In five years, Kent Duncan will retire. He is exploring the possibility of openi
ID: 2534854 • Letter: I
Question
In five years, Kent Duncan will retire. He is exploring the possibility of opening a self-service car wash. The car wash could be managed in the free time he has available from his regular occupation, and it could be closed easily when he retires. After careful study, Mr. Duncan determined the following:
A building in which a car wash could be installed is available under a five-year lease at a cost of $5,500 per month.
Purchase and installation costs of equipment would total $350,000. In five years the equipment could be sold for about 9% of its original cost.
An investment of an additional $8,000 would be required to cover working capital needs for cleaning supplies, change funds, and so forth. After five years, this working capital would be released for investment elsewhere.
Both a wash and a vacuum service would be offered. Each customer would pay $1.21 for a wash and $.55 for access to a vacuum cleaner.
The only variable costs associated with the operation would be 7.5 cents per wash for water and 10 cents per use of the vacuum for electricity.
In addition to rent, monthly costs of operation would be: cleaning, $4,000; insurance, $75; and maintenance, $1,975.
Gross receipts from the wash would be about $3,751 per week. According to the experience of other car washes, 60% of the customers using the wash would also use the vacuum.
Mr. Duncan will not open the car wash unless it provides at least a 10% return.
Click here to view Exhibit 13B-1 and Exhibit 13B-2, to determine the appropriate discount factor(s) using tables.
Required:
1. Assuming that the car wash will be open 52 weeks a year, compute the expected annual net cash receipts from its operation.
2-a. Determine the net present value using the net present value method of investment analysis.
2-b. Would you advise Mr. Duncan to open the car wash?
Explanation / Answer
Solution:(1): Calculation of annual net cash receipts:
WASHES:
Washes per week = Gross receipts per week ÷ payment per wash = $3751/$1.21 = 3,100
Washes per year = 3100*52 = 161,200
Total receipts from washes per year = 161200*$1.21
= $195,052
VACUUM:
Vacuum per week = 3100*60% = 1,860
Vacuum per year = 1860*52 = 96,720
Total Receipts from vacuum = 96720*$0.55 = $53,196
Total receipts per year = $195,052+$53,196 =$248,248
TOTAL CASH DISBURSEMENT:
Lease = $5,500*12 = $66,000
Cleaning = $4,000*12 = $48,000
Insurance = $75*12 = $900
Maintenance = $1,975*12 = $23,700
Electricity = 96,720*$0.1 = $9,672
Water = 161,200*$0.075 = $12,090
Total Annual cash disbursement = 66000+48000+900+23700+9672+12090 = $159,462
Total annual net cash receipts = $ 248,248-$159,462
= $88,786
Solution:(2a): Calculation of Net present value:
(2b) Since, the NPV is positive, therefore, it is advisable to open the car wash and he should invest.
Years Amount ($) Discounting factor @10% PV 1 88786 0.909 80,706.5 2 88786 0.826 73,337.2 3 88786 0.751 66,678.4 4 88786 0.683 60,640.8 5 [88786+(350000*9%)+8000] 0.621 79,665.6 Total PV 361,029(approx) Less: Initial Investment (350000+8000) (358,000) Net present value 3,029