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The Laundry Doctor
Locked and Loaded
Are Lockers the Answer to Building a Profitable, Round-the-Clock WDF Operation? I’ve recently had a number of store owners approach me about the use of lockers for their laundry operations. At The Laundry Doctor, we’ve been utilizing lockers to help facilitate the...
Spend Your Marketing Dollars Wisely
What Are You Getting in Return for Your Wash-Dry-Fold Promotional Budget? Business owners love to discuss and ruminate on what it costs to acquire a new customer. In the drycleaning world, the generally accepted figure is approximately $50 per customer. In the laundry...
Ozone Examined…
A Look at What Ozone Can Do for Your Laundry Business Since the COVID-19 outbreak, laundromat owners now more than ever have focused on creating safe, clean environments for their customers. As a result, ozone as a laundry additive has been gaining a lot of industry...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Cross-Training Your Laundry Attendants
I recently hired a new attendant and have discovered that he possesses great mechanical skills. So, I was thinking of cross-training him to handle some of the more simple equipment issues that arise at my store, in addition of course to his attendant duties. Is there...
Wash with Wally: Drying Capacity, Business Hours, and More…
I’m short on drying capacity at my store. During the weekends, I have customers waiting for the dryers. Should I add more 30-pound stack dryers, which are what I currently have? Or should I replace at least some of the 30-pounders with larger-capacity stack dryers? If...
Wash with Wally: Removing Tough Smoke Odors
I have a wash-dry-fold customer who is a heavy smoker. In the summer, it seems that the clothes he brings in are at their worst; even the plastic hamper he brings them in reeks of cigarette smoke. I have tried an odor-reducing fabric softener from my laundry supplier,...
The Business Mind
Uncovering the Root of Organizational Decline by Jumping into the Trenches
By Ashlee Hofberger It can happen to any organization: a lag in performance, slowing of cash flow, and negative reviews. While nothing specific about your product or service appears to be the issue, you can sense something is off, and it’s enough to hurt business. One...
Persistence Pays Off
When Owning a Laundromat, the Secret to Success is a Constancy of Purpose Famed American writer and lecturer Dale Carnegie firmly believed that “flaming enthusiasm, backed by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.” And I...
Every Word Matters
The Absolutely Essential Rules for Writing Effective Advertising and Marketing Content In the competitive landscape of advertising and marketing, the power of words can make or break your laundry business’ promotional efforts. Crafting compelling advertising copy...
Viewpoint
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,...
Anticipating the Renewal of Clean 2022
“The waiting is the hardest part.” – Tom Petty, from “The Waiting” Although many of us initially assumed this classic rock staple from Tom Petty was yet another song about pining for the return to that special someone, Petty himself actually described it as an...
Not Your Father’s Laundromat Buildout
When it comes to building a new laundromat these days, it’s a whole different ballgame that it was 35, 25 or even 15 years ago. I can remember when all I needed was a clean, hand-drawn, to-scale plan with an architect’s stamp – and I could get a building permit within...
Digital Marketing
How to Market Your Amenities
Make Your Laundromat a Place People Love I recently renovated my house and faced a big challenge –furnishing it. I had the basics in mind but wanted everything to come together just right. So, I called a few furniture stores I liked, and one of them said something...
Rethink Laundry Marketing
Six Creative Strategies to Help Boost Your Business Without Breaking the Bank I love it when the brands I regularly interact with surprise me with deals on products from other businesses. It’s like a hidden treasure chest of options I never thought I’d explore. Just...
Get Ahead of the Game
Start Your Holiday Marketing Campaigns Early I remember the feeling vividly: the first day of school after a long summer break. The excitement of new school supplies, seeing friends again, and the anticipation of a fresh start. But there was always that moment when I...