Are You Prepared?

The coronavirus crisis has created a coin shortage nationwide, that has left retailers like laundromat owners, who rely heavily on coins, struggling. Many have found themselves short on the quarters needed to refill changers.

The Federal Reserve has recently revealed that the pandemic “significantly disrupted” the supply chain and circulation pattern for America’s metal money. The U.S. Mint has slowed the production of coins, in order to take measures meant to protect workers amid the crisis.

Coins just simply aren’t moving – certainly not at the volume they were pre-COVID. Closed bank locations, limited grocery store visits and retail transactions that slowed during shutdown, have all contributed to the shortage.

With the unpredictability of events such as this, it’s important to have options – a safety net. When the unthinkable happens, you need to be able to run your business in order to survive times like these.

Whether you’re looking to keep coin, offer mobile payments, loyalty payments, go card only, or offer several payment options with more flexibility, CCI has a solution for you.

Give yourself some peace of mind, and invest in the future of your business.

Contact us today for your free quote!

2020 marks the 20^th year of business for CCI, Card Concepts, Inc.

 

“As with many things in life, time has flown by” said CCI’s President Steve Marcionetti.  “I remember our first card system install as if it were yesterday”

20 years is no small feat considering CCI is a small family run technology company that exclusively services the vended laundry industry.  The company was founded by the Marcionetti family; Dion and his two sons, Steve and Andy were inspired to develop a product after having experience with other systems that did not fully meet the needs of a progressive store owner.  The Marcionetti family was not new to the Laundromat business; prior to starting CCI, Dion Marcionetti had been deeply involved in the industry for twenty years and had started his own Laundry distribution company (Laundry Concepts).

LaundryCard, the company’s founding product was designed to eliminate the burden of coin collection from laundry operators. It was the first product of its kind to introduce a color touch screen interface with impressive redundancy capabilities for the time.  “It took us about a year to develop Laundry Card, and once we installed it into a few locations in Chicago, we reached out to a few ‘Distributor Friends in the Business’ to see if they would be interested” says Steve Marcionetti.  “It did not take long to realize that the same issues we had with the available products at the time, were also issues for others and LaundryCard seemed to fit the need, quickly growing in popularity”.  Since 2000, LaundryCard has been installed in over 1,200 Laundromats across the US and is still one of the companies most popular products.

In 2012, the company launched its second product called FasCard, which was designed to help bring credit and debit card acceptance to existing coin machines.  “Credit and debit card acceptance was becoming more mainstream in all kinds of small businesses; it was a good time to introduce an offering specifically designed for Laundromat owners who wanted to add credit cards, without eliminating coin acceptance.”  FasCard evolved quickly and is already on its second iteration. The F2 card reader is the first of its kind, color touch screen enabled payment device for Laundry Equipment.  Since its inception, FasCard has been installed in over 1,500 locations nationwide.

Innovation has not stopped at CCI, just last year they introduced their latest offering, the FLEX system, which provides a coinless operation to store owners using wireless card readers and cloud-based technology.  As the name implies, the FLEX system is flexible, providing a cost-effective solution based on the desired functionality.  Loyalty Cards, Credit/Debit, Mobile App, or NFC payments are all possible with FLEX; operators choose what’s best for their business and only pay for the capability that suits them.

Although the company prides itself on quality and innovation, CCI’s reputation comes from its dedication to customer support.  “When we started CCI, we knew we had to be available when store owners needed us, so we have always provided twenty-four hour a day technical support, 365 days a year,” says Steve Marcionetti.  “Laundromats are weekend and evening businesses; it only makes sense that you would have support available during these times.”.  “Everyone at CCI has the same customer focus that I had when we first started the company, and it’s our commitment to patience, availability, and reliability that has helped us form such a loyal distribution and customer base”.

“I’m proud of the past 20 years, but even more excited about the future,” Says Marcionetti.  “Even with all the new options that are now available for payment, very few vendors can show 20 years of commitment to this industry.  We are in it for the long haul and will be there as the business evolves, always committed to our customer.”

To learn more about what CCI products can do for your store, contact us today!

Are you thinking about adding a payment system to your laundromat? You may worry that this will be an investment without a return, or wonder how your customers will respond to the change. It’s important to be able to make an educated decision that is best for your business. Let’s take a look at the top three reasons to add a laundry card system to your store.

