The Laundry Business Made Easy

The laundry shop business is one of the most promising ventures in the Philippines, as you can start it with minimal amount of capital. The demand for laundry services is getting bigger every year, especially with the difficulty of getting a servant to do one’s laundry.

While the laundry shop is a simple business, there are many things you need to know before you can start and operate one. Check out the list below to see the basic steps you need to know:

Set your financial objectives. Compute the amount you wish to earn from your laundry venture. This will guide you on what type of shop to set up in order to attain your goals. You will also gain an approximate knowledge of the capital you need. A commercial laundry would need millions to put up, while a home laundry would need much less capital.

Determine what type of market you wish to pursue. There are two types of laundries: commercial laundries and home laundries. Commercial laundries cater to establishments, while home laundries are for personal households.

Get a good location. The best location is usually the one nearest to your target market. This is especially the case if you choose to put up a home laundry. However, there are other requirements for the location to be ideal. It must have a good and strong water source. The water should be in sufficient volume to support your operations and it must not contain too much minerals that make it more difficult to wash clothing. You must make sure that the area of the site is sufficient for your operations as well. Ideally, you need an area of around 25 square meters.

Register your business. After having a location, you can now proceed to register your business name. Go to the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) if you plan to be a sole proprietorship, or the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) if you plan on being a corporation or partnership. You then get a barangay clearance before going to your municipal or city hall to get the mayor’s permit. Afterwards, proceed to the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) to register and obtain the permit to have your receipts printed.

Understand a laundry shop’s operations. You must also be knowledgeable on the standard procedures and work flow of a laundry shop. Proper care must be taken not to damage clothing and to make sure it is returned to its rightful owner. Learn about the ways to remove the different types of stains. These are just some of things you need to learn about laundry operations.

Plan the layout and renovate. After knowing the workflow in a laundry, the next step is to plan the layout and renovation to maximize efficiency and to make the place attractive to customers. It would be better to visit several laundries so that you can have many ideas on what is the best design for you.

Obtain suitable equipment. The most basic equipment needed is the washer and the dryer. There are two types of washers: front load and top load. The front load is when you put the dirty clothing in the front of the washer. The top load, on the other hand, is where the clothing is put inside from the top. They both have their advantages and disadvantages— the front load washer is usually more expensive but consumes less water.

Get experienced staff. It would be great to have a person who already has experience in a well-run laundry. Skill in laundry operations could only be completely absorbed through actual hands-on experience, so it would be nice to find people who have already done the process hundreds of times.

Laundries are one of the most reliable businesses you can start. With the right location, proper equipment and knowledgeable staff, this venture has a bright chance to be successful.

To know more about starting this business, BusinessCoach, Inc., a leading business seminar provider, conducts a seminar entitled, “Starting a Laundry Shop Business.” Contact (02) 727-5628, (02) 727-8860, (0915) 205-0133 or visit www.businesscoachphil.com for details.

Click here to view details of the seminar: Starting a Laundry Shop Business »

*Originally published by the Manila Bulletin. C-4, Sunday, August 4, 2013. Written by Ruben Anlacan, Jr. (President, BusinessCoach, Inc.) All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or copied without express written permission of the copyright holders.