Dry cleaning as a business

Dry cleaning is a business that is especially in demand in large cities. In this article we will look at how to open a dry cleaning business from scratch, what documents are needed and how much it costs.

Market Analysis

Even 20-30 years ago, dry cleaners were very common in Russia. Today, when almost every home has an automatic washing machine and you can find all kinds of cleaning products on the shelves of stores, most people cope with washing and cleaning on their own.

Nevertheless, sometimes people still resort to dry cleaning services - when it comes to bulky items or stains that are difficult to remove. In addition, dry cleaning services are in demand among corporate clients - hotels, restaurants, etc. When choosing an advertising strategy, it makes sense to take this into account and think about how to interest these customers.

Risks and pitfalls

Before opening your own dry cleaning business, you need to weigh everything well, because this business requires serious investments and comes with risks:

• The need to maintain the quality of services at a high level. The slightest errors, mistakes in work instantly turn on the mechanism of anti-advertising.
• Seasonality. The largest number of orders is in the fall, when people take out of the closets warm things. Relatively stable can be the work in winter, but you need to be prepared for the fact that in the spring and summer the number of orders will fall sharply with all the resulting economic consequences. It is therefore important to distribute profits wisely.
• Marketing studies show a stable annual growth in demand for dry cleaning services by an average of 20-30%. But these studies were conducted in large cities where the level of competition is quite high, which also needs to be taken into account.

At the same time in a small town to open a dry cleaner may not be profitable at all due to lack of demand. In any case, starting this business, it is necessary to study the peculiarities of the economic development of a particular locality.

Business format

You can open a dry cleaner in two formats:

1. A full-service, full-service dry cleaner that takes orders and cleans immediately.
2. Order pickup point.

Many business theorists say that it is profitable to open a mini dry cleaner or one receiving point. In this case, the costs are reduced to 70,000-80,000 rubles. But in this case you need to find a partner who will do the cleaning itself.

From an economic point of view, opening a mini dry cleaner is not very profitable. A full-fledged business brings more profit and allows you to be independent, but in the case of dry cleaning, such a business requires large expenses.

Business technology

The technology of dry cleaning includes the following steps:

1. Product acceptance
2. Sorting
3. Removal of stubborn stains
4. Basic cleaning of products
5. Treatment and impregnation
6. Heat treatment
7. Cleaning quality assessment
8. Packaging
9. Dispensing of products to customers

What documents are needed to open a dry cleaning shop

The optimal form of organizational ownership for a dry cleaner is an LLC. What documents are required for registration can be viewed on the website of the tax service or contact specialized firms; first of all, the Articles of Association and authorized capital of 10,000 roubles are required.

The taxation system is simplified, with a 15 percent tax on profits or 6% on turnover. Another option is the Unified Tax on Imputed Income (if applicable in your region). Suitable OKVED code according to the new classifier - 96.01 "Washing and dry cleaning of textiles and carpets".

Dry cleaning business plan

A dry cleaning business plan includes the following items:

1. Market analysis, competitors, description of your business.
2. Organizational and Production Plan.
3. Financial Plan.
4. Marketing Plan.
5. Risk Analysis.

Dry cleaning room

The first priority is to find suitable premises. According to the legislation, it must meet the following requirements:

• to be 80 meters away from residential buildings;
• be located on the basement or first floor;
• Ceiling height should be at least 3 meters;
• it is obligatory to have a ventilation system of industrial design;
• the room must be equipped with a heating system.

Of this list, the first item is the most difficult to accomplish. This problem can be solved by renting a freestanding building or premises in business centers. But in this case it will be necessary to open an additional reception point or a network of them in residential areas, which requires additional financial costs.

You should also consider the need to organize a flexible order accounting system and the purchase of transport for transportation garmentsand carpets from pickup to dry cleaning and back again.

Attention! Failure to comply with regulatory, statutory or legal requirements will result in the need to pay fines or close the business, resulting in a total or partial loss of invested funds.

Optimal rental cost here will amount to 450-1500 rubles per 1 square meter depending on the location of the room, building and its condition. The repairs will cost on average 1,500,000-2,000,000 rubles taking into account the design and installation of the ventilation system.

Dry cleaning equipment

Now the equipment needs to be procured:

• a stain-removal booth;
• perchloroethylene cleaning machine;
• steam-air ironing dummy;
• universal ironing table;
• garment wrapping machine;
• compressor;
• steam generator.

The cost of a new set of equipment is approximately 4.5 million roubles. But this sum can be reduced by buying used equipment.

It is necessary to set aside 700-1000 dollars or 45,000-65,000 rubles for commissioning and training of personnel. This should be done before opening the enterprise.

Staff selection

Dry cleaning involves staff availability. The standard version of it looks like this:

1. Technologists - 2 specialists.
2. Workers - 2 people.
3. Ironer - 1 person.
4. Accountant. But in order to optimize the accounting process and save money, outsourcing can be used.

Accordingly, if there are receiving stations, the staff will add receptionists and drivers to deliver the laundry to the dry cleaners.

Attention! A fully staffed organization eliminates disruptions, so you should not skimp on personnel. Employees may fall ill or be absent for other reasons. Therefore, it is necessary to provide substitutes.

Marketing and promotion

First of all, it is necessary to determine the capacity of the market for dry cleaning services. Analysts believe that the average Russian becomes a client of a dry cleaner once every two years. With a population of 500,000 people, all dry cleaners in the city can count on 250,000 customers.

If a business is well located, has quality equipment and qualified staff, it can attract a significant proportion of customers.

Additionally, you can use:

• a bright, flashy sign,
• distribution of commercial offers to corporate clients,
• handing out flyers,
• outdoor advertising,
• elevator ads and car ads,
• advertising on the Internet on city websites, in public forums, etc.

How much does it cost to open a dry cleaners

The total amount of money needed to start a business 6,100,000-6,600,000 rubles.

In addition to startup costs, you should consider ongoing expenses:

• payment of rent unless a deposit has been paid in advance;
• employee wages with taxes;
• Taxes;
• payment of utility bills, mainly for electricity and water consumption;
• purchase of consumables - household chemicals;
• transportation costs, if there are collection points.

The optimal level of current expenditures is 80 000 rubles. At the same time, it is better to try to work with minimum costs. This is achieved through the judicious use of production materials, energy and administrative resources.

As far as equipment repair and maintenance is concerned, it is better to create a fund for this item from the very beginning of the dry cleaner's operation. This will relieve some of the pressure on the budget and allow for timely maintenance.

How much you can earn from dry cleaning

With an attendance of 12 people a day and an average check of 1,000 rubles, you can count on revenue of 360,000 rubles per month.

Lastly, we recommend watching a useful video on the topic:

We hope the information in the article was helpful to you!

It will be worth a read:

• Business plan for opening a laundry
• How to open a cleaning company
• How to be a successful businesswoman
  Where to start opening a dry cleaner in a small town?

  Start by selecting a space that meets sanitary requirements and purchasing basic cleaning equipment.

  What equipment do you need to dry clean clothes?

  Dry cleaning machines, steam generators, ironing tables and stain treatment systems will be needed.

  What services are important to include in a dry cleaning service?

  In addition to basic cleaning, offer stain removal, delicate fabric care and minor clothing repairs.