Wash and Fold - Work from Home Laundry Service Business-(2021)
Work From Home Laundry Service Business
Traditionally washing household items was not a business, but was a necessary task to be done daily by maid or house wives. As time passed these necessary activities started generating revenue and now it has become a business, as people started out-sourcing their regular laundry, due to the hectic lifestyle and short of time. Many online and work from home businesses evolved, due to the change in market behavior, which generated a demand for instant requirements like instant fast food, instant laundry, instant grocery, instant entertainment on the different movie channels and so on.
There are so many business ideas which can be done and operated by staying at home. Where no special skills are required, only providing timely service is the key to the success of this business. Most people have to outsource their laundry to cope with the limited available time on hand.
The sector of people looking for the business opportunities took advantage of this and started operating a wash and fold laundry business from home called home laundry. This opportunity took such a turn that it started generating more than 1000 dollars per month income to a normal family. Which is more than sufficient for a normal family with normal standard of living to smoothly run a family. There are several laundry tips and tricks to operate the laundry business.
Starting a home-based laundry service became a great opportunity to earn without learning extra skills or taking a training at any institute. Without sacrificing a lot of time. Little learning of different laundry chemicals used for different garments and identifying the different types of stains and using proper detergent are certain skills required, which can be learned online and provide a quality and timely service with a pick-up and drop facility. This is sufficient to start laundry from home initially.
Nobody ever thought work from home laundry business opportunity could be generated in this way. Here we will discuss how you can start this business in your area, what all documentation required, machinery required and the other formalities along with the strategies of taking this business to heights.
Legal Formalities for Work From Home Business
To begin with, you need to check with your local licensing and registration authorities what all registrations require, as different states have different policies. You will need a Shop Establishment Act registration done. It will be done once you start your business. It has to be registered within 3 months from the date of starting the business, you can start your business and apply for the registration. To pay your taxes you need to register your business with the GST or Sales Tax department as the case may be in your state.
To begin your laundry business from home, you need to select a proper name for your business. Names should be very short and catchy. Different names and slogans that will help in brand building in your locality.
You have to decide whether you will be starting a partnership business, proprietorship business or LLP etc. This details you can get by surfing the internet or through local authorities where you can apply for registration.
Maintaining a Daily Record Register:
You need to keep records of your laundry business. This can be maintained in the MS. Excel Sheet on your computer as well as in the ledger to feed manually. The following records have to be maintained in the ledger/Google spread sheet. The types of records are as follows.
1. Record the calls received for collecting the clothes from the customers.
2. Advances
received from the customers.
3. Quantity of
clothes collected from the customers.
4. Clothes
delivered.
5. Balance
Payments collected.
6. Credits
offered.
You will have to create columns in the excel sheet according to the records to be maintained.
Opening a Business Account:
After starting the business and getting
all the business and tax registrations done. You need to open a business
current account in the bank. This can help customers make online
payments through different apps and payment get-ways or any other online
payment method.
Rates to be charged for ready laundry:
Generally, the laundry rates are
calculated in Dollars or Rupees per Kg or pound. In some places it is calculated
per bag or on a particular type of cloth. In many places the rate chart is
prepared as per the type and the quality of garment to wash. You will have to
conduct a survey in your area to understand the trend there.
Website Development:
Since you do not own a laundromat in a public place, where customers can physically visit your store, it becomes mandatory to have a website. Customers can understand the services offered at your business premises, and they can understand the rates charged by you. They can book the service online and can make the payments too.
Through your website all the services provided by you can be communicated to the customers with ease. And subsequently it will help smooth the operation and scaling of your business. Tracking of the clothes by the customer can help them to understand at what time they will be receiving the ready clothes.
Word Press and Blogger are free website generating tools, with different available free temples. There are also many free hosting websites available today, where you can develop your website if required.
Marketing Strategies:
Marketing plays a wonderful role in the development of any business. Initially as a start-up you need to design attractive fliers, with the bold attractive business name on the top with the services offered. Printed on very colorful art paper. It should also carry phone numbers, email address, website address. If possible, you can offer a discounted rate for the first month for the customers using your laundry service.
This can be circulated in the college campuses, boys and girls hostels, malls, cinema halls nearby, parking places, commercial outlets and circulated through inserting in the local newspapers this is a very economical, traditional, fast and direct marketing method.
Print your business cards:
Initially you can have printed few free designed business cards on some websites like free logo service, biz card makers, Shopify and many others, you can find it on the internet. It can help you when you personally visit potential clients to explain your business plan. Printing a few catalogs can be an added advantage. Visiting a reputed spa, doctors, hospitals, hotels, nursing homes, old age homes, day care centres etc. where business cards can be a good help.
When visiting these potential clients, do not forget to explain to them how your business services can be helping them increase their business. For example, if you visit the hotel explain the promptness of your services, like-same day delivery. If you go to the hospitals or visit the doctor, explain to them how clothes are disinfected when washed at your business place. To get more details about this, please visit this link.
Digital Marketing:
Online marketing tools can also help
promote your business. Email marketing, WhatsApp marketing, Facebook
marketing by creating Facebook pages, listing free on Google Places and Yahoo.
Google Plus, Twitter, Snapchat and LinkedIn are a few more free advertising
platforms. Craigslist is also a free service. Google Ads is also a very
effective paid service, if used properly, by offering discount coupons or any
such scheme.
Equipment Required:
For Wash and Fold Business you can use your existing machines, which are used for domestic purposes. But when you start getting orders and your business requires prompt wash and dry service then, you primarily need two machines to complete your laundry load on time. 1.Washer Extractor and 2.Tumble Dryer.Unusual front loaded washers and dryers are economical.
What is the difference between washers and dryers that are used for
domestic purposes and those which are used commercially?
Washer-Extractor:
As per the name suggested, it is a washer
with a high spin of the drum in which the clothes are loaded. After the washing
cycle is completed it spins at a very high RPM say up to 900 RPM to extract the
maximum amount of moisture contained in the clothes, so that very little time is
required to dry the clothes in the dryer.
Tumble Dryer:
Here the clothes are exposed to the
steam generated inside the dryer to dry the clothes at high spin. The clothes
coming out of the dryers can be directly folded and ready for delivery to
the customers. It does not require to be dried on the strings, which kills the
time of delivery.
Get Set Go…
Now that you are ready to launch your work
from home business, stay at home. Please do not expect your business to grow overnight. Please keep patients for at least 3 to 4 months and keep continuously
marketing through the different platforms as discussed. Remember marketing has
to be done until the level of satisfaction is achieved. Later on you can
concentrate more on online marketing tools.
I wish you good luck with your home laundry business.
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