Research pays. Prospective carwash investors and seasoned small business professionals alike will find valuable information in the library resources listed below. Resources here represent not only classic small business library books but also the best new professional carwash industry information.

While carwashing and auto detailing subjects are covered thoroughly and creatively, environmental realities driving the future conservation economy are also represented. The topics covered range from investor basics to sustaining the successful family business. But you’ll also find business plans, funding and tax advice, recommendations on equipment, location, marketing, and employee practices, and much more. Important resources below are starred. Keep in mind that for the most up-to-date information, these library books are also beneficially supplemented by regular reading of popular industry magazines, influential periodicals, and online resources such as MVExpo.com.

Book reviews for these resources are welcomed, as are suggestions for smart additions to an essential library for small business owners. Feel free to post below.

Car Care Related Resources

Chidakel, Myer R. Starting and Managing a Carwash. Washington, DC: Small Business Administration, 1967.

Circeo, Louis J. Microbial Investigation at Central Vehicle Wash Facilities. Atlanta: Georgia Institute of Technology College of Architecture, 1992.

Internal Revenue Service. Market Segment Specialization Program (U.S.): Car Wash Industry. Washington, DC: United States Department of the Treasury, 1998.

*Paisner, Marshall B. Sustaining the Family Business: An Insider’s Guide to Managing across Generations. Reading, MA: Perseus Books, 1999.

*Sandlin, Eileen Figure. Entrepreneur Magazine’s Start Your Own Automobile Detailing Business: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Success. Irvine, CA: Entrepreneur Press, 2005.

SBAO Fact Sheet. Mobile Power Washing and Environmental Regulations. Ohio EPA and the Small Business Assistance Office, 2001.

Scholze, Richard J. Central Vehicle Wash Facilities (CVWF) Solid Residuals Management, USACERL Technical Report 96/59. Champaign, IL and Springfield, VA: US Army Corps of Engineers, Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, 1996.

*Simeral, Chris. Entrepreneur Magazine’s How to Start a Car Wash: A Step-by-Step Guide to Success. 5th ed. Irvine, CA: Entrepreneur Magazine Group, 2002.

Small Business Resources

American Bar Association. Legal Guide for Small Business: Everything a Small-Business Person Must Know, from Start-up Employment Laws to Financing and Selling a Business. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2000.

Business Plans Handbook: A Compilation of Actual Business Plans Developed by Small Businesses Throughout North America. 13th ed. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Inc., 2006.

Heath, Gibson. Getting the Money You Need: Practical Solutions for Financing Your Small Business. Chicago: Irwin Professional Publishing, 1995.

Goldstein, David B. Saving Energy, Growing Jobs: How Environmental Protection Promotes Economic Growth, Profitability, Innovation, and Competition. Berkeley: Bay Tree Publishing, 2007.

J.K. Lasser Institute. How to Run a Small Business. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994.

Kanter, Rosabeth Moss. World Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.

Naisbitt, John. Global Paradox: The Bigger the World Economy, the More Powerful Its Smallest Players. New York: W. Morrow, 1994.

Price, Courtney H. 101 + Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions from Entrepreneurs. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1999.

Small Business Administration. The State of Small Business: A Report of the President Transmitted to the Congress. Washington, DC: U.S. G.P.O, annual publication.

Small Business Sourcebook. 22nd ed. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company, 2006.

Smith, Jeanette. The Advertising Kit: A Complete Guide for Small Businesses. New York and Toronto: Lexington Books, 1994.