The Business of Laundry: Models That Work

In today’s laundromat industry, one truth holds across every market, model and mission: success requires more than just machines. Today’s operators must choose business models strategically, execute consistently, and lead with intention. Some lean into simple,...

Green is Good Business

Green Operations Increasingly Important to Feed Consumer Demand When Green Laundry Lounge co-owners Pulin and Krishna Dasai got into the vended laundry industry, they wanted to change a narrative: laundromats are water and energy-intensive businesses. “The...

Metrics That Matter

Profit, Performance, and Planning in Vended Laundry The laundromat business is like most businesses in that you need to do a lot of things right to be successful. But how do you know if it’s working? According to successful owners, you just need to look at the...

Safety First, Last… Always

The Laundromat Owner’s Guide to Preventing Accidents, Protecting Your Business, and Controlling Your Insurance Costs As more and more entrepreneurs are discovering, running a laundromat can be a hugely rewarding business. But it also comes with its own set of risks...

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‘Face’ the Facts

Jan 28, 2015

Originally posted - Mar 25, 2013 If you are like me, a small-business owner, you most likely have heard of Facebook. You may even have a Facebook page for your business, but you may be wondering how to use Facebook practically to promote your business. I say...

A Plan Comes Together

Jan 28, 2015

Originally posted - Jun 11, 2013 In past columns, I've discussed the value of networking and the ideas I've picked up at industry events – ideas that have helped me save and make more money at my stores. A perfect example of this occurred last October, when I was in...

Now Trending…

Jan 28, 2015

Originally posted Dec.issue/2012 Eight Trends and Issues Sure to Impact Your Business Life in 2013 "I don't set trends. I just find out what they are and exploit them." – Dick Clark Yes, your small-business world can change quickly. And, yes, outside forces and new...

Headlines

Tide to Be Produced Through Wind Power

Procter & Gamble Announces New 'Wind Farm' for Fabric, Home Care Brands Procter & Gamble has announced plans to meet its electricity demands by using 100 percent wind power to produce its Fabric & Home Care brands, including Tide and Dawn. In partnership...

Laundrylux Upgrades Communications Capabilities

System Enhancement Designed to Better Service Customers, Distributors Across North America Laundrylux recently completed a major upgrade to its communications systems to support customer care and business growth in North America. The new system is designed to enhance...

Heating Your Stores Water

A Primer for Today's Self-Service Laundry Operator Hot water – along with total water usage (and the demand for both in the latest generation of washers) – is as much as 65 percent less than it was for most washers when I started in this business in 1979. With that...

Laying Out Your Laundromat

Tips for Planning and Designing Your New Self-Service Laundry Business for Maximum Effectiveness and Customer Convenience [The following is an excerpt from the popular laundry business book, "Secrets of Buying and Owning Laundromats." ] When planning and designing...

2015: The Year in Review

Recapping the Issues That Defined the Year – And Looking Ahead to 2016 In odd-numbered years, typically nothing that occurs in the self-service laundry industry can steal the spotlight from the Clean Show. And 2015 – with the industry's trade show and convention...

2015: The Year in Review

Recapping the Issues That Defined the Year – And Looking Ahead to 2016 In odd-numbered years, typically nothing that occurs in the self-service laundry industry can steal the spotlight from the Clean Show. And 2015 – with the industry's trade show and convention...

It’s Not About You, Tom

An Interview with CLA Member of the Year Tom Rhodes At Clean 2015 in Atlanta this past spring, second-generation, multi-store owner Tom Rhodes was presented with the Coin Laundry Association's Member of the Year award. As a member of the CLA Board of the Directors, as...

It’s Not About You, Tom

An Interview with CLA Member of the Year Tom Rhodes At Clean 2015 in Atlanta this past spring, second-generation, multi-store owner Tom Rhodes was presented with the Coin Laundry Association's Member of the Year award. As a member of the CLA Board of the Directors, as...

Earlybird Laundromat

Curtis Berger Earlybird Laundromat Teaneck, N.J. Before Getting into the Laundry Business… Curtis earned a CPA from Villanova University and worked in mortgage-backed securities in New York City until he decided to move to New Jersey and open a laundromat. Store...

Finding Your Comforter Zone

The Finer Points of Washing, Drying and Processing Comforters For the next few months, my store will be inundated with customers bringing us their comforters to wash. Comforter cleaning has grown to become a sizable segment of my operation, and it can be a hugely...

CLA: Milestones and Memories

55 Years in the Life of the Coin Laundry Association This year marks the 55th anniversary of the Coin Laundry Association. To help commemorate the occasion, we've created an industry timeline to help showcase just a few of the many industry and organizational...

Pew Research Report: Smartphone Ownership at 68% Among U.S. Adults

Today, 68 percent of U.S. adults have a smartphone, up from 35 percent in 2011, and tablet computer ownership has edged up to 45 percent among adults, according to newly released survey data from the Pew Research Center. According to the research, smartphone ownership...

This Month's Issue

Tech on the Rise: How Operators Are Using Innovation to Run Smarter, Faster Laundromats: From AI phone systems to real-time data tracking, operators and suppliers share how technology is reshaping the modern laundry business and what’s coming next.
Business Profile: Delivering a Superior
Laundry Experience
Member Spotlight: Rick Rome –
Innovating Laundry, One Customer at a Time
Guest Column: How AI Changed Google Reviews (What Laundromat Owners Need to Know)
And More…

THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS

Industry News

Continental Promotes Kilgore to Director of Customer Experiences

Continental Girbau Inc. has promoted Laurie Kilgore to director of customer experiences. In this newly created position, Kilgore spearheads the development and evaluation of strategic, tactical and operational customer engagement plans, programs and initiatives....

Laundry One Hosts Open House, Adds New Branch Office

Nearly 100 laundry owners and managers attended Laundry One's inaugural open house and service school at the company's headquarters in Canal Winchester, Ohio. The event featured a presentation by Coin Laundry Association COO Michael Sokolowski, who discussed "Industry...

EnviroStar to Acquire Worldwide Laundry, Skyline Equipment

EnviroStar Inc. has executed definitive purchase agreements to acquire substantially all of the assets and certain liabilities of Worldwide Laundry Inc., Miami, and Skyline Equipment Inc., Houston, using a combination of cash and EVI stock. Worldwide is a distributor...

Whirlpool Corporation Showcases Renovated Manufacturing Facility

Company Rolls Out New Line of Maytag Multi-Load Washers Geared Toward Vended, OPL Markets Whirlpool Corp. Commercial Laundry leadership recently took Maytag Commercial Laundry customers, several Massachusetts government officials and members of the media on a...

Unilever Confronts the ‘Chairdrobe’

Marketers at consumer goods giant Unilever are focused on what they’re calling the “chairdrobe.” It’s that heap of lightly worn clothes draped over chairs in more and more bedrooms these days, often crumpling people’s “go-to garments.” It’s a familiar sight in the...