Sure, the profits need to be there. But successful entrepreneurs understand the power and resulting profits that come by providing goods and services that people need.

Why are you going into business? Please take a few moments to really think about this question and your answers. . . . . . . . . .

Do any of your reasons look similar to the following?

I want to start my mobile car wash and detailing business because:

• I hate my boss Ted.  He’s such a jerk.  I can’t believe he made me work overtime last Saturday and I missed the ball game with my buddies.
• I feel so lost in life.  I keep reading on the internet how all of these people are making easy money in their own businesses.  If I could make all this money, my life would be good.
• I’m broke and I need to make some money fast so I can get out of debt and buy a new sports car.
• I’m so completely bored with my job.  Starting a business sounds pretty fun.
• My marriage is in shambles and I don’t want to deal with it.  Maybe if I start a small business of my own I can get my mind off of my marital misery.

STOP RIGHT NOW!

If these are similar to the reasons you are going into business, please stop right now and reevaluate your goals and priorities.  The reasons above are based purely on emotions (most negative, at that).   Emotions and business do not mix.  They are like oil and water.  The reasons that you are going into business should be based on solid market opportunities and your desire to make a difference. Make sure the reasons for starting your business are based on sound reasoning and positively expected outcomes. 

I want to start my mobile car wash and detailing business because:

• Our community is tremendously under served by car wash facilities.  My mobile car wash business can help solve this problem.
• I travel too much in my job and do not get time to see my family.  While I know it will be hard work at times, starting a mobile car wash business will keep me home so I can spend more time with my family.
• There are over a hundred office parks within a ten mile radius of my house.  If I could sell my mobile car wash services to just 1% of these business complexes, my business would be profitable in only three months.
• A friend of mine started a similar small business up north and he has been really successful.  I’ve seen his tax returns so I know he’s telling the truth.  He offered to help me research my local market and if there is enough demand for a similar service, help me get started using his methods.

The reasoning outlined above is much more positive.  All of the reasons are based on opportunities – some are more personal than others.  Regardless, they all have positive expectations and are solid reasons for starting your mobile car wash and detailing business. 

Take stock in your personal and family goals.  Be honest with yourself.  Over the course of your business continue to revisit and evaluate the reasons you went into business in the first place.  This practice will help keep you grounded and focused on what truly matters.

The Lost Art of Goal Setting

Since we’re on the topic of goal setting, we’d like to provide you with a nifty method for setting realistic, achievable goals.  Believe it or not, most people spend a lot of time setting goals, only to realize that the goals they set can't be achieved.  Why?  It’s usually because their goals are simply too vague.

Proper goal setting is a critical element of any successful business.  Without realistic goals, business owners and employees are often left to follow a vague and winding performance roadmap.  A clear set of goals helps a business continuously improve, compete more effectively, and fine tune its operations and processes over time.

To help in your own goal setting process, try using the S.M.A.R.T (“SMART”) methodology.  This handy acronym helps simplify the process of goal setting and ensures that objectives are defined in the most effective manner possible.  When using the SMART process, all goals must be:

S pecific

M easurable

A chievable

R ealistic

T ime-Limited

The process is easier than you might think. It just takes a little practice. Let's take a pretty common mobile detailing example to highlight the SMART process in action...

Dale wants to increase the number of detailing jobs he can do in a week without the need to hire extra workers. Using the SMART methodology, his goal is, "Increase the number of detailing jobs per week by 10% over the next three months."

Dale's goal is certainly specific. It is also easily measurable (the number of detailing jobs per week). By upgrading his detailing equipment, Dale also feels that this goal is achievable. He is also working on improving his time management so he will have more time to devote to customer jobs. A 10% improvement is realistic since that equates to roughly two extra detail jobs per week. Finally, Dale's goal is Time-Limited as he wants to accomplish his goal in the next three months.

After a bit of practice, using the SMART methodology to set your goals becomes second nature. The great part of this approach is that you can use it for both your personal and business goals. If you plan to hire employees, this goal setting approach is also really valuable to help your team set their personal performance goals.

To summarize this topic, we want you to be confident in the reasons that you are starting your mobile car wash and detailing business. Making money is certainly a good reason, although we encourage you to think about some of your other personal goals as well.

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