What equipment do I need to start my own dry cleaning service?
First off, do a market analysis. There are few areas where there is a need for the service that exceeds the capacity of the existing providers.Most people need pressing and spot removal when they enlist the local drycleaner. So in a very simple way you could begin with :1- a cold spotting board - appropriate chemicals2- a vacuum table & steam iron3- invoices; numerical garment tags to identify items to be matched back to invoices.For high production, you’d also want:1- Drycleaning machine2- pant press3- Pant topper4- utility press5- garment bagging rack6- storage rails or conveyor7- shirt pressing machine
What are the equipments needed in a Dry Cleaner business?
I opened a High Volume Value Priced Dry Cleaner in 2008. We have been in business for 8-years and I attribute our success to One Important Decision. To buy New Equipment of to gamble on purchasing Used Equipment?In early 2008 it was apparent the economy was slipping. I had a $400,000 SBA loan approved to purchase new equipment and open our plant. Than in July of 2008, I received a call from our banker informing me the bank loan committee had put a hold on all pending loans. I panicked! We had just signed a lease for a AAA location and we had not financingI immediately visited another bank and quickly was a approved for a $100,000 loan. I turned to Ebay and bought a 16-Box Truck and began to travel the country buying distressed equipment from dry cleaners that we ‘closing’ their doors and needing immediate cash. Within 3 months I had all the equipment I needed. The problem was I had no one to install it. The firms I had promised new equipment purchases from turn me away and to me I was on my own. Fortunately, my contacts in buying used equipment gave me contacts in Detroit with a company that had 3-installer available for 10-days. for $1,000 per day labor cost. I obtained a building permit and moved quickly and had the business open within 3-weeks.Today, after 8 years, I have replace almost all of the equipment I purchased with newer used equipment. My capital costs ended up to be 20% of what it would have cost me to buy new. And the burden of debt could have placed me in risk of bankruptcy. Instead, my decision to open using used equipment allowed me to grow my business quickly with the lease-cost-method of buying equipment.My advice. Don’t get caught up in thinking that new equipment dealers of fresh new looking franchises are the answer to a safe way to grow a business. If your are creative, you can do what I did.Thoughts from a firm that decided to do it one their own.John M. Felt
How much money does a dry cleaning business make?
It depends on the services being offered by the dry-cleaning company. Those who offer doorstep services will have to bear extra cost of hiring man-power. Generally, dry cleaning business can be have low operating costs and high profit margins. But if you need to buy equipment, again gaining profits may take a bit longer.Also, even after being a service industry –related business, dry-cleaning business has fixed hours of operations, which helps save operational costs. One of our service persons at Fazio Cleaners once told us that profit margins for dry-cleaners are between 150-200%, but only if you don’t have to pay to buy or repair equipment time and again.Loyal customers also help dry-cleaners to earn better profits. Further, they can augment their profits by offering additional services such as tailoring, clothing repair, clothing preservation as well as pick-up and drop-off service.When it comes to clothing preservation, this service does not apply just to wedding gowns anymore. Customers are having military uniforms, baptismal outfits and other life-event clothing preserved. Preservation can bring in an additional $200-800 per article of clothing.
What permissions are needed for opening a new laundry business in India?
Find an appropriate location. Choose an area that is accessible to or populated by your target market. Rent a space near apartment buildings to attract customers who do not have laundry machines at home. Avoid opening a store with nearby competition. Select a location with off-street parking, if possible, for customer convenience. Buy an existing laundry business to save time and money locating equipment.Secure permits and registration. Visit your city clerk to apply for a business license. Ask if your municipality requires you to have a health department license, fire department permit or air and water pollution control permit. Pay any sewer connection and waste water fees required by your city clerk.Market your laundry business. Advertise locally by placing door hangers on apartment building doors. Include a list of your services and offer coupons to new customers. Differentiate your laundry business from your competition by emphasizing any specialized services or perks, such as televisions, free wireless Internet and couches. Hang fliers on local bulletin boards and place ads in print or online newspapers.Items you will needWashersDryersCoin machine or card machineLaundry cartsDetergent vending machinesDoor hangersFliersTipLaundry businesses can be expensive to start. Thoroughly research the costs of opening a store before you commit to the business. Laundry businesses are often required to pay sewer connection fees on a per-washer basis.
How much does it cost to start a laundry business?
You can start a laundry business with a very LESS investment. To make business there is no need of high investment. In laundry business there is no need of building a work shop/ Chemicals/ workers etc., but rather than we can use the other established workshop and collaborate with them.As there are so many well established players in the market, it is a good idea to start as an AGGREGATOR, learn the tricks of the trade and plan for something big.All you need to have are the BAG's for stuffing the clothes and BIKES for delivery. You can speak with a hotel/SPA for getting the orders and you should find a vendor who does such type of work. Once you find the customers and the vendors you are good to go. If the vendor is charging you Rs.1000 per order, you can negotiate with the customer and have at least some margin.
Can I place a Suit Jacket in the Washing machine, if it's dry clean only?
NO...! Most suit jacket has multiple layers. Not only will the surface be wrinkled, different parts of the jacket and different layers of jacket will shrink at different rate. Not only will ironing will not take care of it, but it will permanently dis-figure the jacket. In short, you will not be able to wear it again. Don't do it!