Starting a Laundromat business is a good way to become a business owner. With the recession over, many people believe it’s a good time to start up a new business, buy a franchise, or buy an existing business. I made that choice a few years ago. I wasn’t a business owner and I never had [...]
Starting a Laundromat business is a good way to become a business owner. With the recession over, many people believe it’s a good time to start up a new business, buy a franchise, or buy an existing business. I made that choice a few years ago. I wasn’t a business owner and I never had the confidence to actually start a business. But an old friend of mine mentioned the possibility of buying a Laundromat for sale. It got me thinking. You could work it in the typical 9-5 hours, and the business was very hands off – no need dealing with people all day.
This is what I thought at first, but boy was I wrong. I spent a lot of time trying to find some sort of training program for laundromat owners, but there wasn’t much information about the topic. However, I did manage to find one program, called the Secrets of Buying and Owning Laundromats. The tricks and tips in the book really help get me ready create a successful laundromat business, and the book proved help before buying the laundromat and afterward too. The author, as a successful franchise owner in the Laundromat industry, gives you all the information needed to get started. I highly suggest you look into his training program before you spend any money on a Laundromat – while on paper Laundromats can look pretty good, there are quite a lot of “hidden” problems you can run into.
Click Here to Check out the Secrets of Buying and Owning Laundromats
Laundromat Myths and the Realities
I want to address a few myth’s I’ve learned – both from the Laundromat guide that I initially followed and from my personal experience.
Laundromats are Absentee Businesses
Coin-op Laundromats may appear to be hands-off businesses, but this is not the case in my experience. This is even more so if the Laundromat offers dry cleaning or drop-off laundry services. If you start a Laundromat business from the ground up, you can pick and choose what you want to offer in terms of services, but if you buy a Laundromat, you may be expected to offer the services that were in place by the previous owners.
So let me get this clear right now: there is no such thing as absentee ownership in the coin laundry business. I don’t care what people tell you or what you read on the web. It’s complete bullocks if anyone tells you that you can open your business in the morning, enjoy a day of free time, then close the doors at night. This goes for any sort of franchise business too.
It’s Cheap to Operate a Laundromat
I’ve read online articles where people claim that operating a Laundromat is cheap. Um, clearly these writers have never ever owned a Laundromat because this is not the case. Energy is expensive for one and with some of the current legislation being tossed around these days, we may see electricity costs double or triple. Trust me, for a business that eats up electricity each month, this can really sink your profits. Just about a decade ago, a new bill tripled electricity costs in the state of California and we saw over 50% of all laundromats close down. This means you need to invest in high efficiency washing and drying machines to cut down these costs. But these machines are not cheap.
You might think you can try and pass the increase costs to the customer, but if you try, you’ll lose them in droves. This actually happened to me personally. I raise costs by 10% and business tanked by 30%.
How to Go About Starting a Laundromat or Buying a Laundromat
If you still want to be your own Laundromat business owner, there are a few things you should think about.
Get a Laundromat Training Program
First, don’t walk into it empty handed. Learn how to buy and operate a laundromat first before you do. This can really save you thousands of dollars and may quite possibly mean the difference between a successful business and a failing one. Even if you pay a few bucks for one of these programs, it’s money well spent.
Location is Key
Any business will sink or die by its location – Laundromats even more so. Pick a location where there are colleges, low income housing, or other big facilities. You want lots of people nearby – preferably people who don’t own washing machines. This means lower income persons or college students. Your business should be in an easy to access place too. Putting your business in a corner somewhere out of the way might save you on rent costs, but you won’t get as many customers.
Scope out the Competition
Do a thorough look into the competition. If a potential location has quite a few Laundromats, this is a pretty indication that there are customers, but too much competition can make it difficult to eke out your own market share. Ideally, you want to find a good location with no other Laundromat business in the area or at least be confident that your location is easier to access than the competitions’.
Ask Questions if Buying a Laundromat
If you are buying a Laundromat, make sure you know why the person is selling. And pry with your questions too! You don’t want to buy a business that’s failing when there is no possible way you can save it because of bad location, too much competition, etc.
You should also thoroughly inspect the state of the equipment. You can easily drop 30-100 thousand dollars on new coin laundry equipment. If you buy a business on the cheap and find your equipment starts failing within the first year, you better be able to afford new equipment. So hire a professional to examine all washers and driers. Ideally, you want at least 3-5 years of life left in the machines before you need to replace them. Check to make sure the commercial washing machines are at least covered by a warranty so you are covered if the fail within a certain period of time.
As a final note, you can do very well with a successful Laundromat business. The key here is “successful.” It’s quite easy to fail. This should not stop you from pursuing your dream, but if you are looking around for Laundromats for sale or in the process of buying a Laundromat, get the training an knowledge you need to make it work.
The Secrets of Buying and Owning Laundromats really help with my own success; the advice has helped me turn my own laundromat business into a money making one. Don’t make the mistake a few of my friends made and just buy or start a laundromat business without learning what you need to know to make it successful.
