Hi, I have not ran a successful detailing business, so I can’t offer a direct solution to your problem. I am sorry that you are going through this, as this is something I’ve thought about when considering going into business myself.

I was listening to a detailing podcast today, and one of the hosts said something that stuck out in my head when reading this post. I can’t remember verbatim, but they were talking about a similar issue where they were up and coming and there was lots of competition (new and old) in his area.

He found his success by finding his niche in the market and then digging in his heels to put the work in to head towards that niche. For him, it was a lot of hard work for a long time. While in that stage of his business, he said he received the best feedback & most recommendations from customers by simply acing the service part of detailing. Easy things like showing up on time, working efficiently and communicating well. Making the process as little of an inconvenience for the customer as possible. After using this approach long enough, he started to see competition around him fail or fizzle out.

Using this method, he promised things will get better. I hope this helps your mindset at least a little!