider the following tips to craft an ideal business plan.
- Don’t over-describe the technology.
- Be concise and accurate
- Avoid the ‘we can do better’ unless you can prove its hypothesis
- Never contradict yourself
- Think like a public company and adopt the appropriate measures
Write a Winning Business Plan
A detailed, carefully thought-out business plan not only forms a strong foundation but also lays the path to success. It is essential if you want your app to be known among people who need a car wash and want to make money from the car wash.
The best business plans are living documents. They’re constantly updated and adjusted to avoid unnecessary challenges in the future. Having a well-funded business depends on external factors like investor demands and economic swings in this thriving on-demand economy.
Treating the business plan as a growing document allows you to maintain order in the midst of chaos. As for the business itself, you can easily have a ready-made car wash app to launch your business in 1-2 weeks.
Buy the source code and customize it as per your language and currency, just like other businesses are doing. Don’t fall for the trap of hiring developers to start the development from scratch.
Mention everything in the business plan and showcase your vision and business acumen to investors like a professional.
Conclusion
The automotive industry is vast and constantly growing. The global car wash service market is certain to grow at a CAGR of 3.5% from 2023 to 2032.
Also, car wash businesses can be easily scaled and expanded to meet growing demand. Therefore, it surpassed $32 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach around $44 billion by 2032.
Car owners value cleanliness and maintenance, making car wash services in high demand. With a well-executed business plan, your on-demand model has the potential to generate steady income and serious profits.
Establish long-term relationships, build customer loyalty, and enjoy repeat business.
