Oil Change Guys History; Part II

Franchise companies are not born they are made and when studying the history of franchise companies, it is amazing how similar they really are. To continue this story we are in the height of the Dot Com Bubble with money flowing in Silicon Valley and personal services and labor is at a premium indeed;

Before Oil Maxx's downfall, Oil Maxx with the foresight of Mr. Winslow and the help of Lou Gurnick was a registered California Franchise poised to dominate the industry as companies like New Jersey based Oil Butler were doing. Oil Butler had already sold some 50 franchises and were getting ready to go for an IPO. Lance and Dave decided they needed very much to kick butt on the West Coast so they could dominate the market before Oil Butler could. This similar strategy was used against FleetWash, also out of New Jersey as they marched westward to attack our strong hold position in the truck fleet washing business (Truck Wash Guys) www.truckwashguy.com . Meanwhile we were advancing our Detail Guys Brand in FL with plans to move into the South East market for a foothold in the personal and corporate employee oil change market by co-branding those two brands with Oil Maxx. Mr. Winslow had been promised up until then that Oil Maxx would make good on their word to launch a nationwide franchise campaign. A quote comes to mind from the Late Vince Lombardi, that there are few willing to go the distance in the pursuit of victory, only the strong survive, it is a matter of individual will. Not everyone has what it takes.

Oil Maxx Company had worked as a perfect synergy with our washing franchised system in Silicon Valley up until then. Since we were operating in Silicon Valley we worked on perfecting our WashGuy online ordering systems as well. We eventually added a system to order car washes via customer's PDA Wireless devices during the Ricochet Rage of Venture Capital Alley. We even set up Team Yellow Automotive Services and co-marketed with other mobile services. We had spent thousands of dollars getting ready for the nationwide co-branding efforts with the Oil Maxx Company. Unfortunately after two years Oil Maxx was unable to expand much out of the Bay Area with regards to franchising. Mr. Winslow put the Co-marketing project with the Oil Maxx company on hold and looked immediately to create synergies with any Independent Mobile Oil Change Business and look for a new Nationwide Partner. Oil Maxx finally went off the air in late 2001. In franchising the death rate of new franchisors is 5:1 in the first five years.

We could not understand how they went through all their original capital after we sent them business and our local franchisee's paid part of their shop space to park our wash trucks at night as a favor to help with their start-up and operational costs. But we know from our experiences in studying franchising that only one in five franchisors survive in America due to stringent regulations. In CA the failure rate is even higher since CA is just about the worst state due to onerous regulators. In 2002 California was rated in Wall Street Journal as the worst state to do business in, with the worst anti-business regulations.

As Car Wash Guys worked through it's own growing pains, we were able to take what we had learned and use that to help us co-market with other independent mobile oil change companies across the country. Even at times substituting on-site Preventative Fleet Maintenance, Mobile Tire Service Companies and even mobile fleet alignment companies even though Oil Maxx's failure to make good on the promise.

Mr. Winslow was looking for another franchise company that had nationwide ambitions. In mid 2001 he met with a Japanese Company who had a representative living in Malibu, CA who could provide patented Oil Additives for fleet vehicles, which could expand the life of the oil interval up to 100,000 miles or so it was claimed. The Japanese firm had been using the product for 10 years in Japan and it was proven with 1 million miles worth of tests on trucks from Yellow Freight, the largest LTL Trucking company in the nation and with Roadway, years later they were merged as one company. The product was great and the North American rights were available with their main contact who was a former board member of the American trucking Association.

Mr. Winslow also met with another Nationwide Oil Additive Company representative in Reno, NV, who had come to The Detail Guys www.detailguys.com original prototype 8-Bay Detail Shop to discuss another oil additive. Their product guaranteed the engine life of any car to 150,000 miles after a certified inspection almost too good to be true. All guaranteed through Lloyd's of London. Lance thought gee whiz, I now have a product for the car dealerships, trucking industry and mom and pop. Mr. Winslow then met with people from Lucas Oil Additives and Kendall Motor Oils after trying both for over 40,000 miles each in the Blitz Mobile Command Center and Corporate Office on wheels.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

---

Face The Fear, Ladies

Okay, I'll begin by telling you that I've been divorced... Read More

Vendor Relations

Communication is the key to vendor relations. In your small... Read More

Business Development: The Basic Ingredients

Cooking isn't much different than building a business. You have... Read More

If It Was Easy Everybody Would Do It

Q: I started my business about a year ago and... Read More

The Lonely Hat: A Marketing Parable

Jones was a typical entrepreneur who worked long hours and... Read More

Pre-Money vs. Post-Money Valuation

When a company decides that it must raise capital, a... Read More

Expand Your Resourcefullness!

The success and failure for the entrepreneur is largely dictated... Read More

Envisioneering

It never ceases to amaze me. Almost everyone peers into... Read More

Hurricane Katrina, Death, and a Different Type of Entrepreneurship

I've seen terrible images today on the television and internet-bodies... Read More

16 Vital Traits Shared by All Successful Entrepreneurs

The first step in deciding whether to start a business... Read More

Entrepreneurship: Insight and Closer Look At The Entrepreneur

Life as an entrepreneur is the American Dream. To be... Read More

Goals and New Venture Creation

More and more corporate workers are leaving their jobs to... Read More

Developing A Contract

As a service provider, the most important type of "boundary"... Read More

Motivation and Commitment

Why do people start small businesses? The most frequently cited... Read More

Customers - Why Should They Buy From You?

There are a whole range of reasons why customers buy... Read More

Double Your Income Automatically

It is a common known fact that it is far... Read More

Why Most CEOs & Entrepreneurs Fail?

Times are tough. The economy is in a constant state... Read More

Could a Non-Profit Structure Be Right for Your Business?

If you have a business idea, or an idea for... Read More

Drive Website Traffic Unconventionally, Force Your Children To Do It

If you believe that every little bit helps then keep... Read More

Everything You Wanted to Know About Public Domain Info, but Were Too Afraid to Ask!

What to Look Out For:Copyright - you absolutely must check... Read More

The Heroic Entrepreneur: Profiting from Your Brilliance

If you look up the definition of hero in Webster's,... Read More

What Qualities Do Franchisors Need?

When I got into business I wanted to build a... Read More

Focus is the Key to a Successful Startup

The definition of a startup means you have very few... Read More

The Power Of Personal Environments

I've got to admit, I'm a big fan of comfort.... Read More

Rambling Confessions of a Recovering Entrepreneur

I told my family that I finally accepted that my... Read More

What Makes An Entrepreneur Tick?

It is only natural that when you start a business,... Read More

Do You Want to Just Survive or Thrive? (Part 1)

You've probably heard this, or maybe you will relate to... Read More

Starting Your Business: 3 Tips for Bootstrapping Your Way to the Top

Bootstrapping a business startup does not necessarily mean that you... Read More

Entrepreneurial Excerpt from a Speech to Small Business

Having built a business from a bucket of water and... Read More

Ex-Yankee Pitcher Pitches Barter As Powerful Business Tool

Mission Viejo, CA - June 14, 2005 - Bob Meyer,... Read More

Profile of Women Leaders

Leadership is based on two words, "pressure and support"and that... Read More

Is Running a Business for You?

Not everyone is cut out to run a business. Not... Read More

Coating Service Business Case Study

There are many coating businesses in the market today, but... Read More