January 2015
It’s my pleasure to be able to serve as your chairman of the Coin Laundry Association’s Board of Directors for 2015. I’ve spent the last 10 years on the board and have had the opportunity to meet many successful people in our great industry – store owners, distributors and fellow manufacturers. Many ideas have been shared, and everyone becomes better because of these great ideas.
Networking is such a valuable part of this association – to feed off of each other; to share ideas, successes and failures; and to review what’s worked and what hasn’t. After all, why try to reinvent something if someone else has already tried and proven it successful (or not)? We should all constantly be on the lookout for new ideas to help make ourselves and our businesses better.
With that said, there seem to be four key topics of interest that most within this industry have focused on over the years. They are…
Technology, ‘Going Green,’ Marketing and Paying Attention
• We can never underestimate the advantages of technology and how it can make us more efficient. Whether it’s our time or business, new technology plays a role. You need to constantly evaluate and re-evaluate how technology can help you. Store management, payment systems and education are all examples of how technology has evolved over the years. Talk with your distributors and manufactures to get up to date on what’s available and how it can help you.
• Are you exploring ways to make your laundry “greener?” Upgrading equipment (energy- and water-efficient washers, dryers and water heaters), in-store lighting and general building upgrades are all basic ways to “go green.” Have you considered solar energy or water reclamation? There are many benefits to considering going green. You don’t have to do it all at once, but it is important to have a plan regarding how and when to make the move.
• The simple basics of marketing – how are potential customers finding your business? “If you build it, they will come” works only in the movies. You must be able to tell your customers who you are and why they should want to do business with you rather than your competitor. Do you have a website? Are you advertising? Are you running time-of-day or day-of-week promotions? Do you offer drop-off services? Are you open for business when your customers want to do their laundry? These are all very basic questions to ask yourself as you put together your marketing plan.
• And, most importantly, are you paying attention…
To your customers? How often are you in your stores? Are you talking to your customers? More importantly, are you listening to your customers? Visit your stores often and at different times to understand who is using your services and why.
To your store? Is it clean? Is the equipment in good working condition? Is your store well lit?
To the competition? Never underestimate the laundry owners down the street. Be aware of what they do and when they do it.
To the economy? Are you watching for trends both nationally and locally that might impact your business and decision making? Get involved when and where you can. It’s important to know what outside influences can impact your business.
Don’t take any of this for granted. You have to be involved in your laundry business and constantly learning through networking and the sharing of ideas. No one can be expected to have all of the answers. So, as you think about where you’ve been and where you want your business to be, the New Year is a great time to make your evaluations.
As a New Year’s Resolution, take the time to invest in conversations with your fellow store owners, distributors and manufacturing partners to share ideas and try something new!
I would like to wish all of you a very happy and prosperous 2015.
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