How to Start a Laundry Service
Starting a laundry service is a relatively easy business venture for an up-and-coming entrepreneur. Many decide to do this for family and friends in the beginning. They later branch out to provide services to their local area. Offering these is helpful to those that have no time to do their own laundry and would rather pay someone else to clean their clothing.
- Obtain a business license for your new venture. Contact your county's courthouse to determine how to get a license to offer your laundry services. Most locations require paperwork and a fee to start a business.
- Decide what services you want to offer. Do you want to create a laundry service that picks up and delivers laundry, or do you want your customers to drop off their laundry? Do you want to offer additional services such as ironing and dry cleaning?
- Determine the rates you plan to charge for the services you want to offer. The fees should allow you to turn a profit after all of your expenses are paid.
- Find a location for your laundry service. Many start as a home-based business, done with owner's own washer and dryer. If you want to scale up in the beginning, you need to have a prime location in town that can house at least two or three washers and dryers.
- Gather the supplies you need to run a laundry service. This includes detergent, bleach, fabric softener, dryer sheets, hangers and anything else needed to clean your clients' garments. It's a good idea to find a wholesaler that charges low prices for these items, as you need large amounts of these supplies once your business starts to grow.
- Advertise your business in your city. Tailor the promotions to busy people, as they are your target customers. Place ads in classifieds and on the Internet. Have a car magnet created that advertises your business. Keep it on your vehicle as you pick up and deliver laundry as well as any other time you are driving through town.