A Perth teenager with dreams of becoming a professional footballer has launched his own business after learning how to valet cars on YouTube.
Mark Stewart, 18, set up Car Valet Perth at the end of January having gained a following on social media through posting images of his work.
He learned the trade through YouTube and practiced on family members’ cars for years until he was ready to take the venture forward.
Now he is running his own mobile interior detailing business covering all of Perthshire and has taken on two additional valets.
He explained: “We spend three, four or five hours on the interior.
“Others do both interior and exterior and don’t spend as much time inside.
“We make it look like it is fresh out of the show room.
“I got quite a lot of advice from other people and spent countless hours watching videos on YouTube; you can get all the information there that you would otherwise need to pay for.
“I then added my own twist to things with the designs we do on the carpets in the cars.”
Mark, who lives in Perth with his family, started posting on Instagram at the end of January and his follower count has since risen to more than 2,000.
He is available throughout the day for bookings, often starting work at 8.30am and not finishing until 6pm.
Perth car valet business ‘on the side’ to make way for football
The former potato factory worker at Branston in Abernethy is currently completing a full-time HND course at Perth College UHI in fitness, strength and exercise.
But his dream is to become a professional footballer and he trains twice a week.
He said: “I work four or five days and then the two others are self-employed and help me, so we run seven days a week.
“My course is three days a week and then I train for football as well, so I don’t really get a rest.
“My dream is to be a footballer, my goal was to fit football-playing in.
“I will keep building the business on the side, keep working away and try to get to the top of the game.”
Mark is cleaning cars for sporting heroes
Mark has already merged his two passions with success cleaning cars for several St Johnstone players and members of the Scotland rugby team.
“It’s through a friend of a friend doing work at the stadium,” he said.
“I’m a St Johnstone fan and it’s great to go down there and work there, see the players coming out.
“It’s great doing something you enjoy every day; you enjoy going to work.
“My advice to others is just keep working hard, you will benefit from it.”
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