Getting Into the Details

Devyn Lee, a 20-year-old resident of Omaha, had an idea in 2020 which he was unsure of. He wanted to start a car detailing business, but only had one problem: he had never detailed a car before.

“It was a shot in the dark, but I felt like it was something I could do well,” Lee said. “It seemed like it could be a fun way to make some extra money.”

Lee looked up what supplies he needed, went to buy them, and got to work. Right away, he had his first customer: himself.

“I had no clue what I was doing, so I didn’t want to risk somehow messing up somebody’s car,” Lee explained. “The first time I detailed my car, it wasn’t pretty. After waxing my car down a few times and watching some how-to videos, I finally felt comfortable looking for customers.”

Lee started with family and friends, and after getting good reviews, decided to expand. He quickly created a Facebook page for Devyn’s Auto Detailing, which he still uses today (https://www.facebook.com/groups/3129984423766263/), and starting reaching out to potential customers.

One of the early struggles for Lee was the pricing dilemma, as he had no clue what to charge. After learning how much work was required for different types of cars and different types of details, he finally settled on his price range.

“Depending on the type of car and the time of year, my prices range anywhere from $90-$210, but I’m willing to negotiate with a customer if that’s what it takes”

After sharing posts on numerous social media platforms and reaching out to people in his church, Lee started to see an overwhelming amount of customers asking for details.

“It became a funny moment for me, because I went from wanting as many customers as possible to needing everyone to just slow down with the requests. I was constantly running out of supplies, and I never really knew where to do the details. I would either do it at the customer’s home, or I would try and convince my mom to let me use her driveway.”

After learning how to handle the quick rush of customers, Lee started to get the hang of it. He saw a very successful Summer and Fall in 2020, and wanted to make bigger strides in 2021. He spent the winter loading up on new supplies and learned new methods, and began offering multiple packages for customers.

“I thought 2020 was great, but I felt like I would be failing if that was my peak. That winter I really began to see a vision for Devyn’s Auto Detailing, and I knew that I could turn this into more than just a way to make some cash.”

As Spring 2021 arrived, Lee was ready to execute his plan. He began promoting his company like never before, ranging from videos of him doing details to before and after pictures of his customers’ cars. Just as he expected, what he saw in 2021 was a surplus of customers looking to get details, and this time he was ready.

“I knew how much the rush in 2020 caught me off guard, so I knew I had to be ready for anything. I was buying double the supplies and making sure my schedule was available whenever a customer needed me. I look back at 2020 now, and that overwhelming rush is just an average day for me now”.

Lee continued his success throughout 2021, and again decided he needed to take it to the next level. This past winter, Lee partnered with another detailing business where he now has a shop to work in. The days of working in customer’s driveways are past him, as Devyn’s Auto Detailing continues to thrive. Lee knows that his business will continue to grow, and he can’t wait to see where it goes.

“This started out as something I was doing once a week to make some cash. Now I have a shop and am spending my entire days working on details. It’s only been two years and I’m here, and I know that this is still the beginning.”

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