Sometimes, it’s about being in the right place at the right time.
I grew up in Foster City, Calif. And my favorite restaurant was in a local shopping center there, which was located adjacent to a rundown laundromat. In 1996, through the grapevine, I discovered that the current operators were looking to sell. After contacting the owners and negotiating a price, I called my aunt and uncle, who owned several stores in the Salinas area. I asked them to take a look at my future investment – and, with no hesitation, my uncle said, “Go for it!”
My uncle had great success in the laundry business, and I was very excited about owning a laundromat and being my own boss.
I dove right in – fixing up the place, doing cosmetic and mechanical repairs. I took a year off from my full-time job, but never went back – and never looked back either. I nurtured that little laundry for 17 years, building up my customer base, adding new equipment as I could afford to, but being very cautious financially, as I knew the shopping center was on the chopping block for eventual redevelopment.
Then, two years ago when my lease was up, I was able to relocate less than a quarter-mile away and build a brand new laundry.
One of the biggest advantages of owning a laundromat has been the flexibility. I’ve been a single mom since my daughter was 4, and this business has offered me the opportunity to support us financially, as well as well raise her and be involved in her school and sports.
As a woman, I would say (perhaps not surprisingly) that the biggest challenge for me has been equipment repairs and maintenance. Most women simply don’t have the knowledge that most men have when it comes to mechanical skills. However, I am constantly expanding my knowledge and feel a great sense of pride every time I succeed in repairing something myself.
Since self-service laundries have been mostly male-dominated businesses, I think it’s outstanding that more and more women are becoming interested in getting a piece of the pie. Although I don’t personally know any women laundry owners, I’ve read many success stories about women in this business. (For more about women-owned laundries, see this month’s cover story, which begins on page ??.)
I’m going on 19 years as a successful laundry owner and I still have most of the same customers I had when I first began running my business; they would come in with their kids, and now those kids are coming in with their kids.
I really enjoy the rapport I have with my customers, and I feel proud to offer them such a nice environment in which to do a rather undesirable chore. What’s more, everyone in this industry has always been so supportive and helpful.
At the end of the day, business is all about relationships. If you help out others, they will go the extra mile to help you out. Keep paying it forward by helping everyone out there – no matter how big or small they may be. Sooner or later, the universe will pay it back tenfold.
In the 19 years that I’ve been a laundry owner, I’ve developed a lot of great relationships with my customers, my employees and many people within this industry. And, believe me, this is what has made me successful.
To other women owners, let me say that, in the right location, you can succeed if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and get to work. However, be aware that there are several aspects of this business that aren’t exactly glamorous.
As for me, I’ve just sent my daughter off to college and now have more time on my hands. My top goal for the coming year is to increase my business by doing more advertising, as well as building up my wash-dry-fold service.
After all, college is expensive!
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