Should I advertise my laundromat?

Many new laundromat owners are unsure as to whether they should invest in advertising. If you aren’t looking for it, it can be easy to assume that most laundromats aren’t advertising at all and simply relying on local foot traffic.

The reality is, to have a really successful laundry business, you should almost certainly be advertising. There are a few ways to advertise that make sense within a laundromat’s operating budget.

Handbills
Handbills, like flyers and brochures, are one of the most cost effective ways that you can boost your sales volume. These handbills should be attractive, to the point and informative. When you open a new store, upgrade to new equipment or do something else that you would like to inform the local public of, it pays to distribute around 10,000 flyers within a one-mile radius of your store. This can be accomplished by handing out flyers by hand or leaving them with local businesses.

Coupons
One of the best ways to get new customers in the door is with coupons. You might offer a free fluff and fold, a discounted spin or some other small incentive. Even if you lose a small amount of money for every customer who redeems a coupon, you will make more in the long run, provided that these customers have a good experience in your establishment. People are creatures of habit, and once they’ve used a laundromat that works for them, they are very likely to continue using it unless something changes their mind.

Signs
A large sign may also help you to pull customers in, especially if your laundry business has poor visibility from the street. You can attach a large, attractive sign to the exterior of your building, or you can put a standing sign on the sidewalk in front of your establishment. A sign may help to remind customers about your business, prompting them to remember you later when it is time to do laundry. Some laundromat owners have had success by attaching balloons to their signs in order to draw the eyes of passers-by.

When advertising for a laundry business, it is essential that you not spend more money than you are going to get back. For this reason, low cost ads like the ones outlined above are likely to be the most successful.