Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Touching Moments
Cut Costs by Limiting the Number of Times Employees Handle Each Wash-Dry-Fold Order Do you mind if we get a little touchy-feely this month? Over the last six months or so, I've had numerous conversations with some of my colleagues from all across the country as to...
Clean 2017 Targets Full-Service Laundry Model
Laundry Apps and Organizational Tools for Processed Wash-Dry-Fold Orders on Display in Las VegasThis year's Clean Show was a huge hit on so many different levels – not the least of which being the new products and technologies now available to the wash-dry-fold...
A New ‘Spin’ on a Familiar Brand
Tide Tests the Waters of Chicago’s Wash-Dry-Fold Market A few months ago, Proctor & Gamble decided to expand its Tide brand to include a retail, wash-dry-fold model. Using the successful Tide Dry Cleaners franchises as an example of what to expect from this new...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Cleaning in Cold Water
I’m considering switching to a cold-water detergent for my wash-dry-fold business in order to save some money on my natural gas bill. Does this make sense? I don’t want to sacrifice the quality of the wash I offer my full-service customers. No, that does not make...
Wash with Wally: Cleaning Yoga Blankets
I have been approached by a potential commercial client about cleaning yoga blankets. They are heavy wool blankets about the size of a twin bed sheet. This client doesn’t want to dryclean the blankets. What’s the best way to wash them? And how would I dry these items...
Wash with Wally: Installing Automatic Doors
I’m in the process of building a new laundromat from the ground up. The question I have is about the front and side doors to my facility. I’ve already decided that I will put in automatic doors. However, do you think I should install sliding or swinging doors? In your...
The Business Mind
Keep Your Customers Coming Back for More…
…Or Why You Should Eat Pizza with a Knife and Fork I recently popped open a very good bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, and poured myself a glass. That first sip was amazing. The flavor was beyond overwhelming. Unfortunately, a few minutes and a few sips later, I hardly...
The Psychology of Risk
Mastering the Uncertainties of Laundromat Ownership “Ninety-five percent of thought, emotion and learning occur in the unconscious mind without our awareness.” – Dr. Gerald Zautman, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University It’s a well-accepted fact that all business...
Stay on Target
Knowing Your Audience is the Key to a Strong Advertising Message It’s a fact that many laundromat owners love to advertise. And it’s equally true that several of these operators, unfortunately, do so incorrectly – thus, spending large sums of money for very little...
Viewpoint
Big in Japan
I’m very fortunate that my career with the Coin Laundry Association has enabled me to travel internationally to the trade shows that serve our industry worldwide. Each of these opportunities yield great returns, as I learn more about the business and build...
Open for Business
For the grand opening of its Canadian flagship location, Lululemon – the popular yoga-inspired athletic apparel company – offered free merchandise to the first 30 people to run naked through its new retail outlet. As you can imagine, the media was all over this...
Building Strong Connections
More meetings in more places for more people. This is the goal of the reinvented affiliate program and the new meeting concept that the Coin Laundry Association is excited to launch. In the May 2018 issue of PlanetLaundry, CLA President and CEO Brian Wallace wrote the...
Digital Marketing
Thriving in an Urban Setting
Simple, Effective Tactics for Building Business in Today’s Growing Metro Areas The data is clear. Pew Research recently shared that more people than ever are moving to urban areas and the diversity of our nation’s cities is increasing dramatically. For business...
Go Beyond Basic Website Maintenance
Three Tips to Help ‘Future-Proof’ Your Business’ Site One of the biggest draws of the vended laundry industry is that it’s “future-proof.” In other words, unless there’s some type of apocalypse that none of us see coming, people are going to need to do their laundry....
Staying Connected
The Best Way to Keep Up with Today’s Fast-Paced Online World The internet is different today than it was yesterday. And it will change again tomorrow. Just go check out your Facebook feed – or inbox! You’ve likely got a completely different look, and that’s just on...