How to Prepare Your Laundromat for an Economic Recession - Laundromat Resource (2024)

Laundromats are a great business for a lot of reasons. The consistent performance of a self-service laundry business, even during an economic downturn, provides these small businesses with consistent cash flow. This consistent cash flow makes them a good investment with an extremely high success rate.

Laundromats are actually quite recession-resistant. Unlike other businesses, people still need to wash their clothes even when money is tight. So, while you may see a decrease in business during a recession, it is unlikely that your laundromat will go out of business. For this reason, they get classified as a recession-proof business. However, there are things that you can do to help weather the storm and keep your business afloat.

One of the best ways to prepare your laundromat for a recession is to focus on marketing and promotions. This can help to increase foot traffic and keep people coming back. Some great marketing ideas for laundromats include:

-Run specials and discounts
-Create loyalty programs
-Participate in local events and festivals
-Advertise in local publications
-Offer online services such as pickup and delivery

Marketing is one of the best investments you can make in your company during economic downturns, despite that seeming counter-intuitive. Laundromat owners who invest in marketing wisely can increase their income revenue and overcome the challenges that a waning market can present.

It is critical to include a marketing budget for your laundromats and to work diligently to determine the most effective ways to invest that money.

If you want to keep people coming back to your laundromat, then create a loyalty program. This can be something as simple as a punch card where the tenth wash is free. Laundromats that offer perks for customer loyalty manage to keep their customers and attract more people from other businesses that forego these rewards.

Or, you could offer a discount for every referral. Offering a discount for every referral makes your current customers your very own sales force! Borrow their influence to add to your customer base. And keep them coming back by making them a part of building your business.

Whatever you choose, make sure that it is something that will appeal to your customers.

Another great way to prepare your laundromat for a recession is to offer new services or products. This could include things like a laundry pick-up and drop-off service, dry cleaning, or wash and fold services. By offering new services, you can appeal to a wider range of customers and make your business more recession-proof.

Investing in growing your company during a slowdown by adding a new service can tap into new demand for outsourced laundry. Many businesses cut costs and look to make their companies smaller when times are tight.

However, another tact is to view these challenges as an opportunity to offer more value to your customers. When you provide services that your customers need and want, even a tight economy won’t slow down your business.

Whether you own a new business or are a seasoned veteran, an economic downturn can be stressful and isolating. Cash flow can be tight and even laundromats can struggle. As entrepreneurs, we often feel like we have to take care of our own business ourselves, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

The Laundromat Resource Pro Community exists to connect laundromat owners with each other and with great ideas. Our 3 tiers of community are designed to help you connect with the right people to help you achieve your goals and find success with laundromats.

The first community tier is the entire Laundromat Resource Pro Community. Among our ranks are seasoned veterans, rookies just learning about the business, and everywhere in between. You’ll get a chance to connect with the community in our pro community space and on our various calls, webinars, and Q&As.

The second community tier is our sub-topic communities. This is where you can connect with other people on the topics you’re most interested in. For example, you can join the rookie, drop-off laundry (WDF), or laundry pick-up and delivery sub-communities. Join any or all of them and engage in discussions, ask questions, answer questions, and share ideas!

The third community tier is our mastermind groups. Any member of the pro community can join a small group of 3-5 other members who all commit to meeting together to share ideas, share goals, hold each other accountable to tasks that lead to your goal achievement, and troubleshoot problems that come up. These relationships can be powerful, especially during difficult economic times.

Consider joining the Laundromat Resource Pro Community and be a part of a life-transforming movement!

In order to weather a recession, it is important to increase efficiency and cut costs where possible. This may include things like automating your laundromat or reducing energy consumption. By cutting costs, you can help to keep your business afloat during tough economic times.

Small businesses, even a recession-proof business like a self-service laundry, must keep an eye on expenses. When you own your own business, that responsibility lands on you. If you can’t manage your expenses, you may see your cash flow dry up.

When preparing your laundromat for a recession, it is important to keep a close eye on your competition. This way, you can see what they are doing and make sure that you are offering a competitive price and a top-notch service. Additionally, you may want to consider offering discounts or promotions that they don’t have.

You’ll also want to be sure no new business enters the market near your laundromat. Investors looking to take advantage of poorly managed laundromats may use a slowdown in the economy as an opportunity to enter the laundromat industry. Laundromats attract investors with money to invest or who have access to capital. Managing your laundromat well during tight times can discourage investors from building a new laundromat near yours.

Technology can be a great way to prepare your laundromat for a recession. There are a number of ways that you can use technology to your advantage, including:

-Using social media to promote your business
-Installing energy-efficient washing machines
-Offering a mobile app for your laundromat
-Automate tasks to reduce employee costs

By taking advantage of technology, you can help to make your business more efficient and appealing to customers.

Laundromats have traditionally been slow to adopt new technology, but owners who utilize technology to help them manage their laundromats see success both in terms of increased income as well as a better work-life balance.

While a recession can be a difficult time for businesses, it is important to remember that they don’t last forever. So, if your business is impacted by a recession, don’t give up. Instead, focus on ways that you can weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side.

The laundromat industry, although not exactly recession-proof, is recession-resistant. And although laundromats have an extremely high success rate and are often considered a safe investment, it’s always important to be proactive and prepare your business for the worst-case scenario. By taking steps such as analyzing your expenses, keeping an eye on your competition, taking advantage of technology, focusing on the customer experience, and having a plan B – and C – in place, you can help ensure that your laundromat is ready for whatever recession may come its way.

By following the tips above, you can help to prepare your laundromat for a recession. So, if the economy takes a turn for the worse, you can rest assured knowing that your business will be able to weather the storm.