As I travel around the nation and stop in at small airports to check out the areas, I often see aircraft washing services, which indeed could use a few pointers in marketing their services to their prospective clientele. I started my first aircraft washing business in 1977 at age 12 and built it up from there and in later years I had franchised the operation to many regional and smaller airports. Marketing aircraft washing, cleaning and detailing services sounds like it would be easy but it is not at all. First people only come out to the airport when they are planning to fly their aircraft somewhere and you have to be there to get the business. Additionally if you try to find out who owns the aircraft they are usually registered to a no name corporation or LLC for tax purposes and it is difficult to contact the owners that way. The best way we have found to market aircraft washing services is via bulletin boards, online local flying club forums, joining the Civil Air Patrol for networking purposes and getting with other aviation businesses and offering 10% commission for getting us any customers. Additionally when invoicing aircraft owners and companies you wash for put a little note inside and ask them for referrals and give them a discount when they refer you new clientele. All these techniques work and they will help get your aircraft cleaning service off the ground you see? Consider this in 2006. |
