Not only is Thomas Turner a high school student here in Point Pleasant, but he is also an 18-year-old entrepreneur. He is the founder of his very own business, Tommy’s Mobile Detailing, which is a car detailing service. What is unique about the service is that auto detailing gets brought to the client’s house. Thomas created his detailing company after being obsessed with keeping his car clean and thought it would make a great business that he could bring to the local community.
In a podcast with the founder of CB Insights, Anand Sanwal, Thomas explains the difference between just going to a car wash and a detailing – a car wash could be harmful to your car over time and it does not get every part of the car, while the detailing deep cleans every part of your car, including the interior, and uses much more gentle tools.
Thomas had the amazing opportunity to apply for a grant. When speaking with Thomas, he explained the application process, describing that Mrs. Reed, PPBHS math and financial literacy teacher, first introduced the idea: “Mrs. Reed mentioned a grant to me and I wasn’t sure what it was until I looked into it a little bit. The application process seemed straightforward so I applied and after some Zoom calls and conversations I made it through all of their elimination rounds.”
Thomas was picked as one of the Formidable Fellowship grantee winners. He won a $1,000 grant to support his business. After winning this grant, Thomas received a lot of exposure. He was interviewed by the OceanStar and published in an article about the business and the grant. As mentioned, he was also featured on a podcast with CB Insights.
Along with gaining more exposure, Thomas markets his company by regularly posting on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. He specifically posts on Facebook to forward his posts to different local neighborhood groups. Along with social media, Thomas places flyers in the mailboxes of higher-end neighborhoods to expand his clientele. Tommy’s Mobile Detailing has earned around $3,000 since the beginning, demonstrating his role as a strategic business owner.
Tommy’s Mobile Detailing offers many services including Silver Exterior Detail ($150), Gold Exterior Detail ($230), Platinum Exterior Detail ($550), Silver Interior Detail ($150), Gold Interior Detail ($200), Silver Combo Detail ($250), Gold Combo Detail ($410).
You can find Thomas on TikTok @tommys_detailing_ , Instagram @tommys_mobile_detailing , Facebook @Tommy’sDetailin and you can book with Tommy at tommysdetails.net.
