In 2005 Australia was gripped by drought and Australian drivers were stranded. Water restrictions in most states meant car owners could no longer pull out the trusty garden hose to wash their vehicles. To wash a car at home required about nine frustrating buckets of water and splashing water over a car didn’t have the pressure to lift grit, the volume to properly remove suds or the spray pattern to tidy up the wheels.
Start of a Business Idea
“This was too frustrating,” says business owner Ian Godwin, “I thought, there has to be a better way to wash a car that’s legal and water efficient.”
In 2005 Ian started developing a 12V high pressure low flow pump inside a compact tank. In 2007 the prototype was ready enabling a car to be washed in just two buckets of water providing users with a convenient and efficient way to wash a car at home.
Home Made Carwash – Wash me
Ian’s wife, Miriam Tulevski, who has a background in sales and marketing, encouraged the initial production run. “If we can’t get retail support I’ll sell them to Bondi Markets,” she recalls saying.
The product was launched at a major car show in June 2007 and by 2009 it had distribution in Australia’s premium auto outlets including Repco, Autobarn and Super Cheap Auto.
We started winning awards. Car Cube was voted best-in-class by Choice magazine – Australia’s leading independent consumer magazine. Smart Approved WaterMark awarded it 2009 Product of the Year.
Since then, the business expanded into car care accessories under the name Car Cube sold at Big W and Auto One and Wash Me!, a ranged positioned as high performance and low fuss. We also do premium private label car care products.
“We want Wash Me! to be Australia’s best value car care range” says Miriam. “Parts of the range are already available at Woolworths and Retail Adventures.”
“Of course it can be challenging working with your spouse but we’re a strong fit. Our skills are quite different so in business we complement each other. He’s more technical and operational while I’m more business development and strategy. We share a passion for great quality and excellent value and bring this passion to the products we create and supply for our customers,” says Miriam.
Guest article part of the “New small business start up series”
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