I learned about Sylvester Chisom and Arthur Shivers from the Northwest County Journal. Friends since grade seven they came up with the idea for Showroom Shine Express Detailing while working together at a car wash company. “We noticed that people wanted more quality, more detail, more customer service.”
As with many young entrepreneurs, they started small and built their company slowly. They first started out while in high school as a way to make extra money. “We washed our first car in the back of Sylvester’s mom’s salon. We took the car, washed it and vacuumed it.”
They slowly grew as word got around about their new service. “One day someone at the salon asked if we could come to their house and wash their car because they would not be coming to the salon. So we said, ‘Why not?’ That’s where the idea of a mobile car wash service came from.”
They continued washing cars as a part time job while they attended college. “In between going to school, we noticed every year that our clients were broken up about us going back to school.”
When they both graduated they looked at their options and decided to give the car washing business a try full time. “We were young. We had time. We knew if this didn’t work, we still had time to do something else. I originally wanted to work for the FBI, and Sylvester wanted to be a dentist. A lot of people didn’t see the vision. They questioned us and would ask when we were going to get ‘real’ jobs. They said we couldn’t wash cars forever.”
The company has since grown with the help of their mentors and loyal clients. They have two vans, a ten person staff and are looking at expansion opportunities. “We want Showroom Shine to become a household name. Maybe we can open a Showroom Shine self-service car wash. When people think of hamburgers, they think of McDonald’s. We want people to think of us when they think of car washes.”
It just goes to show you that when you start small, follow your passion, and listen to your customers, you can build a profitable company and have fun in the process.
Evan Carmichael
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Awesome article, good for them. Maybe they can wash cars for ever.
I find that a lot of young entrepreneurs are so intoxicated by the “internet entrepreneur” generation that they forget about the simple things that make money. This was a neat article.
[...] This morning, Rich, Ron, and I had a big sit-down about the book, Bootstrap Business. We’re currently working out the book proposal, a daunting task that, by design, makes you evaluate every aspect of what you’re writing. I’ve had a certain question on my mind for a couple of days now, and took the opportunity to bring it up. It seems like there is a clear and definite distinction between the love of entrepreneurship and the love of a certain business. Some people get into a business because they feel passionate about something specific: let’s say, antiques. So, they start an antique shop. The love of entrepreneurship, on the other hand, is the love of strategy and opportunity. An entrepreneur looks at his skill set and resources, checks the market out, and moves forward. An entrepreneur will do whatever the market demands- because the thrill is in the hunt and in the game, not in the actual task. Yes, you have to do something you’ll enjoy, and something that plays on your interests and skills- but it is more about the strategy and the planning than it is about SEO or flower baskets or pies or any number of businesses you could work yourself into. Take these two guys, for example. I’m willing to bet that washing cars is not their biggest passion in life. What they are passionate, about, however, is making the most of an opportunity. This is where it can get tricky. On one hand you can tell yourself, “We’ll just give it a go, and if it doesn’t work out, it’s not about that anyway.” It’s safe. You can do what you love, and never feel like a failure because it’s not about success. Getting out there and trying to build assets is another story. It’s so easy to get lost in the game, to linger to long on one idea and not long enough on another. It’s easy to take risks you can afford or to hang back, not risking enough. You can let your entire life get caught up in a venture or get so caught up in “being your own boss” that you forget to do the hard work necessary to see success happen. Managing that balance is what entrepreneurship is all about. I’m still not exactly sure what I think about the distinction that seems to exist between being a business owner and an entrepreneur. Maybe there is some middle ground. Certainly there are people who are both. One thing I feel sure of: no matter what venture you’re pursuing, you’ll be well served to develop a keen eye for opportunity, a passion for strategy, and a flexibility to follow new avenues to success. (No Ratings Yet) Loading … [...]
I Just wanted to thank you for your intrest in our story. Showroom Shine has been nominated for a national award that recognizes entrepreneurs. if you would please vote for Showroom Shine at steveharvey.com on September 10,2007. thanks again
Arthur
Showroom Shine