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#3 How to compare offers?
18oct 2017

#3 How to compare offers?

For investors#buyer's guide

When you ask several companies for a quote, their sales materials may look very different. Your choice should not depend on the presentation, but on the details of the offer and the real running costs.

You are interested in a touchless car wash. You want to invest your money in this kind of business.

You send enquiries to several companies and get calls from their sales departments. Finally, e-mails with the car wash configurations you asked for land in your inbox. One offer is clearer, while another looks complicated at first glance. If the best business were decided by the visual side and the way the information is presented, you would know straight away who to work with. But that is not the case – the devil is in the details, and in this article we want to show you what to look out for when analysing offers.

Comparing car wash offers from different suppliers

  1. Look at several offers. It is good to have a comparison.
  2. Do not be guided by price alone – savings at the start may turn out to be illusory. Later breakdowns and downtime can cost far more.
  3. If you compare prices, make sure you are comparing the same car wash configuration and the same scope of additional services. Often what is standard at one company costs extra at another.
  4. Check the parameters and technical aspects of the equipment offered. Pay particular attention to the boiler – check who makes it, its power and its output (for the chosen car wash configuration).
  5. Are periodic inspections included in the price, or will you pay extra for them?
  6. What about the warranty? How long does it last and what exactly does it cover? Find out roughly how much you will have to pay for running the car wash during, for example, the first 2 years.
  7. Check the range of additional components and their prices. They can vary considerably.
  8. Make a list of the add-ons you want for your car wash. Check how much such a package will cost from each supplier.
  9. Can you count on a discount, and how much might it be? What conditions do you have to meet to get it? These are questions worth asking the sales representatives.
  10. Will you pay for access to remote car wash management (via a website or dedicated app), or is the service completely free?
  11. Analyse the offer line by line. That way you can be sure nothing escapes you.
  12. Make sure the "final price" of the car wash really is final and you will not have to reckon with additional expenses.

Checking the final price of a car wash offer

These 12 points will help you better understand the individual offers, make an informed choice of the best proposal and successfully start your business in the car wash industry.

HOW MUCH DOES A CAR WASH COST? – ASK FOR A PRICE

This article was published as part of the series "Buy a car wash with your eyes open" – see all posts