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Business Operations Ongoing Management
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Once you get through the opening-day (or week) jitters, you can now focus on the ongoing management and growth of your business. There are a few management areas that we would like to call out here as they really help contribute to a successful, smooth running business.
Customer Service
Your mobile car wash and detailing business is a service oriented venture. You should focus your daily operations as much on providing a positive customer experience as you do a high quality wash or detail job. As hard as you try, however, you will undoubtedly run into customers who just will never be satisfied.
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Assuming you’re doing the best job possible, don’t get discouraged. These types of people are just unhappy with some part of their lives and they are venting their frustration out on you.
When you deal with difficult customer situations, always maintain your cool and play the upper hand. Getting angry with a customer is a lose-lose proposition. While this should happen rarely, if ever, you may need to get out of a no-win customer situation by simply not charging the customer for your service. The customer is always right, even when they aren’t. Live by these words, take a lump now and again, and watch your business flourish.
At the end of each job you should also always ask for customer feedback. Perhaps provide an incentive for the customer to complete the feedback form like a discount on the next visit or a free coffee mug. Take the feedback to heart and incorporate consistent feedback trends into improvement initiatives in your business.
Bookkeeping
Even if you use a bookkeeper, you will still need to keep up on your business’ financial activity. We recommend dedicating a couple hours a week to staying on top of your business transactions. By looking at your finances regularly you will avoid the avalanche of paperwork that awaits you if you only look at your figures once a quarter. Staying on top of your finances will also be important for you to measure the progress of your sales goals, expenditures and cash flow projections.
Taxes and Tax Paperwork
Your CPA will provide you notice when certain taxes are due. If this is your first business, make sure your CPA knows that you are counting on her to provide you with the details of when taxes are due. These taxes could be monthly payroll withholding, quarterly estimated tax payments, yearly tax filing and business declarations. To save money over the long haul you may want to learn some of these procedures yourself. To start with, however, we recommend relying on the expertise of your accountant.
Hold yourself accountable to signing, paying, and sending in all tax documents and payments before they are due. With the IRS you don’t want to get in the habit of being late. Not only will you get penalized with late fees and interest, you also set the tone that your business does not pay attention to deadlines. With the IRS, it is best to pay your taxes on time and move on. Undue attention is not something you want!
In the unlikely event that your business is strapped for cash, pay all of your taxes first - even before your most important suppliers. Did you know that the IRS can come after your personal assets to cover business taxes? It doesn't matter what entity you are. Pay your taxes!
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