A Payment System can Increase the Revenue of your Laundromat

1.Build Float

When a customer loads money onto a loyalty account, it encourages them to return to your store. Float is the amount of money added to accounts, but not yet spent. As customers add more value to their cards, the ‘float’ of your business increases and contributes to a rise in your overall revenue.

2.Ability to Sell Upgrades

By offering your customers the ability to upgrade their cycles, you can offset expenses, by charging more for things like hot water and extra rinses. Upgrades like these can result in an overall increase in revenue.

3.Time of Day Pricing

With a payment system, you can charge different prices at different times of the day, or different days of the week. This allows you to offer specials during slow times to attract business and raise prices during busy periods to maximize profits.

4.Marketing Tools

With marketing programs available through a card system, you can entice new business and reach new sales goals. Loyalty Points, Bonus Packages, Free Dry Programs and Group Discounts are all loyalty programs that can be used to attract new customers, as well as incentivize existing customers to return to your store.

 A Payment System Makes Managing your Laundromat Easier

1.Simplify Employee Management

Having a payment system gives you the opportunity to remotely manage your employees. You can edit and monitor one-time and ongoing employee work schedules for multiple locations and allow employees to clock in and out for their shifts using the system.

2.Remote Monitoring of Your Laundromat

When you can’t physically be at your store, you can always access your laundromat from any remote location. You can configure vend prices and specials, run reports, configure alerts, and monitor the status of the system and equipment from your laptop or smartphone.

Find your laundry payment system

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 A Payment System Will Save You Time and Money

1.Make the Most of Your Time

Collecting coins from each machine in your facility is a time-consuming business and your time as an owner is valuable. As vend prices rise and stores get bigger, the physical task and limitations of accepting coins become greater, making eliminating the need for coins with a payment system a popular choice.

2.Take Control of Your Revenue

If you are paying another company to collect coins for you, that’s money out of your pocket, combined with the uncertainty of how much is actually being collected. With a card system, you can see real-time profits and sales information for each machine, allowing you to take control of your revenue.

3.Decrease Security Risks

Collecting coins and carrying around bags of money can compromise the safety of you and your employees. Your machines are more open to vandalism and theft, that can leave you with costly damage plus the loss of revenue until those machines are repaired. With a card system, you can minimize or eliminate these risks.

If you’re ready to increase your revenue, simplify store management and save time and money, the next step is finding out what payment system is right for your store.

Contact us today and let our experts help you find the best system solution that fits both the needs of you and your customer!

It seems that everything these days is moving digital. Laundromats are no different, so converting your coin-operated laundromat to a card-based one that also accepts digital payments has many advantages.

Step One: Find the Card System That is Right for You

Researching the card systems available is a crucial first step when considering moving away from a coin-only laundromat. There are many different laundry card systems out there, and it can be overwhelming trying to determine which one is an ideal fit for you. At CCI, we offer FasCard, which affords you the best of both worlds by enabling you to accept credit/debit cards, loyalty cards and digital payments, while working with your existing coin machines and still allowing coin as a payment option.

As an owner or property manager with FasCard, you are able to monitor your laundry facility easily from a distance. Run sales reports, configure specials, change vend prices, check equipment, and manage employees all from your smartphone or laptop. FasCard can also alert you when a coin slot is full, so you only collect when you need to. The system is compatible with top laundry industry brands — take a look at our compatibility guide for more information.

Slow Transition or Complete Redo?

With FasCard, converting your laundromat is simple. You can either switch over a machine at a time or convert the entire store all at once. But before doing so, consider seasonality and the demand for your laundromat to help guide your decision.

Promote Upcoming Payment Options to Your Customers

Once you decide when and how you’ll switch to a card system, get organized and begin promoting the upcoming payment options to your customers months in advance. Informing your customers on what is happening at your store will create a smooth transition, plus it can be used as a valuable marketing tool to draw new customers in.

If you’re ready to start your transition to accepting more payment options in your laundromat, fill out this short form to request more information on FasCard.

If you’re asking yourself if you should purchase a laundromat, this 6 point checklist will help you determine whether or not it’s the right investment for you.
 

History of the Laundromat

The first laundromat, then called a “Wash-a-teria”, opened its doors in Ft. Worth, Texas in the Depression-era 1930s. Soon, the popularity of laundromats exploded and storefronts spread across the country. The first laundromats were geared toward self-service—which was a change from the earlier commercial companies that laundered, folded, and pressed clothing as a complete service—which means customers paid by the hour to wash their clothing using early electric coin-operated washing machines.

