Out of Business

AutoCare Anywhere is permanently out of business. Thank you for your trust and support.

After a wild ride with my business, AutoCare Anywhere, I’m sharing my story—the good, the bad, and the lessons learned—in a 5-part series called AutoCare Anywhere: Mobile Detailing—Setback or Setup for Success?

AutoCare Anywhere: Mobile Detailing—Setback or Setup for Success?

by Gene Stokes

Part 1: The Dream of AutoCare Anywhere
AutoCare Anywhere wasn’t just a business idea, it was a vision.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a deep appreciation for cars. It didn’t matter if it was a high-end sports car or a regular pickup truck—if it was clean and well-maintained, it caught my eye. There’s something about a freshly detailed vehicle that brings it to life, like it’s brand new all over again. I’ve always believed that a car doesn’t need to be a McLaren to be impressive; even a truck—like the one I drive—can turn heads if it’s taken care of properly.

I’ve also always had a sharp eye for detail, almost to the point of obsession. Every spot of dirt, every imperfection—they all stood out to me. I started thinking, “What if I could turn this passion for clean cars and my attention to detail into something bigger?” That’s when the idea for AutoCare Anywhere was born.

At first, I wanted to create a mobile detailing service, something convenient and different. People hate taking time out of their busy schedules to go sit at a shop while their car gets cleaned, right? So, why not flip the script? What if the shop came to them? I knew I could make that work. I envisioned AutoCare Anywhere as a fully mobile service, providing high-quality detailing right at the customer’s doorstep, whether they were at home or work.

But the more I thought about it, the bigger the vision grew. AutoCare Anywhere wasn’t just going to be a detailing company—I wanted it to be so much more. I saw an opportunity to tackle all the annoying but necessary car maintenance tasks that people dread. Why should anyone have to waste hours at a repair shop waiting for an oil change or a simple tire rotation? I wanted to offer mobile automotive maintenance services too—everything from oil changes and tire rotations to tire repair, replacements, battery swaps, and even windshield repair or replacement.

All those routine maintenance tasks that people put off because they don’t want to sit in a waiting room, I wanted AutoCare Anywhere to take care of them. Convenient, stress-free, and right where the customer needed us. I knew this would be a game-changer—people could get their car taken care of without interrupting their day.

The goal was simple: AutoCare Anywhere would be a one-stop mobile shop for everything cars need but people hate doing. Whether it was a full detailing service or getting an oil change, customers wouldn’t have to go anywhere. We’d come to them. The idea felt fresh and innovative, something that would save people time and hassle.

My vision didn’t stop there. I saw AutoCare Anywhere starting with mobile detailing and maintenance, but eventually expanding into something even bigger. I dreamed of having a physical shop where we could offer high-end services like ceramic coatings and tinting, all while keeping the mobile side of the business thriving.

It felt like a perfect blend of convenience and quality. I could see the potential. I was ready to bring this vision to life. But getting from dream to reality? That’s where things started to fall apart.

Part 2: The Reality of Running a Business
Dreaming is the easy part—actually running a business is where things get complicated.

The first few months of running AutoCare Anywhere felt like riding a wave of excitement. I was motivated, excited, and ready to do whatever it took to make this business thrive. The idea of bringing mobile detailing to people’s homes was catching on, and the initial response was encouraging. I thought we were on track to build something really special.

But what I quickly learned is that dreaming about a business and actually running one are two completely different things. I was juggling more responsibilities than I ever imagined: scheduling appointments, managing customer expectations, handling marketing, and making sure every car was detailed to the high standards I’d set. And that was just on the good days.

One of the toughest parts was finding reliable workers. I didn’t hire full-time employees; instead, I decided to bring on contractors. I placed ads on job boards like ZipRecruiter and Indeed, which, by the way, isn’t cheap. After spending a good chunk of my budget on recruitment, I thought I’d attract motivated people who were eager to work hard. And while some of the people I hired had the right skills for detailing, they didn’t have the drive. They just didn’t share my passion for growing the business. For them, it was just another gig. For me, this was my dream, my future, and I was all in.

Not only did some of the contractors lack motivation, but a few were downright dishonest. They’d sit in interviews and tell me everything I wanted to hear. They’d promise they’d work hard, claim they were excited to help grow the business, and even talk big about finding new customers. They were smooth talkers, no doubt about that. But once they were on board? Their actions were a completely different story.

Instead of going above and beyond, they barely hit the bare minimum. Forget about following through on the “extra” stuff I desperately needed them to do, like knocking on doors to bring in commercial or retail clients. That was a pipe dream. If they had no jobs booked, rather than hustling to find work, they’d grab my truck—which I bought on credit to be the backbone of our mobile detailing—and just sit at home doing nothing. And yes, I am now stuck paying for this extra truck I do not need.

Or worse, they weren’t sitting at home at all. They were off doing side jobs, using my truck, my equipment, and my products to make money for themselves. Talk about a betrayal. I essentially handed them everything they needed to set up their own little side hustle while I footed the bill.

And when things needed to be done, like actual paying jobs or key tasks for the business, I’d get excuse after excuse about why they couldn’t get it done. Some excuses might have been true, but let’s be honest, after a while it was hard to tell. What I do know is that this cost me clients, and ultimately, it cost me the business.

