When it comes to finally taking the step into self-employment, most people hardly think of opening their own laundromat. However, this business represents an extremely exciting market, whereby the investment costs for the foundation are kept within limits.
Franchise concepts are a particularly attractive option for opening a laundromat.
The cost of your own laundromat
Those who are toying with the idea of opening a self-service laundry should expect to pay at least around 60,000 euros. Then there are the running costs. These consist, for example, in electricity, gas and water consumption. Of course, it is also necessary to ensure that the cleaning agents are procured.
Depending on the city in which the laundromat business is sought, the rental costs can vary greatly. Average monthly costs of between 800 and 1,250 euros can be expected for renting the shop.
In addition, some insurance policies must also be taken out for the business. The washing machines They also need regular maintenance to maximize their lifespan, and there are costs associated with that too. How high the initial investment for your own laundromat is, of course, also depends on how many devices are to be accommodated in the salon.
In principle, however, it can be said that variable costs account for around 25 percent of sales. Industrial fixed costs also account for 25 percent. Around five percent should be planned for the other costs, so that the gross operating surplus is around 45 percent on average.
This income can be realized with a laundromat
The experiences of established laundromats show that average sales of 80,000 to 130,000 euros per year are quite realistic. The break-even point or return on investment is reached about two to three years after the self-service laundromat was founded.
Before taxation, the annual operating income of a laundromat is between 25,000 and 40,000 euros – if the installment for a loan still has to be repaid. As soon as the loan agreement expires, you can expect to pay between 44,000 and 74,000 euros per year before taxes.
The advantages of the franchise concept
Of course, it is generally also possible to open a laundromat completely on your own. Nevertheless, some advantages for the founder can be expected if he participates in a franchise concept with his company.
The respective franchisor supports the franchisee extensively, especially in the initial and start-up phase. This ensures a relaxed and safe start with the new business. In addition, reliable empirical values from everyday business are already available from the other franchisees. Therefore, before deciding to open a laundromat, authoritative information can be obtained regarding the income and costs of the business.
If, for example, the decision is made to open the new laundromat in a shop with an area of around 70 square meters and in a catchment area of around 12,000 inhabitants, sales before taxes of 83,000 euros can be generated in the second year. In this example, there are a total of four washing machines and three dryers in the laundromat.
This shows that opening a self-service laundromat is a very profitable business – especially if you can rely on an experienced and trustworthy franchise partner.