New ironing service: Need ideas for getting new clients.

Hello

Is there anyone would could offer ideas and tips for promoting
my sisters NEW ironing service here in the UK.

She has a high street shop in a small village in Ayrshire,
Scotland, with just two other competitors (both small businesses)

Any ideas for complementary services she could offer (Except
laundry or dry cleaning). strategic alliance ideas (Can't think of
any) upsells, cross sells, etc. Where/how to reach target market:
which is mainly busy mums, and professional couples.
or other innovative or unusual ideas to get the flood of
customers to make her new business profitable.

Would love to hear from other people already successful in this
business, and links to helpful web sites appreciated.

Many thanks

J

"james" <jamesritchie@postmaster.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c749ei01em0@enews2.newsguy.com...
>
>
> Is there anyone would could offer ideas and tips for promoting
> my sisters NEW ironing service here in the UK.
>
>
> Any ideas for complementary services she could offer (Except
> laundry or dry cleaning). strategic alliance ideas (Can't think of
> any) upsells, cross sells, etc. Where/how to reach target market:
> which is mainly busy mums, and professional couples.
> or other innovative or unusual ideas to get the flood of
> customers to make her new business profitable.

Are there really such businesses that only do the ironing? In these days of
wash and wear I didn't think there would be a need for that. If someone has
the time to wash and dry their own clothing I would expect them to have time
to iron what little needs it, or to take it to a place that does wash and
fold.

--
McWebber
No email replies read
If someone tells you to forward an email to all your friends
please forget that I'm your friend.

"McWebber" <mcwebber@my-deja.com> wrote:
>"james" <jamesritchie@postmaster.co.uk> wrote:
>> Is there anyone would could offer ideas and tips for promoting
>> my sisters NEW ironing service here in the UK.
>>
>>
>> Any ideas for complementary services she could offer (Except
>> laundry or dry cleaning). strategic alliance ideas (Can't think of
>> any) upsells, cross sells, etc. Where/how to reach target market:
>> which is mainly busy mums, and professional couples.
>> or other innovative or unusual ideas to get the flood of
>> customers to make her new business profitable.
>
>Are there really such businesses that only do the ironing? In these days of
>wash and wear I didn't think there would be a need for that. If someone has
>the time to wash and dry their own clothing I would expect them to have time
>to iron what little needs it, or to take it to a place that does wash and
>fold.

This would depend on the culture as much as anything else. Perhaps in
Scotland this is still the norm? Heck, I wish someone would iron my
clothes! It takes a long time and I am always scrambling (or begging
my girlfriend) to do it.

"McWebber" <mcwebber@my-deja.com> wrote:
:"james" <jamesritchie@postmaster.co.uk> wrote:
:> Is there anyone would could offer ideas and tips for promoting
:> my sisters NEW ironing service here in the UK.
:>
:>
:> Any ideas for complementary services she could offer (Except
:> laundry or dry cleaning). strategic alliance ideas (Can't think of
:> any) upsells, cross sells, etc. Where/how to reach target market:
:> which is mainly busy mums, and professional couples.
:> or other innovative or unusual ideas to get the flood of
:> customers to make her new business profitable.
:
:Are there really such businesses that only do the ironing? In these days of
:wash and wear I didn't think there would be a need for that. If someone has
:the time to wash and dry their own clothing I would expect them to have time
:to iron what little needs it, or to take it to a place that does wash and
:fold.

Wrong. To properly iron a dress shirt requires a good iron,
an ironing board, a sleeve board to keep the sleeves from being
creasing, a water sprinkler to keep the cloth at the correct moistness
for the heat of the iron, and the ability to soak it in a starch
solution (not spray it from a can.) When the clothing has pleats,
lace, trim, fancy buttons, etc., the ironing become more complicated.

