Randy Roblero, 22 and “The Mobile Office” – Photo: CNBC
A van painted red and blue stands outside the one-story home of the Randy Roblero family. The name Beyond Limits of Palm Beach is written on the body of the car – a mobile car service business in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
It was also the office of the Roblero. Inside are equipment for cleaning and refurbishing vehicles: generator, 380-litre water tank, car washer, vacuum cleaner, fabric trimmer and cleaning products.
Six days a week, starting at 7:30 a.m., 22-year-old Roblero drives trucks to customers’ homes to clean and care for cars.
Due to family circumstances as well as his own desires, Randy decided to drop out of college and go to work early – Photo: CNBC
Roblero started washing cars at the age of 18. After buying a van in 2022, he actually got the “courage” to start his own business. share with cnbc On achieving mastery, he said that he is young, even if he fails, he still has time to start again.
At least so far, the young man hasn’t regretted his decision to quit his 20 USD/hour job at an aircraft repair company.
In 2022, he earned $51,000 from the new job. In 2023, Roblero got more subscribers and started earning from YouTube videos as well. She’s on track to earn $77,000, nearly double the $41,000 salary from her old job.
From a Side Job to Self-Employment at 18 with a Car Wash
Randy Roblero washing cars for customers – Photo: CNBC
Coming from a poor family, Robellero worked several jobs to earn money while still in school. From his father’s point of view, he felt bored with his salaried job.
With great effort, Randy’s father bought him a used Nissan Altima. After a brief cleanup, he used the car to deliver pizzas to the affluent island of Palm Beach, where Donald Trump has his main residence. As a result, he gets a lot of tips, often more than 100 USD for a few hours’ work.
Roblero also went to college, but “I realized school wasn’t for me. I’m a more practical person, preferring to go out and do real work”. So, he applied for a job at an aircraft repair company, but always intended to start a car cleaning business, inspired by his Nissan.
In May 2020, he spent $2,500 of his savings on supplies, setting up a social network account to advertise his company.
Early success, but heavy burden
Randy Roblero at work – Photo: CNBC
In the first few months about a quarter of Roblero’s customers were acquaintances, neighbors. The rest came from people who knew him through social media. These people do publicity to help him get more customers.
Despite attracting a large number of visitors, Roblero is still learning the basics of running a business.
“I didn’t know the price, so I kept the price very low at first,” Roblero said. Currently, he charges $120 for a car wash and $350 for a “full option”.
In 2022, he officially quit his job and bought a van for $8,000, adding another $2,500 to upgrade the equipment. In 2023, he opened a YouTube channel and shared behind-the-scenes videos.
Videos have become an unexpected source of income. By the end of 2023, Roblero is expected to earn over USD 77,000, of which YouTube revenue accounts for around USD 18,000.
Randy’s “office” is filled with cleaning equipment – Photo: CNBC
People admire Roblero’s energy even more when his father passes away in 2021, leaving him with the burden of earning money. They spent most of their savings on the treatment of their father’s illness, the landlord took back the apartment, the family had to move to another place with higher rent. He said, “I have to do more work.”
Do you want to build a real car wash team?
One of Randy’s biggest expenses was buying a red Ford Mustang in 2018 for $17,000. “I wanted a nice car,” he said – Photo: CNBC
Roblero’s business earns about $6,500 per month. He reinvests around 1,500-2,000 USD per month. After taxes, her take home pay is approximately $3,200 per month.
Each month, Roblero spends more than $2,500, including rent (you pay for living expenses), food, gas, insurance, phone, digital content editing and entertainment apps, clothing, personal medical issues like dental care, and more.
Roblero rarely splurges, but he does occasionally reward himself with a bountiful meal. He has no savings as he is “focused on business”.
In the future, Roblero is looking to purchase more vans to reach more customers throughout Florida. At that point, he would become a manager and hire car wash employees.
He is very optimistic about his work and aims to build a real car wash team – Photo: CNBC
That intention follows him every day, as his goal is to earn enough so that at least his mother can “retire”.
Roblero said, “I want my family to be more stable financially,” but also “to develop myself and see what I can do.”
