Columns
The Laundry Doctor
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...
On Camera
Surveillance Technology Continues to Improve – And It Provides Laundry Owners With More Benefits Than You May Think A recent PlanetLaundry cover story discussed the ins and outs of laundromat security, with a good portion of that article highlighting the importance of...
W-D-F 2.0
What Does the Future Hold for the Wash-Dry-Fold Business? As I’ve been saying in this column for several years, the wash-dry-fold business continues to grow, morph and evolve into something new seemingly each time we look in a different direction. The future of...
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
Anger Management
Seven Psychologically Sound Ways to Deal with Angry, Irate or Emotionally Difficult Customers Every laundromat owner is going to come face to face with angry, difficult or emotionally challenging customers from time to time. After all, you can’t please everyone....
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...
Viewpoint
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!...
Giving Thanks for 2020
“…enjoy every sandwich.” – Warren Zevon, songwriter/musician When Zevon uttered these quirky words of gratitude, it wasn’t in a clever lyric from one of his dozens of great songs. Rather, it came in response to a question posed by his friend David Letterman during...
Tempus Fugit!
Time certainly does fly. It’s hard to believe that the Coin Laundry Association first launched its monthly magazine 30 years ago! At the time, I had the privilege of being the CLA’s Chairman of the Board. And, as I recall, it was a much different environment in those...
Digital Marketing
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...
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...