Find out how he trains his staff and what the pay scales are. This will narrow your thinking and assist you in making choices for your own marketing strategies. What holds true for the guy down the street holds true for operators in other states or cities. Remember, in creating a sustainable business, you need to tap every available resource. Carwash operators are far more open in other cities than they are in your own backyard.
Trade publications are another window to the world.
They do an excellent job of informing us of trends and industry developments. Over my many years in this business, trade publications have been my most widely used tool in developing marketing plans. Every month there is a new case study or report about what operators are doing and how well they are doing it. Many times after reading these articles, I put together lists of locations to visit and things to do. Once you have collected all the historical and current data possible, you can begin to put together your plan.