This is a guide on how to start a laundry business in South Africa.
There are not a lot of people that think about starting a laundry business. People might feel that laundry services are no longer in demand since now people can just buy washing machines. This is far from the truth, laundry is time consuming, whether you have a washing machine or not, we live in an age whereby there are a lot of things that are constantly demanding our time. We lead busy lives, laundry is one of the most hated house chores, it’s not only about washing the clothes but ironing them as well. This where a laundry business comes in.
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Starting a laundry business is not that difficult and does not require any special knowledge or training. You can start this business with no prior experience whatsoever but we generally recommend that you at least go to a laundromat of your choice and volunteer to work for one day.
This will give you the necessary experience, you will know how to handle the laundry, which equipment to use and everything about the day to day running of a laundromat.
Here is what you should do to successfully start a laundry business in South Africa.
1. Market research
Market research is very important for this type of business. You need to know if this particular business will work in your area. Your market research can include researching the number of people who would be interested in this service. Go around and ask random people that stay in your area if they would be interested in such a service.
This type of business might not work very well in low income neighbourhoods. It would be very hard to make a laundromat to work in a village, why? Most people who live in a village generally have a lot of time on their hands. But it would work well in a town, township, suburbia.
2. Find the right location
The location of your laundromat should be a convenient one, people should have easy access to it. You may start this business right from your house, as long as your house is easily accessible for your target market. It’s usually better to position yourself in a location is not too isolated. Being in a prime location also makes it easier for other people to notice your business. A person may be driving by then notice your laundromat.
3. Get the right equipment
Equipment for a laundromat generally includes things like washing machines, dryers, card machines, door hangers, iron, ironing board. You don’t have to stress yourself too much about this, all that’s needed is for you to wash your client’s clothes, iron them and present them in a fresh state to him/her.
4. Do proper marketing
Proper marketing will get people to know about your business sooner than later, which can mean the difference between success or failure. I’m a champion for digital marketing but it doesn’t really work that well with laundromats.
The best you can do with digital marketing is getting a website; which will display all your pricing options and information about your business. Then doing some basic local SEO to make it easier for your website to appear on Google or Bing when someone searches for “laundromats near me”. You can get a website for only R1 200 from Promta Web Services.
Tips for success: Laundry business
Always offer excellent customer service and don’t be afraid to charge the right price for your work. Excellent customer service includes not damaging the clothes of your clients and using good fabric that doesn’t cause any rash or irritation to your clients. Always iron the clothes properly and put them away neatly.
Conclusion
This was guide on how to start a laundry business in South Africa. Starting any business is not easy and requires a lot of hard work. Do you have any thoughts and questions? Comment below.
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