{"id":9329,"date":"2020-06-25T09:14:53","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T14:14:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/?p=9329"},"modified":"2020-06-25T09:14:53","modified_gmt":"2020-06-25T14:14:53","slug":"planning-for-a-new-normal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/planning-for-a-new-normal\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning for a New Normal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Key Considerations for Laundry Owners in the Post-COVID-19 World<\/h2>\n

These days, I find myself spending a good chunk of my time thinking about my laundry business \u2013 not necessarily about what to do with my PPP stimulus money or how to run my operation in the middle of this crazy pandemic, but more so about what my business will look like down the road\u2026 in the new normal.<\/p>\n

What will my customers look like? I think about my customer base and mentally draw pictures for each type of client I serve, trying to envision what their needs are going to be in the future.<\/p>\n

For example, a light-duty medical professional such as a massage therapist is still going to need sheets. However, due to potentially stricter controls regarding how those sheets are cleaned, there may actually be new opportunities within this segment of which laundry owners can take advantage.<\/p>\n

There could be opportunities for many of us to expand our commercial accounts businesses. We need to be asking ourselves what our businesses can do to help out with those types of laundering opportunities.<\/p>\n

How can you position your business to be of assistance to those customers when the need arises?<\/p>\n

For example, how are you protecting your delivery drivers? Also, have you developed a smooth, contactless transaction procedure? Nearly all of the delivery apps are coming up with technology to assist with contactless pickups and deliveries. Are you utilizing those? Have you created a contactless system for your business?<\/p>\n

In addition, consider your residential wash-dry-fold service. Right now, many drycleaners are attempting to convert customers from in-store drop-off to home pickup and delivery, understanding that a larger percentage of consumers are going to be working from home in the future.<\/p>\n

Is this a wash-dry-fold opportunity for you? Is it a chance to develop a home delivery business? More and more people are working from home \u2013 and they can\u2019t be folding their underwear while they\u2019re sitting at their desks in a Zoom meeting.<\/p>\n

With people working from home, many are working harder and longer than ever in order to remain relevant within their workplaces, and many of these individuals are ending up with less personal time to do their own laundry. So, are there opportunities to expand your business into home pickup and delivery? I would say that right now is probably a great time to think about it and to plan how do achieve it in a contactless way.<\/p>\n

Next, think about your finished, packaged product. For instance, we\u2019re seeing a resurgence in the use of plastic bags, because reusable bags have become almost a no-no in the COVID-19 era. Therefore, you really need to consider how you will position your brand through your packaging going forward. Consumers will be sensitive to this aspect of your service.<\/p>\n

So, the big questions you need to ask yourself are:<\/p>\n