Legal structure for mobile auto detailing business

[cmhopkins86]

Hello entrepreneurs! I have been lurking around in this subreddit for while now and you guys have really motivated me to start my own. I am going to start my mobile auto detailing business as a hustle until it pays enough for me to quit my full-time job. I was discussing this with my friend and he suggested that I establish a legit company and get my business registered and get insurance before I start incase I accidentally damage someone’s vehicle and they sue me. I obviously want to protect my personal assets however I do not want to start filing tons of paperwork if I don’t have to. I’d like to keep things simple when I’m just starting off. Initially I thought I’m just going to accept cash and not bother going the whole 9-yards to file all the paperwork until it grows and any real money is coming in. But after talking to my friend I am curious to know what other mobile auto detailing businesses are doing to keep themselves safe legally and if they have a simple set-up that I replicate for my business? Are they all registering as an LLCs and getting insurance? Are they making their customers sign some sort of a “no liability” form before they start working on their cars? Also since I’m just starting off any advice/suggestions will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[wboarder]

@cmhopkins86 Just file the LLC and don’t get caught up in the weeds of this stage.

 

[nikoladimitrov]

@cmhopkins86 I'm starting a detailing side gig. Mostly I'm doing friends of friends, coworkers, and people who are connected with me enough to hear word-of-mouth. In my first month I did $1k of revenue and invested it mostly all back.

Before I start opening up to the general public I will file for an LLC and get insurance. It's not terribly expensive but being caught without protection could be. Luckily I have $1k in business scheduled this next two weeks including a job that's paying for my deck to be rebuilt by detailing the guy's wife's car. I did two cars for my electrician to get my garage rewired.

My best advice? Figure out how to be super thorough yet cut down on time. If I can do a truck for $250 and it takes me 6hrs with better equipment instead of 8hrs without the tools, the tools are worth buying.