How I am running a car business at 16!

Automobiles

Melbourne, Australia

16 Years

Hi, I’m Max. I am from Melbourne, Australia and I started my first business when I was 15 years of age.

My Dad got me into reading business books when I was 12-13 and I absolutely loved them. I annotated them, journaled on them and wrote down my future goals. I want to create something that is bigger than me and I want it to continue for years to come.

My business is car detailing. I focus on making customers' cars come back to life and sparkle in every way possible. I use expensive products and work hard to achieve what my customers dream of.

What inspired you to start your own business?

I have always been a kid that felt inferior to others. I felt as if I had something to prove. I loved to read business books and jot down ideas but I never truly executed on them. It was when I was 15; I decided the only way to make money is start something. I wanted to start a business that was easy to manage and ideally a service business.

I started thinking through ideas and writing down anything that came to mind. I eventually decided on a car detailing business. High margins, low costs and easy to run. I am literally running it out of my garage!

How did you turn your idea into a product?

My first step was purchasing all the equipment. In 2023 I worked two part time jobs at the same time and had some cash in my bank account. I invested around $1500 AUD into equipment including the product, a jet washer and a steam cleaner. Luckily I already had a wall mounted vacuum! Next, I created some flyers on Canva with the purpose of lead generation. I put basic details on there such as my phone number, email and the essentials. I printed out 1000 which set me back another $500. Then over two nights I put all the flyers into local neighbours letterboxes and hoped for the best!

How have you grown your business?

There are two big things that helped me grow my business.

One was having a Google profile. Once I had a few reviews from customers the amount of new clientele I received was bonkers. I was getting 10-15 new customers a week! It also allowed me to start establishing a local brand. This is around the time when I started social media although that hasn’t generated a single lead for me yet!
Another way I grew the business was introducing a membership. It meant customers can get a monthly wash for a cheaper price than a one off detail. They all jumped at this!

My short term goals are to continue doing what I’m doing. I want to be doing 60 cars a month and slowly raise prices to improve efficiency.

My long term goal is to either buy or lease a warehouse and have a proper business location. I want to fit this out with a seating area for customers and I also want to hire some employees!

How are you funding your startup?

I funded it through money that I made working two part time jobs. It’s completely bootstrapped and highly profitable now!

What is your average monthly revenue?

Now I do around 10k a month in revenue and 8k in profit. Expenses and costs are 2k. This includes product, replacements, damage to equipment and more. There is a lot that can go wrong but I’ve been lucky so far. December 2024 was my biggest month and I felt so happy when I first hit 10k.

Another moment was when I did 14 cars in one day. I had to bring a friend along to help me! I was so tired but so excited as I knew I was going somewhere.

How are you doing today and what plans for the future?

One mistake was not starting sooner. If I started sooner I would have been able to build a base so much faster. People instantly gathered around me and helped out I think partly due to my age. Everyone wants to support the local 16 year old and if I started earlier I would be way ahead. Perhaps I would already have a warehouse now!

I also wish I started my Google profile sooner. For anyone reading this, reviews are gold. The more reviews you have, the higher you rank on Google and my goodness do they bring in customers quickly!

The best decision I made was the flyers. They are so authentic and plenty of customers handed them off to their family and friends. Allowing me more and more customers. I did start at the perfect time. In Melbourne, August (when I started) is when the weather starts to warm up again. When it’s cold and rainy, good luck getting customers!

I also believe myself to be really good with customers and forming a connection with them. People buy with emotion, so when you form a real connection with them - that’s when you strike gold. They say yes to all my upsells!

What advice would you give to budding founders?

Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, just start. Figure it out along the way. Start your business and jump into the fog. One of my favourite quotes ever:

“Everyone has the same wallet, it has 24 hours in it.”

Use your time wisely! And don’t be lazy. You’ve got this!

What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned about entrepreneurship?

That starting the business really is the hardest part. Once you have done that, you sort of figure everything out on your own. You don’t need an incredibly detailed business plan to succeed. You need a willingness to learn and a good work ethic.

What is your proudest achievement so far?

My proudest achievement was reaching a 10k month in revenue. It made me realise that this model has serious potential. I only really worked 25 hours a week that month too! It’s a super high leverage and high margin industry. I absolutely love it.

What role has your family or support system played in your entrepreneurial journey?

My Mum and Dad have been huge supporters for me. They have guided me from first starting to where I am now and they always reassure me and remind me to remain humble and keep working hard. It has most certainly been a journey and it’s not over yet!

Where can we find you?

Book Recommendations

The E-Myth
Built to last and Good to Great by Jim Collins
Blue Ocean Strategy

Podcast Recommendations

The Diary of a CEO
The game with Alex Hormozi
The Prof G Pod With Scott Galloway