How to Start a Dry Cleaning Business

A dry cleaning business can bring in a steady stream of income when it is conveniently located in a well-trafficked area, and it offers valuable service to it's customers. Many entrepreneurs venture into this field also because it weathers through recessions better than many businesses.

It does not take very much to start a dry cleaning business, but many of them do not grow or end up going out of business. Here are some tips to make sure that your business is successful and growing.


Cost to Start:
Even though business owners can generate significant income year round, the cost to start one of these operations is not small either. Machinery alone can cost about $150,000 for a start up business, according to Jon Meijer, vice president of membership for the International Fabricare Institute. On top of that, other up front expenses include a storefront lease and other business equipment, furniture and supplies.

If you want to start a business but are working on a shoestring budget, one option you have is to launch a mobile service. You contract with dry cleaners to pick up and deliver their customer clothing. Instead of machinery and a storefront, you would need a van, a cell phone and laundry bags (imprinted with your company name and contact information) to give to clients for their delivery orders.

How to Generate More Revenue:
The good news is that once you launch your dry cleaning business, you do not have to rely on basic dry cleaning services to generate revenue. You can employ multiple techniques to grow your income. Additional services like dry cleaning delivery, alterations of clothing repairs can add to your profits. Besides increasing revenue, adding services gives you a competitive advantage on other local dry cleaners. When you provide multiple services in one place, customers looking to save time and money will tend to look at your business favorably.

Key Success Factors:
One of the key success factors for a dry cleaner is location. Convenience can be a deciding factor when a customer is trying to decide between several dry cleaners. People do not want to spend a lot of time at the dry cleaner, and they want less hassles. Choose a location that is easily accessible with plenty of parking for customers. Having a location that is nearby to other services such as restaurants or shopping can also be a way to bring in new clients and keep them returning.

Dry Cleaning Business Regulations:
Several environmental regulations affect the dry cleaning industry, and you can get more information on them at the Environmental Protection Agency website. If you do your dry cleaning on-site, there are different cleaning methods that you can choose from, but your location may dictate which methods you are allowed to use.

Going Green:
There are a growing number of business opportunities in "green dry cleaning", where you use non-toxic cleaning methods that do not involve the commonly used dry cleaning chemical perchloroethylene (PERC).

Whether your choose the traditional storefront business model, you go mobile or go green, focus on giving your customer what they want when they want it. If you can make your customer happier because they came into the dry cleaner today - you are likely to have that customer for life.

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