I have a pile of clothes that I'd happily paid someone to iron
were I not in the midst of my own new business and broke <g>

--
Wendy Chatley Green
wcgreen@cris.com

"McWebber" <mcwebber@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:<c7716u02hm9@enews4.newsguy.com>...
> "james" <jamesritchie@postmaster.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:c749ei01em0@enews2.newsguy.com...

Hi you wrote:

> Are there really such businesses that only do the ironing? In these days of
> wash and wear I didn't think there would be a need for that. If someone has
> the time to wash and dry their own clothing I would expect them to have time
> to iron what little needs it, or to take it to a place that does wash and
> fold.

Thanks for your message..

Evidently, yes, the service is appreciated in our area, since it's
the one domestic chore that can't be automated. washing machines &
dryers are easy to just load and forget.. but very few people enjoy
standing at an ironing board for hours each week, and it seems they prefer
to use that time on other more important (and enjoyable activities!)

Would just like a few more ideas for bringing more business.

"james" <jamesritchie@postmaster.co.uk> wrote:
> Any ideas for complementary services she could
> offer (Except laundry or dry cleaning).

Why not these?

> ...strategic alliance ideas (Can't think of any)...

Well, obvious ones are with laundry or dry cleaning services. I'd suggest
visiting any within reasonable driving distance (which can be quite a bit
for some people) and see if they'd like to farm out some of their ironing
work to your sister's business. If their business is booming, they might
jump at the chance. Otherwise, they might have to invest more into business
which they might not be able or want to do that this time.

Another alliance would be maid services. They would be resellers of your
service. When they come in and clean, they pick up a basket of clean
wrinkly clothes that the residents left for them to pick up and take to you.
The maids put the basket in their vehicle and continue on their rounds of
homes they're to clean that day. Picking up other baskets as they go along.
At the end of their workday, they swing by your sister's place and drop off
the baskets. After your sister gets done ironning them, she could then
swing around and deliver them to the residents or have them ready for
pick-up by the maid service the next day who will do that. Likely the maid
service will want to do that since they have keys and can put the clothes
into the locked protection of the resident's home. I doubt they'll want to
give you a set of keys to do this, but you never know.

> Where/how to reach target market: which is mainly
> busy mums, and professional couples.

What?! Ummm. You missed probably the ones that would want your business
the most. Single professional males. Sell it to them as a residential
pick-up and delivery service. They simply either come and drop it off at
your sister's business or, for a bit more expensive rate, leave their clean
laundry in a basket, you pick it up, and deliver it back all ironned. The
issue of security might be something you'll need to address. Might not due
to your local culture. In many small towns here in America, people don't
lock their doors. Anyway, if it is a concern, the residents can give you a
key to get the basket and then need to provide some closet place somewhere
that you can hang up the clothes you've done for them.

As for advertising to single men in your area, simply to do postcard ad
campaign. Get a good FRESH mailing list of bachelors in your area and fire
the postcards off to them. I'd have the non-address side of the postcard
have a semi-mirror image photograph of a guy standing in a business suit
with his coat off. One image has him in a wrinkly shirt and pants. The
image to the right of that one has him in a sharply ironed shirt and pants.
Above the two images, I'd put: "Which do you think projects the more
professional image?" Underneath them, I'd put something like: "Avoid the
hassle of ironning your own clothes. Have more time for your social life.
Invest into your professional image. Hire [name of sister's business] to do
your ironning." On the back of the card, provide your rates, services, and
the contact information for them to call. I'd suggestion have the
photograph side done lengthwise as these images are elongated ones ... in
other words, standing the card on end, it would stand on its width side.
Postcards are simple and to the point. I love postcard advertising ... as
long as the ad message is a simple one. Postcards get read because they're
already opened for your receptients to read. Send these out every month.
Repetition is needed for best results.

Likewise, you can do the same thing with single professional women. Just
get a good FRESH mailing list of bachelorettes in your area and do the same
as above.

