How to Start a Laundry Business in Nigeria

Last updated on August 12th, 2024 at 12:44 pm

The laundry industry, often known as dry cleaning, involves washing, drying, and ironing textiles for private customers as well as businesses. Anyone can profit from it because it is an extremely lucrative, low-risk venture. You can begin modestly and develop. It might be a full-time or part-time endeavour for you. You can launch and expand a profitable washing business on a tight budget.

The washing business is quite essential in Nigeria because the country’s population is expanding annually and most individuals are very busy at work. The typical person departs from home quite early and gets home very late. The only day accessible is Sunday, which is when most people work. However, there are still several things to do on Sunday.

It is really challenging to carve out adequate time for laundry because of the busy schedule. Laundry businesses can help in this situation.

Everyone enjoys dressing in freshly laundered attire. It is crucial, especially when heading to work and other events. This makes a dry cleaner necessary forever. It is a very significant industry.

The benefit of starting a laundry business is that it costs nothing! Even if you don’t own a Kobo, mind you! Start out with residential service. Later, we’ll discuss that and look at how to start your own laundry business.

Why you should start a laundry business

You don’t need money to start (just doing home service)
If you market your firm well, there will always be clients.
The setup is not expensive. You can begin modestly and develop
It is really lucrative. You may generate a lot of revenue from the laundry industry.
If you can’t afford a shop, you can start from your house.
You take charge of your schedule and become your own boss.
In order to earn additional money, you can operate it as a side business in addition to your primary work.

How much can you make from a laundry business?

Depending on your setup and scale, the laundry service can bring in a lot of money. However, let’s focus on how much money you can make from operating your own laundry business for the sake of this essay.

Assume you bill ₦500 for washing and ironing a shirt. Depending on where your business is located, you may be able to charge more or less. You wash roughly 20 shirts a day. Thus, 20 x 500 Equals ₦10,000

Suppose you charge ₦1000 for suit cleaning as well. You can wash up to 10 suits in one day. Thus, 10 x 100 equals ₦10,000

Cleaning shirts and suits can earn you between ₦200,000 to about ₦800,000 a month.

But this is only a small glimpse. You could earn ten times that amount or even less. Everything depends on how you manage your company. Millions can be made each month.

Steps to Starting a Laundry Business

The steps below can be used to launch a laundry business in Nigeria:

1. Choose a business name

Choosing a company name is one of the most enjoyable aspects of learning how to launch a laundry business. Consider all the funny, snappy, and memorable names you can think of, but make sure they accurately describe your company and are memorable and simple to say.

Once you’ve come up with some ideas, you can check online to see if the business name is accessible in most states. Although some states have a different entity handling this business process, such as the chamber of commerce department, the secretary of state’s website is generally the best place to look.

You may be able to reserve your company name for a predetermined period of time if it is available. Although it’s not necessary, you can decide to take this step if you’re not ready to register your firm but want to be sure no one else uses your name.

2. Create a business plan

You can start writing your business plan now that you’ve decided on your business entity, name, and concept. Your business plan, which should be between 30 and 50 pages long, will give a thorough overview and practical steps for turning your laundry service into a successful venture.

There are a few important details you should make sure to include in the plan regardless of whether you write your business plan from scratch or utilize a template to speed up the process.

The type of firm you wish to launch should be described in your business plan, along with its structure and any other significant personnel (besides yourself). A market analysis should also be included. This study should highlight any competitors, who your target market is, the significant need for a washing business in your neighbourhood, and more.

Your strategy should also include financial details, where you’re obtaining your starting money from, whether you’ll be looking for additional funding, and expectations for when you expect to start turning a profit with your new washing company.

3. Find a good location

Your washing business depends greatly on your choice of location. The location of your firm might be quite beneficial. Finding a place with fewer competitors is recommended. It will be advantageous if you can locate a location without a lot of competition from major businesses. However, it shouldn’t be written off because you may retain clients by providing excellent service.

Think about locations that are outside. places that are close to the road so that drivers passing by can see and notice your company. That implies that the area should be active with individuals going to or from work passing by.

