Women in laundry series
As part of our women in Laundry series we spoke with Melissa Maurice who bought Washing Well Laundromat in Midland, Ontario back in 2022. At the time Washing Well offered only self serve laundry. In the two years since she took it over Melissa has added Wash and fold, Pick up and Delivery and Commercial laundry services to the business and has fast become an important part of the fabric of the community. Find out about Melissa’s journey in the laundry industry and her top tips for anyone looking to get started with a laundromat business.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your background
I actually studied Interior Design and then worked in HR before I found my way into the laundromat industry. I always had a desire to venture into entrepreneurship. When Covid hit I realised that I wanted to try something different, I needed a new challenge, something that fueled my passion for innovation and creating impactful solutions. A laundromat was an appealing business with low labour intensity, flexibility, minimal inventory management and presented me with an opportunity to foster my desire to be a business owner.
Talk us through that process
Having no clue about the industry, I knew I had a lot of research to do. I visited laundromats to understand the market, conduct a competitive analysis, observe the customer experience, compare business practices, pricing, and offerings, inspire innovation and identify market gaps. I connected with laundry salespeople to help me further understand the industry from both an operational and financial perspective. Additionally, I joined many laundromat forums and Facebook groups and asked many questions.
During my research process, laundromats sold as quickly as they came for sale. They are high commodities and many investors snap them up. It took me 3 attempts to “win” my laundromat. Upon purchase, I reconnected with a laundry salesperson to conduct an analysis of the space and how to enhance efficiency and maximise revenue. I also connected with my local Chamber of Commerce to gain valuable networking opportunities, advocacy, and support. This was more than a monetary investment for me, this business was going to be a part of me, I wanted to ensure its success.
What are some of the things that you love about working in the laundry industry?
Laundromats can serve as a community hub, they can have a simple yet significant impact on a community. At Washing Well it’s really important to us that we build relationships with people in the community, and provide that safe space when they need it. Our Mission is to provide a superior laundry experience for all by offering convenience, quality, and affordability while fostering lasting connections within the community we serve. Additionally, I love that there is a real sense of community in the laundry industry, everyone is so supportive of each other.
Tell us some of the things you do to foster that sense of community
We’re a pet friendly space, which promotes inclusivity and emotional well-being. Being pet-friendly is a gesture that recognizes and accommodates the important role pets play in people’s lives, contributing to a more inclusive and compassionate environment. Additionally, with inclusive events and collaboration, for example we have hosted clothing drives where we encourage customers to drop clothes that are still in good condition but maybe no longer worn, and we’ll donate them to the local shelter. In April 2024, we are hosting our first Free Laundry Day on National Laundry Day where we will offer free self-serve laundry to people in our community who are experiencing financial hardship - clean clothes shouldn’t be a luxury, everyone should have access to that basic need.
We still have more exciting work to do!
What are the biggest challenges that you face as a laundry owner?
Laundromat owners face various challenges, such as:
- Equipment maintenance
- Utility costs
- Competition
- Staffing
- Changing technology
- Customer satisfaction
- Regulatory Compliance
- Marketing and branding
- Economic factors
- Environmental sustainability
I face all of these but, equipment maintenance, technology, utility costs and economic factors are the ones I feel the most. Utility costs continue to rise, along with the cost of living, making it harder for individuals to afford a basic necessity such as laundry. If I raise my prices to accommodate the increase in utilities, then those who need a laundromat the most won't be able to afford it. It’s on us to then balance this. We’re a business and we need to make money to survive but equally, everyone should have access to affordable laundry. It’s a hard one to balance.
What are the top 3 considerations for anyone thinking of entering into the laundry business?
This isn't a simple answer. I suppose my top 3 considerations would be:
Location
This is critical, choosing the right location ensures the laundromat is visible, accessible, and aligned with the needs and preferences of the local community, contributing to the overall success. You want a location that has good foot traffic, has the desired customer base, low competition, high safety and security, and close to home so you can attend urgent matters. A laundromat cannot be easily moved if the location isn’t suitable.
Evaluate your equipment
This is more for if you’re buying a pre-existing laundromat. Before you agree to a sale price, take a good look at the machines. What brand are they? Can you easily get parts if they break? If they’re relatively old you’ll need to factor in that they may soon need replacing, and that carries a pretty significant cost.
Your role in the business and how involved do you want to be?
There’s some debate about laundromats being a ‘passive business’. This is not the case. If you’re doing self serve only, it could be a little less intensive, especially if you can afford to hire someone to go onsite when needed. With Wash Dry Fold service, you’re going to need to put the work in, unless you’re hiring staff which then comes with added costs. Either way, you’re going to need to be fairly handy and be willing to get dirty, again unless you can afford to hire maintenance people - I’m always changing parts, or fixing machines, it seems there’s always a machine needing a repair.
What are the most useful sources of information for anyone considering entering the laundry business? Are you part of any community groups etc?
There are a lot of resources but you have to go find them. Whether it be Facebook groups or laundromat forums. I’m a member of a few Facebook community groups including the CleanCloud Community, Lovely Ladies of Laundry and Laundromat Owner Forum. I ’d also highly recommend joining business organisations like your local Chamber of Commerce so you can meet other local business owners and get tips and advice. It’s also worth checking out industry groups like the CLA and reading Planet Laundry magazine to get familiar with the industry and find out about the latest trends or upcoming events.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known when starting out?
Well everything obviously - but then I wouldn’t have been on this journey. This is my first time as an entrepreneur and in the laundromat industry so I had to go through it and discover those learnings myself but I think my biggest learning was probably around having the technology to process orders in place from day one. Sometimes it’s something you want to put off because you can manage with pen and paper, or your customer base starts small and you can handle it all, but the truth is once you’re up and running it’s harder to transfer all that customer data later. CleanCloud was my #1 choice. The customer support has been amazing, it’s the best of both worlds because I get the benefit of a tech company but with the feel of a family business.
What’s your best piece of advice for anyone looking to get into the laundry business?
Do your research and surround yourself with people who are knowledgeable and skilled and want you to succeed. Networking is also a key factor in your success, build relationships with local businesses to create local cross-promotional opportunities and enhance community engagement.
What does the future look like for Washing Well?
I’d love for the Washing Well to be a community hub, maybe offer coffee and baked goods so people can come and have a bite to eat, and really create a social vibe. It’d be great to have little workshops for kids while they’re parents are doing laundry, like integrating literacy and laundry, and maybe also partner with non for profit organisations to look at how we can further support people facing barriers to accessing laundry.