The “SSO” (Select Service Organization): Your Best Financial Adviser

The “SSO” (Select Service Organization): Your Best Financial Adviser Before, During, & After The Construction Or Renovation Of Your Car Wash

Thanks to Keith Stewman, a nationally recognized expert with Big Man Washes in Texas, for taking the time to describe how their Car Wash SSO works with Car Wash investor from the very beginning to the completion of construction and beyond. Many of the borrowers I have worked with over the years have said, “without the assistance and guidance from Big Man, I would have made critical, and possibly fatal financial mistakes.”

You will undoubtedly conclude from the video that Wes and Keith are passionate and knowledgeable car wash experts and believe that integrity is the guiding principle for everything they do.  The borrowers SBA-Capital provides financing to constantly make comments that “Big Man is certainly trustworthy and always quick to share any thoughts, small or large, that will make our Car Wash investment more successful.”

Footnote: This blog is written based on what Big Man Washes does in the area they serve, primarily Texas, and Oklahoma. Readers of this blog throughout the U S should contact their local Select Service Organization  for the equipment they prefer and develop a working relationship with their Select Service Organization  of choice; it will become a win, win for both parties.

Big Man Washes  is one of the premier Select Service Organization s for Sonny’s  CarWash Factory  , and Sonny’s is the largest manufacturer of Car Wash Equipment in the World. Wes Dawson and Keith Stewman are part of a dedicated professional Big Man Washes team that maintains a personal, corporate culture that focuses on ethics, teamwork, and delivery of solutions.

Wes Dawson, Founder and President of Big Man Washes grew up in a small West Texas town where everyone was well acquainted. With loving and supportive parents and family, plus the small-town environment, Wes learned at a young age the value of friends, integrity, and everyone working together for the benefit of all.

After graduating from college, Wes formed a company to provide construction service to the car wash industry. His company consisted of a pick-up truck, a few hand tools, and he was the only employee. Wes never thought about the possibility of failing because that was never an option in the environment in which he grew up. Wes simply concentrated on one person taking care of one customer at a time. Today, the one pickup truck has been replaced by a fleet of vehicles and Big Man Washes has a team of dedicated employees to service customers.

Robert Rodriguez, the proud owner of a Big Man Wash in South Texas, said he could have gone broke without the guidance of Wes and Big Man when he started the process of designing his first Car Wash. I asked for an explanation, and Robert responded with the following quotes:

1. Wes is incredibly savvy with so much knowledge about the car wash industry.
2. He has the foresight to see when you are about to make a mistake and the knowledge to take corrective action before it happens.
3. His plans and specs were well documented, allowing the sub-contractors to give us better bids because vendors knew what was to be done allowing the vendor to bid the work properly plus it allowed us to complete the work correctly the first time without having to do change orders. I estimated this saved us over $100 K on the cost of construction and the lack of change orders allowed construction to stay within budget and on schedule.
4. Our wash has been open for 14 months, and the Pro Forma provided by Big Man is right on target. My wife and I are excited and hope to build four more washes over the next ten years.
5. We are so pleased with Big Man we will not use anyone else in the future.

Car Wash investors, like Robert, will benefit if you select and work with the Car Wash Select Service Organization  in your area that best fits your needs.

BIG MAN CAR WASHES EXPERT TEAM AVAILABLE TO ASSIST ALL CUSTOMERS

Keith Stewman: Keith is Director of New Business Development & Training at Big Man Washes He works daily with car wash investors, designers, and construction to make the investor’s car wash dreams become a reality. With 28 years of experience in the Car Wash industry, Keith understands how to “LISTEN TO THE INVESTOR” and advise them if their plan will provide a good ROI (Return on Investment). If not, Keith will make recommendations for the investor to consider.

