Metrics That Matter

Profit, Performance, and Planning in Vended Laundry The laundromat business is like most businesses in that you need to do a lot of things right to be successful. But how do you know if it’s working? According to successful owners, you just need to look at the...

Startup to Scale

How Western State Design Has Been Helping Laundry Businesses Thrive for More Than 50 Years For more than five decades, Western State Design has been a leading provider of turnkey laundry solutions across the vended, on-premises, and commercial/industrial markets....

Member Spotlight: Lab-Tested, Laundry-Approved

How Laundry Labs Plans to Change the Industry In today’s business world, efficiency and quality are paramount – and the commercial laundry industry is no exception. Recognizing the need for superior cleaning solutions specifically tailored to laundromat operators,...

Wash-Dry-Fold POS Launches New Feature

Wash-Dry-Fold POS® has announced its new Attendant Checklist Feature. According to Managing Partner Ian Gollahon, it is a simple but integrated tool that is so powerful, it’ll make you wonder how you ever ran your business without it. "You can monitor the checklist...

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The Importance of an Employee Handbook

Jan 28, 2015

Originally posted - Aug issue/2012 Every business – and a self-service laundry is no exception – requires an employee handbook. After all, you've likely spent (or plan to spend) hundreds of thousands of dollars purchasing and/or building a new laundromat. So why in...

An Ounce of Prevention

Jan 28, 2015

Originally posted - Feb 03, 2014 Washers and dryers are the heart and soul of any self-service laundry business. They are your bread and butter. They are what drive paying customers through your doors. So, why are so many laundromats still inundated with out-of-order...

Paying with Plastic

Jan 28, 2015

Originally posted - Feb 27, 2012 One of the most exciting new developments in the self-service laundry industry is the concept of credit card acceptance for laundry services. Recently, many companies, both old and new, have announced products to help the laundry owner...

Headlines

Heating Your Stores Water

A Primer for Today's Self-Service Laundry Operator Hot water – along with total water usage (and the demand for both in the latest generation of washers) – is as much as 65 percent less than it was for most washers when I started in this business in 1979. With that...

Laying Out Your Laundromat

Tips for Planning and Designing Your New Self-Service Laundry Business for Maximum Effectiveness and Customer Convenience [The following is an excerpt from the popular laundry business book, "Secrets of Buying and Owning Laundromats." ] When planning and designing...

2015: The Year in Review

Recapping the Issues That Defined the Year – And Looking Ahead to 2016 In odd-numbered years, typically nothing that occurs in the self-service laundry industry can steal the spotlight from the Clean Show. And 2015 – with the industry's trade show and convention...

2015: The Year in Review

Recapping the Issues That Defined the Year – And Looking Ahead to 2016 In odd-numbered years, typically nothing that occurs in the self-service laundry industry can steal the spotlight from the Clean Show. And 2015 – with the industry's trade show and convention...

It’s Not About You, Tom

An Interview with CLA Member of the Year Tom Rhodes At Clean 2015 in Atlanta this past spring, second-generation, multi-store owner Tom Rhodes was presented with the Coin Laundry Association's Member of the Year award. As a member of the CLA Board of the Directors, as...

It’s Not About You, Tom

An Interview with CLA Member of the Year Tom Rhodes At Clean 2015 in Atlanta this past spring, second-generation, multi-store owner Tom Rhodes was presented with the Coin Laundry Association's Member of the Year award. As a member of the CLA Board of the Directors, as...

Earlybird Laundromat

Curtis Berger Earlybird Laundromat Teaneck, N.J. Before Getting into the Laundry Business… Curtis earned a CPA from Villanova University and worked in mortgage-backed securities in New York City until he decided to move to New Jersey and open a laundromat. Store...

Finding Your Comforter Zone

The Finer Points of Washing, Drying and Processing Comforters For the next few months, my store will be inundated with customers bringing us their comforters to wash. Comforter cleaning has grown to become a sizable segment of my operation, and it can be a hugely...

CLA: Milestones and Memories

55 Years in the Life of the Coin Laundry Association This year marks the 55th anniversary of the Coin Laundry Association. To help commemorate the occasion, we've created an industry timeline to help showcase just a few of the many industry and organizational...

Pew Research Report: Smartphone Ownership at 68% Among U.S. Adults

Today, 68 percent of U.S. adults have a smartphone, up from 35 percent in 2011, and tablet computer ownership has edged up to 45 percent among adults, according to newly released survey data from the Pew Research Center. According to the research, smartphone ownership...

Small-Business Survey: Owners Share Leading Concerns Heading into 2016

Business Climate, Federal Deficit and Taxes Top the List of Key Issues Sixty-three percent of small-business owners think the country is on the wrong track. In addition, 67 percent rate the business climate fair or poor. And nearly two-thirds are very concerned about...

WASH Laundry Names District Sales Manager

Pete Aronchick Jr. to Cover San Fernando Valley Market WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems has promoted Pete Aronchick Jr. to district sales manager for the San Fernando Valley in southern California. In his new position, Aronchick will service current WASH customers...

This Month's Issue

Metrics That Matter: Profit, Performance, and Planning in Vended Laundry
Women In Laundry: Haley Gould Finds Perfect Fit
Company Close-Up: Company Founded to Help Small Businesses Shines
New Member Spotlight: How Robotics Could Change Laundromat Industry
And More…

THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS

Industry News

First CLA Connect LIVE Event Scheduled for Atlanta

The Coin Laundry Association will hold its first CLA Connect LIVE event on September 25 at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Atlanta. The meeting - scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. - will feature a presentation by CLA President and CEO Brian Wallace, who...

‘Ready,’ Set… Read!

LaundryCares Partnership with ReadyNation Leads to Growing Number of Laundromat Reading Programs Across the Country The recent launching of a reading corner at Foxy Lady Laundry in Miami is a prime example of the strong and growing partnership between the Coin Laundry...

LaundryCares Adds Industry Veteran

The LaundryCares Foundation recently announced that laundry industry veteran Dan Naumann has agreed to join the organization as its executive vice president. His responsibilities extend to the day-to-day operation of the foundation, as well as working to scale up...

CLEC Names General Manager of Houston Office

Commercial and Coin Laundry Equipment Co. has hired industry veteran Mike Hand to be the general manager of the company's CLEC-West facility, located in Houston. "Mike's experience in the laundry industry and track record of success in leading projects makes him the...

EnviroStar to Acquire Industrial Laundry Services

EnviroStar, Inc. has announced that it executed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets and to assume certain liabilities of Industrial Laundry Services, Inc., using a combination of cash and EVI stock. Industrial Laundry Services,...