The laundromat business is one of the highly profitable businesses in the United States and worldwide. That is the reason that it has been an eye-catching business for entrepreneurs.
But still, many laundromats fail.
A question might come to your mind: Why do laundromats fail if it’s a highly profitable and rewarding business?
It’s not for no reason.
There are many reasons why the laundry business fails, and one must consider it even before starting it.
Lack of knowledge is one of the biggest reasons that new businesses fail. And if you don’t know everything about a business, there are always chances that you might fall at any point.
So if you have plans to start a coin-laundry business, that’s great, but before you even plan to start a new laundry business or purchase one for yourself, acquaint yourself with the top reasons why laundry businesses fail.
14 Reasons For Which Laundromats Fail
Let’s discuss all the reasons why laundromats fail. The reasons are somehow different from what we discussed in our other article: why new businesses fail.
Inappropriate location
Bad location is one of the most significant reasons why laundry businesses fail.
Location is the pillar of this business. If you can’t get an excellent location for your laundry business, let’s say you got a place in an inappropriate plaza that doesn’t attract the right customer, it will ultimately fail.
So while planning your laundry business, location should be your top priority. Examples of best locations could be like posh area or a college hostel.
No Parking
In a survey, it’s discovered that 40% of motorists in the United States avoid a business that doesn’t have a parking area.
So when deciding on a building for your laundromat, it’s crucial to have prior parking for your business.
Laundromats usually belong to wealthy families, and if you could entertain them in the best possible ways, you might face dire circumstances.
Mismanagement
Many businesses fail because of mismanagement. It could be financial management, marketing, or sales management; whatever that is, it’s one of the critical factors for a business.
A study by a U.S. bank shows that 82% of businesses fail because of cash flow mismanagement.
Say it’s not close to your house, and you can’t visit more often to manage your business well. It can get you huge consequences.
So while planning your business, it should be your top priority that your business is accessible to you.
Unskilled Staff
Almost all business consultants put way too much emphasis on hiring the right people for your business. By right people means hiring qualified employees.
Some small businesses hire untrained staff and believe they can train them soon. There could be one trained guy in the business to teach them.
But this results in a considerable loss.
Untrained staff might make many mistakes dealing with customers, or at least while doing other in-house jobs.
So it should be one’s top priority not to hire untrained staff unless you have grown so much that you can train a few as replacements.
Equipment
Equipment plays a vital role in the laundry business.
It can cause a laundromat failure by any means. If you are not using advanced technology-based machines, it will be way too expensive for you compared to your competitors. So the cost will increase and hence low profits.
Besides this, old equipment breakdown is not common. In the breakdown period, you are not only losing opportunities to wash more clothes, but you are also paying a lot of money to the technician.
Also, old equipment doesn’t perform as well as new ones. That means you are losing customer trust.
Unstable Water/Power Supply
Many laundry owners found unstable water or power supply as one of the reasons why laundromats fail.
Water and power are both crucial for the laundry business. If you don’t have it, you are nowhere. So while preparing a plan for the laundry business, it should be one’s top priority that you won’t suffer such breakdowns.
High Prices
Suppose you purchased an old laundry business; the machines are too old, consume a lot of energy, and break down more often than you shut it down or increase your prices.
In both cases, it’s a significant loss.
At high prices, one can run a business until there is no other competitor. Otherwise, people will move and even start hating your laundry once they get the same quality work at lower prices.
However, suppose you offer better quality than your competitors. In that case, you provide better services in washing, drying, and folding clothes and charge comparatively higher rates; people would compromise on a small amount.
In short, if the rates are higher than the services you provide, it can result in a significant loss in the long term. However, you can charge for what you provide.
Not Enough Opening Hours
It’s not for the laundry business but for many other businesses where your sales depend on direct customer dealing. If, in a competitive market, you are not available for as many hours as your competitors, then people start preferring others.
There is a reason behind it.
If people believe they may or may not find you open, they don’t come to you. Say even if you are available now, they might think you might be closed when they need their washed clothes back. They won’t come to you.
Secondly, wherever a customer comes twice, he has a strong emotional attachment to that place. If your customer went to your competitor’s shop, and they treated him well, you will lose him forever.
Competitive Market
Once again, it’s a part of your location research. That’s why location is the most important thing for a laundromat business failure or success.
Many believe that there are ten laundromats, so there can be 11 out there.
The idea isn’t bad, but it can also spoil your investments. People don’t leave their brands unless they find them becoming ignorant.
So if you jump in, in such a crowded market, it will take you a lot of time to build a reputation.
Lack of Funds
Lack of finances is one of the primary reasons why new businesses fail.
Businesses, especially small business owners, often believe that as they start it, they will be in profits or at least meet their expenses.
It rarely happens.
That’s why all experienced business consultants insist on keeping at least six months’ expenses in your pocket before you even give it a shot.
But when I plan to start a new business, I keep 13 months’ total expenses in hand. However, it should never take so long for any business.
Thirteen months is the most extensive time one can ever expect for any business to be in profit. If someone isn’t making a profit in 13 months, it’s essential to reanalyze everything: business model, business plan, market research, and marketing strategies.
Poor Customer Dealing
Respect is one of the most powerful tools for building relationships.
And those who don’t focus on building relationships ultimately fail. Or at least they don’t earn as much as they had the capability of.
If your staff is ignorant enough to give value to your customers or can’t entertain them well in your store, it will harm you in the long term.
I used long-term in some cases because many consequences don’t happen instantly. Many things give you a chance to change, but if a business keeps repeating those mistakes, your competitors catch all of your business.
Lease/Mortgage Costs
Many business owners take a loan to start a business.
On loans, they have extra markup costs other than routine expenses. That means they need more business to meet everyday expenses. In such a case, it’s not such a big market, and there is no considerable business in the area, leading to failure.
Extra Expenses
Not all laundromats are successful because not all can run with the same budget.
If a laundromat owner has his land, has no bank loan payments, and works in the business as a manager, that means he has lower expenses than many others.
Many laundromats were unsuccessful because they had to pay more than their competitors. As a result, they couldn’t make anything and hence lost interest.
Dirtiness
You know, laundry belongs to cleanliness.
It’s not just a matter of clean clothes. If you don’t keep your place clean, people will not only judge your mismanagement but will also believe that as you don’t care about your place, you might not care about their clothes.
As a result, it can get huge consequences.
Summary
There are many reasons why laundromats fail. We have discussed all the reasons why a coin-oriented laundry business can be unsuccessful.
Say we have found that the right place has a massive impact on a laundry business. If you couldn’t choose the right place, it would never be a pleasant experience for you.
So if you have plans to start a laundry business, it’s far better to learn these reasons before giving your idea a shot.