Keith’s First meeting with the car wash investor: During the first meeting with potential car wash investors, Keith explains the negatives about the Car Wash business. If the investor responds, “I have already thought of all the negatives and I want to move forward.”  Keith will then emphasize that ROI will be the guiding force going forward. If the existing car wash or the new ground up the investor is considering does not meet the expected ROI, the investor must move on to the next opportunity. Another common mistake is falling in love with the property. If Keith’s site analysis says the site grades out poorly the investor must move on to a site that has a fair ROI.

Keith will provide price range examples in the first meeting for different washes and suggest the investors contact Hershel Pierce, with SBA-Capital regarding being pre-approved for their loan and Veronica Atlee regarding land acquisition for the wash.

Car Wash loans provided by SBA-Capital: Hershel visits with the investor by phone or email to review the options available for financing their Car Wash. The most common question is will you pre-approve me for a loan at no charge or obligation, assuring me the loan will be available when needed, and the answer is yes. SBA-Capital goes into detail regarding how much cash equity is required, if any, (see website for details) and when is it payable during our first conversation.

Our first conversation is devoted to answering questions the borrower may have. Each Car Wash Investment is different, and each borrower has different needs we will address before the borrower can make an educated decision regarding which loan is best for their Car Wash.

Loans are available to purchase an existing car wash as is, purchase an existing car wash at a certain price plus add a specific dollar number for minor or major renovation and Loans are available to construct a new car wash from the ground up. SBA-Capital also has a “Car Wash Improvement loan, from $100 K to $800 K” for renovation plus the loan can be used to expand an existing wash.

Terms for Loans with Real Estate are typically for 25 years. Equipment loans typically do not exceed ten years unless the equipment is part of a construction loan.  We quote Interest at market rate on the day you call SBA-Capital.

Site selection by Veronica Attlee: Veronica has a licensed real estate brokerage for Texas and assists car wash investors, developers, and existing car wash operators in either finding sites to build from the ground up or buy (or sell) existing car washes throughout Texas.

Veronica is well-versed with site requirements for a car wash, including the development process and typical city requirements, such as zoning, special use permits, and city council meeting due process.

With limited qualifying sites, it’s important to be able to quickly contact the sites – with the least amount of risk to allow for all these processes – which she is very knowledgeable with.

Alternatively, since there is a shortage of good qualifying sites, more investors are purchasing existing washes, installing new equipment, and remodeling the structure if necessary. In this case, the investment can be lower, and the turnaround time to revenue will obviously be a lot quicker than a ground up project.  Veronica is available at 972-886-8357 or veronica@attleerealty.com

Services provided by Big Man Washes (Select Service Organization) during design and construction:

The following services by Big Man Washes are listed only as an example of the services they provide in Texas and Oklahoma. SBA-Capital, a Nationwide lender, encourages our borrowers throughout the U S to work with their local Select Service Organization and become acquainted with the services your Select Service Organization provides. Number one below is the only service your Select Service Organization must offer because the lender requires this data. If your Select Service Organization does not provide this information, you can engage a third-party company to provide a Feasibility report.

• Big Man Washes provides an invaluable financial analysis of the location, traffic study, demographics of the area, and Pro Forma for the investor and lender showing projected Gross and Net income. The lender will not consider the loan until they have a Pro Forma created by a company that has a data bank and history of supplying Car Wash Pro Formas over a period of years.
• Car Wash Design & Construction Services are available.
• Car wash Additions and Remodeling.
• In house Architectural Service to provide a “quick site plan layout of a proposed car wash on a potential lot,” the investor is considering purchasing. Speed is often important when the land seller has several offers on the property which are common in today’s market.
• General Contractor to provide line item cost and do a turn key project for the investor.
• Full-time master plumber and electrician on staff for emergency service to minimize down time for the operating Car Wash.
• An Authorized Select Service Organization for Sonnys equipment and all the associated benefits.
• Car Wash classes available to investors.
• Big Man Washes provides chemical supplies plus maintenance and repairs for car wash investors.
• Comprehensive solutions, large or small, for Car Wash investors.
• Consulting