Likewise you can do it with professional couples. Same as above but you
have a man and a woman in the same photograph

As for busy moms, I'd change the message a tad. I'd show a woman with a
baby in one arm and a toddler holding her other hand. Have them dressed up
as if going to church. Have the baby be a girl and in a fancy dress. One
image has them in wrinkly clothes and the other in sharp ironned clothes.
The sentence above them could be something like: "Which do you think tells
your neighbors you're a good mom?" Underneath, I'd have: "Let [name of your
sister's business] help take care of one of your numerous daily chores. Let
us do your ironning so you can spend your time on more important things."

> or other innovative or unusual ideas to get the flood of
> customers to make her new business profitable.

I'd go around and do in-person visits of all the clothing stores in your
area. And by area, I mean what you're willing to drive to get this type of
business. Offer to do their ironning for them. At least once a month (if
not week ... if not daily), they get new clothes in boxes which are thus all
wrinkled up ... or at least have unsightly creases. Suggest instead that
they have their new clothes shipped to your sister's business and not
theirs. Your sister will then take them out of the boxes, iron them, and
deliver them to the store by the next day.

Go and talk to the police departments that are within your area. Talk to
their captain ... or whatever you call the person in charge of your police
stations there. Ask him if having her/his officers have a professional
image is important to their work. Of course, s/he's going to say "yes".
Tell her/him about your service and ask if s/he would support you asking
their governing body to pay for this service for her/his police department.
You want her/him to show and speak up for your service at the governing
body's next meeting. You then propose just that to that governing body.
Any police officer (though they might limit this at least initially to just
detectives ... which can be something you might suggest if you sense
resistance on the board) can drop off their clean work clothes at your
sister's place and she'll have them all ironned by the next day. You could
also offer to do pick-up at the different police stations. Oh, and, being
the little devil that I am, I'd also pitch the same thing for the governing
body itself. Pointing out that them having a solid professional image is
important for these meetings and suggesting the governing body hire your
sister's service to do their clothes. *laugh*

Last but not least, I offer my standard advice for all on-going businesses.
It is as follows:

"What I recommend you do is determine what your sales territory is. What's
its radius? Take out your customer list and plot them out on a road map.
Plot all of them. If they're from the same city/town, keep track of the
number so you get a distribution picture. To determine your radius, you'll
need to make a judgment call on which of the far-out pins is within your
sales territory and which should be discounted as oddities. Draw on the map
the outer perimeter. Measure that line from your business' location. Now
add 10% more and draw that new perimeter in a different color. Double that
amount and draw that new perimeter. Then go and talk to people outside that
double perimeter limit that are in the same business you're in. Literally,
drive there. Do not do the following over the phone or email or through
snail mail. Show up on their doorstep during the slow time of their
business day. Tell them that you run a similar business at such-and-such a
location and ask if they consider you competition. If they say you would
be, drive further away from your business location until you find a business
that says you're not. If you have to go to a different country, do so.
Don't let state or national borders play any part in this decision process.

Once you find a business that says your two territories won't overlap, ask
if they wouldn't mind answering some questions about how they run their
business. Tell them you don't have all the answers but you're seeking them.
Play to their egos. Have a list of questions written out on notepad, but do
NOT write down their answers. Instead, bring a tape recorder (yes, put it
right out in the open ... no need for spyware ... and besides it plays to
their egos as their words are being treated as worthy of being recorded) and
concentrate on getting as much information out of them as possible ... as
well as picking up the other half of the answers they give in body language.
If they say something you don't understand, speak up and ask for
clarification. Let them wander off your list of questions since where they
wander to might be a place you never thought of asking questions about and
should have been. But keep an eye on the questions you've written down and
try to ask them all before the interview concludes. Of course, always yield
to customers that come in.

