As a laundry business, it’s something that many people rely on. Whether they have a washer and dryer at home that’s suddenly gone kaput, to those who aren’t fortunate to have a washer or dryer and therefore need to utilize the services of a laundromat or laundry service.
A laundry business is crucial for many to keep their clothes clean and to uphold themselves in society. From the workplace to social evenings out with friends, being clean and presentable is important for many.
With that being said, there are certain tips that can help your laundry business grow in popularity. With a lot of laundry businesses out there, many are having to rework the way they promote and sell their services in order to stay relevant. Here are some top tips for helping boost the popularity of your laundry business.
Provide a working money-changing machine
One of the most frustrating parts of visiting a laundry business is when there’s no ability to change notes or change for use in the laundry machines themselves. Of course, we’re heading towards a modern environment where eventually most or all laundry machines will have the option to pay via card or contactless.
However, a lot of laundry businesses still operate a more old-school approach, and therefore, an American Changer is helpful to have in place.
That way, customers who have wads of cash or have the wrong coins for the machine, can easily get them changed. At the same time, those who rarely carry cash or coins, can also potentially use their cards in order to get cash for the washers and driers.
With that being said, make sure that your money-changing machines are always working. This is crucial because you then avoid having to turn people away, who will then likely go elsewhere. It also only takes one or two experiences of not being able to use a money changer, for them to just avoid visiting your laundry business altogether.
Host an event to attract the community
A laundry business is a part of the community. It’s a business that’s found in most towns and cities. Whether it’s a small town with only one laundry business in it, to a city with a laundromat on every street, the community is a good group of people to outreach to as a business.
You could consider hosting a special event to celebrate the community, the business, or both. Bringing the community to the laundry business might be what your business needs to get new and repeat customers through the doors.
Laundry-focused events are a great way to attract the community. For example, you could offer a free dryer service with every wash. You might even want to do an occasional ‘Free Laundry Day’ service.
This is a great way to give back to the community in a small way and to help those who might be in need of something that many would consider something everyone can easily afford. However, that’s certainly not the case and therefore it’s a good idea to throw these community-focused events where you can.
The event doesn’t necessarily need to be laundry-focused but could be a hosting space for a community to come together. Look at how you could use the space in different ways to help draw in various groups from all backgrounds and interests.
Create a business page on social media
Social media is a wonderful platform to take advantage of when it comes to creating a popular laundry business. From Facebook to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, many business owners are trying to find new ways to make their businesses interesting.
For businesses like a laundromat that isn’t necessarily interesting to look at or learn about, there are plenty of business owners getting creative with their static and video content. For example, some laundromat owners have created videos that basically empty out all the washing and dryer machines to see how much money they’ve made per day.
While it might not seem like the most interesting concept, it often attracts hundreds and thousands of views per video. That’s a lot of advertising for your business, and many might flock near and wide just to be in the laundry business because it’s viral on TikTok.
If you haven’t already, consider creating a business page via multiple social media platforms. That way, you can widen your opportunities and target audiences available online.
Sponsor a local team or organization
As a business, it’s always good to give back and to be a little selfless in what you give to others. Of course, not all good deeds are selfless and in this case, there might be some benefit to sponsoring a local team or organization.
Plenty of sports teams locally will need the support of businesses of all sizes. At the same time, you might find that there are other smaller organizations than yours that could benefit from your sponsorship, however small it may be.
Sponsorship doesn’t need to be mammoth in the amount you contribute but it can be a great way to help support local community sports clubs and groups that need your small donation and recognition. Sometimes, the reputation of a sponsor can do more than the financial contribution given. Many people who see a sponsorship also share a lot of love for that business, so that is only going to be a great benefit for your company.
Improve the exterior of your business
It’s a common theme that most laundry establishments are not the most inviting from the outside. There’s plenty you can do to improve its exterior appearance and hopefully appeal to a wider customer base as a result.
When a potential customer walks past a laundromat, they’ll want to clearly see into the laundromat for the availability of washers and dryers. They’ll also want it to be open and inviting so presenting it with plenty of light is helpful both in the day and evening.
You might want to update the sign and keep the windows clean and clear at all times. Employing a window cleaner to do a weekly or twice monthly touch-up of the exterior doors and windows can be helpful to ensure your laundromat is always inviting whatever the time of year.
Make sure that any signage is visible and that you’ve updated the exterior in different ways. For example, you could put some seating outside of your laundry business if it’s available to do so. Trimming any shrubs and planting any flowers can be great for making the place look more attractive from the outside.
Partner with other local businesses
When it comes to small and local businesses, the best way to boost your reputation and awareness among the general public is by partnering up with other local businesses. There will always be local businesses that are up for collaborations and opportunities to share the spotlight in order to bring more customers to their doors.
Look for local businesses that might want to partner up with you. Often enough, there needs to be a common interest or goal that benefits both parties. Get creative with your partnerships and how you find ways to benefit one another, rather than just being about your business.
When partnering with other local businesses, you might want to work with businesses on their cleaning needs. Being able to offer a cleaning service for one business could be a way of offering collaboration from your end. From their end, depending on the type of business they have, you can perhaps look at what they can do to boost your potential customer market.
Upgrade your equipment for efficiency and productivity
When it comes to your laundry business, you’re only making money when the washing machines are turning and the dryers are drying the clothes. Without these machines in operation, you aren’t making money.
With that in mind, you want to have a good maintenance individual or team on-site depending on how many laundromats you own and how many machines are within your business establishment.
By having a maintenance team or person on standby, you’re going to ensure that the machines are always going to be running. At the very least, should they break down or become a hassle for a customer, the maintenance person can fix the problem as soon as possible.
This is only going to benefit your business from a customer point of view. Not only that but it’s going to keep the income coming in. When necessary, consider upgrading your equipment so that it’s delivering exceptional services at every moment the establishment is open.
It’s worth looking at investing in replacements when you need so that you cut the costs of the maintenance in the long-run by using new and less ineffective machines.
Helping boost the popularity of your laundry business is money and time well spent. Ensure you’re doing everything possible to boost its popularity with the tips mentioned above. It could take your business to another level, perhaps even opening up a second or third laundry business venue.
