If you have been looking for a business to buy into, and have been looking at a dry cleaner business as a possible venture there I have a few bits of information that might make your purchase a little more easier.  Or harder, depending how you look at it.  I don’t want to make it seem like you have to put a lot of work into it, but you do.  If you don’t take the time and research it properly, you will be looking for problems down the road.  If you are a seasoned business owner, then you probably know all this stuff already.  But if you are a new owner, or beginner in entrepreneurship, then this might be of some use.

If you are considering to buy or build a dry cleaner business as your first business venture, you should know some specific information about Dry cleaners and what is involved with the service itself.  Like me, you have likely been to a dry cleaners at some point to have your clothing cleaned.  Owning a dry cleaners is like any other business really, it’s a business and you have to treat it that way, small or large.  Whether you buy, build or franchise the business, the principles and requires remain the same.

Before you open your dry cleaning service business, you must first know a bit about fabrics and cleaning processes.  This can be learned and is an essential part of the service.  Sufficient knowledge in the types of clothing fabrics and specific cleaning methods for each is essential.  In most cases, a dry cleaner is entrusted with peoples most delicate and expensive clothing and garments, you better know how to clean them properly or you will end up paying out more in damages then it is worth.

If you were to franchise a dry cleaner business, then you will likely be provided with all the manuals and training needed on how to clean clothing.  You will be provided the correct methods on how different types of fabrics react to different cleaning chemicals and processes.  As well as how the dry cleaning machinery works and how to best use them.  Now, if you were to build a dry cleaner service from the ground up then you won’t have that benefit of instant, available resources, you will have to find and discover them on your own. This is a bit of a draw back in that you have to figure out the ropes on your own and you will make mistakes along the way.

Profits of a Dry Cleaner

This is probably what you are looking for.  How much money can you make as a dry cleaner?  I can’t tell you how much for sure, because it depends on a lot of factors.  I can’t give you a straight answer, because the isn’t one.  I can tell you that there is a lot of potential for profit in a service business like this. These days, there is an increasing demand for dry cleaning services, mostly because people are buying more and more exotic and dry clean only clothing.  As an entrepreneur in the dry cleaning business, you can take advantage of this, but you will first need a solid business plan.

You can build or buy a dry cleaner for a very small investment.  I consider dry cleaners as a low cost business to get into.  Mostly because the total investment is usually under $250,000.  Most of your cost is going to go into dry cleaning equipment, building and leasing, and initial build of the business.  Most of your operating capital will come from the cleaning services you provide.

What tools do you need ?

Well, one of the first things that you should get as a dry cleaning business owner is the right management software.  What I mean by this is the operating, tracking and point of sale software you are going to use to track your sales, invoices, purchases, etc.  Basically everything about your business.  This is a crucial part of your business because it will help you stay organized and manage your finances in a way that is easy and quick.  This will also give you more time with your business and helping to build it instead of worrying about doing paperwork all the time.  This is referred to as dry cleaning software, or dry cleaning pos.  POS stands for point of sale, which is what this software does, track each sale, inventory and service provided.

This also requires computers.  I do not think you can successfully run a business today without the aid of computers and software.  No longer are the days of just a cash machine and paper receipts.  I mean, you can do it and people still do, but they spend hours and hours every day hand calculating and figuring out numbers by hand… what a pain.  Get a computer, get some business management software, setup your business processes model, setup your dry cleaning pos software and you’re good to go.

The dry cleaning equipment itself

The biggest part of your business is the cleaning machines themselves. This is also a time to research the type of equipment needed, maintenance and costs around them.  If you are buying an existing dry cleaners, then there will already be some machinery in place.  You should take time to investigate the models and other support contracts that the current owner might have in place.  Check on the amount of service the machines have already had, and what is the down time they have had over time.

If you are building a new dry cleaning business, then you are going to have to purchase or lease your equipment. You can also buy used dry cleaning machines as well.  This is a great way to save on some initial capital, but be warned that you also introduce a greater risk with used machinery.  Depending how old they are and what service you can get with them will depend on the risk factor and value of them.  There are many companies that offer used equipment that have been re-furbished and will have warranty with them.  If you are on a budget, used dry cleaning machines are still a good investment.  If you are looking to buy new equipment, then you can have a machine manufacturer supply you with all the required machines at the same time, fully installed, configured as well as training on them as part of the package price.  This is a great way to learn the machines, have a long warranty and support for them for a new business.  You will be paying a premium for the service and machine, but for an entrepreneur that is serious about success and up time of the equipment, a good, well know brand and company to support them is essential.

Servicing your dry cleaning machines is something that many new business owners overlook.  It is paramount that you have a service contract in place and with a local dealer that can service the brand of machines you will or do own.  Unless you know how to repair and service the equipment on your own, and you likely don’t, you need to have a professional do the work.  Your machines are your business and without them you will not make any money.  Use the existing service if you are buying an existing business and if you are building a new dry cleaners, then make sure you find an experienced service technician in your city or area ahead of time.

That should cover some of the high level items around buying or building a new dry cleaning service.  There are still a lot of details you will need to work out before you commit to it.  I hope to provide more information as I have time to write it.  please feel free to browse around and check out some of the other links I have posted to other great information you can use.