When it comes to cost versus convenience, many consumers opt for convenience.
For Michael Louwelle Uy, saving time seems to have universal appeal. Whether the customers go for shopping, meet someone over lunch or just watch a movie in cinemas, they can park their vehicle at any vacant parking space and Xooom Autospa can clean it on the spot with little to no-mess in the parking area using eco-friendly, water-based cleaning solution.
Uy, 33, is a registered nurse in the Philippines who flew to Australia to seek opportunities with his wife. He became a factory worker and a caretaker until he landed in a marketing firm.
Being an introvert, he found it hard to do sales with different types of people. Uy then developed his sales skillset which changed his perspective completely in marketing and running a business.
In 2016, the couple returned home to Cebu with the idea of putting up a similar business where he was working with before. No one seemed to believe him, including his wife.
With little reputation and money, Uy bought a small inventory of similar products—waterless carwash spray—from a local supplier to start his water-saving initiative. He began searching for prospects, door-to-door, and businesses-to-businesses.
Uy joined a car show event in October 2016 for the ‘Big Boys’ that validated his business concept and created a specific niche.
He focused on educating his customers about the product through demonstration while introducing a new revolutionizing concept in car cleaning. His products were sold out.
The business became greasy when Michael’s partners got access to his suppliers, betrayed, and even poached his sales team. However, he was able to find a new supplier and started from experience, rather than starting from scratch again.
He focused on the legalities of the business to include contracts, hit and missed things through ventures, and attended events and car shows. In 2017, Uy decided to explore the carwash service and joined DTI’s Kapatid Mentor Me Program in 2019.
“The KMMe program taught me to humble myself and look up to someone.”
Because of the pandemic in 2020, the business model pivoted primarily to home servicing as customers most likely stayed at home and developed a professional booking system through the website.
Xoooom Autospa now has eight branches in the Philippines with the ninth branch underway in Hawaii, USA via franchising.
Uy’s long-term goal is to make Xooom as the eco-friendly household name in the mobile car wash industry beyond clean and shines.