PlanetLaundry Podcast
America’s #1 Resource for Vended Laundry News & Info
PlanetLaundry is the official publication of CLA and is trusted by thousands of laundry professionals to deliver the latest news and industry-specific topics.
Delivering the Goods (Part 2)
Marketing and Growing Your Laundry Business’ Pickup-and-Delivery Service [This is the second of a two-part feature. You can read Part One here.] Clearly, you will face obstacles as you promote and begin to grow your residential pickup-and-delivery business, especially...
Delivering the Goods (Part 1)
Marketing and Growing Your Laundry Business’ Pickup-and-Delivery Service Three years ago, Peter Lowin was considering building a third laundromat in southern California. However, primarily due to the cost, he decided against opening that third store – instead opting...
Tricks of the Laundromat Trade
Industry Veteran Shares an Operational ‘Hack’ and a Rule of Thumb to Help You Better Run Your Laundry Business As we journey through our laundromat ownership experiences, we all tend to find innovative ways to make our business lives easier. Some of these innovations...
Headlines
Kentucky Church Offers Free Laundry Service
Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief is operating a free laundry service for Marion residents from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily throughout the month of July, to help with water conservation efforts in the area. A mobile laundry trailer is located at the Fredonia First Baptist...
Tennessee Laundromat, Local Cafe Team Up for Food Drive
Cycle Laundromat in Clarksville, Tenn., will team up with Manna Cafe to host a food drive on August 9-11. The Cycle Laundromat team will host the food drive to give back to the community they serve. Those interested in participating can bring in at least four cans of...
HappyNest Adds Second Partner in Charlotte Market
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has added Sunshine Laundromat as its second laundromat partner in Charlotte, N.C. As a result, HappyNest’s services are now available to residents and businesses in Cornelius, Davidson and Huntersville, as well as...
ACI Names Senior Manager of Public Health
The American Cleaning Institute, the trade association for the cleaning products supply chain, has appointed Audrey McCalley as senior manager, public health. “Audrey joins ACI with a background in public health, clinical research, policy and sustainability,” said Dr....
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....
A Surprise Trend: ‘Inflation Relief’ Tax Policy
Rising inflation levels have hit consumers hard, and state lawmakers have spent time trying to provide relief, including indexing income tax brackets, issuing taxpayer rebates, and adopting new sales tax exemptions. Georgia, Idaho, Indiana (with an expansion of a...
Wash with Wally: The Basics of Building a Full-Service Laundry Arsenal
What types of cleaning products and other items are required for my laundromat to have what would be considered a fully stocked wash-dry-fold arsenal for my attendants? Essentially, to start a wash-dry-fold service, you need bagging supplies – plastic bags and cloth...
A ‘Circuitous’ Path
From TVs and VCRs to Laundromat Circuit Boards, Mountain Electronics Has Taken a Roundabout Way to Success Mountain Electronics first opened its doors in 1999 as a home appliance repair shop, primarily fixing televisions and VCRs. Yes, VCRs… remember those? Then, one...
COVID Relief Bill Introduced
Chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Ben Cardin recently introduced legislation to create what’s being called the Hard-Hit Small Business Relief Fund (S.4471). For small businesses demonstrating substantial losses in 2020 and 2021 due...
ICYMI: New York City Repeals Retail Laundry License Requirement
On July 18, 2021, New York City enacted Local Law 80 of 2021, which repeals the licensing requirement for retail laundries. This repeal went into effect on December 31, 2021. Beginning last December, a retail laundry license from the city’s Department of Consumer...
What’s Your Secret Sauce?
In researching and writing the July cover story on the use of ozone in laundromats, one main theme kept popping up among everyone I spoke with – differentiation. Of course, some laundromat owners have been incorporating ozone into their operations for years. And,...
Insuring Your Building and Business Personal Property
As Carriers Adjust Their Underwriting Guideline Requirements, Now is the Perfect Time to Review Your Business Coverage As you know, inflation has been increasing at an unprecedented rate. As a result, insurance carriers are changing their underwriting guideline...
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Guide to Laundromat Payment Systems: Upgrade to Boost Convenience and Revenue
Upgrade your laundromat with our step-by-step guide and easy-to-follow payment system roadmap. Boost convenience and revenue now!
This Month's Issue
- The Power of Promotions: Unleashing Creative Tactics to Keep Your Business Buzzing
- Digital Marketing: Six Strategies to Help Boost Your Business Without Breaking the Bank
- Business Profile: Modern Design and a Strong Community Focus Define New Jersey’s Bubbles Are Us Laundromats
- Industry Education: CLA’s WDF Workshop Enjoys Record Attendance in Nashville
- And More…
THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS
Industry News
States Upping the Minimum Wage in 2023
In 2023, 27 states will increase their minimum wages – with most of these hikes taking effect on January 1. California will have the highest minimum wage rate at $15.50, up from the $15 it set in 2022. Only Washington D.C. has a higher minimum wage of $16.10. D.C.’s...
Cleantie, Paystri Announce Payments Partnership
Cleantie – a cloud-based POS system developed for the laundromat, drycleaning, clothes alteration, and shoe repair industries – recently announced a partnership with payment processing company Paystri. The integrated payments partnership makes payment acceptance...
CLA Launches Virtual ‘Marketing Bootcamp’
The Coin Laundry Association is kicking off 2023 with the launch of a virtual “marketing bootcamp,” which has been developed to help laundromat owners grow their customer base and boost their revenue. Attend both online programs in January to develop a marketing plan...
Whirlpool Named to 2022 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
Whirlpool Corp. has been named to the 2022 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, in recognition of the company’s ongoing focus on responsible and ethical business practices. In addition, the manufacturer was included on the DJSI North America Index for the 16th year....
Maytag Washers Complete 60,000-Cycle Lab Test
Maytag Commercial Laundry recently announced that company engineers has just finished a seven-year lab test on the Commercial Laundry MHN33 frontload washers – a test of the DuraCore Drive System that started in 2015 with 10 machines running daily. Throughout the...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Minimizing Payroll, Maximizing Productivity
With Labor Costs on the Rise, Getting the Most Out of Your Staff is Critical to the Success of Your Wash-Dry-Fold and Commercial Laundry Business As a small-business owner, you’re very likely aware that there’s a movement in cities and states across the...
The Business Mind
Understanding Our Economic Behavior
How Our Psychological Makeup Impacts Our Financial Decisions I’ve consulted with a great many laundromat owners over the years. And nearly all of them have been preoccupied with their financial decisions – either those that had been made in the past or those that the...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Installing an ATM
I just got into the laundromat business, and I’m considering installing an ATM in my store. My question is whether I’m better off buying a machine outright and installing it myself, or having an outside vendor own and install the ATM, with some type of commission...
Viewpoint
The Art of Building a Brand
Here Are the Keys to Establishing and Growing Your Laundry Business' Brand IdentityWhat is a brand and why is it critical to the success of a business? What factors must be considered when establishing a brand and brand identity? How is your brand communicated?...
Digital Marketing
Marketing Trends to Adopt in 2019
These Four Growing Technologies and Promotional Methods Deserve Your Attention The marketing industry is relentless, and it likes to think big. Every year, new technologies and marketing methods emerge that seek to make it easier for businesses like yours win new...
Strategic Corporate Allies Program
Our Strategic Corporate Allies support CLA’s mission through advocacy, education, and innovation to strengthen the industry, advance our members’ businesses, and prepare the next generation of laundry professionals for the future.
Interested in becoming a Strategic Corporate Ally of CLA? Contact President & CEO, Brian Wallace via email at Brian@coinlaundry.org or call (630) 491-0499.
