Meet Dennis Vaughan Jr. of Car Doctor Detailing Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dennis Vaughan Jr.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Before my wife and I started this business I was working in the medical field for more than seventeen years. Before I went full time, I worked for Memorial Hermann Hospital-The Woodlands for almost five years. In 2009, my wife and I met two mentors while we still lived in California. Mike and Eva invested in us and breathed entrepreneurship in our lives.

Because of them, my wife and I developed an entrepreneurship mentality. For years I would have many conversations with my wife Camille about being a business owner and having a car detailing business. However, I never managed to step out in faith even though my wife encouraged me to do so.

In 2017, we adopted our two children. With that came the opportunity to homeschool them. I homeschooled Monday through Friday and worked at the hospital on weekends. The schedule became difficult to sustain. It was especially hard to spend quality time with my wife when we had opposite schedules. So we prayed a lot and devised a plan to become business owners.

When November 2017 rolled around, we decided to jump in. With my homeschooling schedule, I began to wash some of my co-workers’ vehicles pro bono after I finished teaching the kids. At first, it was just me, but then my daughter, Lissey, started to help me. She complained and fussed but she helped me get the job done. During the first nine months, we were averaging 5-12 car washes and probably one detail per month. We thought we had it made!

Over the next year, our numbers rose. We got so busy. I was tired all the time and it became difficult to sustain my schedule. It also became hard to juggle two different mindsets: the employee mentality, and the entrepreneurial mindset. Quality time with my wife also became non-existent. So in April 2019, we started to make arrangements to go full time.

I finally went full time (not “fool time”- there’s a difference) in May of this year. I can’t believe I waited that long. Going full time opened up my Saturdays which allowed me to focus on detailing cars. I have been booked every weekend for the last six weeks detailing cars- which is our bread and butter.

It’s unbelievable the amount of love and support we get from friends, family, our church and even our clients! We get so many referrals from them. Some of our clients offer cold drinks and sometimes their swimming pool. We have been so blessed and loved on by everyone!

With this business, there is so much to learn. We are soaking it up and enjoying this journey. We treat our clients’ vehicles like it was our own. We take care of it and we are careful with it. Our goal is to always make the vehicles look like it just came from the dealership. At Car Doctor Detailing Services, we live by Colossians 3:17 which says, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord…”

Has it been a smooth road?
The road is not smooth but it is exciting. One of the hardest things in getting into business for yourself is finding information. Most of the time there’s not a rule book to go by, at least in my business. One struggle I have found is providing the right service for the right price. Making sure that you are not overpricing the client but not underpricing and devaluing your work. It’s all ways a sticky situation because you want to offer affordability but you need profitability as well- finding the balance can be tricky. I take pride in telling clients, “let me do some research and get back to you,” which has never deterred a client from booking details with me.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Car Doctor Detailing Services story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a family-owned mobile car detailing business; that means we come to you. We will wash or detail your vehicle you are at home relaxing, at work, or from out of town vacationing- we are here for you. We specialize in cars, boats, Rv’s, etc.

Our job is to take your vehicle and restore it to the best it can be when it comes to details. We always go above and beyond. A lot of our clients become repeat customers because of the value they get when we detail or wash their vehicles. For example, did you know degreasing tires is essential to keeping your tires clean and healthy? We include tire degreasing as part of a regular car wash while others can charge up to $10-$15 per tire. We do this because we love our customers!

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think in the next 5-10 years, there will be more demand for mobile services. Amazon, for example, changed the game by making it easier for consumers to make purchases from the comfort of their own homes. Even groceries stores are also offering convenient ways to shop.

I predict there will be an upswing in the number of people wanting car washes and details without having to leave their homes or without having to leave their work desks.

Pricing:

• Detail Full Size SUV starting at $145/$150 leather seats
• Detail Mid Size SUV starting at$140/$145
• Detail Sedan starting $130/$135

Contact Info:

• Phone: 936-697-4900
• Email: Cardoctordetailingservicestx@gmailcom
• Instagram: Car_doctor_detailing_services
• Facebook: @cardoctordetailingtx

Image Credit:
Camille Vaughan

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