=========================================================================== MOBILE DETAILING STARTUP COST WORKSHEET Detail Compass | Fill in with your own dated quotes =========================================================================== HOW TO USE THIS FILE 1. Save a copy as my-mobile-detailing-budget.txt. 2. Write the service scope you plan to sell first. 3. Fill one-time setup, monthly overhead, working capital, and contingency. 4. Keep unknown costs blank. Write who will answer each blank and the date. 5. Record quote source and quote date in the companion CSV quote tracker. 6. Recheck old quotes before you spend. Replace the example in section 8 with your own numbers. This worksheet is a planning tool. It is not legal, tax, insurance, or financial advice. Requirements and costs depend on your activity, location, vehicle, service scope, and provider. Confirm local rules with the agency or licensed provider that covers your work. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. SCOPE BEFORE SPENDING --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Service(s) I will sell in month one: _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Vehicle types and size limits: _________________________________________________________________ Service area and travel limit: _________________________________________________________________ Work I will not accept until I have the training, equipment, and coverage: _________________________________________________________________ First booking target date: ____________________ Budget review date: ___________________________ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. ONE-TIME SETUP COSTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- One-time setup is cash you spend once to set the business up, including staged purchases you defer. Add a source, quote date, and stage for every priced line. LINE / ITEM STAGE QUOTE QUOTE DATE TOTAL __________________________________ ____ $______ __________ $______ __________________________________ ____ $______ __________ $______ __________________________________ ____ $______ __________ $______ __________________________________ ____ $______ __________ $______ __________________________________ ____ $______ __________ $______ __________________________________ ____ $______ __________ $______ __________________________________ ____ $______ __________ $______ __________________________________ ____ $______ __________ $______ __________________________________ ____ $______ __________ $______ __________________________________ ____ $______ __________ $______ STAGE 1 ESSENTIAL SETUP TOTAL $____________ STAGE 2 DEFERRED SETUP TOTAL $____________ STAGE 3 GROWTH SETUP TOTAL $____________ TOTAL ONE-TIME SETUP $____________ Stage 1 means the item is required for the first service, safe operation, or a local requirement confirmed by the responsible agency. Stage 2 can wait until the first paid jobs. Stage 3 needs a real volume trigger. Do not put a future wish in Stage 1 because it makes the cash target harder to trust. Open lines I must close before spending: Item: __________________ Who answers: __________________ By: _________ Item: __________________ Who answers: __________________ By: _________ Item: __________________ Who answers: __________________ By: _________ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. MONTHLY OVERHEAD --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overhead leaves every month whether you book three jobs or thirty. If a bill is annual, divide it by 12. If you do not know a line, leave it blank and record the person or agency who will provide the answer. LINE MONTHLY AMOUNT SOURCE / DATE Insurance $______________ ________________ Vehicle payment or set-aside $______________ ________________ Fuel not tied to one job $______________ ________________ Phone and internet $______________ ________________ Booking or invoicing software $______________ ________________ Website and domain $______________ ________________ Advertising and listings $______________ ________________ Equipment repair reserve $______________ ________________ Bank and bookkeeping $______________ ________________ Storage, bay, water, or disposal $______________ ________________ Licenses and permits (annual / 12) $______________ ________________ Tax reserve $______________ ________________ Other: ___________________________ $______________ ________________ Other: ___________________________ $______________ ________________ TOTAL MONTHLY OVERHEAD $______________ Reserve months I choose: ____________ Reason for this reserve length: _________________________________________ WORKING CAPITAL RESERVE Total monthly overhead x reserve months = $______________ Keep the tax reserve separate from a tax rate unless a qualified tax professional gives you a number for your situation. Self-employed tax and income tax rules can apply in different ways. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. CONTINGENCY FOR OPEN LINES --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Choose a percentage that reflects how many costs are still unknown. This is a planning cushion, not a prediction of waste or profit. One-time setup $______________ Working capital reserve $______________ Subtotal $______________ Contingency percentage ________ % CONTINGENCY = subtotal x percent $______________ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. CASH TARGET --------------------------------------------------------------------------- One-time setup $______________ Working capital reserve $______________ Contingency $______________ TOTAL CASH TARGET $______________ The cash target is not a required industry minimum. It is the result of the inputs you can support with dated quotes and written local answers. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. QUOTE REVIEW --------------------------------------------------------------------------- For each Stage 1 line, collect at least two comparable quotes when possible. Record both in the companion CSV. A quote is not a permanent price. Write the expiration or recheck date when the provider gives one. Stage 1 line with the largest amount: _________________________________ Quote A source and date: ______________________________________________ Quote B source and date: ______________________________________________ Which quote is used and why: __________________________________________ Oldest quote date in the sheet: _______________________________________ Recheck threshold I choose: __________________________________________ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. SPEND ORDER --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before spending, confirm: [ ] Service scope and vehicle limits are written. [ ] Stage 1 equipment covers only the services I can deliver. [ ] Local license, permit, wash water, and disposal questions have an agency name, answer, and date. [ ] A licensed provider gave an insurance quote for the work I will do. [ ] Monthly overhead and reserve months are written. [ ] Every Stage 1 price has a source and quote date. [ ] The cash target still works after replacing unknowns with current quotes. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. HYPOTHETICAL COMPLETED EXAMPLE --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This example is fictional arithmetic only. It is not a market price, average, minimum, forecast, or recommendation. Replace it with your own quotes. ONE-TIME SETUP Core machines and equipment package, Vendor A (Stage 1) $1,850 Opening chemical, pad, and towel inventory (Stage 1) $220 Water tank and transfer setup (Stage 2) $180 Storage racking and vehicle organization (Stage 2) $90 Signage and printed cards (Stage 2) $160 TOTAL ONE-TIME SETUP $2,500 MONTHLY OVERHEAD Insurance planning line (quote still required) $165 Phone and scheduling software $75 Storage and water access $120 Marketing and listings $80 Vehicle fuel and maintenance set-aside $110 Accounting help and bank fees $50 Permit renewal reserve (local answer still required) $40 TOTAL MONTHLY OVERHEAD $640 WORKING CAPITAL AND CONTINGENCY Three months x $640 monthly overhead $1,920 Contingency = 10% x ($2,500 + $1,920) $442 TOTAL CASH TARGET = $2,500 + $1,920 + $442 $4,862 STAGED SPEND Stage 1 = $1,850 + $220 $2,070 Stage 2 = $180 + $90 + $160 $430 Stage 1 + Stage 2 $2,500 The insurance and permit values above are planning lines until a provider or agency gives a current answer. The exact cash target is about $4,900 only as rounded speech. Keep $4,862 in the worksheet until you replace every line. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9. NOTES AND SOURCES TO CHECK --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SBA startup cost guidance: https://www.sba.gov/counseling/plan-your-business/ SBA license and permit guidance: https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/apply-licenses-permits SBA insurance guidance: https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/get-business-insurance IRS self-employed tax center: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employed-individuals-tax-center IRS recordkeeping guidance: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/what-kind-of-records-should-i-keep EPA stormwater BMP guidance: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/national-menu-best-management-practices-bmps-stormwater-pollution-prevention-and-good These links are starting points. Confirm current rules with the authority that covers your business location and the provider who will insure your work.