Grzegorz Grabowski's interview with Adrian Grabowski - the owner of Perfect AutoColor

Adrian Grabowski is a 29-year-old owner of an auto detailing business - Perfect AutoColor. After graduation (he studied landscape architecture and production quality management) and a few years of working as a sales representative in British American Tobacco, he decided to follow his passion and open his own garage. He agreed to share some of his views and tell me a bit about his business.

1.      What inspired you to set up your own business and why did you choose auto detailing?

I’ve always been keen on cars. Running my own garage gives me the opportunity to encounter people who share the same passion and, what’s more, I can work on some very nice rides. Money was also an important factor for me but it was mainly my interest in cars that inspired me to get into auto detailing.

2.      There are lots of people with interesting ideas who decide not to set up their own businesses for fear of failure. Did you have such concerns? How did you cope with them?

I was aware of the risk I was going to take. I was a bit worried that my idea may have not worked and I could have lost some money but I was also conscious that risk is an integral part of any type of investment. Moreover, at that time I was employed in
a tobacco company, which provided me with a regular income. This made the possible perspective of losing money less troublesome and helped me embrace my worries and, eventually, try my hand at running my own business.

3.      Free market provides a wide volume of companies to a consumer. What do you think makes you stand out from your competition?

I believe my competitive advantages are high quality and relatively low prices. I also pay a lot of attention to the corporate image. I update my company’s fanpage very often to make it as appealing as possible. Adding photographs of the cars that I took care of in my garage makes my business look professional and reliable. This is how you gain trust. As far as my clients are concerned, they value my individual and careful approach to them and their vehicles, so I’d say that customer fronting is my great strength, too.

4.      What types of investments and sacrifices does running your own business require?

If you want to be successful, you need to invest in your business all the time in order to make it more and more advanced and efficient. Not only do you invest financially, but you also invest your time and energy. You usually need to sacrifice the time you could spend on having fun or being with your friends and family, especially at the beginning when you don’t have any workers who could give you a hand. Running a business also entails constant and direct responsibility for the services you offer. You’re the boss and the accountability is all yours, which can be quite stressful.

5.      What motivates you?

It is extremely rewarding if you can do something you enjoy which is related to your passion. Then motivation comes naturally. What’s more, I’m a perfectionist and I want to constantly develop, which makes me work hard every day.

6.      What are your plans for the future?

First of all, I’d like to train some workers so that I can work on my business, not in it. Having trained new workers, I’m going to expand the range of services I offer. I want to resell car cosmetics and accessories.   

7.      What do you think is more important when running a business — a detailed plan or intuition and ability to take risk?

Let’s make it straight — you may have a very good and detailed plan but if you don’t have courage to make it happen, it’s worthless. It’s just some idea. Running a business is all about shaping reality. Moreover, intuition and insight are immensely important. You need to be observant and ready to follow your gut feeling and take opportunities that may not have been taken into account in your plan.

8.      Do you have any advice for people who are thinking of setting up their own business?

Don’t be afraid. Everything that matters and has some value goes with risk. If you’re
a beginner, look for business that don’t require much seed money. Then you won’t be so afraid of loss. Don’t bite more than you can chew —  experiment, take small risks and learn from your mistakes.