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I’ve been an entrepreneur for almost a decade, and I’m always looking for new ways to increase my odds for success. In 14 years of trial and error, I’ve discovered how to market my dry cleaning business even better.
Before I reveal my marketing methods along with successful case studies to you, you should know that these strategies have succeeded for me over a very long period.
When I was at the beginning of my business, these strategies helped me grow from $0 to over $90,000 in yearly revenue. And when I reached the 7-figure mark, they helped me expand to six figures without missing a beat.
Why Dry Cleaning is a Unique Business
Customers are loyal
Businesses that offer dry cleaning services thrive because customers are loyal. Since getting clothes clean is an important part of your customers’ lives, they’ll likely be loyal to the company that does it best.
Business is recession-proof
Due to the nature of this industry, dry cleaning businesses are very recession-proof. People still need their clothes clean in good economic times and bad, so they’ll typically keep coming back.
It’s portable
While you do need a location to run a dry cleaning business, you don’t necessarily need one in the middle of town. If you choose to run your business out of your home, you might get some foot traffic from neighbors and friends who need their laundry done. This can make it easier on you during slow days or when you’re getting started since you won’t have to be as focused on new customer acquisition and sales volume.
The margins are great
Dry cleaning is one of the few industries that maintain consistent margins. Since dry cleaning businesses are typically controlled by small operations, owners will preserve the integrity of their profit margins by controlling costs like labor and energy prices. Businesses will also serve as insulation against inflation.
While most industries are susceptible to inflationary periods because of the cost of labor, utilities, and supplies, dry cleaning businesses can easily weather these times with steady revenues. For example, during the 2008-2009 recession period, dry cleaners saw a 35 percent increase in sales revenue.
Low startup costs
The great thing about starting a dry-cleaning business is that it has very low startup costs. You can get your equipment now instead of renting and still save money in the long run because you do not have to pay rental fees.
When choosing equipment, consider its versatility; you don’t want items that are used only for dry cleaning.
While you will have to pay for equipment and supplies, the cost will be lower than that of opening a new retail store or hiring someone else to do the work for you.
Simplicity
Starting a dry cleaning business is one of the easiest businesses to start. Unlike a lot of small businesses, there are no complicated licensing requirements, machinery costs, or other major expenses. You can begin with a very small investment.
Because this type of business is so simple, it’s easier for banks and other financial institutions to lend money to someone who wants to start it as opposed to someone who wants to start a more complicated business such as a restaurant or manufacturing company.
Main Dry Cleaning Business Challenges
Your customer’s busy schedules
Dry cleaning is one of those businesses that owners think will provide a low-cost escape from full-time employment. They think, “I’ll open my dry cleaning shop and work fewer hours.” But the truth is, it’s not easy to make money in this business. Regardless of the type of clothing, you offer to clean, your customers’ busy schedules will make it difficult for them to come to pick up their garments on time.
To avoid problems with late pick-ups, you have to be aware of your customers’ schedules and adapt your business to meet those needs. If you try to stick to a rigid schedule, chances are you’ll end up turning many potential customers away. You may lose some customers because they were unable to pick up their clothes in time for an important event. But by being flexible, you’ll keep others as repeat customers.
Loss of customer loyalty
The dry cleaning industry is a highly competitive one in which you have to constantly maintain your customer loyalty. The customers have many options as to where to take their dry-cleanable garments for cleaning and pressing.
They can go to the local cleaners, self-service laundry, or even do it themselves at home. If you are not keeping up with your customer service, then the customers will most likely choose another service that is more attentive to their needs.
Major management involvement
With a dry cleaning business, your primary challenge will be to manage the business effectively. This means being involved with inventory management, pricing, and other day-to-day operations.
If you prefer to stay removed from these aspects of the business, you can hire employees to oversee the operations while you handle marketing and customer relations.
Washing options for delicates
One of the biggest challenges you’ll face as a dry cleaner is dealing with delicates. Delicates are items that should be cleaned carefully, such as lace, silk, and cashmere.
Drying delicate fabrics like silk or sheer chiffon can be tricky. The best way to do it is air drying. You may be tempted to use a clothesline or other drying rack, but the problem with that is that some fabrics can become stretched out of shape and you’ll have to press them once they’ve dried.
Pros and Cons of Starting a Dry Cleaning Business
Pros
- You can choose to work part-time or full-time.
- The training required to start a dry cleaning business is minimal.
- No sales tax
- Many potential clients
Cons
- No foot traffic.
- Not much room for growth.
- Long hours can wear on you.
- Drying clothes is a long, manual process.