These coin-operated laundry machines enabled those who were affected by the Depression and couldn’t afford personal washing machines another option: deposit a few coins and rent a washing machine for a period of time. Even after the rise of affordable household or in-unit washing and drying machines, laundromats have since never lost their enduring appeal for the convenience, economy, and ubiquity they offer.

Today, there are some 35,000 laundromats operating in the United States, generating over $5 billion in total revenue annually.

 

Mature Market: Laundromats Today

Modern laundromats have had to constantly update and keep abreast of the current developments in laundry technology to stay competitive, including the addition of amenities such as free Wi-Fi, flatscreen televisions, vending machines, and children’s areas with family-friendly entertainment.

Some laundromat owners choose to stay open 24/7—upping their convenience factor—and some are completely automated, meaning an owner, manager or employee doesn’t need to be in the store at all, while some storefronts have several employees to help patrons with services like changing cash or coin into proprietary store credit for vends.

Even considering these new trends in the laundry industry, the basic model of the self-service laundry industry has remained the same as it was over 80 years ago. Many things relating to the business model of laundromats has changed, however, including a higher return on investment with these more customer-oriented ancillary services and the ability for many owners to self-manage their stores remotely as absentee owners. Laundromats are so ingrained in the American landscape that it is considered to be a mature market.
 

Is a Laundromat the Right Investment For You?

Laundromats have become a canny choice for investors and entrepreneurs looking to play a minor role in the day-to-day operations of a business, who want to tailor a business to their exact wants and specifications—since most laundromats aren’t franchises—and who want the feeling of security that a laundromat’s steady income can bring.

If you’re thinking of buying a laundromat, it’s best to research what to expect in the buying process, management duties, and to add up the potential expenses, costs and bills along the way.

Want to know the secret to running a profitable laundromat? Download our ebook — From Novice to Veteran: The Savvy Owner’s Guide To A Profitable Laundromat.

We’ve created this checklist of 6 items to cover in detail when buying a laundromat. With all of these tips come the caution of due diligence: A potential buyer will want to check everything thoroughly; talk to multiple owners, consult relevant professionals, like real estate agents, laundry machine maintenance and repair companies and experts and others.
 

1. Location

If there were ever a time to repeat old real estate platitude, “location, location, location,” it’s when you’re doing research on buying a laundromat. Locations in urban areas near

• Clusters of apartment complexes,
• In or near a university town, or
• A tightly-knit, busy strip shopping center with other collaborative businesses and no competitors.

are the best bets for your laundromat. Multi-Housing facilities and apartment complexes usually have community area laundry rooms, but many residents are loyal to local laundromats. These types of residents that are spread across a sprawling multi-family property are the perfect demographic. Locations near colleges and universities are also attractive, with the vast majority of students using the services of a laundromat.

Don’t forget about a laundromat’s virtual location.
It is also a wise move to make sure that the laundromat business you’re interested in buying is listed on search engines, as many first-time customers choose which laundry service to patronize based on a Google search for “laundromats near me”.

If the laundromat you’re looking at has a good marketing strategy, they may even have an agency create web-based ads for the store. The more prominent a store’s presence in Google, Bing and Yahoo search engines and the higher its reviews on forums like Yelp!, the more likely the store to be profitable.
 

2. Expenses, Costs and Profit

Laundromats have few costly recurring expenses, but potential buyers—whether they are searching to buy an existing laundromat or even to build a new store— should be aware of each of these expenses. The lease for a laundromat’s actual storefront will be the highest monthly expense, and buyers in the market today should look for a lease term that is suited to industry standards. If possible, try to find a longer lease term that is amenable to your budget.

In many cases, however—if the current proprietor of the laundromat doesn’t own the location—they have a contract with a leasing company. This would mean that the lease would transfer over to you after you sign the contract.

Naturally, when buying any business, a solid budgetary plan is the first necessary step to factor the initial investment costs of a laundromat and recurring expenses. Whether you’re buying an existing space or building a new store from the ground up. If you are buying an existing space, the costs can range anywhere from $200,000 to $500,000.

Not to be overlooked when calculating overall expenses is possible renovation, which could mean the difference between a rapidly successful store and a business that sees only passersby. If you get a great deal on a store, there may be a reason the owner is selling so low. If the store is just barely hanging on, rundown with equipment in disrepair, completely revitalizing and renovating the laundromat could turn the former derelict store into a profitable business, buzzing with constant activity and foot traffic.
 

