The Benefits of Hiring a Consultant

Securing Your Investment Through Direct Engagement - Questions To Ask When Purchasing A Laundromat

30 April 2017 by Eddie Phillips

In a diverse business portfolio, there's always room for investments which may have relatively small potential rewards, but which also come with relatively low risk. Businesses that are able to withstand fluctuations in the economy can fall into this category, and among those you'll find laundromats. Clean clothes are a necessity no matter the economic climate, and most people don't cut back their laundry bills.

Performing due diligence on such a purchase, however, remains absolutely essential. Below, you'll find a guide to some aspects of the business that you should be sure to inspect before completing your acquisition in order to guarantee that you maximize your profitability while minimizing your risk.

Property Liens

Often times, a business ends up on the marketplace because its owners are dealing with underlying financial difficulties. Laundromats are no exception to this rule, and in fact may often times help prove it, as they do generate consistent cash flow but may be insufficient to sustain a person with significant outside liabilities.

Most local jurisdictions have online researching tools that allow you to examine the full history of a piece of real estate and determine whether there are any outstanding liens. Pay special attention to real estate tax and contractor liens, as these are likely to follow the property and remain difficult to resolve.

Environmental Issues

While most people think of a laundromat as inherently clean, the business does tend to generate some pollutants that require specialized disposal. Soap, cleaning chemicals, and other irritants escaping into the atmosphere or the ground water can be a major concern that ultimately might get in the way of running your business.

Conducting both an on site inspection and an online search for any local environmental issues can be an important step in making sure you're purchasing a clean and responsible business. Involving yourself in environmental litigation should be avoided at all costs as an expensive headache with potentially serious consequences.

Pricing Structures

If a consistent business like a laundromat is failing, it may be because its pricing is out of whack with local competitors. Charging either too much or too little for laundry services can limit either your number of customers or the profitability associated with each, creating a substantial burden to making the money you desire. You should attempt to look up pricing guidelines for other, similar businesses in the area, and do your best to commit to matching those costs and staying in the mainstream of the marketplace.

Contact a business such as PBI Laundry Consulting for more help with making your decision.

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