Starting a Laundromat Business in 2023

Benefits of Starting a Laundromat Business

When launching a business, it’s important to understand whether it’s the right fit for one’s personality, skills, and goals. Here’s a snapshot of the key advantages of launching a laundromat business:

One of the top advantages of this business is that laundromat services are always in demand. While washing machines have been around for ages, many people still prefer to use laundromat services.
One does not require specific or highly-specialized domain skills to launch this service. Of course, one will need to build generic business skills that are relevant to any business today.
Unlike manufacturing and fast-moving consumer goods companies, laundromat businesses offer a much more hassle-free experience due to the lack of inventory that needs to be managed.
Advances in technology have revolutionized laundry services and enabled them to run a lean business. By using laundromat software, enterprises can innovate their business model and bring more efficiency to the entire work cycle of the company.

Zero in on the Right Business Model

Laundromats are not a one-size-fits-all business. There are several laundromat business ideas to explore based on evolving consumer needs, the location of the laundromat, as well as the size of the business you intend to create. Here are some options to consider:

Launching a standalone laundromat business in the neighborhood with a Do-It-Yourself approach, or which offers drying cleaning and laundry services.
Launching a chain of signature laundromats across the state or country.
Partnering with an existing franchisee and operating a standalone or more franchisee laundromats.
Establishing a more premium service for high-end customers with unique needs.
Another opportunity is to launch a business-to-business enterprise that services small, medium, and large-scale businesses like hotels and hospitals.
One can also launch laundromat businesses that focus on specific accessories such as shoes.

Growth of Laundromat Tech

Consumers no longer wish to wait in long queues. At times, they may also not be able to come in and physically do their own laundry. Hence, the laundromat business has also evolved to offer services that keep pace with customer needs.

For instance, they may also double up as a laundry pickup and delivery service. This is where state-of-the-art laundry POS systems (POS stands for Point of Sale) and laundry pickup and delivery software enable laundromat business owners to elevate the quality of their services and expand the scope of their business model.

Both existing and aspiring laundromat business owners can leverage the following tech-enabled solutions to optimize their business processes and increase profitability:

Manage all orders and end-to-end in-store operations from a unified, single platform. With such platforms serving as the backbone, it gets much easier to scale the company.
Manage all employees and staff digitally, with notifications for employees.
Efficient delivery and route management, with notifications for customers.
A comprehensive digital marketing solution that enables customers to go cashless and pay from anywhere.
‍Access to data and analytics and customizable dashboards that provide valuable insights on customer behavior and trends

Creating a Laundromat Business Plan

For those wondering how to start a laundromat business, the first step is to have a business plan in place. Without a plan, there is potential for entrepreneurs to run into diverse challenges that could be mitigated with superior planning.

Here are several pointers to get started:

Define the mission and vision statement for launching the business and unique the problem it can solve.
‍Define the scale of the business clearly, and whether it will be a franchisee or new business.
‍Clearly define the services on offer and how much will be charged for services.
Financial planning is an important aspect of any laundromat business plan. For instance, one must have a clear understanding of the investment required toward set-up costs. If one is buying a laundromat business that already exists, it may work out cheaper than setting up one from scratch.
There are daily operating costs, such as maintenance and utilities, as well as the cost of hiring staff.
Every business also comes with needs, such as marketing. The business plan must include a laundromat marketing plan that specifically works for the business model of choice.
The laundromat business is one that runs 24/7. Hence, operations will need significant attention. The business plan must cover this aspect in detail.
The business plan must also answer an important question—are laundromats profitable? Aspiring business owners must be savvy about the laundromat profit margin that one can expect to earn.
They must also outline a spectrum of solutions to optimize processes and cut costs. For instance, the use of customized laundromat software brings more efficiency to the business and reduces labor costs, which translates into increased profitability.

Financing the Laundromat Business

There are certain startup costs expected when launching a new business, and such is the case with laundromats as well:

Laundromat businesses require investment towards either renting or buying a physical property.
Business owners need to invest in the equipment that goes into the actual washing of the clothes. Initially, business owners may wish to run the business with very limited staff.
For those wondering how much to buy a laundromat for or how much it takes to open a laundromat—the answers depend on a couple of factors. Aspiring laundromat owners can scout their neighborhoods for existing laundromats that they could purchase or partner with a franchise that is aligned with their business values.

No matter which route one chooses to take, it is important to have an expansive knowledge of market rates and then create a budget accordingly.

In terms of financing the start, of course, the best route is to start with one’s savings. Alternatively, one can take out a small business loan. Shop around for the best interest rates before zeroing in on your loan provider.

Instituting a Laundromat Marketing Plan

Once the business plan is ready, it is important to focus on the business of marketing. Here are some tips and suggestions to keep in mind:

Entrepreneurs often make the mistake of thinking that marketing only starts once a business is set up. However, today marketing is breaking a lot of rules. Once basics like the name, logo, and brand have been established, one can kick start a pre-launch countdown campaign to generate excitement in the neighborhood or among the target audience.
Another important aspect of marketing is that newer generations of consumers are leveraging digital for all their consumer needs. Hence, it is important to make digital marketing a core aspect of one’s marketing strategy.
A cost-effective laundromat marketing plan will help build visibility for the business among relevant customers. Today, leveraging laundromat software also enables companies to run cost-effective and targeted campaigns on social media platforms like Facebook and search engines like Google.
Another aspect to understand is that omnichannel marketing is the way to go in the future. Consumers spend a lot of time on various channels based on how they are relevant to their lives. Hence, laundromat businesses need to have a comprehensive strategy that leverages both offline and online marketing channels to reach their target audience.

In conclusion

By 2028, the laundry facilities and dry-cleaning services market in the United States is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4% to become a $14.4 billion industry.

Consumer expectations from their local laundromat business are continually rising, and one of the top reasons for this evolution is the advancement of technology. Hence, when aspiring business owners wish to launch a laundromat business, they must consider building a future-forward business that offers digital convenience for customers, employees, and other stakeholders. By partnering with a tech-enabled laundromat solutions provider like TURNS, laundromat businesses of diverse scales can bring efficiency and accountability to their business, which in turn translates to an enhanced reputation and profitability.

Source: TURNS