3. Management

How much time an owner spends in their store is entirely dependent on the owner’s prerogative. An owner can spend as little or as much time in their store as they want. Laundromats are particularly amenable to absentee owners, due to the automated, self-service nature of the business and new technology like digital card payment systems.

If an owner invests in digital card payment systems, loyalty cards which can be used to pay for vends at that store can be dispensed automatically via a payment kiosk without the need for an in-store attendant. Customers also add value, and redeem loyalty program benefits, discounts, and promotions right from the X-Changer kiosk.
 

4. Equipment

Check the existing equipment thoroughly. If you aren’t experienced in testing commercial laundry equipment, do some research on the washing or drying machine operation, read relevant model manuals, or call the specific manufacturer to get some information. You can also contact a laundry repair service and see if you can have a professional assist you in helping to inspect the machines.

Take a fine tooth comb to the machines, are they large industrial washers and dryers? Do they look clean? How old are they? Current maintenance or problems? Do they have digital payment systems, like FasCard and LaundryCard, or is it a coin-only laundry?

Some of the most common problems with washing and drying machines to add to your assessment checklist are:

• Noticeably broken equipment (“out of order” signs, missing components),
• Visible damage to machines,
• Leaks,
• Age of the equipment,
• Failures in the drain systems of the washers,
• Agitation mechanism washers (e.g. too fast, too slow, not functioning at all),
• Abuse—dented, broken, or substandard quality machines
• Coin-slot mechanisms (if applicable),
• Digital displays on touchscreen card readers (if applicable).

Also, if the potential store is outfitted with digital laundry payment systems, either cashless card-only and coin-and-card systems, the possibility of a large amount of “float” could add to the appeal of the store.
 

5. Competition

Is the store you’re looking at buying near another laundromat, you may want to consider doing some commercial recon on your potential competition.

• Is there a competitor within a two mile radius from the store you’re looking at buying?
• Is there more than one laundromat within that radius?
• Do they have a loyal customer base?
• What is your competition’s demographic?
• Are your competitors open 24/7?
• Do they offer “fold and dry” or dry cleaning services?

If your competition looks to be fairly successful and nearby, then it may be a good idea to check elsewhere for a store.
 

6. Additional Revenue Sources

Does your store have a good reputation for convenience and comfort? Does it need many renovations?

Does it have extra amenities and new technology, like:

• Digital card readers for machines,
• Vending machines (both food—cold drinks, coffee, and snacks—and washing detergent and dryer sheets),
• Free Wi-Fi,
• Flatscreen televisions,
• High efficiency machines, and
• Full-time staff?

A laundromat can be one of the wisest business investments, with due diligence on the part of the investor and a few upgrades, a laundromat storefront can become and continue to be a profitable investment for years to come.

Learn more about investing in and running a profitable laundromat by downloading our guide to a profitable laundromat.

If you would like to learn more about buying a laundromat or digital card payment systems, Card Concepts Inc. is here to help. Contact CCI for more information.

There are more than 35,000 laundromats in the US alone, making up an industry that nears $5 billion in revenue annually. For each laundry store, sales range from $35,000 to $1 million a year depending on a number of factors, like location, rent and the cost of equipment. But as any business owner knows, it’s always wise to look for ways to increase your bottom line and make more money at your laundromat.

Bring In Additional Revenue and Increase Profits at Your Laundromat

The easiest way to increase your laundromat earnings is by adding additional revenue sources. Additional revenue sources will provide more value to your customers and give them more reasons to choose your store. By adding other ways of bringing in profit, not only will you make more money from your current customers, but you will also draw in new customers who come to you because of the additional services you offer.

Food and Drink Vending
This is the quickest way of bringing additional revenue to your laundromat. Profit from vending machines vary based on volume and whether or not you stock and manage your own machines, but can add valuable revenue to your store.

Sell Upgrades on Your Machines
Traditional laundromats are coin operated, and customers receive a standard wash in exchange for a standard fee. However, cycle upgrades (extra rinse/wash) and variable priced cycle options (more for hot, less for cold) are unique capabilities that make a positive impact on a store’s bottom line. You can use a laundry payment system like FasCard or LaundryCard to facilitate this and charge more than your standard price for these upgrades, boosting profits.

