Interested in Opening a Laundry Business? Here Are the Initial Capital Details and How to Start from Scratch
A laundry business can be an option for those who want to build a service business with a customer need that tends to be recurring. The market is quite broad, ranging from students and workers living in boarding houses to families who need a practical service for washing clothes.
However, opening a laundry business is not just about buying a washing machine and putting up a banner. There are several things that need to be prepared from the start, from determining the target customer, choosing a location, calculating capital, preparing equipment, to setting service prices.
So, how much capital needs to be prepared and how do you start a laundry business from scratch? Here is the review.
- Determine the Target Customer
The first step is to determine who your prospective customers are. This will affect the location, price, type of service, and even the number of machines that need to be purchased. If you are targeting students and boarding house workers, you can look for a location around boarding house areas or campuses. Meanwhile, residential areas can be an option if the target is families.
Do not rush to rent a place before conducting a survey. Pay attention to the number of competitors, laundry prices around the location, population density, and access to the business premises.
- Choose the Business Scale
You do not have to immediately open a laundry with many machines. For beginners, the business can be started from home if you have enough space.
One simulation of a small-scale business with one washing machine and one dryer estimates equipment needs of around Rp8 million. This figure already includes the machines, supporting equipment, and initial stock of detergent, fragrance, and laundry bags.
If you want a larger capacity, the capital will naturally increase. Some laundry business calculations place small-scale capital at around Rp15 million, especially if using more than one machine and preparing more complete operational equipment.
- Prepare the Main Equipment
Equipment is one of the biggest expenses when opening a laundry. At a minimum, you need to prepare a washing machine, a dryer or drying area, an iron, an ironing board, digital scales, shelves, laundry baskets, hangers, and packaging supplies.