When it comes to cost vs. convenience, many of us opt for the latter. For Michael, in this fast-paced world, saving time seems to have universal appeal. Whether the customer needs to go shopping, meet someone over lunch, or just watch a movie in cinemas, they can park their vehicle in any vacant parking space and Xooom Autospa offers to clean it on the spot. It promises little to no mess in the parking area using an eco-friendly and water-based cleaning solution, offering a very unique way of car cleaning.
Michael Louwelle 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 a job in a marketing firm.
Being an introvert, he found it hard to do sales with different types of people but Michael eventually developed his sales skillset, which completely changed his perspective in marketing and running a business.
In 2016, the couple returned home to Cebu with the idea of putting up a similar business with where he was working previously. No one seemed to believe in him at first, including his wife.
From having zero name, zero reputation, and little money, Michael bought a small inventory of a similar product: waterless carwash spray from a local supplier to start his water-saving initiative. He began searching for prospects, both door-to-door and businesses-to-businesses.
Michael joined a car show for the ‘Big Boys’ event in October 2016 that validated his business concept and created a specific niche.
He focused on educating his customers about his product through demonstration while introducing a revolutionizing concept in car cleaning. His products were sold out.
The business likewise became greasy when Michael’s partners got access to his suppliers and betrayed—and even poached—his sales team. Learning from experience, he was able to find a new supplier and start his business again.
He focused on the legalities of doing business to include contracts, hit and missed things through ventures, and attended events and other car shows. In 2017, Michael decided to explore carwash service and joined DTI’s Kapatid Mentor Me Program (KMMe) in 2019.
“The KMMe program taught me to humble myself and look up to someone.”
Due to the recent pandemic, his business model has pivoted primarily to home servicing, as customers most likely stayed at home, and developed a professional booking system through a website.
Xooom Autospa has eight branches in the Philippines, with the 9th branch underway in Hawaii, USA via franchising. Michael’s long-term goal is to make Xooom the eco-friendly household name in the mobile carwash industry.
Interested customers, distributors, and franchisees may reach them via their Facebook page: Xooom Autospa and Instagram: @xooom_autospa. For more information on local products and produce proudly made from Cebu, visit the DTI Cebu Facebook page.♦
Date of Release: 18 December 2020