Anybody ever seen the types of valet/car washes in la cala, finestrat, benidorm, alfaz, albir, altea areas we regularly see on abandoned pub car parks in the uk ? mainly run by Eastern Europeans in uk.

I have not seen any personally myself, only car wash I have came across is in the rincon area of benidorm which you have to drive into a bay and put coins into the jet wash, vacuum do it yourself etc.

Reason I ask is because a Spanish friend of mine owns a transport cafe on the n332 en route into benidorm which has a fairly big sized tarmaced car park and I also have an English friend who is at this moment in time finding it difficult to find work and happens to be a qualified car valeter, I put two and two together and figured business opportunity if my friend would agree to rent the car park out which he has agreed too for 500€ Per month inclusive of electric and water and further permission to erect a huge metal billboard advertising the car wash with our valet menu in probably 5 diff languages people using the car wash would probably go into the cafe for a caña whilst they wait for there cars to be done plus he is benefitting from the rent, I would also be spending 5k on equipment, cleaning products etc and an office for moi, we would also be doing outcall valeting eventually.

Obviously setting this business up would mean me going self employed which I know is risky so I want to do my homework first.

So we all see cars covered in dust from the "Sahara" apparently and could use a good clean, people who spend money on cars especially high end ones want to take care of them obviously so does anybody know of any competition I would have ? If so where is it ?

We would be starting off with mini valets from 10€ for cars 15€ small vans/4x4 and 20€ for large vans. This will include complete soap, jet wash and dry, outer And inner glass cleaned, Hoover, inside plastics cleaned, tyre black and new air freshner.

And then obviously moving onto more professional valets, t cut and wax, engine clean etc.

Does this sound like something you would use ?

With regards to setting the business up I know what forms I have to fill in and where I need to go and what money has to be in bank accounts etc

What I would like to know is what are the self employment payments ?

Is it a minimum of like 300€ per month for everybody self employed then a percentage of your monthly takings or is it just the same payment for every self employed person ?

Also would I have any problems with regards to indirectly using my friends electric and water from his bar for my business ?

Any positive or NEGATIVE critics are welcome as it will help me out along the way.

Please note that this isn't something I am relying on so I have the time to tweek things and get it exactly right before we open up for business.

Thanks

Tom.

Hola

The car valeting places around here have in the main, closed down through lack of business. I used to use one and pay 35€ for a full inside and outside clean; it took about two hours, sometimes a little more.

I would use a decent one perhaps once a month / six weeks; my old car did 300,000 Kms in eleven years so was well used and abused. My new car (bought in June) has been washed by me twice to my recollection.

Davexf

Hi dave, thanks for the reply.

Can I ask do you know if the one you used was british run as the Spanish seem to extremely over charge for anything that is to do with cars for some reason. For 35€ and taking 2 hours I'm presuming this was a full valet including t cut, wax and engine clean and was not just a standard car clean ? I'm hoping so anyway because they would be sacked by me if it took 2 hours for a standard mini valet lol.

My friend can complete a full valet in a couple of hours also.

Our mini valet will be completed in 10 minutes (car) 15 max and at 10€ I'm hoping people will be driving away fully satisfied.

Also might urge them to keep there car shiny clean more often.

Hola

My car had a "full valet" as in outside wash & wax, inside wet vac on carpets and all upholstery cleaned, glass polished. I perhaps should add that I was charged 5€ extra because of the dog hairs. The one man band doing it was Spanish with Columbian origins from memory. A thoroughly nice guy trying to make a living

Davexf

I knew of one in Granada which cost €20 for an inside and out. Always busy with 5-6 staff working it. Engine stuff cost more (I still struggle to understand why people clean that!?) and I´m sure there were other "extras" involved. Fortunately I never got charged extra for them removing all the dogs hair!!
Since moving to La Cala, the only things I see around here are car washes, both brush type and jet sprays. Vaccuum and mat cleaners n stuff.
Interestingly, the place again is always busy but I´m just not a "do it yourself" type of guy.

Well that sounds about right, yep fair play to them!!

I wouldn't have charged for the dogs hairs though

Thanks for the reply stu!!

The ones you say you are seeing around la cala etc are like the one I have seen the drive in and do it yourself one ?

Cheers.

I used the one at Miramar when I lived down there. I think it was 20 euros in and out

El Corte Ingles also have valet services

We have a professional Spanish one in the next village & he quoted me over 100eu for a full valet so I told him that I would mull it over. (that was quite a few months back)
He does though turn a few cars around & all are locals.

Outrageous!!

Anybody have info on autonomo please as this will be my main concern ? Percentages payments etc ? Also once you have registered autonomo can you just simply unregister ?

Also is it illegal for me to use water and electric from the bar for my business ?

Well more than I was prepared to pay, but a good valet is not a 10min job thats for sure.

Oh most definitely not, it takes a couple of hours and if your going into having engines cleaned etc the car can be kept all day.

My twopenneth, I probably haven't washed my car in the last 20 odd years. Instead either I go through a car wash or wait till it gets serviced (because the main dealer always valet it) or give it to the guys in Sainsbury's car park.

£5 was the last price I paid a few weeks ago. They asked me how long I would be and I said "no more than half hour" when I returned they were doing the final bits, wheel spraying and windows etc.

The point I'm making is that I don't mind paying whatever it costs but I don't want to sit around in some desolate hut/bar whilst it's being done.

For £10 I can ring a guy who valets the outside of the car at a time to suit me.

Not even for a nice complimentary tea or coffee and biscuit ?

On a very pleasant Sunday!! El cisne flea market is a 30 second walk away also

We will be opening Sundays if this goes ahead!!

So you do your dusty plastics and hoovering yourself i take it or do you just leave them ?