There are many types of washing machines for you to choose from. But there is one that stands out as the most convenient, and that is the integrated washing machine.
Some very significant differences really distinguish the integrated washing machine from its freestanding washing machine counterparts. The primary difference is that integrated machines have special flush [...]
There are many types of washing machines for you to choose from. But there is one that stands out as the most convenient, and that is the integrated washing machine.
Some very significant differences really distinguish the integrated washing machine from its freestanding washing machine counterparts. The primary difference is that integrated machines have special flush mounted doers with doors shaped to allow a fascia to be fitted on them.
These machines have been manufactured to allow the fitting of a plinth to blend in and match with your cupboards. The machines are also specially designed and manufactured so that the depth of the machine will match the standard kitchen cabinet depth. This depth typical lay between 550mm and 570mm.
It’s crucial, when buying a integrated washing machine, to pick the right type of machine from the outset. You don’t want to buy a washing machine only to find out that it doesn’t fit in your cabinet space! Such a thing could be a very costly mistake.
If you are in the process of installing a brand new kitchen area, but you need to install an existing washing machine (one that’s free standing), you can accomplish this by creating a deeper work top which will allow the machine’s extra dimensions, and by specially fitting the kitchen fascias to the end panels that are situated on the front area of the machine to create the opening door. In general, you will have to buy an integrated machine though – it’s certainly easier to do so.
So one thing should be clear by now: having an integrated washing machine will make your life much easier than trying to fit a freestanding machine into place.
There are some other important features for you to consider.
Washing Machine Efficiency
This is well known rule of thumb: the more complex the energy-saving technology is, the more problems you may have – components breaking, etc.
Washing Machine Ease of Use
When first shopping for washing machines, it can be a very daunting task indeed. Showrooms are occupied with countless manufactures attempting to showcase their new washing machine technologies and products. You’ll be blasted with feature after feature and it can be difficult to sort the hype from facts. You would do well do ignore all the noise and just focus on what you really want. If you are confused by all the complex features, consider buying one of the cheaper budget washing machines; these have fewer features and may in the long run, actually be better (they have less parts that can break!). Simpler is sometimes better, even in our high tech world.
Washing Machine Guarantee
The best washing machine manufacturers will provide a 12 month parts and labor guarantee at the very least. In fact, this is standard practice among washing machine manufactures. Some manufacturers will offer extended guarantees, but these often have special stipulations. If something goes wrong, you will be required to use the manufactures own (pricier) repair men to take advantage of the guarantee.
Washing Machine Noise Level
Older washing machines were always noisy. New washing technology has enabled practically all modern washing machines reduced noise levels. As a rule of thumb, look for sound level of 70 db or less for main spin cycle. This figure means the machine will be virtually silent.
Washing Machine Load Size
Full washing machine have a standard 4kg load for the “small” setting and a standard 6kg load for the “large” setting. Keep in mind that larger load capacity (also called drum size when talking about commercial washing machines), the less loads you have to wash and the more money you save (reduced energy and water usage).
Washing Machine Dimensions
The standard width of any front loading washing machine is exactly 60cm across. If you don’t have enough space to accommodate this, you may consider buying a top loading washing machine. Front loaders are typically 85cm high, though this figure can vary slightly among manufacturers. Make SURE you measure your space exactly before going out and buying an integrated washer
There are also some significant differences between front loading washing machine and top loading washing machines. The details are beyond to scope of this article, but suffice to say that front loading washing machines are much more energy efficient and use less water than do their top load counter parts. You can also stack a laundry dryer on top of the machine – a great space savings.
These reason are why if you are considering buying a laundromat, you should opt for front loading industrial washing machines.
Machine Reliability
All manufactures implement sophisticated quality control schemes to make sure your home washing machine will last for years. In general, the more expensive machines will last longer than the budget washing machines. The most reliable and long lasting are the commercial washing machines, but these are costly and are generally tailored for large scale use.
Washing Machine Spin Speeds
The average washing machine will spin at 800 rpm. Spin speed will range from 800 all the way to about 1600rpm. People usually choose machines that spin around 1000rpm – more then enough. The faster the speed, the drier the laundry will come out of the washing. This can result in savings as less time will be needed in the drier. Keep in mind though, the faster the speed, the easier it will be for the machine to break down and wear out.
Machine Wash Time
Most buyers tend to overlook this fact. There are some important things to note though. In general, washing machines with long programmes are usually use less energy. These will use less heat when washing, but this will extend the total wash time. More time = less heat used. Modern machines usually offer a “rapid wash” feature which cuts down the time needed for a regular wash cycle. As a rule of thumb, the average washing machine (1000 spin speed with the average energy rating system) will usually require a little of one and a half hours for a 60 degree wash cycle.
So as you see, it can be very challenging for the average buy to choose the right integrated washing machine. But, follow this guide and do plenty of research. You will find the best washing machine for your needs.
