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How to Start Car Wash Business in Nigeria

How profitable is car wash business, the capital needed, the equipment needed and how to start

Published

9 months ago

February 24, 2024

Are you thinking of starting a car wash business in Nigeria? If so, this article is for you. In this article, I am going to guide and inform you on everything you need to know about the car wash business in Nigeria. In this article, I am going to let you know if the car wash business is profitable in a country like Nigeria.

The cost of washing a car (how much you should charge for washing cars and other vehicles), car wash business profit in Nigeria that is profits you can make from a car wash business. Finally, I will also talk about the capital needed to start a car wash business in Nigeria, the equipment needed to start a car wash business in Nigeria, and more.

Is Car Wash Business Profitable?

Car wash business in Nigeria is profitable for many reasons and I will just share some reasons to prove this. There is a common joke in Lagos that the population of cars or vehicles in Lagos is more than the population of Lagosians. Although this is not true it does not stop the fact that we have plenty of cars in Lagos.

In fact, according to a fact gathered by guardian.ng in 2018, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recorded that over 11.8 million were already in Nigeria. This population includes both the old cars that were already being used, tokunbo cars, and even the new cars imported to Nigeria as of 2018.

So with this fact, it is guaranteed that you will always make profits in the car wash business even if you have plenty of competition. Another reason why the car wash business is profitable in a country like Nigeria is that Nigeria is a dusty country. Yes, whether it is rainy seasons or dry seasons the environment is always dirty or dusty.

For this reason, car owners will always want to wash their cars regularly.

Capital Needed to Start Car Wash Business

The cost of starting a car wash business in Nigeria depends on many reasons. First, it depends on the area or state in Nigeria you want to start the car wash business. Secondly, it depends on how big you want your car wash business whether you want to start an automatic car wash business or a manual car wash business.

Thirdly, it finally depends on how much you can afford to start the car wash business. However, to start a small-scale car wash business in Nigeria you will need a capital of ₦200,000 – ₦300,000 and to start a large-scale car wash business in Nigeria you will need a start-up cost of ₦1M – ₦2M.

If you do not have up to either of these amounts as capital you can start your car wash business with ₦100,000 that is if you already have available land to use and this land has a borehole. With this, you can know you will spend the little capital on car wash equipment needed to start the car wash business.

Car Wash Equipment List

There are different car wash equipment list needed to start a car wash business in Nigeria. Some of these are:

1. Car vacuum cleaner

2. Car washing machine

3. Bowls

4. Liquid soaps

5. Hose and pipes

6. Hard brush

7. Buckets

These are not all the car wash equipment used in the car wash business however, they are the most important equipment.

How to Start Car Wash Business in Nigeria

Here are the steps on how to start a car wash business in Nigeria.

1. Do your Market Survey

As we all know the first step to starting any business in Nigeria is to conduct your market survey. Your market survey is very important because you need to understand your customers and the kind of car they drive. For example, the car owners on Lagos Island can never be the same as the car owners on the Lagos mainland.

So you need to understand the kind of cars the people drive in your neighborhood and the standard of living of these car owners. It is from all these you will be able to get your car wash price list and every other information you need. Read our guide on how to conduct market research for new and old businesses.

2. Get a Business Plan

After you have conducted the market survey for your car wash business in Nigeria the next step you should take is to write your car wash business plan. A car wash business plan contains the capital needed to start your car wash business and how you can use the capital effectively.

A car wash business plan also informs you on how to make profits from your car wash business within the shortest time possible. You can write your car wash business plan yourself if you are experienced or you can simply give a professional business plan writer to write it for you.

3. Get a Spacious Land or Space

Getting land is very important for your car wash business in Nigeria. Cars consume a lot of space and you do not want your customers to park on the road just because they want to patronize you. When it comes to getting land for your car wash business it is very important you also get your Land close to a major road.

This is to make sure drivers and car owners can easily locate you. You can either rent or Lease the land. The cost of renting or leasing land in Nigeria depends on the area the land is in and the kind of road the land is facing.

4. Getting your Car Wash Equipment

You can buy car wash equipment online on websites like Jiji, Jumia, or Konga or simply buy it at any popular market close to you. After getting them you will need a plumber and electrician to install the equipment for you. Depending on the car wash business you want to go into whether automatic car wash or the manual car wash system where the staff was the cars.

You still need professionals to install the car wash equipment for you. After all this, you should test all the equipment yourself to see if they are all in good condition.

5. Getting Customers for Your Business

To start your car wash business you do not need to wait for a grand opening, all you need to do is to inform your friends and family that own cars to come to patronize you. Asides from this, you can also make some fliers to share in the area where you have your car wash business. You can also run online ads on social media apps like Instagram to attract more customers.

As time goes by all these will attract sizeable customers to your car wash business regularly.

6. Profits in Car Wash Business

There are different ways you can make profits from your car wash business in Nigeria. These are:

A. Washing of Motorcycles

You can make money washing motorcycles asides from washing cars and other vehicles.

B. Start a Bar or Lounge Business

Asides from your car wash business you can start a bar business alongside. Yes, your customers will enjoy this because they will have a place they can chill whilst their car is washed. Bar business is good especially if you have enough space on your land. Read our article on how to start bar business in Nigeria.

Car Wash Price List in Nigeria

The cost of washing a car in Nigeria depends on the area you are in. For example, the price list for washing cars on the island of Lagos can never be the same as that of washing cars on the mainland. To get your car wash price list when setting up your car wash business you need to visit other car wash businesses in your area to know how much they charge.

Conclusion

A car wash business is a lucrative business if your car wash business is located on the right road. You just need to know how to keep your customers and make them continue coming back.

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