- Starting a laundry business is always a great idea. Day by day many households in India are getting into the middle class and upper middle class bracket and their disposable incomes are increasing.
Due to the changing scenarios people are becoming more cautious about everything. People want to spend time with their families rather than wash clothes. There is this huge positivity for the laundry / dry-cleaning segment and there are also some things to know before venturing into it.
Like all other businesses, laundry also requires some basic know-how. The main prerequisite for starting a laundry business is having a thorough understanding of business.
Even a decade ago, there were no proper professional laundry services in India. Clothes were mostly hand washed. But eventually the scenario has changed. There has been rapid growth in the business in recent years. Some of the defining points are-
- Adapting to fast lifestyle
- Automation in all domestic work,
- People have become reliant on laundry services, and therefore, it has become quite an attractive business opportunity.
Below are some important points which everyone should know before venturing into this business
Market Research:
The first step in starting any business is to make themselves informed about the market. For example, the laundry business in India is an almost unexplored area. 95% of the market is still unorganized. Knowing the market also helps us to know how much investment we require for setting up the whole business and when can we expect the ROI.
Below is a link on how market research is the most important step before starting any business
- Being Prepared:
The more organized you are the more well equipped and prepared you are to handle any emergency. This will also help you to run your business smoother. Make a list of all the things you need. From equipment, machines, cleaning solvents, detergents etc. should be purchased and stocked beforehand. Also, if you want to start a pickup and delivery service then, you need to arrange for a vehicle to get the job done.
- Manpower:
Running a business and that to laundry cannot be a one-man show. To do the whole processes efficiently, you need to hire staff who are well skilled in their jobs. You will need people to operate the machines, for ironing, dry cleaning, stain removing and even delivery staff for the pickup and drop off of clothes. So ensure that the people you hire are good at what they do. Or, hire them and train them in their respective departments.
Below is a link on how manpower is very important in a laundry/dry-cleaning business
- Know your customers:
Customer satisfaction is the ultimate goal for any business, and a laundry/dry-cleaning business is no exception. Mostly, laundries are accessed by customers who need special care for their designer wear, costly dresses that need only dry-clean. Such operations can be handled by only professional dry-cleaners and cannot be done at home. In metropolitan cities, customers can come from households of every stature. So you must open your business to all the people to ensure maximum return and train your employees to handle a customer with utmost care
- Marketing:
Marketing is the key for any business. A customer can get to know about any business if and only if that particular business markets themselves. The two major divisions in marketing are-
- Traditional or offline marketing
- Digital or online marketing
From printing brochures to distributing of flyers there are many ways of marketing a business. Word Of Mouth (WoM) is also vital to make your business grow. So have a specific target audience/customers and spread the word!
- Be the best in the Business:
Even though the professional laundry / dry-cleaning business are still at a nascent stage in India, people who are entering into the business will face a stiff competition from the local dhobis. Your focus should be on differentiating yourselves from the rest standing on the top.
For example, you can create a niche for yourself by offering services like-
- Express Delivery
- Stain Removals and
- Providing pickup and delivery services are some of the things which come across my mind at this point of time
These are some of the basic prerequisites for a person to know before starting a laundry / dry-cleaning business
For more information,
People can get in touch with me in LinkedIN, Facebook, Instagram
PK,
PK Enterprises.
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