Sparkle Lane Business Plan — Site Selection

The criteria that decide whether a wash site works: traffic, visibility, water and drainage, rent and what disqualifies a location.

Site Selection

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Criterion

Target

Why

Zoning

Confirmed in writing before any commitment

Many residential areas do not permit a commercial car wash. This is a binary constraint

Water and drainage

Municipal connection adequate for the recycling plant; stormwater separation possible

Retrofitting compliant drainage into an unsuitable site is prohibitively expensive

Rent as a share of projected revenue

Under 16%, absolute ceiling 20%

Modelled at 20.8% of mature revenue. Car washes need space, and space in a good location is expensive

Dwell opportunity

Adjacent to a shopping centre, office node or gym

Customers leave a vehicle for 40 to 90 minutes. Somewhere to go while waiting converts a maybe into a yes

Visibility and access

On a route already travelled, with easy in and out

Car washing is an impulse and convenience purchase

Security

Enclosed, controlled, camera-covered

Customers are handing over a vehicle and their keys. Perceived security is part of the product

The rent criterion deserves particular attention because the plan sits above its own target. Rent runs at 20.8 per cent of mature site revenue against a stated ceiling of 20 per cent, which reflects the dwell and visibility requirements above: the sites that satisfy those criteria are expensive, and a cheaper site that fails them will not reach the modelled throughput. The trade is deliberate, but it means rent negotiation at each lease is worth more to this business than almost any operating improvement available afterwards.

Next section8. Unit Economics