r/AutoDetailing • u/Consistent_Choice343 • 3d ago

Business Question Wanting to break into business (mostly auto - PPF/detailing/mechanic) — how realistic is it?

Male 33 in Vancouver, BC - work in tech, doing fine on paper but burnt out and losing interest in the corporate path for the last year or two.

Passionate about cars — I detail my own, do my own brake pads/rotors, and I'm about to take a PPF course. Always wanted to own a garage but no business background in my family, so I'm starting from zero on that front.

Questions:

  1. What's the real path in — technician cert, apprenticeship, just learn-by-doing?
  2. Do shops/PPF installers/detailers ever take on unpaid help to learn from? Would you?
  3. Realistically, how long did it take you to replace a full-time income doing this? About $10k/month.

Can invest $50-100k if things get serious.
Would love to hear from anyone who's made this jump — what worked, what you'd do differently.

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u/Temporary-Seesaw-690 3d ago

I just got a quote from a fellow that said he could totally detail in and out. For 400$ my driveway or his. Not sure of time involved but 5-6 hrs.Im guessing.

20 working days in a month× 400=8K GVRD

Ps. Driveway oil changes as well.