How to Start a Dry Cleaning Business

Summary: Are you interested in starting your own dry cleaning business? Here are the basic things you need: a place of business, permits and licenses to operate your business, machineries to do most of your work and a great customer relation service.

Although it looks as if dry cleaning isn’t such a lucrative business practice, it really is one of the most versatile ventures one could get into.

A dry cleaning business can start off very small, and it has great potentials for growth and expansion. Plus, the fact that most everyone needs the services of a good neighborhood dry cleaning business makes it an ideal entrepreneurial practice. A dry cleaning service can also have laundry services, but not all laundry services have dry cleaning. So what are the basic things you need to start this business? You need a place of business, permits and licenses to operate your business, machineries to do most of your work and a great customer relation service.

Your first priority is to find a place to set up your shop. This is not a typical home-based business which you can operate in your basement or garage. You really need a distinctive place to set up a dry cleaning business; preferably, some place that gets a lot of foot traffic. Foot traffic can bring in lots of customers, and the more customers you have the more varied their dry cleaning needs become. Also, you need a space large enough to accommodate your machineries and equipments. A large storage area is also needed to store the chemicals you will need for dry cleaning. Basically, you need to formulate an efficient working lay-out for your dry cleaning business. You need to have a reception and pick-up area, a sorting area, an area for your dry cleaning machines, an area for pressing clothes, an area for hanging and labeling clothes, a packaging area, etc.

You can start this business small, perhaps only offering the basic dry cleaning services to your market. The wonderful thing about the dry cleaning business is that it leaves a lot of room for business development and growth. For example, from simple dry cleaning services, you can then offer sewing and repair services (which will need an in-house seamstress or garment sewer); or you can offer pick-up and delivery services (which will need a vehicle and a delivery person.)

Other types of dry cleaning expansion work include: alteration services, boxing and storing, coin laundry, dyeing, household item cleaning, shoe repair and even wedding gown restoration.

Once you have your place of business, make sure that you get licenses and permits to operate. Don’t hack into the system with a hack business because that’s exactly what you will tend to get: nothing but hack. Make your business legal, and your clients will flock to your shop in droves.

In order to give your clients speedy services on their dry cleaning needs, you really have to invest big time on machineries, equipments and chemicals. Machineries include dry cleaning baths like washers, dryers and presses. Equipments include sorting bins, hanger lines, and garment coverings. Chemicals are essential in all dry cleaning processes, and you must at least be well versed on how to safely use them without damaging the fabric or health of your workers.

Often, people patronize dry cleaning businesses that are close to their homes or to their work areas. Developing great customer relations with your patrons and complaint-free services are ways of establishing your business. It is also the subtle kind of advertising, yet it is the most effective. If your patrons are happy with your business, they might even make referrals to everyone they know. This beats making promos and giving away freebies.

97 Responses to "How to Start a Dry Cleaning Business".

83. LUCIAN on 6/26/2010 7:36:35 AM

Dear Sirs, Recently I have been focusing on starting a dry cleaning operation serving the neighboring community. I have my own location of about 700 sqm located in a central area in Bucharest, Romania. However, I must admit that I really dont know much about this but I have 20 plus years experience in manufacturing and sales management. I am looking at this start up on a step by step basis thus I am considering starting small and gradually develop it as I go. Having said the above I would very much appreciate if informed about the initial investment, equipment and associated costs. I am also considering joining a franchise system. Look forward to hearing from you soon, Lucian

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