Running an unattended laundromat has pros and cons and creates a passive income stream. It’s a good investment for first-time laundromat owners or if you’re opening more locations.
Can You Run an Unattended Laundromat?
The simple answer is yes! Thousands of laundromat owners have already done so successfully, and countless others are exploring this lucrative opportunity.
Pros and Cons of an Unattended Laundromat
Many laundromat owners leave their businesses unattended to avoid the costs of hiring an attendant. Instead, they can put money toward purchasing or maintaining the washers and dryers.
Pros of an Unattended Laundromat
The benefits of running an unattended laundromat include:
- The potential to be open 24/7: While this may not be feasible for every business, operating 24/7 may increase revenue and drive more traffic to your laundromat. If you’re close to a hospital, factory or apartment building, you could cater to those on the night shift or who start their morning early.
- More flexibility: If you ensure your laundromat is self-sustainable, you can focus on other things and only be on-site when necessary, like opening and closing times or for equipment maintenance and repairs.
- Employees: No need to hire, train, pay and rely on employees.
Cons of an Unstaffed Laundromat
Some disadvantages of running an unattended laundromat include:
- Limited services: Without wash and fold, commercial laundry or delivery services, you might miss out on a demographic seeking these benefits.
- No Customer Service: If customers have questions or problems about your services or how to use the machines, you won’t always be around to help them.
How to Run a Self-Sustained Laundromat
To run a self-sustained laundromat, you must have reliable equipment and secure payment facilities. The more payment options, the likelier customers will use your facility, especially considering more and more people are relying on credit and debit cards or contactless payment solutions like Apple Pay. You should also make sure to have clear signage instructing customers on how to use the washers and dryers.
You can also advertise emergency contact numbers in case your equipment breaks. If possible, install a security camera to monitor activity remotely.
Do Laundromats Create Good Passive Income?
Yes. Laundromats will never become redundant as long as people need their washing done! This is especially true for commercial facilities and individuals looking to wash larger items like bedding. Additionally, those with broken washers and dryers also use these services. While many first time owners think that a laundromat can run itself, it does require attention from the owner or manager to make sure everything is kept clean and running smoothly.
Choose Setomatic Systems for Certified Laundry Payment Systems
Setomatic Systems is a leader in payment technology with a long-standing reputation for reliability. We’ll help you set up your laundromat with our SpyderWash multipayment system so you can run it unattended and increase your revenue.
Call us at 516-752-8008, or contact us, and we’ll call you back!
