Longtime Laundromat Owner on 23 Years of Service, Challenges, Community Impact

For more than two decades, Lee Ann Geurts has been a steady force in her Brooklyn Park community in Minnesota, running three laundromats that have become known not just for clean clothes, but for connection, comfort, and care. What began as a business venture for her...

Green is Good Business

Green Operations Increasingly Important to Feed Consumer Demand When Green Laundry Lounge co-owners Pulin and Krishna Dasai got into the vended laundry industry, they wanted to change a narrative: laundromats are water and energy-intensive businesses. “The...

Leveling the Playing Field

John Um wanted to make sure small business owners could get fair pricing and access to reliable suppliers without needing to have significant buying power. As a leader whose career spanned several major retail and e-commerce companies, he had seen firsthand how hard...

Staying Fierce: Haley Gould Finds Perfect Fit in Vended Laundry

Haley Gould is the Director of Partner Success for HappyNest. She manages an internal team while leading more than 100 partners across the United States building a successful pickup and delivery operation in addition to running their laundromat business. A consummate...

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A Sense of Community

Jan 26, 2015

Originally posted - Dec 20, 2013 When the Tasty Baking Company (makers of the popular Tastykake line of snack foods) decided to relocate its production facility, the move opened up a 30-acre parcel of prime real estate in northern Philadelphia, where the company's...

A New Beginning

Jan 26, 2015

Originally posted - Jan 27, 2014 After years of unclogging other people's pipes as a licensed master plumber, Florida's Willy Gibson turned his attention to a completely different type of pipe, as the co-owner - along with his wife Margie - of a Pensacola-based smoke...

Second Time Around

Jan 26, 2015

Originally posted - Sep 24, 2013 Avenue Coin Laundry in Libertyville, Ill., opened its doors for the first time this past July. However, store owner Ron Parsons is hardly new to the self-service laundry industry. "In 1979, I bought a place called the Carousel Coin...

Headlines

Take Notes – And Then Take Action

Originally posted - Aug 15, 2012 Each year, one of the most valuable things a self-service laundry owner can do is attend distributor shows. And please notice that I didn't just say "your distributor show." The reason for this is because I personally go to several...

A Time to Reflect A Time to Move Forward

Originally posted - Dec issue/2012 As I write this column in late October, it seems to be more of a time of positive activity than a time of reflection. I just recently returned from the Coin Laundry Association's Excellence in Laundry Conference in Palm Springs. And,...

Open for Business

Originally posted - Jan issue/2012 You've searched far and wide for that perfect laundry location or undervalued existing laundromat. You've met with every distributor and examined each manufacturer's spec sheets with a fine-toothed comb before selecting your new...

‘Face’ the Facts

Originally posted - Mar 25, 2013 If you are like me, a small-business owner, you most likely have heard of Facebook. You may even have a Facebook page for your business, but you may be wondering how to use Facebook practically to promote your business. I say...

A Plan Comes Together

Originally posted - Jun 11, 2013 In past columns, I've discussed the value of networking and the ideas I've picked up at industry events – ideas that have helped me save and make more money at my stores. A perfect example of this occurred last October, when I was in...

Now Trending…

Originally posted Dec.issue/2012 Eight Trends and Issues Sure to Impact Your Business Life in 2013 "I don't set trends. I just find out what they are and exploit them." – Dick Clark Yes, your small-business world can change quickly. And, yes, outside forces and new...

Don’t Be the ‘Fall Guy’

Orignially posted - Oct 23, 2013 Slips, trips and falls can cost you much more than money. They can rob you of public trust and damage your brand. And, according the National Safety Council, more than 9 million disabling slips and falls occur each year, costing an...

Be Aware, Be Prepared, Be Safe

Originally posted - Feb 14, 2012 How far do we need to go to protect our businesses, our customers, our property and, most importantly, our lives? As a former law enforcement officer and now a commercial laundry equipment distributor, I have combined my past...

What Does My Gas Bill Mean?

Originally posted - Jan 27, 2012 To understand how our utilities affect our bottom lines, we've got to understand our utility bills. Since I'm often asked to do analyses on energy savings, I've gotten a lot of practice at reading natural gas bills. In this article,...

So Many Reasons for Optimism

Originally posted - Jan 26, 2012 Despite all of the economic gloom and doom we've endured in recent years, I'm seeing some strong reasons for optimism in 2012, especially for coin laundry owners. And the best reason to be optimistic is because most of you reading this...

Can You Accept EBT Cards at Your Store?

Originally posted - Dec 28, 2012 The subject of EBT, or Electronic Benefit Transfer, acceptance has been a topic of discussion that is increasing in frequency among today's self-service laundry owners. The question of whether this new form of benefits payment can be...

Is the Price Right?

Originally posted - March issue/2012 Accurately Calculating What Your Vend Prices Should Be Goes Well Beyond Figuring Out the Cost of a Wash and Dry It's not uncommon for newcomers to the industry to ask how to accurately calculate the cost of a wash and a dry to help...

Scaling Wash & Fold Operations

Learn how to grow your wash & fold from an offering into a money-making operation.

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This Month's Issue

Connecting, Learning, Advocating: CLA Maximizes Impact at Clean Show 2025
Member Spotlight: Finding a Niche in the Laundromat Industry
PlanetLaundry Podcast: Turning Setbacks into Success: Saichelle McNeill’s Journey
A Laundromat With Heart: Inside Cherry Drive’s Customer-First Approach
And More…

THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS

Industry News

Dexter University Hosts Service Academy

Dexter Laundry recently hosted many of the industry's leading service technicians during its Dexter University – Service Academy. Representing more than 200 years of experience in the laundry industry, the Service Academy attendees included technicians who are...

Big Fish ’17 Raises Big Bucks for LaundryCares Foundation

The social group known as Big Fish held its annual outing this past September, with an aim toward fishing, fellowship and fundraising. This year's gathering of laundromat industry veterans yielded plenty of lunkers at Tetu Island Lodge in northwest Ontario, but the...

Aaxon Event Draws New Investors

Aaxon Laundry Systems, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., held its second annual Aaxon Autumn Expo on October 3 at the company's headquarters. Leading industry vendors - including SpyderWash, ESD, Imonex, Rowe and others - were on hand to meet with attendees about their...

CLEC Expands Territory in Mississippi

Commercial and Coin Laundry Equipment Co., based in Gulf Breeze, Fla., recently completed the purchase of Delta Laundry Equipment Co., headquartered in Greenwood, Miss. This marks the second acquisition for CLEC." CLEC has been in a steady state of growth over the...

Statewide Salutes Successful Operators

Statewide Laundry Equipment - with offices in Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando and Miami - has awarded central Florida owners Ed and Rachael Ellis with the company's Statewide Success Spotlight Award in recognition of the couple's dedication toward operating a prosperous...