To make matters worse, a couple of the people I brought on ended up using my hard work and the customer base I had built to set themselves up. They learned the ropes while working for me, gained access to my contacts, and then started their own mobile detailing services on the side—poaching clients from AutoCare Anywhere. That was a real gut punch. Here I was, struggling to keep the business afloat, and they were using my efforts to make money for themselves.

It became clear pretty quickly that many of the contractors were just showing up to collect a paycheck. They weren’t putting in the effort needed to help grow AutoCare Anywhere. I expected them to treat each detail as if it were their own car, but instead, they did the bare minimum to get through the day. And as the business owner, watching that happen was incredibly frustrating.

What made it worse was that the money I used to pay them was coming straight out of my pocket. I had invested my own savings into this venture, and every dollar that went out to cover payroll without bringing in enough revenue felt like a punch to the gut. Instead of reinvesting in growth or marketing, I was just keeping the lights on.

Running a business is hard. It takes more than a good idea—it takes grit, determination, and, most importantly, a team that’s as invested in the success of the business as you are. And when you don’t have that, it’s nearly impossible to keep things going.

Part 3: The Turning Point
That was the moment I realized—this isn’t working.

There was a day when it all hit me: AutoCare Anywhere was spiraling, and I was running out of time and money to stop it. I had poured every ounce of energy and every dollar I had into this business, but no matter how hard I worked, we were barely scraping by. Worse, I was the only one who seemed to care if we made it.

To make matters even more frustrating, just as the money was running out, I brought on a couple of detailers who, on paper, seemed like they could turn things around. They were great at detailing, meticulous even, and customers were happy with the quality of their work. But there was one glaring problem: they were slow. Painfully slow. What should’ve been a quick, profitable job would drag on for hours, turning a routine detailing into a time-sucking ordeal. And for jobs that were already on the lower end of the price spectrum, that meant we were losing money on what should’ve been simple services.

We had daily, weekly, and monthly goals—numbers we had to hit to keep the business afloat. But with detailers taking way too long on these inexpensive jobs, hitting those targets became impossible. And no matter how much I tried to explain that efficiency mattered, it didn’t seem to register. They were more concerned with perfecting every little detail than getting the job done in a reasonable amount of time. Their perfectionism was costing us, and they didn’t seem to care.

I’ll admit, I tried to keep things going for as long as I could, but eventually, the financial strain became too much. The steady salaries I had been paying them weren’t sustainable anymore. That’s when I had to make a tough decision: I could no longer afford to pay them a straight salary. I had to switch them to commission-based pay, where they’d earn based on how much work they completed.

And that’s when the reality finally hit them. You guessed it—they weren’t willing to work like that. Suddenly, the whole “team player” act went out the window. The moment their income was tied to how much work they could get done, the enthusiasm dried up. They had been happy to collect a paycheck when it didn’t matter how long they took or how little we made, but once they had to rely on commission, they lost interest.

That was the moment I realized things weren’t going to turn around. Between the financial drain, the lack of urgency from my team, and the fact that no one seemed to care about making this business successful but me, I was running out of options.

The emotional toll was staggering. I was burned out, stressed beyond belief, and starting to feel like I was stuck in a losing battle. Every week, I was paying out money for labor, supplies, and equipment, but nothing was coming in to balance the scales. We weren’t even close to breaking even.

There were moments when I wanted to throw in the towel, but then I’d think about how much I had invested—my time, my money, my energy—and I’d keep pushing. But deep down, I knew: if something didn’t change fast, this business wasn’t going to survive.

Part 4: The Lessons Learned

Every failure is a lesson waiting to be learned.

Looking back now, the failure of AutoCare Anywhere taught me more than any success ever could. It’s easy to focus on the excitement of starting a business, but when things don’t go as planned, that’s when you learn what really matters.

One of the biggest lessons I learned? Hire the right people from the start. I was so focused on getting people in place that I didn’t take the time to make sure they were a good fit for the business. I should’ve looked for people who were not just good at their craft but who also shared my passion for building something bigger. I needed employees who understood that we were in this together, not just contractors who showed up for a paycheck. When your team doesn’t care whether the business succeeds, you’re doomed before you even get started.

I also learned the hard way that efficiency matters just as much as quality—especially in a service business. You can’t survive on perfectionism if it’s going to slow you down to the point where you’re losing money. The detailers I hired were great at their craft, but they took too long, making it impossible to hit the targets we needed to stay afloat. I needed them to work smart and hard, but they weren’t interested in doing either.

And when it came to managing the business, I learned that cash flow is everything. In the beginning, I was pulling from my own savings to keep things going, and while that worked for a little while, it was a ticking time bomb. I should’ve cut costs sooner, scaled back where needed, and been more conservative with my spending. It’s easy to keep throwing money at problems, hoping it’ll fix them, but when the revenue isn’t there, every dollar counts.

Another tough lesson was trust but verify—especially when it came to the people I hired. I was too trusting, assuming that everyone would work with the same dedication and integrity I did. Some of the contractors I brought on used my equipment and resources to run their own side businesses, and in the end, that hurt me and my company. Looking back, I should’ve been more vigilant and set clearer boundaries from the start.

And finally, the most important lesson: Know when to let go. I spent so much time fighting to keep the business alive because I didn’t want to admit defeat. But sometimes, failure is the best teacher. AutoCare Anywhere didn’t succeed, but the lessons I learned from that experience are invaluable. I didn’t fail; I just got an education in what not to do next time.

Part 5 will be posted on 10/23/2024