Dry Cleaning Business: How to Successfully Run One (+ quick guide)

Dry Cleaning Business

Dry Cleaning Business

A dry cleaning business, also known as a laundry business, involves having a place for sorting, washing, drying, and ironing (pressing) clothes and other textile materials for individuals or companies. Several families in Nigeria spend the most time at work and barely have the time to do their laundry. In addition, they won’t let any stranger come to their house to wash, dry, or iron clothes and clothing sets, but they will be more willing to use dry cleaning services.

The dry cleaning business is a very profitable, low-risk small business. Anyone can learn how to start a dry cleaning business. You can do business part-time or full-time. With a low budget, you can start a successful laundry business and grow. However, it is important to have a dry cleaning business plan for your dry cleaning business.

Do you want to know how to start a dry cleaning business? Kindly continue reading to find out important things you need to know about laundry and cleaning services. 

How to Start a Dry Cleaning Business

Here are the basic things to consider in how to start a dry cleaning business:

  • Get a Dry cleaning business plan
  • Learn about types of fabric and how they act in water
  • Find out about different washing techniques (such as dry cleaning and regular washing).
  • Learn how to iron all types of fabric.
  • Get ideas on how to fold clothes and materials, iron them, and package them.
  • There is a need for specific equipment, which will be discussed later. With adequate knowledge of the business, you can get a decent place and the equipment you need.

Dry Cleaning Business profits

When it serves an active customer base, getting dry cleaning business profits is easy. You can get more than $1200 per day, and the costs are less than half that. Many entrepreneurs in the dry cleaning business have become very wealthy, owning and operating several storefronts.

If you are interested in good dry cleaning business profits, you should ensure the following:

  • offering pick-up and delivery services for an extra fee to help those with a busy schedule
  • offering clothing alterations/tailoring services.

Opening multiple locations, once you have sufficient finances and sufficient demand, will also lead to increased profits.

Dry Cleaning Business Equipment

You need to purchase the equipment necessary to start a dry business. Ensure you get quality dry cleaning business equipment. The dry cleaning business equipment you have to buy depends on the scale you want to operate on. Here is some of the equipment needed to start a dry cleaning business:

  • Garment Conveyor: This is used to hang clothes. Get a carpenter to make a good one for you.
  • Ironing table: Where you can comfortably iron the clothes
  • Laundry detergent: Ensure you don’t just buy any the detergent; find out and buy the ones used by dry cleaners
  • Nylon and tags: These are needed to package the ironed clothes. Also, you will need tags to tag the clothes so you don’t mix them up
  • Power Generator: As electricity is unstable, you will need a sound generator that can carry your equipment just in case
  • Pressing Iron: A quality iron that has useful customization features for different materials
  • Shelves: The shelves will help you keep the ironed and packaged cloth in order.
  • Starch: Many customers will request it to add beauty to their cloth
  • Washing machines: There are different grades based on what you can afford; look for the quality one that you find affordable
  • Washing Basins: These is needed to soak clothes and for other purposes
  • Water: You will need a good source of water. If there is no water supply, you can buy a tank and store water

These are the basic items you need. Essentially, get these 12 must-have laundry items necessary to wash, clean, iron, and present the clothes and materials and establish your business. Ensure you carefully read the instructions on each piece of equipment you buy on how to operate your machines. You can also think about small vital details such as tags, additional accessories, and furniture, among others.

How to Run a Successful Dry Cleaning Business

Do you want to learn how to run a successful dry cleaning business? Take note of the following if you need to run a successful dry cleaning business:

#1. Get a Dry Cleaning Business Plan 

Having a good business plan can help you make better decisions. Take some time out, stay focused, and think about what you want your business to be like and what exactly you intend to do.

Consider your long-term and short-term goals, what kind of services you intend to render, how to handle maintenance, how to hire a team, and how to structure your team. Answering these questions will give you a clearer view of what you want to do. Things like this are exactly what we factored out so we can give you an MBA standard Dry cleaning business plan

We have done the thinking for you. There are several other things you have to focus on doing to get your Dry cleaning company up and running. Hence, you don’t have so much time to spend on drafting a business plan.

You can choose any of our catalog of business plans designed to help your business succeed. These plans were put together by experts in business management, and all factors have been put into consideration, including market research and analysis.

So, waste no more time, and please click on the dry cleaning business plan to purchase one. You can also contact us for a special consultation on managing/building your business.        

#2. Impressive Interiors

It is true that you do not achieve outright perfection. Nevertheless, you should ensure spotlessly-clean interiors. After all, you are a dry cleaner. Therefore, gorgeous interiors suggest that you genuinely care about delivering quality and detail in what you do, from maintaining your work environment to dry cleaning a client’s clothing items.

You may try to remodel your interior roughly once every five years. Ensure your environment is as conducive as possible.

#3. Manage Your Online Reputation Properly

There are a number of reasons why you should monitor and manage your online reputation properly. For example, it is estimated that 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations, while a few 14% trust advertising. Also, 25% of a company’s value can be attributed to its online reputation. Buyers tend to trust online recommendations. Therefore, you need to manage your online reputation effectively.

#4. Ensure Garment Management System

With many garments coming through your workplace, having an effective system for managing everything is vital. With a garment management system, you can easily keep everything organized, making your process more efficient, as well as reducing mistakes and waiting times.

