What are small business owners and sole traders spending to make their businesses run smoothly week to week? In this article series, What I’m Spending, Kochie’s Business Builders walks in the shoes of unique business owners to find out their expenses, how they manage them, and what drives them each day.

Syed Bokhari runs three businesses offering commercial cleaning and car detailing.

My business is …

I have three businesses: Car Detailing Guru – Melbourne and cleaning company Bite Da Smut, plus a franchise that I own from Jim’s Car Detailing Division.

The concept of having all the three businesses central to the idea of specialised industry cleaning was to be a one-stop shop for my valued customers for works that require specialised equipment and skills. This could entail anything starting from their vehicles to some of their expensive investments such as carpets, windows, brick work and inside floorings.

The most interesting experience has been the manner in which customers actually describe their jobs. It never stops from amusing me the way some of the customers describe their vehicles as fairly clean and yet in reality it’s the opposite. And at the same time when they think it’s dirty you wonder if they’ve even ever used their car or just bought it.

Either way, we try to balance our customers’ expectations which is truly interesting and challenging.

My average monthly business expenses are…

On average my monthly expenses are approximately $2000. Considering the business is mobile, I believe fuel expenses top the list in biggest expenses.

The most used product in our inventory is the top-quality, all-purpose cleaner and special microfibre cloths which are never used twice on my customers’ cars.

My general overheads are…

On average the monthly expenditure on rent, internet and payrolls are approximately $1800 which varies throughout the year, due to the fact that we hire casual contractors and not full-time or part-time staff.

My staff headcount is …

I have approximately five part-time contractors who bring a wide range of skillsets to my team.

My beautiful wife Asifa Jafri, being the co-owner, brings in her expert customer service management skills, and we have others who manage the website SEO and on-field operations.

One thing most people don’t know about me is …

Most people are not aware of the fact that I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication engineering and that I have two patents published in IP Australia regarding wireless distribution technologies.

Even though I work very much as a tradie, at the same time I love the subject of my education, which acts like vanilla ice cream on top of Belgian chocolate. It means I never get bored.

Cleaning specialist Syed Bokhari.

3 tips for businesses about managing cashflow and expenses:

1. Always decide between good expenses (ones that help you in tax returns and increase assets) and bad expenses (unnecessary recurring expenditures that spoil your balance sheet).
2. Always be open to ideas which can improve your work quality or even time spent on a specific task. If your thinking becomes stagnant, consider it’s the beginning of the end for your business.
3. It’s always good to have a credit line for potential unplanned business expenses, however it kills your cashflow. Strike a balance in both!

I use hummpro as my business’s operational insurance. I’m covered so if my work vehicle, trailer or specialised machines broke, I wouldn’t need to sacrifice on other private needs.

I also use hummpro to buy equipment like cleaning supplies and chemicals because you can use it anywhere.

The best part of my job is …

I meet wonderful people every day, to help them with what I love and get paid for it. Plus, they don’t stop thanking me!

The music that gets me going for the day is …

Tunes from the late ’80s and ’90s. One particular song is ‘I Believe’ by R Kelly.

Thanks for sharing, Syed.

Check out hummpro’s ‘business now, pay later’ offering to see how they can help you manage your cashflow, including access to up to $30k, unsecured, and flexible repayment options.

To apply for a hummpro account, download the hummpro app from Google Play or the Apple App store, and follow the steps.

This content is brought to you by Kochie’s Business Builders in partnership with hummpro.

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