Use Our Profit Calculator

See how much a small increase in your prices can make a dramatic affect your bottom line.

Learn More

Vending That Offers Detergent, Dryer Sheets, Fabric Softener and Other Laundry Items
In addition to offering food and drink vending machines, provide machines that sell small sizes of laundry necessities, like laundry detergent, boxes of dryer sheets and bottles of fabric softener. While a laundry vending machine is another way to make money, it also makes doing laundry at your store easier and more convenient for the customer, which increases profit as well.

Laundry Drop-off Service
Commonly called wash and fold, adding a laundry drop-off service to your laundromat expands your customer base. Clients that are too busy to spend time at your laundry store will love the idea of being able to drop off their clothes and pick them up clean and dry at their convenience, and your profit will grow.

Pickup and Delivery Service
Though it might not make sense for every store, high volume stores and busy locations might find it valuable to give their customers the option of scheduling laundry pickup and home delivery. Like with offering a drop-off service, pickup and delivery will allow your store to reach more people who might not typically use a laundromat.

Arcade Games
Another popular way to diversify revenue at your laundry store is by adding arcade games. An upfront investment is required, but over time these machines will pay for themselves and encourage your customers to stay at your store for longer periods of time.

Car Vacuums
You can also make more money at your laundromat by adding one or two car vacuums outside your store. Many customers will see this as a convenient tool and vacuum their car while their laundry is going inside, netting you extra dollars per month.

Free Wifi
While not technically an additional revenue source, giving your customers access to free wifi will encourage people to hang around your store while they wait for their laundry to finish, increasing the likelihood that they’ll spend their cash at your vending machines or vacuums.

Distinguish Yourself from Competitors

When you diversify the revenue sources in your laundry room, you provide new ways for your clients to receive value from your store, which differentiates you from your competitors and increases your profitability. With only small tweaks to your current operation, you can increase your margins and serve more customers. Services like FasCard and LaundryCard simplify this process and make it easy for you to sell upgrades and adjust your vend price based on demand.

See how much more money you could make with a system like LaundryCard by using our profit calculator.

Laundry card systems do much more than simply provide an alternative payment method. Laundry cards build customer loyalty. Customers can obtain a loyalty card by inserting cash or a credit card and then use the value added to the loyalty card to start a machine. By having customers pay first and use the system, it establishes customers with a sense of loyalty and encourages customers to return. In addition to the payment cards themselves boosting loyalty, FasCard and LaundryCard have many advanced loyalty programs built into their systems for you to use.

Loyalty card programs serve as your base of operations for both customer retention and the forward-thinking marketing promotions that drive new business. Today we are going to cover a few of the loyalty programs that FasCard and LaundryCard offer.

Bonus Packages

Bonus Packages lets you give your customers bonus dollars for adding value to their loyalty card. For example, you could give your customers a $2 bonus for adding $20. Your customers will be encouraged to pay you in advance and you now have them committed for $22 in service! As your customers add more value to their cards, your business will build a ‘Float’. Float is the amount of money added to cards but has not been spent yet. By encouraging customers to add more money to their cards, you will increase customer loyalty through the float.

Free Dry

Free Dry time is enticing advertising to laundromat customers. The Free Dry program allows the system to reward customers with Free Dry time based on their wash usage. Free Dry can be scheduled for certain days of the week or you can choose to only award customers Free Dry credits on specific machines. For example, you can offer customers Free Dry only on your largest machines. You can control how much ‘free’ time your customer earns and our Free Dry program will keep track of all the details for you.

Discounts

The system enables you to configure any discount amount to any card. You can establish discounts for groups and market to specific customers. For example, you could offer 10% off for all military personnel. You can create as many groups as you wish and assign a unique discount to each group. As each group member uses the machines, not only will they receive their discount but you will get valuable sales information regarding each group. This program gives you the ability to create an endless number of marketing programs to promote your store. This helps you target your primary audience and focus on building loyalty within those markets.

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Loyalty Points

The loyalty points program is a great way to reward your most loyal customers. This program allows customers to earn Wash Points when they use laundry equipment and the system will automatically reward these customers when they reach a certain point goal. The program allows you to set how many points customers earn for every dollar spent and how many points they need to earn to be awarded the bonus. Not only is a points program a great way to promote loyalty but it’s also a great way to encourage card retention.

