[Ged53]

New to this so trying to avoid pitfalls..I'm going to be setting my business up  abroad and I'm going to be working with a guy who has his own static business to learn his side of things before I go.
Mobile car valeting, what have you guys and gals learned the hard way ! 
1. Do I need an exterior washer; is a hose pipe just as good?
    If I need a machine, how powerful does it need to be?
    What do you look out for?
 2. The same for the interior, how good does a machine have to be? There are so many variants out there; so many prices.
 3. I'm getting brochures on training courses; what experience do you have on training courses. Are the companies neutral in their instruction or are they just selling schemes?
 4. What insurance is the best cover to get.
Thanks for reading this far. I'll gladly pass on whatever info I get.
 

[preston powerblast]

Buy the best machine that you can afford.
It has to be a commercial machine as it will need to be running for long periods of time. and will need to be one with a chemical feed so truck wash or similar could be used also a water fed brush so you could use this in conjunction with the detergent.
There are a hundred and one different upholstery cleaners out there.
A decent commercial vac.
Avoid these franchise offers, because you can set yourself up for less.
A basic public liability insurance policy should suffice.
But its hard work and dont kid yourself otherwise, Ive tried it and couldnt hack it.
But to be successful you have to stick with it and do the very best job you can and maintain a very high standard of workmanship as this is the thing that will set you apart from your competitors.

[StoneCare Surrey]

hi

you will also need to look into a Motor Trade Insurance in case you damage the vechicle, eg. paint work ,engine bay if  you intend to steam the engine. public liability will not cover the car that you are working on but only cover you from people who trip over the buckets, leads and hoses.

Ray

Fresh Carpets

[LTT Leathercare]

Many car interiors are now leather so a good knowledge of repairs on leather will be a lucrative addition.   

Car seats tend to suffer from dye transfer and scuffs and scratches from belts, buckles etc. both of which are repairable (mostly) so this is good background to have.

Regards
Judy

[Elite (Ben)]

Hose pipes are inadequete, use a good steamcleaner, preferably petrol driven.
I used a numatic extraction cleaner for cloth seats, which was adequate.
I was trained by autosmart and it was pretty good, although there was constant product plugging, but what do you expect.

try using a product like Supagard as well, it has a great markup.