Start an ironing service... official MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

Pound

To the people who are struggling to find trade I was just wondering if you had an on-line presence?

I'm talking about being listed on Google as a business, having a .co.uk/.com website, etc. with contact details, prices, etc.

Kelly-Lou

Hi ladies I am in the process of starting up my ironing service. I have a few questions - where is the best place to get insurance from and what type of insurance do I need?? Is it best to wait until I have any customers before I get insurance as I don't want to pay out and not get any customers. Do you use garment covers and if so where is the cheapest place to get them. I really am struggling with pricing!! I was going to charge £20 for a large Ikea bag full but am not sure, then thought of £3 per kg but my local competition charges £2.43 per kg what about per item??? Thanks in advance

somewhere_up_there

Morning.
I started an ironing laundry service a year ago.
I now work 7 days a week, and 12 hours a day.
Do not know your areas, but suggest you look up tourist information, find all holiday cottages to rent, there e-mail addresses will be on each one.
And offer a laundry linen service , BIG BIG business.

gill37

somewhere_up_there wrote: »

Morning.
I started an ironing laundry service a year ago.
I now work 7 days a week, and 12 hours a day.
Do not know your areas, but suggest you look up tourist information, find all holiday cottages to rent, there e-mail addresses will be on each one.
And offer a laundry linen service , BIG BIG business.

I too have a very busy ironing business but get customers via gumtree and fb. can you explain the laundry linen service that you provide. Do you wash and iron the laundry? Assume it is from the holiday lets you mentioned. how much do you charge for this service.

At the moment i charge £15 for an ikea bag - but really feel i should be charging £20 for the amount of time it takes me to iron everything.

lincroft1710

somewhere_up_there wrote: »

I now work 7 days a week, and 12 hours a day.

84 hour week, hopefully you should be on your way to your first £1million

bargainbird

I charge £25 for a basket......£15 for an ikea bag is very cheap.

I got some free business cards from vistaprint and advertised in local shops and parish magazines.

somewhere_up_there

Hi
Gill37,Lothians very close to me.
Yes i wash and iron.
Prices single 1.50
Double and larger 1.90
Then obviously towels,pillowcases, teatowels bathmats.robes.and anything else they want.
Everything is individually priced.




Plus i charge 2.00 for delivery.
Pick up laundry in the afternoons.
Only works if the lets have three sets of laundry.

I will also do cleaning for them at 11.00 per hour.

Started of doing domestic ironing, will not do bags, someone once brought me a laundry basket it actually had 46 items in it, and it was the most creased laundry you have ever seen.For that i charged 46.00.
Did not set out to do holiday lets, but this makes me more money and it is constant, once you build a customer base


How long does an ikea bag take?,plus do you return on hangers and plastic, all costs.

Today i made 218.20.
This was just two changeovers plus there laundry.plus just laundry for another.

gill37

somewhere_up_there wrote: »

Hi
Gill37,Lothians very close to me.
Yes i wash and iron.
Prices single 1.50
Double and larger 1.90
Then obviously towels,pillowcases, teatowels bathmats.robes.and anything else they want.
Everything is individually priced.




Plus i charge 2.00 for delivery.
Pick up laundry in the afternoons.
Only works if the lets have three sets of laundry.

I will also do cleaning for them at 11.00 per hour.

Started of doing domestic ironing, will not do bags, someone once brought me a laundry basket it actually had 46 items in it, and it was the most creased laundry you have ever seen.For that i charged 46.00.
Did not set out to do holiday lets, but this makes me more money and it is constant, once you build a customer base


How long does an ikea bag take?,plus do you return on hangers and plastic, all costs.

Today i made 218.20.
This was just two changeovers plus there laundry.plus just laundry for another.

oh wow, im definitely not charging enough then. It takes me 2 hours to do a bag - approx 30-40 items (guessing). i return on hangers if they provide them otherwise i just fold everything. if i hang everything then i dont bother to covet them and no-one has said anything yet.

was still ironing at midnight last night and just felt that, although i am really busy, i seem to be doing lots of work for not that much money. with 2 cust today i made £45 for 7 hours work - less petrol, less elec. it is really difficult when shirts which have been tumble dried to within an inch of their lives and i cant get the creases out - that really slows me down. can take 20mins per shirt sometimes. nightmare.

not sure its an option for me to do washing/tumble drying and then ironing as my washer drier's tumble drier is rubbish. things take an age to dry.

cant believe how much you made today. thats brilliant. so which region are you in if you are close to me? im east lothian

Kelly-Lou

OMG I am even more confussed with regards to pricing. I can't believe how much you are earning that is fab!!

giggles_alot

Kelly-Lou wrote: »

OMG I am even more confussed with regards to pricing. I can't believe how much you are earning that is fab!!

I have found that keeping pricing as simple as possible is the best way.
I wouldn't have a flat rate for bags, some people will cram them full and it surprising how much some people can fit in to an ikea, I've known some people fit in excess of 100 items.

Some people will only use you for shirts and some will only use you for bedding, I would suggest you have set prices for shirts, set price for bedding and then a combined price for mixed items.

Hope that helps.