Coupons

The coupon program lets you create custom coupon codes that can be distributed to prospective and existing customers. You can configure a coupon code and distribute via direct mail, coupon circulars, email and even social media. With LaundryCard your customer simply enters the coupon code on the X-Changer Kiosk and with FasCard your customer can redeem it through the FasCard mobile app. The systems will redeem the reward automatically. Coupons can be configured to provide a temporary discount which expires on a specific date or designed to issue a bonus to a customer’s loyalty card.

Birthday Bonus

With the LaundryCard system, the birthday bonus allows you to give a gift to your customers on or near their birthday. You can set up a birthday bonus that will automatically be applied to their card with a set number of days before or after their birthday. When customers visit the store on or near their birthday, they will be greeted with a special birthday message and a bonus at the X-Changer kiosk. The birthday bonus program is a personalized way to reward customers and creates a memorable customer experience that will influence loyalty.

Registration Bonus

The LaundryCard system has a registration bonus program that will reward users bonus money for registering their contact information at the X-Changer kiosk. For example, if a customer enters their registration information, the system will apply a $2.00 bonus to their card. The program and bonus amount are configurable by the operator.

By implementing LaundryCard and FasCard’s advanced marketing and loyalty programs, you can take your laundromat business to the next level. Competition is everywhere and giving your customers reasons to do business with you versus your competition begins by encouraging loyalty. If you’re a laundromat owner or investor looking to set your business apart from the competition, contact us today to learn more about our payment solutions and how investing in the technology can give you more ways to increase your laundromat business!

What is “float” and why does it matter?

The unused value or funds left on a self-service laundry “loyalty card” is what those in the laundry industry refer to as “float.” Float is a widespread topic in the laundry industry, which comprises laundromat owners, absentee proprietors, and multi-housing managers.

It is a prevalent topic in laundromats and multi-housing facilities across the country—and on many popular online forums such as PlanetLaundry and CoinWash—because it is one of the chief monetary draws of utilizing a digital card payment system over traditional coin-slot machines.

Can any digital laundry card system accrue float?

Although float is a widely discussed topic among laundromat owners and industry insiders, owners are not always able to reap the benefits of float. With some digital laundry payment systems, there is no ability to add value onto an additional proprietary card that is only usable at their locations. In fact, most laundry payment systems only allow a customer to simply pay for vends using a credit or debit card.

It is only with more sophisticated digital laundry payment systems that float is even a possibility. With these advanced systems, laundromat owners are able to issue what are called “loyalty cards,” which entitle their customers to incentive programs such as big bill bonuses (prepay $20, receive $22 in vend credit; prepay $100, receive $110 in credit), points, and group discounts, with more options and customizations depending on whether the owner chooses to permit clients the option to accept cash and card or credit/debit cards alone. Laundromat owners can even issue “digital” loyalty cards with the help of tools like the FasCard app, which expands the loyalty card’s ability to increase float.

Digital laundry payment system providers also offer premier options for customers with secure touchscreen automated payment kiosks, which dispense loyalty cards, redeem discounts and earned point rewards, and add value to cards—all without an in-store attendant necessary. Plus, owners gain features like live bill count and email notifications.

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Loyalty cards and reloadable gift cards

The process of how float accrues with digital laundry payment cards is comparable that of reloadable gift cards. For instance, in both cases, an amount is prepaid and that amount must be spent using that particular card at locations provided in the terms of its use.

Many major banks and credit card companies, such as VISA, American Express, and MasterCard, and retailers like Amazon, Target, Apple, and Best Buy have incubated this proprietary pre-pay concept, encouraged its rise, and slowly solidified the popularity surrounding personal rechargeable gift cards, in no small part due to the unclaimed money left on these cards.

According to a 2011 report by Brian Riley, analyst for the financial consulting firm, TowerGroup estimated that a reeling $41 billion of gift card funds have gone unredeemed from 2005 to 2011. This figure was so astonishing, The Wall Street Journal picked it as its “Number of the Week” for the end of 2011.

How does float work and can it pay off the investment price of a digital card payment system?

Let’s say a laundromat has a group of customers that each buy a single loyalty card and pre-pay for the laundromat’s services with a large bill. In this scenario—after six months or so—most of those customers eventually leave various amounts of value—for some it’s .75¢ and others it’s $1.50—on each card.

If they never use the remainder of the value on their cards, this means quite a bit of “extra” on-going profit for the laundromat. Even if the float on a single card is equal to a nickel or a dime, every cent is rolled up into a continuous whole. In fact, many digital card laundromat owners report accruing upwards of $1,500 in float each month.