- Today’s dry cleaning equipment requires more expertise in operating machinery than it did decades ago.
- Space for a dry cleaning business may be difficult to find in busy areas.
Best Dry Cleaning Marketing Strategies
Select the right location
Location is one of the most important factors in selecting a dry cleaning location. If you find an ideal location, but don’t like the competition or landlord, consider moving a few blocks away and see if your business improves. The best locations have a few qualities:
High volume: You need a location that experiences a lot of foot traffic with owners who understand the value of frequent cleaning. This shows that your business is needed and will be appreciated by customers.
Accessibility: A good location should be accessible to both customers and employees. Ideally, it should be located on the main street and easily accessible by various forms of transportation, such as public buses.
Proximity to other businesses: Your business should be close to other businesses that attract many people, such as retail shops, restaurants, and banks. The more business you get from customers who are in the area for other reasons, the more money you can make by offering them convenient services at reasonable prices.
Space availability: You also want to make sure there’s enough space for your business to grow over time. You can always change locations later on if your business grows big enough to justify moving into a larger space.
Promote high-end services
While your competitors may be going to the local dry cleaner or laundromat, you can create a unique niche for your business by offering high-end services. To increase your business and sales, you should focus on promoting the quality of your business. You can do this by adding services that are not offered by other businesses in the area. An example is adding shapewear dry cleaning services while others are just doing regular dry cleaning.
Takeaways:
1) Focus on providing a higher quality of service than your competitors.
2) Be creative in offering more than what is offered by other businesses in the area.
Create a mobile app
If you’re in the dry cleaning industry, you might be wondering how to market your business to customers. You might also be looking for ways to make your business more efficient.
A dry cleaning app can help with both issues. Remember that your customers expect quality and convenience when it comes to their dry cleaning.
They expect you to meet their needs, whether they want a spot removed from a shirt or need alterations done on a pair of pants. But if you offer quality and convenience through a mobile app, you can stand out from the competition.
Here are some tips for making the most of your dry cleaning app:
Make sure the app is easy to use. Your app should be as intuitive as possible. That way, it’s easy for customers to use it while they’re picking up or dropping off their items. Also, make sure all your employees know how to use the mobile app so they can answer any questions that come up during the process.
Accessibility is key. If your customer has access to the app on multiple devices, he or she will be able to get familiar with it and use it on his or her terms. Offer information about upcoming sales, discounts, and promotions in your app. Your customers will appreciate being made aware of these specials.
Local advertising
Dry cleaning is a local business and your main task is to get the business of your nearby customers. There are plenty of ways to start attracting them:
1. Direct mail lists. These lists are compiled by various companies that have databases of people in certain areas. They will have different lists, from people who bought pet food to those who subscribed to magazines like Elle.
2. Local newspapers and flyers. If you live in a small town, your newspaper will most likely have a section for businesses that are looking for new customers and this is an excellent way to advertise cheaply and reach a lot of people. Many newspapers also give out weekly flyers with upcoming events in the area and they can be really useful if you want to attract clients on special occasions such as Christmas or Thanksgiving when everyone comes out and shops at dry cleaners more often than usual.
3. Word-of-mouth advertising. This is one of the easiest ways to get new customers because you simply have to show good customer service and be nice to them until they tell their friends about you! In the end, word-of-mouth advertising is the best thing that can happen for any business so try getting some testimonials from your satisfied customers or write up some nice reviews on consumer sites like Yelp.
Use Google Adwords and Facebook Ads
Dry cleaners are always on the lookout for effective marketing strategies to increase their customer base. Spending money on a marketing campaign can be a worthwhile investment if it translates into more customers and increased revenues.
The best dry cleaning marketing strategies are those that target specific groups of potential customers. This lets you target only people who are most likely to use your services and avoid spending money on ads that would appeal to everyone but reach only a small, random audience.
Even though it is difficult to get people interested in dry cleaning services, some great dry cleaning marketing strategies can help you attract new customers.
Google Adwords is one of the most popular forms of online advertising and can be used by anyone with an internet connection.
Using Adwords is free, but it does require registration and a credit card number for payment purposes. You will have to enter your business name and address so that you can receive the verification code by text or email if you do not have a business address.
Once you have registered and verified your business, Google will provide you with a code to enter as part of your ad text which verifies that you are a legitimate business. This gives potential customers peace of mind when they see your ads in their searches.
Focus on customer service
The marketing strategy behind your dry cleaning business is to ensure that you have the greatest number of customers with the highest customer satisfaction.