After you've interviewed one owner, go home and digest what was said.
Listen to the tape on your way home. Think over it all. Adjust your
business plan accordingly. Yes, you should be working on a business plan
even though you're already in business. More on that later. Adjust the
questions on that notepad and on your next free day, head off in another
direction and do the same thing. Interview the good, the bad, and the ugly.
If you're lucky, you'll interview one that is going out of business or has
just went out of business so you can hear the dark side. Likewise,
interview those businesses you think are bad. Keep in mind that since
they're still in business, they are probably doing something right ... if
just being the only game in town for your products/services.

Share as you give. Let them know what you think is a good idea. Ask them
to read over your business plan right there before you. Naturally, don't
leave a copy of it behind. What one of these business persons is going to
tell you will be better than ALL the advice from all the business professors
on the face of the Earth. Even from the ones that are going out of
business!

Don't forget these individuals after you interview them. Send them a nice
thank-you snail mail letter for taking the time to answer your questions.

Do this at least once a month ... if not once a week. This process worked
great for a little-known single-location pizza-parlor owner by the name of
Tom Monaghan ... the founder of Domino's Pizza.

Lastly, see if the good ones are willing to sit on your Board of Directors
(or Board of Advisors, if you don't want to give them any control power).
The rest of your Board of Directors should be made up of marketers. Your
Board of Directors should help you keep the big picture in mind and an eye
on the future."

Additionally...

"Work on a business plan. Regardless if you're going to get a business
expansion loan or not. No matter if your business has been in business
since the dawn of time. A business plan forces you to think of all aspects
of your business. Question every aspect of it. Think how you can do it
better, cheaper, and faster. Always remember to K.I.S.S. it. Keep It
Simple, Smartass. [Yes, I know it is usually said as "Keep It Simple,
Stupid", but it is the smartasses that make things more complex and
difficult than they need to be.] And forever keep in mind that this is a
business you're running and a business is to turn a profit. It doesn't turn
a profit and it's just an expensive hobby of yours. As for how much time to
invest into your business plan, only put as much as you want the business to
succeed. Oh, and also realize that studies have shown that those that work
less than six months on their business plan have a 90% failure rate. Those
that work six months or more on their business plan have a 90% success rate.
And to start off, get a copy of Michael Gerber's "The E-Myth". Oh, and if
you're already hating to get up in the morning to open the place up for
business, sell it and do something else. Remember that this ride through
life is a one-time experience. Don't spoil it by doing what you hate."

And finally...

"Lastly, ONLY buy used. Never buy anything that doesn't ABSOLUTELY have to
be new. All it has to look like is being in good condition ... and not even
that if it's in the backroom and your customers will never see it. Go to
sheriff auctions, business liquidation sales, garage sales, etc. and hunt
for bargains. Keep your expenses as low as possible and buying used is the
best way to do this. If you do buy something new, it should be with a great
deal of thought on why it has to be new and not used. Again, if the
customers see it, it only needs to look to be in good condition and that's
it."

Good luck!

Scott Jensen

"Scott T. Jensen" <stj@charter.net> wrote in message
news:c78h8v02btp@enews1.newsguy.com...
>
>
> What?! Ummm. You missed probably the ones that would want your business
> the most. Single professional males. Sell it to them as a residential
> pick-up and delivery service.

Don't forget the office pickup/drop-off service.

--
McWebber
No email replies read
If someone tells you to forward an email to all your friends
please forget that I'm your friend.

"james" <jamesritchie@postmaster.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c78fkt02mdu@enews3.newsguy.com...
>
> "McWebber" <mcwebber@my-deja.com> wrote in message
> news:<c7716u02hm9@enews4.newsguy.com>...
> > "james" <jamesritchie@postmaster.co.uk> wrote in message
> > news:c749ei01em0@enews2.newsguy.com...
>
> Hi you wrote:
>
> > Are there really such businesses that only do the ironing? In these days
of
> > wash and wear I didn't think there would be a need for that. If someone
has
> > the time to wash and dry their own clothing I would expect them to have
time
> > to iron what little needs it, or to take it to a place that does wash
and
> > fold.
>
> Thanks for your message..
>
> Evidently, yes, the service is appreciated in our area, since it's
> the one domestic chore that can't be automated. washing machines &
> dryers are easy to just load and forget.. but very few people enjoy
> standing at an ironing board for hours each week, and it seems they prefer
> to use that time on other more important (and enjoyable activities!)
>
> Would just like a few more ideas for bringing more business.

