Entice more customers with extras
The laundry business is highly competitive in many areas, meaning that anything that laundromat owners can do to differentiate their laundromats from others is likely to pay off. At the same time, it is crucial to keep one eye on the bottom line at all times. Extras that pay for themselves in terms of additional business should be continued – those that do not should be eliminated.
The Chron recommended a number of extras that may or may not be useful in your laundromat. Try those that seem likely to appeal to customers and closely scrutinize your finances over the course of a few months. If you see an uptick in business that is significant enough – or appears likely to become significant enough – to pay for the extra, you should keep or expand your offering in this regard.
Free Wi-Fi
Wireless Internet is surprisingly affordable these days, even for service fast enough to sustain multiple users simultaneously. Wi-Fi is almost sure to be a hit, as it will allow customers at your laundry business to surf the web, watch videos, listen to music and get work done while they wait for their laundry. A business Internet account with Wi-Fi may cost your business up to a few hundred dollars per month, however, so calculate how many more customers you would need to support this expense.
Security guard
Hiring a security guard to ensure that things are safe is even more expensive than installing Wi-Fi, but it may pay off if you are located in an area where people may not feel safe doing laundry alone at night. If you hire a security guard to address this concern, you are likely to see more people coming to your laundromat and a more comfortable environment developing inside.
Children’s area
One extremely affordable extra that can make a significant difference is the addition of a children’s area. Simply choose an easily visible corner of your laundry business and devote it to children’s toys, books, games and the like. Parents with young children will appreciate this step, and you are likely to hear fewer temper tantrums in your establishment.
There are a lot of great extras that you can add to make your laundromat a more comfortable, accessible environment, but each depends on your location and clientele. You might consider offering free coffee, installing a television or stocking a small “library” with pulp literature. Many of these investments are cheap or free, but some may require a real expenditure.
If you need access to financing for your laundry business, talk to an Eastern Funding representative to explore your options.
