Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Shifting Expectations of ‘Laundry Day’
Drycleaners Raise Awareness of Wash-Dry-Fold Services One of the biggest potential opportunities for store owners offering full-service laundry programs in the current and post-COVID-19 world is – and will be – the heightened awareness of outsourced laundry. Much of...
Who’s Servicing Your Wash-Dry-Fold Customers?
A Look at the Pros and Cons of Utilizing Independent Contractors vs. Laundromat Employees With the outbreak of COVID-19, I’ve recently received quite a few questions from laundry owners about wash-dry-fold services. The wash-dry-fold business has not fallen off during...
Planning for a New Normal
Key Considerations for Laundry Owners in the Post-COVID-19 World These days, I find myself spending a good chunk of my time thinking about my laundry business – not necessarily about what to do with my PPP stimulus money or how to run my operation in the middle of...
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
Relatively Speaking
How to Navigate the Minefield of Working with Family Members Years ago, after earning my master’s degree in clinical psychology, I went to work in my father’s foundry business as the company’s director of sales. At the time – and as is likely the case today as well –...
Above the Crowd
Thoughts, Tips and Strategies to Help Differentiate Your Laundry Business from the Competition So… you’ve established the “Next Big Thing” in laundromats. You‘re ready to take on all comers and make your millions. You’re amped up. You’re psyched. You’re stoked. You’re...
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....
Viewpoint
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...
Don’t Stop Now!
Congratulations! Your laundromat survived 2020 and the first half of 2021 – a time during which an incredible number of brick-and-mortar retail businesses in the U.S. failed and simply disappeared. For all owners, the past year and a half has been historically...
Who’s Minding the Store?
Businesses all across the United States are desperate for workers these days. The numbers don’t lie. In late April, the Labor Department reported a record 9.3 million job openings. “The worker shortage is real – and it’s getting worse by the day,” commented Chamber of...
Digital Marketing
Cooking Up Success with Your Laundry Promotions
Creating Irresistible Promotional Programs for Your Business I love cooking. But, to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of following recipes to the T. I prefer to keep it simple and to add my own twist with different ingredients – a dash of this, a sprinkle of that… and...
Digital Marketing’s Role in Your Laundromat’s Makeover
Merging Physical and Digital Transformations with Your Store Renovation One morning, I walked into this quaint neighborhood coffee shop that I frequent occasionally, and something just felt off. The rustic tables had been replaced with sleek, minimalist designs. There...
A Fresh Spin on Your Laundromat’s Profits
Marketing Strategies to Boost Business with Ancillary Revenue Streams You know what’s impressive? A laundromat owner with big dreams. I was chatting with one the other day who wasn’t content with just making money from washers and dryers. She wanted to use every inch...