Owning and running a business is a very difficult venture. Owning a laundry business is not the most difficult of enterprises, but there’s still a few ins and outs that you’ll want to know before you get started. If this is your first entrepreneurial adventure, here are five things to consider before starting a laundry business.
- Know how to determine which neighborhoods are in need of alaundromat. When it comes down to it, not every neighborhood is in need of a laundromat. If you are looking into relatively affluent neighborhoods, you may notice that there is only a need for dry cleaning or wash and fold services. Also, you want to know how many laundry businesses are already serving each neighborhood. If you go into a neighborhood and see a lot of people waiting for machines, then there is probably a need for another laundromat nearby.
- Know the laws governing air pollution. The truth of the matter is that a lot of laundry businesses are not very environmentally friendly. However, there are a lot of machines that work on high efficiency, and don’t require quite so much energy to get the clothes clean. Even if you plan to open your business in a community that doesn’t currently have very strict air pollution laws, you can probably count on them getting more strict in the near future. So be sure to get the most efficient machines you can find. You can find all kinds of machines from Laundry Equipment Services, Inc.
- Know how to keep your machines free of bedbugs. Unfortunately, it can be very easy to spread bedbugs through a frequently used washing machine or dryer. If someone with bedbugs uses your machines and they infect a lot of other people, you could be held responsible for the infestation. That’s why you want to know exactly how to clean the machines so that you can prevent outbreaks, which could potentially destroy your business.
- Know how to service the machines. With so many people using your machines, you can count on them breaking down from time to time. People put detergent in the bleach bin, or forget to clean out the lint trap, so it’s just a matter of time before you need to pay for repairs. It’s important to have someone on-site at all times to answer questions for the few people who can’t operate a washing machine. But when accidents do happen, you want to have some practical repair knowledge so that you don’t have to outsource all of the repairs.
- Know what the upfront costs are going to be. Before you start investing money in machines and permits, you’re going to want to know what the full upfront costs are going to be. The last thing you want to do is buy a bunch of washers, pay your first month’s rent, and then find out that you don’t have enough money to buy the dryers. So be sure to really do your homework.