LAUNDRY BUSINESS
Owning and operating a laundry business can be a worthwhile venture, as it can provide stable income with minimal risk of failure compared to other business models. Before starting your own laundry business, understanding the different types of laundry services and steps necessary for starting in the field are important for determining if it’s the right path for you. If you’re interested in starting your own business as an entrepreneur, it may be beneficial to learn about the operations that go into a laundry business to decide if the industry is a worthy option to consider for your venture.
In this article, we define the different types of laundry businesses, explain why an entrepreneur may want to start one, list some of the skills required for succeeding in the industry, provide a step-by-step guide for starting your own laundry business and offer some tips to help you get started in your laundry service career.
What is a laundry business?
A laundry business is a venture that involves providing laundry equipment or services for paying customers. There are three main types of laundry businesses:
Self-service laundromat
One of the most common types of laundry businesses is a self-service laundromat, which is a brick and mortar storefront that contains multiple washing and drying machines that clients can use for a fee. Laundromats are especially popular in larger cities, where living spaces are smaller and tend to be incapable of accommodating the space necessary for storing this machinery. With these types of businesses, the customers are responsible for keeping track of their items and often pay using coins.
Wash-and-fold laundry services
Another common type of laundry business involves the employees of the business doing the actual washing and drying of clothes for paying customers. This type of laundry business can function out of a brick and mortar storefront or out of owner’s personal residence. A typical laundry service business transaction involves the customer dropping off their laundry, after which employees wash, dry and fold the clothes before the client returns to pay and pick up their belongings.
Dry cleaner
Dry cleaning is also a common type of laundry business that involves cleaning delicate garments using chemical solutions instead of water. Dry cleaning is a popular business in high-income areas where clients may have more financial means to pay for these special services. Many dry cleaners also offer other services besides their standard washing and drying procedures, such as tailoring, folding and ironing of clothes.
Why start a laundry business?
There are several reasons people choose to start their own laundry businesses:
High demand
One of the main reasons people decide to open up a laundry business is the constant demand for clean clothes. Many people want to look presentable in their daily lives, with clean, ironed clothing being a common signal of a professional and organized life. Others simply need access to laundry machines, especially if they live in a space without in-unit washers and dryers. People are always going to want to have clean clothes, and some are willing to pay considerable prices to avoid the responsibility of washing, drying, folding or ironing their clothes too.
Easy startup
Starting a laundry business can be a relatively straightforward process. For those who want to open up a storefront, they must first find a location to rent and purchase the appropriate machinery. Many self-service laundromats can function with minimal staff, as the customers are the ones who do all of their own laundry services. If you’re running a laundry business out of your personal residence, all you need are washers, dryers, the ability to keep track of different orders and attention to the washing and drying instructions for specific garments.
Work-from-home
If you’re running your laundry business from your home, you can enjoy the benefit of not having to commute to a storefront or other work location. This can give you increased flexibility in your schedule, in which you can take care of other tasks and chores in between your laundry duties. For example, a person running a laundry services business out of their home can load a client’s laundry into the washing machine and go pick up their child from school, go to the grocery store or attend a doctor’s appointment without compromising their job.
Ability to specialize
The laundry service industry also offers entrepreneurs the ability to specialize in a distinct type of laundry. For example, there are some laundry businesses that specialize in medical laundry, which includes scrubs, white coats and healthcare linens and gowns. Others may specialize in hospitality, such as hotel bed linens, restaurant cloth napkins and employee uniforms. Specialization offers the ability to provide unique services with minimal competition, which can increase their overall revenue and stability as a business.