Have a nice day
KEEPING your car always clean inside and out has a dramatic effect on the presentation and appearance of the car. Unclean hood, muddy rims, and dusty seats; of course all of these problems can be avoided by regularly washing your vehicle. Thus, drivers have learned not overlook the importance of a car wash, and if we’re talking about car washes, Nice Day Car Wash has been at the forefront of the industry for several years already. Managed by its hard-working chief executive officer Vince Joseph Yap, the car wash chain is a classic example of how a simple business can be immensely successful.
Vince’s dreams and interests led him to the kind of person he is today. Since he was a little child, cars and having a business was always in his dreams. His dreams did not, however, include the idea of repairing and fixing cars, since it was most about collecting them and making them shiny for a show or exhibit.
Vince grew up in a home where his mother was only the female. According to him, his mother inspired him to be a good student and a good worker. Because of this, he strove hard to study hard and graduate on time. He was also intent on starting or owning a business of his own. “Since my parents have no business, we were taught to bring our best all the times to whatever company we were working for,” he explained, saying that excellence is important in one’s work.
Printing shirts when he was young was proof of his hard work in the game called life. After graduating from a Business Administration course at the University of San Carlos (USC), he then continued to follow his dreams by taking up a Master’s in Business Administration at the University of the Philippines – Cebu College.
Managing Nice Day Car Wash did not yet happen after this; he first worked at Fedex as a sales manager. This, however, was not only his occupation; he also ventured into small businesses such as a restaurant-bar and food stalls, like he did during his younger years.
However, his dreams and interests never waned, and Vince
resigned ten years after he entered the company. “The corporate world was so rewarding, but there will be a time when you’ll have to think about running your own business to have your own time,” he added.
With this, Vince decided procure a franchise of Nice Day Car Wash in 2009, and took over the brand in 2011, last year. The thought of running a business in which he is interested in made him happy. “If you love what you are doing, it doesn’t feel like work, but play,” he declared.
The idea of Nice Day Car Wash was to provide Cebuanos with basic, yet professional carwash services such as car body waxing, paint buffing and detailing services. The employees are trained and equipped with professional tools needed for the job at hand.
Every road has its ups and downs. Vince has also stood up to the challenges he faces regarding the business.
He remembers the time when the company lacked the manpower for the operations since the business carefully chooses its employees. Since most of the operations involve handling cars which sometimes hold valuables inside, honesty and good values formation among its employees are enforced. The car washers are selected through a recommendation process before being trained thoroughly. Also, Nice Day Car Wash has its “car washers’ prayer” before meetings and operations, to remind its employees of the strong values they strive to uphold, being involved not only in this business but in life as well.
Although juggling between meetings and managing the business, he never forgets to set aside a time for himself and his loved ones. When Vince is not working on weekends, he usually reads books, plays basketball, dines out with his wife and sometimes has a massage to relieve stress. He believes that you need to balance your time for the things you love to do, and people you love, to have a happy life.
As he continues to be successful, Vince remembers, and shares with people he knows these five tips for success: 1. Always go for your dream, 2. Believe in Yourself and Be Positive, 3. Work Hard, Pray Hard, Play Hard, 4. Treat your Employees as Partners and 5. Share your blessings. Indeed, Vince Yap never fails to look back where he came from, and he thanks God every day for the blessings he received. Giving back is also important, and he does this by helping charitable organizations.
Today, the business runs strong under his leadership. Though there are around a hundred other car washes here in Cebu, Nice Day Car Wash is lucky to have the majority of the customers, and is the biggest carwash business in terms of branches in the country.
He hopes for the brand to be successful now at the national level. “We hope to bring Nice Day to other parts of the country, identify its right partners in the area and find the most strategic location,” he adds.