Car wash business in Nigeria is a very lucrative and easy one to start and make money.
Regardless of your location, whether you live in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port-Harcourt, Ibadan, Asaba, or any part of the country, the business is very easy to start and is a source of daily income.
As the use of cars and all other automobiles keeps increasing, the need for car washes keeps increasing, which means your service as a car washer will still be relevant no matter what.
If you’re looking to get started, this post is created to show you all the steps and guide you on how to start a car wash business in Nigeria. You’ll also discover the cost of starting, and the profits to expect from your car wash business.
Are you ready to know all that? Then, let’s get started!
What is a Car Wash?
A car wash is a place where automobiles including cars, motorcycles, and even tricycles, are washed in exchange for payment.
Starting a Car Wash Business in Nigeria
Car wash business in Nigeria is usually run by an individual or a group of individuals as a company, and they deal with the washing of both the exterior and interior of vehicles.
In Nigeria, a car wash business doesn’t necessarily need advanced equipment, as just some basic equipment such as buckets, towels, soap, and the availability of water is enough to get started.
A lot of car washes in Nigeria started small with just the owner being the washer and they later scale to a company of multiple branches and tons of employees. That means whether your capital is low or you can raise a huge startup fund, you can start a car wash business in Nigeria.
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How Much Do You Need to Start a Car Wash Business in Nigeria
While looking to start the business, one of the things that you’ll think of is the cost of starting a Carwash business in Nigeria.
The startup capital needed to start a car wash business varies depending on the size of the car wash you want to start, and your location. This is because the equipment needed for a small-scale car wash is different from what is needed for a large-scale car wash, and also, the cost of the equipment, as well as the cost of running the business are expensive in some parts of the country.
On a small scale, you may need up to 20,000 Naira capital to start a car wash business in Nigeria. However, you may need less considering that there’s the availability of free water, and you also have a free space to start with.
On a large scale, it could cost you anywhere from 300,000 Naira to 500,000 to start a standard car wash business in Nigeria.
How Profitable is a Car Wash Business in Nigeria
After knowing the cost of starting the business, I believe what will be running on your mind now is – is car wash business profitable in Nigeria?
Yes, it is! Although your profitability as a car wash depends on your location. This is because the cost of washing a car varies across every town in Nigeria. E.g, a car wash may charge 2,000 Naira on a car in Lagos, while they may charge 1,000 in Ibadan.
Usually, the profits made from this business range from 70% to 90% per car. That is after deducting the expenses for water, soap, and possibly fuel for the machine, you’ll still be left with a substantial amount of money. Keep in mind that this may be less if you employ staff because you’ll need to pay their salaries.
How to Start a Car Wash Business in Nigeria
1. Get to Understand the Business
The first step in starting a car wash business in Nigeria is to get to understand that business by carrying out in-depth market research on how the business works.
Here you’ll need to meet with some car wash owners or top-level employees, build a business rapport, and find out about the in and out of the business, and how it operates in your area. Do some finds on the price of washing a vehicle, the cost of the machine and the best type to buy, and also if there’s any legal law guiding the business in your area.
2. Come Up with a Simple Business Plan
Based on your market research, you’ll have to draft a simple business plan that will serve as a road map for your business.
Here you’ll need to outline your targets both financially and in terms of growth, your price list, your marketing strategy, and also a team management plan. Also, come up with a realistic plan on the maximum amount of cars you’ll wash daily, and don’t forget to include expenses that may be incurred along the line.
3. Get a Space for Your Car Wash
To start a car wash business, you need spacious land to start. While in search of a space, you need to make sure that you go with the best location for your business. If you carry out your market research well this shouldn’t take time.
The location of your car wash determines the type of customers you’ll get. For example, if your car wash is located close to an estate or beside an eatery/restaurant, you’re likely to work with rich people that will pay more for your service.
However, if your location is not strategic, you may end up washing commercial buses, which will just earn you small money at the end of the day. So, while looking for a space for your car wash business in Nigeria, you need to be strategic.
After getting a space, set up your car wash and get ready for the next step.
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4. Get All The Necessary Equipment
Washing equipment is as necessary as getting a space for your car wash business. After all, to wash, you need to have the needed types of equipment including:
- Bucket
- Towel
- Brush
- Water (well or borehole)
- Detergent
- Car wash liquid soap
- Car wash machine
- Generator
- Water storage tank
All these ate required to start a standard car wash business in Nigeria. Although if you don’t have a huge capital you can start small with just water, detergent, a towel, a brush, and buckets.
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5. Hire Staff
Unless you want to start all alone on a small scale you won’t need to get employees who will help in washing cars. Many standard car washes in Nigeria do not only hire workers to wash cars, but they also hire managers, and supervisors to run their business.
6. Get Started
From getting a space and the necessary equipment to hiring staff, you now have all that is required to get started.
To get started, you need to work on marketing your car wash business. This can be done in different ways including printing promotional materials such as banners and flyers to be placed in your car wash center and beyond.
You can also use social media to your advantage by creating pages on all social media platforms for your business, and even try some paid ads online.
Encouraging customers to recommend your service to friends and family is also a great way to create awareness. However, for this to work, you must try and render satisfactory service to your clients.
Once you start driving a lot of sales, you can then think of expanding. If you start small, you can level up to a standard car wash, and as a standard car wash, you can scale by opening more branches.
Conclusion
The car wash business is a very profitable one to start in Nigeria as there has been a continuous increase in the use of cars in the country which in turn means higher demand for car washes. If you’re looking to start, keep in mind that it takes a lot of hard work and time to succeed in the business, although all that is included in this post on how to start a car wash business in Nigeria will take you a long way, I believe!