This is especially the case when vend prices are increased incrementally in amounts lower than 25¢. As with many other contentious issues, however, float brings with it differing opinions and on its value, use, and its capacity to be transferred from one store owner to another.

Why is float left on laundry loyalty cards?

There are plenty of reasons for customers not redeeming the value present on their cards, either through card loss, misuse, or by neglecting to bring their old card in with them when they come in to add value to it—and the actual rate of this happening is high.

Benefits of float:

• Research has shown that people spend more money when using a debit or credit card, allowing for a higher overall profit margin.
• Loyalty cards are prepaid and customers are encouraged by bonus programs that are set up to incentivize adding value onto the card in larger dollar amounts, and if that cardholder chooses to patronize a different store, the information gained by a loyalty card allows you to continue to market special offers, deals, and promotions to that loyalty card holder.
• Float can be used if a laundromat owner decides to sell their store, allowing for a more attractive selling point via a higher number of customers—or the float could even be factored into the store’s equity as a bonus.

“‘Float’ alone over time has paid for the entire CCI system.”

If you would like to learn more about Card Concepts Inc.’s (CCI’s) premier digital card payment system, LaundryCard, and how easily the investment costs can be recouped by the float accrued by the system, download our free case study, Bowen Laundromats. In this case study, Bill Bowen explains what it’s like to have a LaundryCard system after utilizing another card system and the major differences between the two.

Card Concepts Inc. is the leading provider of digital laundry payment systems, with completely cashless, card-only systems, including LaundryCard, and the card-and-cash hybrid laundry payment system, FasCard. To learn more about both systems, contact CCI at +1(866) 860-1660.

Opening a Laundromat can be a rewarding investment that is both profitable and gives you the freedom to run a successful business without being tied to the office all day. This is a great fit for professionals and investors looking for a more hands-off investment opportunity or for those who simply want the freedom that comes running a business that doesn’t require being onsite or managing a large number of employees.

When deciding to go into the Laundromat business there are number of decisions to be made—location, type of equipment, technology, financing, etc. We address many of these topics in our free Laundromat Investment 101 Download. One of the first decisions to make, which we’ll address in this post, is whether to purchase an existing Laundromat or build one from scratch.

Is it better to buy an established business or build a new one from the ground up? What are the risks of each? What are the costs of each, both in the short and long term?

If you’re thinking about getting into the Laundromat business, there are several key factors you need to take into consideration when weighing your options. In this post we’ll point out key things to look for that will help you determine the best fit for you.

 

Proven Sales History vs. Exactly How I Want It

Purchasing an existing Laundromat comes with a proven history of sales. For better or worse, you know how well the location has been performing and have a built-in customer base. This is certainly a pro for purchasing an existing location as the risk is lower because you know exactly what you are getting into. That said, people rarely sell profitable Laundromats that are continuing to grow. There are cases of owners selling well-performing businesses in order to retire, but those instances aren’t as common. Aside from these few instances, it’s more likely that as the new owner, you will be looking for a diamond in the rough.

If by chance you do happen to find one of what seems like a great deal, beware of seemingly successful laundromats selling at bargain prices. Ask thorough questions as to why the seller is looking to get rid of their Laundromat. What may look like a successful Laundromat may be plagued by debt, improper management—or in some cases—questionable accounting.

It’s more likely that as the new owner, you will be looking for a diamond in the rough. Most owners who purchase an existing Laundromat do so because they believe that the current Laundromat is underperforming and that with some changes and under their ownership they could improve the performance of that location. Sometimes this means simply cleaning up the store, adding new signage and a fresh coat of paint, or perhaps some new amenities like free WiFI and flatscreen televisions.

Or maybe it’s a more impactful change of improved technology with a digital smart card laundry system.

These two high-tech laundry card systems are a great way to attract new customers and build loyalty. So while you have that proven sales history with an existing location, you’re going to want to make sure you see the opportunity to make changes that will improve upon those sales and make the Laundromat even more successful.

While building a Laundromat from scratch doesn’t come with the proven track record of sales, you have the freedom to start fresh and make it exactly how you want it. This includes the public perception, or brand image, of your Laundromat as well. When a new owner takes over an existing Laundromat and it was poorly run, dirty or had older equipment, even if you make improvements in these areas there may be an existing negative perception about the Laundromat that can be difficult to change.

