Columns
The Laundry Doctor
In Your Face
Never Stop Looking for Creative Ways to Get Your Brand in Front of Your Customers – And Potential Customers If you’re a regular reader of PlanetLaundry, you know that my fellow columnists Stephen Bean and Dennis Diaz are always talking about the importance of your...
PlanetLaundry Podcast, Episode 19: “How’s Business” with the Laundry Doctor
In this episode, Brian Wallace, President/CEO of the Coin Laundry Association interviews Jeff Gardner, the Laundry Doctor. You may recognize Jeff as a regular columnist in PlanetLaundry. Jeff is a laundromat owner, pickup-and-delivery business operator, and...
Avoid Shortcuts
All Garment-Care Solutions Are Not Created Equal I often read the posts and subsequent comments on the various Facebook feeds targeting the laundry business. I love the idea of people interacting with each other and sharing ideas and best practices – especially with...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Removing Tar from Clothing
There’s a lot of road construction being done in the area around my laundromat, and the workers are bringing in a great deal of drop-off laundry. However, I’m having some problems removing tar from their work garments. Do you have any suggestions? Tar and concrete are...
Wash with Wally: Making ‘Scents’ of WDF Laundry
My store handles a good amount of wash-dry-fold laundry, and lately I’ve been using a lot of detergent and softener. When I approached my laundry attendants about this issue, they told me that many of the customers indicated that they wanted their clothes to smell...
Wash with Wally: Maintaining Your Main Drain Line
Is there a chemical and/or preventive maintenance procedure that will keep our main drain line clean? Occasionally, we experience a backup of water, which seems to be due to a buildup of a black greasy residue within the line. Would you recommend a periodic flush of...
The Business Mind
Choose Your Words Carefully
Here’s What to Consider When Creating Your Laundromat’s Next Promotional Campaign One of the most tried-and-true adages in advertising is that what people hear is more important than what you actually say. After all, humans, by and large, are interpretive organisms....
‘Tell Your Friends and Family!’
Here’s How to Transform Your Laundry Business – One Customer Referral at a Time “If you provide a great customer experience to current patrons, they will tell others about it.” – Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon As every entrepreneur knows (or should know) that there are...
Laying It on the Line
Why Laundromat Entrepreneurs Take the Risks They Do Starting or buying a business is… well, risky business. After all, research tells us that roughly one-third of all small businesses fail within the first two years. So, why do people do it? What could these...
Viewpoint
What Can the CLA Do for You?
“What can Brown do for you?” That was the popular slogan for UPS from 2002 to 2010. Simple in structure yet far-reaching in scope, the slogan engaged UPS’ multi-platform customer universe to think about its relationship with the company and how it might be expanded....
Measure Twice, Cut Once
I have a fond memory of my grandfather, a contractor by trade, helping me build a stepstool as a child. He wisely said, “Be sure to measure twice, and cut once.” That wisdom has stayed with me throughout my life. Within our industry, there are countless things to...
Embracing Change
I began my career in the commercial laundry industry in 1980 as a regional sales manager for one of the major equipment manufacturers. Since then, I’ve held various sales and management positions, owned a finance company focused on the laundromat industry, served as a...
Digital Marketing
Who Are You Talking To?
Knowing Your Customers’ Wants, Needs and Desires Will Give You a Leg Up on the Competition – And Reveal Just How Special Your Laundry Services Really Are! Running a laundry business can be an exciting journey, as you try to lure various customers with different wants...
The Anatomy of a Successful Landing Page
Follow These Guidelines to Help Grow Your Pickup-and-Delivery Laundry Service Managing your fleet of vehicles is an important part of building a winning pickup-and-delivery service. But it’s just one piece to the puzzle. The question I always like to ask laundry...
Localize Your Message
Five Local Marketing Tactics That Can Grow Your Laundry Business Marketing can be a tricky subject to approach. On one hand, you want to attract new customers and gain business. On the other hand, you have a lot of options, information, competing ideas, and most...