#5. Promote your Business Well

When you have everything ready to go, you have to advertise your dry cleaning business constantly. Ensure you use all types of promotions you can afford because people need to learn about your business before they can turn into your customers.

Read More: Real Estate Business: How to start guide for beginners

For some ideas for your dry cleaning business, you can order a big banner with your business name and place it outside your office to attract attention. Also, you can print our flyers with first-time customer discounts and hand them to your friends and passersby. You should create a website or open accounts on all popular social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others.

Ensure you advertise your services on the internet (specify your location and learn more about SEO to gain organic search visitors interested in your services and turn them into your clients).

If you have a personal car, you can brand it and use it for delivery (charge extra for such a service).

#6. Communicate and Advertise Any Other Relevant Services

In sales, there is something called “up-selling,” which involves guiding a customer to purchase upgrades or add-ons. The key concept is that you have a client who is already buying, and you take the opportunity to sell even more to him or her.

In your dry cleaning business, inform your customers about other services you offer, such as garment delivery, pressing, stain removal, or special-material cleaning. Having these services advertised and communicated by staff will help you up-sell to your current customers, making each walk-in and appointment more profitable.

#7. Manage your business properly

You will need a business plan to manage your dry cleaning business properly. Every business ought to keep a tight leash on the payroll. While you definitely don’t want to be overbearing, you need to ensure that you are not wasting money on hourly wages that are not required. Always monitor your payroll so that you can know that each amount you spend benefits your business.

If your dry cleaning business begins growing, you may need to hire a human resources (hr) manager who can help your business maintain an efficient and profitable payroll.

Read Also: Property Management Business; All you need to start

In everything you do, be attentive, careful, prudent, and smart. Take appropriate decisions, build your client database, and work as hard as you can.

Never forget that you can’t afford to lose any customers. Therefore, you have to be extra helpful to each person who comes to your office. Ensure your prices should look fair to your customers and that your customer service should be impressive. Don’t stop reaching out to more customers, and do everything you can to turn each one into a returning customer.

Dry Cleaning Businesses for Sale

Doing our laundry is one of the many chores many people don’t like. While everyone wants to wear clean and neatly pressed clothes, not everyone loves to wash and iron. Busy and demanding city life makes more people willing to pay for dry cleaning businesses to take care of their dirty laundry.

For those interested in the dry cleaning business for sale, the dry cleaning market in Nigeria is enormous and growing at a fantastic rate. This business, which can be run with little capital investment, is a goldmine for smart entrepreneurs who can provide customers with convenience at a reasonable price. Nigeria’s dry cleaning market is on a path of steady growth. More people are bound to require this service as they demand more convenience in their already busy lives.

To start this business, you may decide to buy a dry cleaning business within your community. Kindly check around to see if anyone is willing to put up his/her dry cleaning business for sale in your area.

Is a dry cleaning business a good investment?

Yes, it is a good investment. A dry cleaning business is ideal for a fail-safe business model. Customers seek out your service because it provides an essential service, your operating expenses are low, and you provide an essential service. One of the best investments you can make is in a dry cleaning business.

How do you become a professional dry cleaner?

There are typically no academic requirements to become a dry cleaner. Most, however, have a high school diploma and will be trained on the job by a more experienced worker in the field. Some employers, but not all, require you to take stain removal or fabric care classes.

How well do dry cleaners work?

Dry cleaning removes dirt, stains, and grime from clothing, making it appear cleaner than a regular machine wash. When clothes are dry cleaned, the fabric lasts longer and looks like new, making it the best way to extend the life of your clothes.

Is dry cleaning better than laundry?

It’s a common misconception that washing clothes is the most effective way to get rid of dirt and stains, but in reality, dry cleaning services are much more effective. Therefore, if you care about how your clothes look, you should avoid the washing machine and visit the dry cleaner.

What is the future of the dry cleaning industry

The continued popularity of business casual attire and dry-cleaning-optional work attire is predicted to have a negative impact on the industry over the coming years. But you should also understand that this is a mere statistics. 

What are 3 types of dry cleaning?

The creation of synthetic petroleum, siloxane (Green Earth), liquid carbon dioxide, and wet cleaning all arose from the need to find an alternative to perc as a solvent in dry cleaning.

How long is dry cleaning turn around?

To begin, you must have an idea of how long dry cleaning usually takes. The standard turnaround time for most garments is 24-48 hours, but this can be shorter or longer depending on your specific requirements. It’s not required that you retrieve your clothing right away, but you certainly can if you like.

FAQs

How profitable is a dry cleaner?

Daily revenues easily approach $200, but expenses are less than half of that amount. A modest store can generate a profit of at least $30,000 per year after accounting for expenses.

Is dry cleaner is a good investment?

The firm delivers an important service, has modest operational expenditures, and customers actively seek it out. The establishment of a dry cleaning company is one of the best investments you can make.

Is dry cleaning better than washing?

However, is dry cleaning preferable to regular laundering? Absolutely. In actuality, dry washing really saves garments! Today, we will dispel three of the most pervasive fallacies about dry-cleaning in order to help you safeguard the longevity of your apparel.

Related Article

  1. DRY CLEANING BUSINESS: How to start (+ dry cleaning business plan)
  2. Cleaning Service Business: How to start from scratch (+ Practical Ideas)
  3. FASHION BUSINESS: Best Ideas, Careers, Names, Courses (+ Startup tips)
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like