Need Cool Business? Dry cleaning as a money-spinner

Dry cleaning as a money-spinner In many cities across the country, people rent spaces in office buildings to carry out corporate services cutting across sectors. Although this is seen as a common and traditional thing to do, creativity and unfurling business sense have long endeared people to think out of the box. These days, while most people scramble to get spaces for their core corporate engagements, some others assemble their thoughts towards taking advantage of every investor’s interest in such premises. Apparently, dry cleaning has become one of such moving and vibrant business interests gaining ground along this line. Although it is generally believed that the washerman’s profession should be located close to residential areas, smart investors are rather moving closer to busy corporate professionals, who make use of them. According to an online business advisor, syobm.com, anyone can start a dry cleaning business small and make it big. This is because almost everyone needs the services of a credible and reliable dry cleaner in his neighbourhood. There are also a lot of services that can go with dry cleaning business. The first important thing a prospective operators needs is a place to operate your business. In locating your business, it is important you look for a place that has much flow of human traffic, especially foot traffic, as this will bring a lot of customers. This location should be able to accommodate your machines as well as store your chemicals in a safe and conducive place, the online advisor says. “Basically, you should start small by offering your services to your immediate neighbourhood market and then create room for expansion into other areas later, especially as the business grows,” it says. The requisite tools include a washing machine; a cheaply rented room, preferably on the outskirts of the city; three of four young boys (to wash and press clothes to size); some washing bowls; and a corporate office in an office complex for business promotion. The advantages in having a shop within a corporate office complex are indeed numerous considering the fact that a good hand on the job is likely to corner over 70 per cent of all the workers within the office complex as his customers. This is more so if everybody is bound with interwoven interests. An investor along this line, Mr. Chike Okereke, who maintains his dry cleaning outfit in a complex that has professionals cutting across consultancy, legal practice and estate agency among others crucial services, says that his original intention to use the office as a consultancy outfit later gave way to his dry cleaning business, when he realised how much profit he could be making from the trade if he successfully wormed his way into the hearts of his co-tenants. He says, “The job of dry cleaning is not really a unique one. But why this appears special is the fact that it is right in the heart of a place, where those who need the services are. You know over 40 per cent of professionals here don’t have their families with them and they are very busy; they normally outsource a lot of services, including the washing of their clothes. “I had started constructing an office cabinet when I moved into the office before I changed my mind. Now I can tell you that the decision is really paying off. The fact that I have a very good relationship with almost everybody within the office has made it easier for the business to grow steadily.” According to him, aside from rent on the office and the washing room, the required start-up capital ranges from N100,000 to N150,000. He says that although he had never been into the profession before he started the outfit, he, nevertheless, found it easier to start after getting some advice from an established professional. He advises those with the requisite fund to reason along this line of business, saying that no matter how bad the economy is, there will always be somebody who needs to have his clothes washed. He says, “Just look at it this way, except somebody whose business is really down decides to close down and move out. As long as he still maintains his office in the same complex with you, he will definitely get his clothes washed. Because of the existing relationship, you will be the first person to get the job. “But you have to ensure your finishing is good. The reason is that as you display what you have turned out for everybody to see (while they are either closing from work or coming to the office in the morning), your work will always speak for you. The most important thing is for you to ensure that you are able to corner as many customers as possible. Within a short time, you will be able to extend it to other complexes around you.” He also advises on the need to rent an office with glass partitioning so as to enable a transparent view of the finished job. He notes, “Another major benefit you derive from the business is that it does not really take much of your time: there is time enough to do other things. Just put your washing machine and other equipment somewhere, not necessarily where you display or receive clothes. It can be in another part of the city, may be in your house, then hire some boys to wash and do the ironing for you.”