March 17, 2023
The premise was that people looking for a sparkling clean vehicle, RV or boat would find it even better if the detailing service came to them.
With that in mind, Alex Peters launched Freedom Mobile Detailing nearly a year ago to bring detailing work right to clients’ driveways.
“I’ve always had big goals and big visions,” he said. “I want to make a positive impact on this planet, ideally by educating and encouraging our younger generation to build entrepreneurial skills and set larger-than-life goals.”
Peters, who grew up in an entrepreneurial family, has a background in property maintenance and tried several ventures before the detailing business took off – from roofing and painting to selling products on eBay and exchanging salvaged vehicles.
With Freedom Mobile, the niche is in convenience and customer service, he said. While Sioux Falls has a small number of operations offering this service, he wanted to differentiate himself by operating year-round, specializing in RVs, boats, trailers and semi-trucks.
“It’s a very satisfying career,” he said. “Our niche and our main focus is to be the largest mobile detailing operation with an excellent reputation. We are committed to staying mobile and offering the most convenient services to our customers.”
The Company provides automotive interior and exterior detailing, including heated shampoos and extractions, sanitizing steam treatments, leather and plastic conditioning and protection, as well as exterior polishing, paint correction and ceramic coating.
“We’re quickly making a name for our polishing skills,” added Peters. “We take old trucks, semis, RVs and boats from faded and oxidized to a like new high gloss finish.”
In addition to restoring the finish, he adds a ceramic coating that he says offers more than seven years of protection.
“We really enjoy working with farmers and truckers who take real pride in the fact that their equipment looks good and who really appreciate the work we do,” he said.
Here’s a look at some before and after jobs:
For now it’s Peters and one full-time employee, although he plans to increase to four full-time and some part-time as his busy season picks up.
The company initially began serving a 60-mile radius of Sioux Falls but has expanded to 90 miles based on demand, Peters said.
“We’re all over the place, from South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. We really like going to campgrounds and spending many days at the same campground driving a lot of RVs,” he said. “We even went to Okoboji, Iowa, a couple of times last year on request to build a giant RV.”
He drives 10 miles from Sioux Falls for free and then charges $2 per additional mile.
Business is year-round, with customers required to keep a vehicle in a garage, shop or shed at 45 degrees or warmer.
If the weather is above 45 degrees, “we can do it outside right in the driveway or in the parking lot,” Peters said. “We are also fully enclosed and have a large water tank and generator, so there is no need for electricity or water. We made a lot of details seemingly in the middle of nowhere.”
This year he plans to add more services to Freedom Mobile Detailing, including installing paint protection film, which can be purchased in a variety of grades and thicknesses. In addition, the company will offer mobile aluminum polishing for truck wheels, tanks and trailers.
“By polishing aluminum, your whole body remains black from oxidation, and a full-face respirator is usually required,” Peters said. “It’s tough and dirty, but due to the high demand and demand for the service, we owe it to our customers to master it so we can offer it.”
When he’s not running Freedom Mobile Detailing, Peters also has a marketing company, Dakota Marketing Solutions, which launched in late 2021. After investing in a digital marketing course, he started with a client with no online presence and a small budget.
“Since then we’ve won a lot of clients and only had great results and great reviews,” he said. It’s the most fulfilling career I’ve had and I look forward to building a team and making it what I want it to be.”
He offers free consultations and specializes in search engine optimization and backend website ranking, as well as lead generation, website development and social media management.
“I give business owners different ideas and perspectives and help them explain how to grow their online presence to increase their visibility and in turn reach more people calling them about their services,” he said. “I’m happy to give this knowledge away for free so they can implement it themselves if they wish, but often they’re busy and would rather pay a professional like me to work on it and take care of them.”
To learn more about Freedom Mobile Detailing, click here.
