AMERICAN AUTO WASH
By Coye Balok
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rowing up in Gallup has led to a natural fascination with self-serve carwashes for me. I have always marveled at the amount of time people spend washing their vehicles. There is something emotional when cleaning your car. It’s a large investment in our life, and when it is clean, we feel good about things. I also like a good business opportunity, and I am always looking.
guy to deal with. My education is in horticulture with a minor in marketing, and I took a few business classes. So, what would make me switch from plants to car washing?
A few things had to fit for this to be successful for me. 1) I have another friend who has been in the carwash business in this area for the last 20 years. I spent many hours on the phone, over lunch, and driving around the reservation looking at his washes, trying to decide if this was a good idea and if this was work I could do. He is a good source of information and Last February offered a combination of all these things for me. has been an invaluable coach, and still is, in this process. 2) I like to tinker on machines, having good knowledge of what I have always thought that successful business people are not makes things work. I have spent most of my life working with always the greatest minds, but that they have the vision to see irrigation and water which makes it even better. I was told what is needed, be willing to gamble, be willing to work hard, and have experienced that there is always something to fix or and put in the hours to get it started and keep it rolling. I was maintain at a car wash. That has proven true but this is in my told recently by a friend who is in business in Gallup: “There are people who do, and there are people who talk about doing.” skill set. 3) I am good at dealing with people. Being able to talk to strangers and help them feel comfortable spending money at your establishment can be tough. I like to visit and socialize so I was made aware that Cowboy Carwash was for sale and it comes easy to me. I meet some great people out washing their called the current owner. I have known him for a good part of vehicles. 4) My wife and I were a good investment for the bank my life; he is a man of God, and I knew he would be an honest 10
November 2018
