What is Dry Cleaning Ownership?

Dry cleaning ownership is a term that connotes the owning of a dry cleaning business. The owner of a dry-cleaning business usually also works at the business but occasionally he or she will hire employees to staff the business. There are two common ways to own a dry cleaning business: as a franchise or as a small business owner. 

Franchise

If you own a dry cleaning franchise, you are part of a regional or nationwide chain of businesses that operates under a single company name. Franchises are sold by a franchisor to the owner, to the franchisee who becomes the owner. The franchisee might own multiple franchises in a single region but they typically operate only a single location. When someone owns a franchise they must follow certain operating procedures and regulations that are established by the franchisor in order to satisfy the expectations of customers who are familiar with a particular chain. In addition, if the owner must pay a certain percentage of profits to the franchise owner. 

Small Business 

Entrepreneurs usually own small dry cleaning businesses and unlike chains they follow their own standards and protocols. In some cases this leads to a higher quality or specialized services but this isn’t always the case. Historically, recent immigrants owned dry cleaners but that has changed over time and not all dry-cleaners are owned by newly naturalized citizens. When individuals own dry cleaning business, they keep 100 percent of the profits but they are often used to offset operating costs such as leasing space, and purchasing equipment and materials necessary to operate the business.