James,

As long as one is picking up and delivering ironing, I suppose your sister
could carry along a basket of fresh fruit and pastries, maybe cigarettes
(gag), and other things that people may want to have in the morning.
(Assuming AM pickup and delivery service.)

If people drop off/pick up their things, what time of day do they come by?
What do people want or need at that time of day? Going to work, people may
want a snack. On the way home, they may want to bring flowers or a gift to
their spouse, something like that.

Mike

These are all very good replies. I wanted to make sure and read all the
responses before I replied. I too didn't that there was too much of a market
for that kind of thing and the laundry connection was the first thing I thought
of but you said besides that.

You should really look into the pickup and delivery service that someone
mentioned because that sounds like the best way. Don't forget the "male"
market too.

Good advice all!


Rose
http://members.aol.com/Roseb441702/consult.htm
"Can you make money on the Internet? - YES!"

"james" <jamesritchie@postmaster.co.uk> wrote:
Any ideas for complementary services she could offer (Except laundry or
dry cleaning).
Why not these?
....strategic alliance ideas (Can't think of any)...



Scott Wrote...

Well, obvious ones are with laundry or dry cleaning services. I'd
suggest visiting any within reasonable driving distance (which can be
quite a bit for some people) and see if they'd like to farm out some of
their ironing work to your sister's business. If their business is
booming, they might jump at the chance. Otherwise, they might have to
invest more into business which they might not be able or want to do
that this time.

Another alliance would be maid services. They would be resellers of your
service. When they come in and clean, they pick up a basket of clean
wrinkly clothes that the residents left for them to pick up and take to
you. The maids put the basket in their vehicle and continue on their
rounds of homes they're to clean that day. Picking up other baskets as
they go along. At the end of their workday, they swing by your sister's
place and drop off the baskets. After your sister gets done ironning
them, she could then swing around and deliver them to the residents or
have them ready for pick-up by the maid service the next day who will do
that. Likely the maid service will want to do that since they have keys
and can put the clothes into the locked protection of the resident's
home. I doubt they'll want to give you a set of keys to do this, but you
never know.

Where/how to reach target market: which is mainly busy mums, and
professional couples.
What?! Ummm. You missed probably the ones that would want your business
the most. Single professional males. Sell it to them as a residential
pick-up and delivery service. They simply either come and drop it off at
your sister's business or, for a bit more expensive rate, leave their
clean laundry in a basket, you pick it up, and deliver it back all
ironned. The issue of security might be something you'll need to
address. Might not due to your local culture. In many small towns here
in America, people don't lock their doors. Anyway, if it is a concern,
the residents can give you a key to get the basket and then need to
provide some closet place somewhere that you can hang up the clothes
you've done for them.

As for advertising to single men in your area,
simply to do postcard ad campaign. Get a good FRESH mailing list of
bachelors in your area and fire the postcards off to them. I'd have the
non-address side of the postcard have a semi-mirror image photograph of
a guy standing in a business suit with his coat off. One image has him
in a wrinkly shirt and pants. The image to the right of that one has him
in a sharply ironed shirt and pants. Above the two images, I'd put:
"Which do you think projects the more professional image?" Underneath
them, I'd put something like: "Avoid the hassle of ironning your own
clothes. Have more time for your social life. Invest into your
professional image. Hire [name of sister's business] to do your
ironning."...."truncated"...
.................................................. ...........



Wow Scott...
Killer post!

Delivered hot meat and potatoes, glazed carrots and the mushroom gravy.
You even threw in extra dinner rolls, "sweet tea", and substantial
lemon wedges...



~zion~