This week’s Business Spotlight is Stay Classy Mobile Detailing, San Diego’s premier auto detailing service. Jose is the founder of Stay Classy and uses the Handlr mobile business management platform for daily operations. We asked him a few questions on his journey of starting the business.
How did you start your business?
I started this business out of a childhood passion and love for the automobile as well as seeing a demand in the market for mobile detailing services in San Diego County. My father was a professional mechanic of over 40 years and passed along his automotive passion to me at a very young age. We owned as many as five cars at one time, never less than three, and we would routinely keep all of them in top-notch condition inside and out. As I grew up and had different types of vehicles, I developed an obsession for keeping cars looking great and finding better and faster ways to keep cars clean all year long. This passion along with having an educational background in business and a customer service skill set allowed me bring this amazing mobile detailing service to San Diego County residents.
What was your biggest struggle in the process?
The biggest struggle was getting adjusted to the physical effort required to wash and detail cars 6-7 days a week after having worked for years in front of a computer in a cozy ergonomic office chair.
What’s one product/business tool you can’t live without?
My cell phone and laptop. They are the central hub to all the communication and transactions that take place, with everything related to this business.
What’s your favorite inspirational quote?
“Don’t get it right, just get it started”
Which historical person do you most look up to?
I currently look up to Elon Musk and the business innovations he is creating in the electric-automotive industry.
If you could be an animal, what would you be and why?
I would be an Eagle simply because I have a passion for flying ( I have a private pilot license), and Eagles breathe the freshest air, enjoy uncrowded spaces, and have the best views of the landscape.
What does your typical weekday look like?
My alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. and I am off for a morning jog around my neighborhood. After packing lunch for the wife and daughter, I drop off my daughter at her Nanny and by 8 a.m. I am off to my first detailing appointment or tackling a business task for the day. By 6:00 p.m. I am usually headed home to have dinner with my family, and usually spend the last few hours of the day engaged in activities with my daughter and wife until bedtime.
What’s your favorite business hack?
Delegating and/or outsourcing business processes via crowd-sourcing.
Where do you see your business in 5 years?
In 5 year we will have dominated the San Diego County market in our industry and will carry this momentum to other markets in the United States.