It ought to be in a residential neighbourhood, or wherever people actually live. An ideal location for an estate is somewhere where many people pass through.

Also, keep in mind that your charging rate may vary depending on where you are. You will charge more if your location is in a wealthy neighbourhood. Your rent will, however, increase.

4. Register your business and obtain all necessary documents

You may need to register your business and obtain certain licences in order to operate a dry cleaning business. However, a lot will depend on the area. While dry cleaning industry regulation is widespread in the west, that is not the case in Nigeria. However, you might still need to register.

You could have to pay levies depending on where you live. like a tax imposed by the local government. To prevent any kind of interruption to the operation of your laundry business, learn the truth and make sure you resolve everything.

Your laundry business is almost ready to launch, but setting up your company’s financial accounts is still an important step to take first. To keep your personal and business finances distinct, you must first open a corporate bank account. This is crucial for a variety of reasons, including streamlining your taxes and protecting your personal assets in the event that your company is the target of legal action.

5. Purchase the gear required to launch your laundry business.

The equipment you’ll need to start your laundry service must be purchased as your following step. Your choice of scale will affect the equipment you purchase. If you do not have the funds to purchase the large equipment, you can purchase the smaller pieces and begin small. You can choose to wash by hand and then purchase iron, soap, and other supplies if you cannot afford a washing machine.

Here is the equipment needed to start a laundry business:

Laundry detergent: Use professional dry cleaning detergents.
Washing machines: Start with the one you can afford that is quality to some extent
Washing Basins: You will need them to soak clothes and for other uses
Pressing Iron: A quality iron that has good customization features for different materials
Ironing desk: Where you can comfortable iron clothes
Garment Conveyor: This is what you use to hang clothes. Get a carpenter to make one
Starch: A lot of customers will request it to add beauty to their cloth
Water Supply: You need a source of water that is clean and reliable
Power Source: You will need a good generator that can power your pressing iron and a few other important equipments.
Nylon and tags: Nylon to package the ironed clothes.
Shelves: You will need shelves to keep the ironed and packaged cloth in order.

6. Provide extra services

To increase your profit, you may choose to provide extra services in addition to washing clothes, such as washing bed linens, curtains, rug carpets, and other home items.

7. Promote your company

Your company is currently set up and ready to go. You ought to concentrate on marketing your company. This will attract clients to you and ultimately aid in your financial success. Don’t ignore it; invest a lot of time and effort in marketing.

These are some strategies for marketing your washing business:

Post a sign outside your business to advertise what you do.
Social media is where most people spend their time these days, so why not use it to advertise your company?
Offer a discount, i.e., 10% off; people adore bargains.
Make flyers and distribute them in your neighbourhood.
Inform your network and ask them to pass the word to their acquaintances.
Deliver and pick up items at home. All your clients have to do is call you if you want to go pick up their clothing and deliver them once they’ve been washed.
Visit offices and let the staff know about your services.
Price your products fairly.

Running a laundry business without money

As previously said, starting a laundry business is free of charge! If your account balance is insufficient to cover the cost of beginning a laundry business in Nigeria and the necessary equipment, you can still get started without any cash.

You can begin small, and then save money to operate a legitimate washing business. Moving from house to house and doing the laundry and ironing are the only ways to start dry cleaning service with little money. Everything you need, including water, soap, and basins, is supplied by your customers.

This was once fairly typical in affluent communities. It is typical in upscale areas of Lagos. On the weekends, folks go wash and iron clothes for others and are paid well. However, it has spread widely.

There is a woman that visits on weekends where I currently reside. towels for a few of the neighbours. They give her water and everything, of course. After completing her task, she receives a large payment.

Packaging yourself is all that is required. Go up to people. You should concentrate on households where both parents are employed. Offer to wash and iron their clothes at your house any day of the week. Customers will spread the word when they come to you.

Since it takes place at their home and their clothes won’t get misplaced in the laundromat, many people genuinely prefer this.

Conclusion

You can generate money through the laundry industry, which is quite lucrative. You can make a lot of money from it, but you need a decent location and a smart marketing strategy. Choose the scale at which to begin. Perform your feasibility studies and research the costs of items in the setting you desire.