Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Serving in Uncertain Times
The Laundry Doctor Shares His Plan of Attack During the COVID-19 Outbreak What we’re all going through right now with the COVID-19 pandemic is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event. It’s a test of who we are as people – and what we are as a civilization. As laundry owners,...
For Rent
A Linen Rental Service May be the Perfect Way to Keep Your Washers Turning – And Your Business Growing Traditionally, when we speak of doing commercial accounts work in a laundromat setting, we’re most often talking about customer-owned goods. This is where the...
The Perfect Complement?
Here’s How Linen Rental Can Be a Profitable Addition to Your Full-Service Laundry Business One of the easier and more profitable opportunities for vended laundry owners who service commercial accounts – which a number of operators, including myself, have ventured into...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Safe Bleaching, Cleaning Lint Screens, More…
I offer a wash-dry-fold service at my laundromat, and I was wondering if there is any product we could use in place of chlorine bleach. The problem we occasionally run into is that my attendants will mistakenly use the chlorine bleach on colored garments, which will...
Wash with Wally: Removing Wine Stains, Washing Silk Shirts, More…
My wash-dry-fold service recently has received a number of garments with wine stains. We’ve done a decent job of getting out most of the stains, but not all of them. Do you have any suggestions to help us tackle any wine stains we may encounter in the future? Wine is...
Wash with Wally: Leasing vs. Owning
I’m in the market to buy an existing laundromat. I’ve looked at quite a few laundries – some were rentals and some came with the property. Am I better off buying a laundromat with the property or leasing a storefront? Unless you come across a rental opportunity with a...
The Business Mind
Inflection Points: Preventive Maintenance for Your Laundromat
Quiet Reflection on the Future Path of Your Business May Be the Most Important Time You Spend All Week “Inflections points” are those moments in your life where events and decisions conspire to take you in a different direction, thus altering the course of at least...
Are You a Quitter?
The Key to Success is Knowing When to Quit – And When to Hang On “Never, never, never give up.” – U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, on October 29, 1941, as World War II raged through Europe Winston Churchill was a strong believer that persistence is everything...
The Discomfort of Uncertainty
For Entrepreneurs, Uncertainty is a Part of Daily Life – Accepting the Inevitable Anxiety of This ‘High Stakes Waiting’ Game is Half the Battle Believe it or not, there is a science of uncertainty. Some psychologists actually study and conduct research in this field....
Viewpoint
Enthusiasm for Our ‘Essential’ Industry
The laundromat business has proven itself to be recession-resistant, pandemic-resistant – and, yes, “essential.” As a result, the industry is growing at a rate at which I’ve never seen before. People are fleeing corporate America to build or buy laundromats. Current...
Let’s Go! Let’s Grow!
As PlanetLaundry Editor Bob Nieman asked (and answered) in this column last month, “Has 2020 sucked? Yes, without a doubt.” I think we can all echo that sentiment. However, the stage is set to put 2020 behind us! As your CLA Chairman for 2020, I stated last March that...
Silver Linings
Typically, December is a time to pause, look back and take stock of your life and your business. It’s normally the perfect opportunity to reminisce about the 365 days gone by (366, in this case) – and to try to predict what the next 365 have in store. Not this year!...
Digital Marketing
Tips for Social Media Success
When it comes to social media marketing, businesses often face a difficult decision: what type of content should they post – be it on Facebook, Instagram or somewhere else? The answer isn’t always clear-cut, as different platforms have different audiences and...
Online ‘Stain Removal’
How to Effectively Manage Your Business’ Digital Reputation When you Google your business, what do you see? I’d hope that you’d be viewing your brand at the top of the heap – complete with pages full of five-star reviews, links to helpful content and a sterling online...
Building Your Laundry’s Website: A New Perspective
Make Your Site Relevant to Everyone Involved – Employees and Customers Alike People create nearly 252,000 new websites every single day, and the internet is exploding with new content every minute. Although this may be exciting for consumers, it poses a unique...