If your customers are happy, they will return to your business time and time again. If they are not satisfied with your service, they may never return. The marketing strategy you implement should also be based on your location since many of your potential customers will be within walking distance from your dry cleaner’s store.
What works in one area may not work in another. The most important thing is to know what works for your business and to continue doing it.
While the following tips might seem obvious, if you follow them you’ll be sure to be successful in your dry cleaning venture:
1) Be accurate about prices – If you quote a price for a customer, it should match the final price that comes up on the register. This includes taxes and service fees, as well as any discounts or promotions that apply to that customer. When customers see that you are honest about prices, they will trust you more and come back often. People like to know what they are going to pay before they commit to a purchase.
2) Find out who uses your services – You can do this by asking customers when they drop off their clothes or by looking deeper into consumer behavior of your business.
Find a competitive edge
There are several ways that you can get customers to remember your dry cleaning business and potentially become loyal to your services. You can find a competitive edge by using the following:
1. Your website. The importance of having your website cannot be emphasized enough. It provides you with a venue to deliver information about your business and make it easy for customers to contact you regarding their laundry needs.
2. Customer referrals. This is something that you should encourage among customers, especially those that have been with you for a long time and who feel like family or friends. Larger businesses usually have customer referral programs, but this does not mean that smaller businesses cannot participate in them as well.
3. Social media. By having an active presence on social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you can reach a large audience quickly and easily, especially if your posts are interesting and engaging.
4. Referrals from other businesses. If you want to increase your customer base, ask other businesses if they would be willing to refer customers to you in exchange for the same courtesy on your part toward them. This mutually beneficial arrangement will help both parties grow their customer base.
Make your business flexible
It’s a well-known fact that most people hate the idea of going to get their dry cleaning done. Usually, it’s because they are unable to get an appointment in their busy schedule.
Even if you do manage to get an appointment, you have to wait at least a few days before picking up your cleaned clothes.
The best dry cleaning marketing strategies are designed to help you make your customers’ experience with your business as convenient as possible.
Here are some tips on how you can achieve this:
Advertise your location. Studies show that most of your clients are likely to be within 10 miles of your dry cleaning business. Make sure they know where you’re located so that they can come to visit whenever they need something done.
Make your hours flexible. Customers need to know when they can come in and drop off their clothes for cleaning. Likewise, let them know when they can pick up their cleaned garments so that there’s no confusion about when to visit.
Offer free pickup and delivery service for things like wedding gowns, prom dresses, and other similar garments that require special handling and attention. Make sure that you inform these customers about this service when they drop off their items, so they don’t think they have to go back later.
Schedule home pick-up service on weekends and holidays
Dry cleaning businesses are often closed on weekends and holidays. The time is used for equipment maintenance, employee training, and payroll processing. Having a marketing strategy that does not involve weekend and holiday hours is one way to stand out from the competition.
Marketing during non-business hours can provide another avenue for advertising dry cleaning services to potential customers.
Take advantage of the following tips:
Schedule appointments for home pick-up when it’s convenient for customers. Schedule appointments for home pick-up during the weekday morning or late afternoon hours when people are at work. This strategy provides an easy way to provide service when your customers are unable to visit your shop during regular business hours. For example, the marketing department of a local dry cleaning business can set up a separate phone number with an answering service to take customer calls and schedule home pick-up times during the week.
Use email or social media promotion to share information about your weekend/holiday services. Use Facebook or Twitter accounts to promote your weekend/holiday pick-up services. Consider offering discounts or special offers to encourage more customers to use this service.
Encourage repeat business by providing an incentive for customers who select weekend/holiday pick-up service. Offer coupons or other incentives for customers who schedule dry cleaning pick up services.
Establish partnerships with local boutiques
Networking is one of the most effective ways to increase your company’s visibility and reach potential customers. Moreover, it does not require huge investments as this tactic can be done by phone or even a simple email.
As soon as you set up your business, you need to get out there and start networking with everyone you can think of. You will be surprised at how much value it will contribute in terms of creating long-term relationships that can result in referrals and more sales for your company.
Apart from networking, another way to maximize your dry cleaning marketing strategy is by partnering with various businesses around town.
For example, if there are boutiques in your area that have an existing relationship with customers who are into fashion, then why don’t you try to build a partnership with them?
This will also help your brand gain more exposure as these boutiques have loyal customers who are always looking for new brands and products to try out.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of the type of dry cleaning business you own, it’s important that you take the time to incorporate an effective marketing plan into your overall business strategy. This will help you reach your target market and ultimately boost profits for your company.
It might require a little work upfront, but as long as you’re patient and methodical in how you go about it, the payoff should far outweigh the initial investment.
