Meet Rich Chapman
When you first meet Rich Chapman, owner of Chapman’s Mobile Detailing, he immediately hands you one million dollars. Needless to say, I am astounded—by his creativity. The million-dollar bill is his business card.
The faux bill diminishes my dream of a million-dollar shopping spree, but instead initiates an interesting chat with Rich about his own dream of creating his business, which he fulfilled about ten years ago.
Rich’s business was inspired by a single product DRI WASH ‘n GUARD® to which he was introduced at a family reunion. “I was with my wife’s family and one of her cousins walked over and cleaned half of my windshield,” Rich says. “On the way home it started to rain, but I didn’t know it until my wife said to turn the wipers on; on her side you couldn’t see through and on my side you could.”
Amazed by the results of the product, he decided to become involved with its sales. A few years later, he was looking for full-time work and decided to start his own business. “I was working as a painter with a friend of mine, and he decided to retire and give up the business,” Rich says. “I said, ‘Well, if I’m going to do something on my own, I’d better do it right now or I’m going to be working for someone for the rest of my life.’”
Motivated to create a business where he could integrate the DRI WASH ‘n GUARD product with his desire to be self-employed, Rich decided to pursue a career in mobile detailing and paint touch-ups. He has never looked back, he claims. “When I left the painter’s, the time had come when I wanted to work for myself,” he says. “It started as a way to make money, but now I enjoy it so much that I probably wouldn’t do anything else.”
His Challenges
One challenge Rich faces in his business is making sure people are aware of what mobile detailing entails. Some people call Rich asking for services such as painting pinstripes on a vehicle, he says. This, however, is not a service that he offers.
Mobile detailing involves a thorough cleaning of a vehicle, including its interior and exterior. Rich promises that when he works on a vehicle, he gets it to look as close to showroom condition as possible. He also advises that proper and regular detailing of a vehicle is beneficial to its long-term condition.
“It may still get dirty, but if I put a good hard surface on there, it’s just dirty; it’s not doing any damage to the paint,” Rich claims. “I can extend the life of the finish.” Rich recommends getting a full detail, interior and exterior, at least twice a year. He suggests washing and waxing your vehicle about every two to three weeks.
Rich uses the term vehicle when discussing his business, because he does not detail cars only. He also details boats, semi-trailers, buses, motor homes, mobile homes, jet skis and even airplanes!
What He Offers
Rich offers the ultimate convenience to his customers by going to them instead of having them come to him. “I go to their homes, I go to their work, I’ve even done some in the parkades downtown,” Rich says. “Everything I need is in my van, so I just park my van and drive the car next to it.” Rich also works out of his customers’ garages or out of his garage in North Liberty when the weather fails to cooperate.
With this convenience also come many options for Rich’s customers. While some customers leave their vehicles with Rich and jet off to tend to other matters, others prefer to monitor Rich’s progress. “I’ve had one guy put a lawn chair out and sit and watch me the whole time; it’s just whatever you want to do,” he states.
Rich can be so mobile with his business because he uses very little water when working. “The product was designed to save water,” Rich says. “Only one percent of the earth’s water is drinkable, and that number is going down as the population increases. Eventually, there are going to be wars over water.”
Is Rich an environmentalist? “Oh, you might say that,” he says. “I recycle; I’ve always believed in that. I don’t want to put anything in the ground that doesn’t belong there.”
Although Rich claims that his friends think he is crazy for enjoying detailing people’s vehicles, Rich finds that his work gives him a sense of accomplishment. “I see what (a vehicle) looks like before I start, and I see what it looks like after I’m done, and it makes me feel good,” he smiles. “Plus, I get paid for it.” Rich currently offers his services to customers living in Linn, Benton, Johnson, Iowa, Cedar and Jones counties.
The Future
Rich plans to eventually expand his business to cover more counties in Iowa and possibly to cover areas of Illinois. “I have these dreams in the back of my head to get a fleet of cars, to have seven or eight people detailing and me just managing them,” Rich says. Presently, Rich is satisfied working alone, with the occasional associate for big jobs. “I thoroughly enjoy this,” he says. “I look forward to it. I wake up in the morning ready to go, even on rainy days.”
Rich stays on top of new trends in mobile detailing by surfing the Internet and attending trade shows and detailing conventions. He also is a member of various professional organizations including Business Network International (BNI), Reflections Mobile Detailing Association, and Professional Detailers Technologists Association (PDTA).
“Business Network International is a group of business people that get together and trade referrals back and forth,” Rich says. “I carry the cards of all the people that are in my chapter and if I find somebody that needs one of their services, I can pass out their card.” Likewise, other BNI members do the same for Rich.
Rich knew about BNI prior to starting his business, but never had a reason to join, he says. Now, he is glad that he did. “This last year was my best year ever, and I attribute that to BNI,” Rich states. “Word of mouth marketing is the best way to go.”
For more information on Chapman’s Mobile Detailing Contact Us or call 319-396-1062.
By Lisa Lucas, Women's Edition, March 2005
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