Starting a Laundry Business
We live on the run, with no time to take care of the house or ourselves. Therefore, we require companies to provide us with the services that we need but cannot take care of. At the same time, we have to look presentable and scented, which is ruined if our clothes do not accompany our neat look. On the other hand, the curtains, the sheets, the bedspreads are silently impregnated with dust and dirt and our washing machines do not have the space to contain them. In addition, all types of garments should not be treated and handled in the same way, since their material is different and some may be more delicate or complex to treat than others. It is then that opening a laundry becomes a profitable business, because it offers a solution to a solidly installed need.
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Keywords: Requirements to open a laundry
Who will be my customers if I decide to open a Laundromat?
First group: When you open a clothes laundry, you will be frequented by a certain sector of the market on a regular basis and by another more sporadic one. In the first group, that is to say the regular customers, you will have single men who do not have a washing machine, either because they have just moved in on their own or because they are not directly interested in learning how to handle it and take care of the laying out and ironing of the clothes and linen.
Second group: We refer to those clients who will visit you once in a while, there are those housewives who, their washing machine broke or broke down and are in those days of waiting while they get it fixed, or they have to wash something that does not fit in their washing machine, such as curtains, quilts, among others. However, we can also identify a third group that buys the service infrequently and usually does so to request the washing of special garments, such as formal suits, dresses, jackets and garments made of delicate material, among others.
What do customers expect from a Laundromat?
When you decide to open your own Laundromat and in general, any other business, it is very important that you ask yourself this question: What is expected from me, and from what I am offering or will offer? In this way you will be able to put yourself in the shoes of the customer and understand what is expected at a general level, through what you need to implement and use, and thus, be able to project yourself and offer that to your customers. But the work does not end there. Offering what customers need today, is not enough (without the main operational qualities), you must give more, surprise the public, present new services and offer discounts and promotions that will not want to reject, because these are just some of the examples of innovation and customer loyalty more important.
Basically, whoever delegates this kind of everyday tasks to a third party (to you), expects there to be:
Promptness: We live in a hurry and so we want to get the issues resolved. So organize your time and your teams to be able to deliver what is requested on the day. Two possible solutions are: open more hours and buy one or two more teams.
Tidiness: Three points cover this factor: cleanliness, perfume and ironing. You must deliver clothes that look new, so not only washing is what you will have to do, but also ironing and delivering the clothes better than the customer is expecting.
Precautions and material to open a Laundry
It may seem very obvious, but it is still important to clarify that you must take certain precautions with the colours and materials of the garments.
Color: Avoid mixing white or light-colored clothing with colored clothing (due to this wrong process, the clothing may become faded or stained).
Materials: The wool cannot be washed with hot water nor can it be spun (shrink). Also take into account other types of material such as leather, synthetic hair, among others, which require a special cleaning treatment.
Reversal of Laundry Assembly
To open a laundry you will need to make a large investment in washing machines, which will not be common (otherwise you will not be able to get the padding and curtains that the neighbor will bring you to wash). There are loan systems in banks or other financial entities that will allow you to open a laundry, for which you must present a detailed and meticulous business plan, explaining what you want to buy, for what and how much you calculate to recover monthly.
What is a business plan to set up a Laundry?
It basically consists of a guide that outlines the path our business will follow. In this document it is incorporated from the objectives that we set with the operation, the name of the company,
the mission, vision, among others. Even the marketing strategies we will use to finally launch the laundry to the market. Among the most important components of a business plan is also the amount of investment needed.
The figure depends on the material needed that we have quoted according to the conditions of the premises and the capacity we have, for example. Let’s take a look at what you need to consider in the tangible area in order to have an approximate initial investment figure:
Legal permits: Like any other business, it will be necessary to register our laundry with the respective regulatory bodies where we obtain certificates and other documents necessary to operate according to the law for new businesses. Because each city, country and region has different procedures and documents. Therefore, it will be necessary for you to go to the entity in your area of location to obtain all the information you need about this type of procedure.
Premises: It is not necessary that the premises are very big to open a laundry, but it is necessary that they are prepared to drain the machines and that the power of electric energy resists, or it is simple to adapt so that it resists the use of several machines working at the same time, and several of them in hot temperature.
Regarding the location: you must take into account that, preferably, you must look for a place where the competition is not close by (i.e. other laundries or businesses offering similar services) and which is also visible to pedestrians and a large part of your potential public.
Iron: You should have the manual (several in case they break) for small garments and the one used for vertical ironing, since this type of machine facilitates the ironing of certain garments that require it the most. (Be careful with the temperature and the different textures, please!, you don’t want to deliver a garment in bad condition, burned and ruined when ironing).
Raw materials: A good soap and an even better scented fabric softener are two of the most important products in your laundry. You must be careful to always count on them and not run out of stock, as they will be the fuel of your business. This investment, although initial, will be permanent, becoming one of your fixed expenses.
Personnel: Starting with one or two people would be very good, since you will not have to pay for more people and less if you are starting. With the growth of the business the demand will increase and in this sense not only the material, but also the number of people working with you, so expand your laundry business, according to the demand of your public.
Advertising: This is one of the most important aspects of gaining customers and recognition for our business. The ideal is to emphasize mainly on traditional advertising, i.e. flyers, billboards, business cards, among others. Since our laundry will be physically located. However, in spite of this, you should not leave aside digital advertising, which is the one that goes on social networks and websites to promote your laundry and who knows, maybe you start with the home laundry service with people who are physically far away from the premises.
Requirements to start a laundry business
Firstly, to have a physical platform, this space should be sufficient to have various household washing equipment such as automatic washing machines and dryers.
Second, you need to have all the legal paperwork up to date, such as business permits and registration.
Thirdly, acquire the automatic washing equipment for the clothes, these must be several and must have a large capacity so that the equipment does not suffer, presenting short term damage from constant use.
Advantages of having a laundry business
Once the investment has been made and the infrastructure has been set up, everything is very simple. You only have to wait for the traffic of users who will enjoy the service you provide, taking into account the fluctuation of the business you will see constant profits.
If you live in a foreign country, you may have important expenses in terms of services so if you want to save a little in electricity and water bills you can use the services of your washing business.
This is a much sought-after service, especially by single, independent people who do not have laundry equipment or do not have a genuine interest in washing and ironing their personal clothes, so they rely heavily on this type of business.
Laundry business success stories
A standard success story of this business is to see it set up and running, this type of business is very common so there are no famous businesses in a good way about this area.
One the Successful laundry is the one located in the corner of Magdalena Diez, in Madrid, which has 4 washing machines and two dryers available for the washing and maintenance of personal clothing, its constant opening and service has proven that this business is a clear success story in professional washing.
Possible difficulties that can arise in a laundry company
One of the main problems you have to avoid in the processes you carry out in your laundry is for example the discoloration of fabrics caused by the use of water in high temperatures, as well as documents or papers left on the garments and combination of colored garments with white ones. Although it is the customer’s responsibility to leave items on the garments, it is not too much to look at them to rescue any items that have been left in the pockets and that may also cause damage to the machines we use for cleaning them.
Keys to a successful laundry
In addition to the relevant check on the garments, it is necessary that if you do not have knowledge or you want to reinforce it, you should inquire about the process that should be followed in your laundry for the treatment of certain garments. A good way to do this is to look for resources on the Internet, workshops or approach a laundry with experience in the market, to learn about basic and specific aspects that will be of great help throughout the process of your laundry business.