For many, a major benefit of building your own business is the satisfaction that comes with setting it up and branding it exactly how you want. In the case of building from scratch, implementing a card operated system is a given. Customers will be expecting everything to be new and modern, including the payment options and loyalty incentives.

 

Cost/Financing

When you build your own Laundromat generally the equipment is financed—meaning less cash up front. A lower start-up cost will give you more resources to start building your customer base and generate income. You’ll also have new equipment, which comes with warranties, so your operating and maintenance costs will be lower for several years. (Compare this to the costs of running a Laundromat bought from a previous owner, which may be a lot higher initially because of costly renovations.)

 

Distributors & Brokers

Choosing a distributor will be an important part of starting your new Laundromat regardless if you buy an existing Laundromat or build one from scratch. Demographic reports detailing things like how many renters are in a particular area are easy to come by, but a good distributor can give you much more than that. For example, if there was a Laundromat in the area three years ago that failed, a good distributor might be able to tell you what happened and advise you on ways to avoid the same fate. Finding a distributor that provides that type of consultative information and isn’t just selling you equipment is crucial.

Most established businesses are sold through brokers. Should you decide that purchasing an existing Laundromat is the best fit it’s important to thoroughly vet a broker before doing business with them. Most importantly—speak with the broker’s past clients. Any reputable broker should be more than happy to provide you with a list of references.

Whether you decided to buy an existing Laundromat or start your own, a laundry payment system can help attract new customers and retain existing ones. The convenience and benefits of an easy-to-use card system encourages customer loyalty and can play a major role in the success of your new or revamped Laundromat.

Welcome to the Laundromat business!

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Contact us if you have any questions regarding the laundromat business or payment systems!

So you are looking to get into the laundry business. You’ve done your due diligence researching to the very best of your abilities the realities and logistics of opening a laundromat. You’ve spent hours on planetlaundry.com, on the ground finding out the going rate on local laundry franchises, maybe even visiting some successful laundromats in your area.

But once you have your basic business plan down for opening your very own laundromat, there’s just one question left: Do you stock your laundromat with coin operated laundry equipment, card operated laundry machine equipment, or both?

BenBiz.com has a great article on the pros and cons of owning a coin laundromat, an all digital card operated laundromat, and a laundromat with hybrid card-and-coin operated machines.

We at Card Concepts Inc. wanted to highlight a few excerpts from the article, Buying A Laundry: Coin Operated Laundromat Or Card Operated Laundromat? which are included below, but if you would like to read the article in full please click on the link.

“More and more we see “Coinless Laundromats“. Anyone in the business or entering the business will face the age old question; Coin or Card? Well, perhaps it’s not an age old question, as card systems haven’t been around very long, but it is a question worth considering.”

“Your management style or how you want to spend your time will also be important. A card store would be good for the person who doesn’t want to collect coins (and that can get old), wants to track all transactions, wants accurate and automatic accounting and wants to evaluate productivity of each machine.”

If you are looking for a ‘Card Only’ solution for your coinless laundromat, look no further than our LaundryCard system, focused on automating your laundromat by eliminating coins, employee management, store marketing. Learn more why coinless laundromats make good investments and if you’re a current owner who values precious free time but feel like you have less and less these days, read this article of tips on managing your laundromat remotely.

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“The hybrid systems seem to be taking over and make a lot of sense to me. Again, with this system you can do it all.  Most importantly you can take payment in any form.  If receiving payment via cash, loyalty card and credit card is good enough for Macy’s, Starbucks, Wal-Mart and the like it should be good enough for a Laundromat.”

“The hybrid store does not require that you have a reader on every machine.  This allows you to experiment with a system without paying the high price of doing an entire store.”

If you are looking for the perfect ‘hybrid’ coin-and-card operated laundry payment system then learn about our FasCard solution. With FasCard, you are able to easily modify your existing laundry machines to accept debit or credit cards and loyalty cards, while still being able to accept coins as regular coin operated laundry equipment.

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What can Card Concepts Inc. do for you? Learn more about how the revolution in smart laundry products is changing the question of laundromat owners from “Should I use card or coin-operated machines in my laundromat?“ to “Would my customers prefer hybrid card-and-coin operated machines or solely card-op laundry machines?”

Source article link: Buying A Laundry: Coin Operated Laundromat Or Card Operated Laundromat?