Enough for this business register as an individual entrepreneur with codes OKVED: 93.01– “Washing, dry cleaning and dyeing of textiles and fur products”, 93.05 – “Provision of other personal services.” No licenses required, but the list of permissions is quite impressive. Required documents:

• Building design and feasibility study, which are necessary to obtain permits from Rospotrebnadzor. You need a BTI plan, address and brief information about the premises, equipment data sheets and hygiene certificates. The work plan must be detailed down to the drawings for the arrangement of equipment. Also describe in detail the process of cleaning clothes;
• Sanitary and epidemiological conclusion from Rospotrebnadzor. To comply with all standards, read SanPiN 2.2.2506-09 “Hygienic requirements for organizations for dry cleaning of products”;
• A sanitary production control program drawn up by you and agreed with Rospotrebnadzor;
• Permission from Rospozharnadzor.

Before starting dry cleaning from scratch, you will need a lot of agreements and contracts, without which you will not be able to start work.

The most necessary:

1. Agreement on the use of fluorescent lamps and their disposal;
2. Sanitary and epidemiological report and certificates for the chemicals and reagents used;
3. Chemical Disposal Agreement;
4. Agreements on regular disinfection and disinfestation of the enterprise, maintenance of the ventilation system;

Room

The best places in the city to locate a business– hotels, large stores and shopping and entertainment centers, well-populated residential areas. Good traffic and accessibility of the institution itself are important.

Selection and organization of space

Opening a mini dry cleaner will require a space of 80 square meters. Of these, 60 sq. m occupies a production facility, 15 sq. m - clothing collection point, 5 sq. m - bathroom.

Important condition– you cannot locate a company at a distance closer than 50 meters from residential buildings, near catering establishments and grocery stores. This makes it difficult to find a place. There are two ways out.

First– organize an enterprise in the basement or ground floor of a public building converted to non-residential use. At the same time, you can open a dry cleaning collection point on the upper floors.

Second- place the receiving point in the center, and production - in an inexpensive building on the outskirts of the city. In the second case, rent will be cheaper, but the expense item includes the cost of transporting linen.

In our calculations, we focus on all businesses in one place in a busy area of ​​the city. Renting will require costs of $1200-1300 monthly. Repairs, installation of ventilation and fire alarms will cost $1,500.

Requirements

Required conditions:

• Ceiling height from 3 m;
• Electrical network 380 V;
• Water supply, heating, ventilation, sewerage;
• Availability of emergency exit;
• The walls are tiled or painted;
• A perfectly flat and rigid floor that can withstand the weight of industrial machines and is resistant to vibration.

Without complying with these requirements, it will not be possible to obtain permission from the SES.

Dry cleaning equipment

To run such a business you will need:

1. Dry cleaning machine with a productivity of about 10-15 kg per hour - from $13,000. The best manufacturers are Victory, RENZACCI, Union, Bowe, ReinMaster;
2. Industrial washing machine– $2600-2700. RENZACCI, Miele, Alliance;
3. Table for removing various stains – $2700. Trevil, Sidi;
4. Steam generator power from 30 kW – $350-400. CAMPTEL, PONY, Lelit;
5. Ironing table with heating of the working surface and vacuum suction – $1000. PONY, Battistella;
6. Steam pneumatic dummies for trousers and outerwear (1 piece each) – $6,000. Ghidini, BARBANTI.

The equipment will cost at least 25-26 thousand dollars. In addition to it, you should purchase four clothes hangers, four carts for dirty linen, packaging film, brushes, labels, a counter for the collection point, and a cash register. Costs: approximately $350.

Consumables

Before you open a dry cleaning service, calculate the required number of consumables. During one shift, about 80 kg of laundry is processed, 50 grams of powder per kilogram. For 4800-5000 kg of laundry per month (when working in two shifts) you will need about $150 for washing powder.

Other consumables: bleaches, solvents, stain removers, preparations for dry and wet cleaning, pre-cleaning products, fragrances, machine enhancers, machine care products. It costs $150-170 per month to purchase them.

Staff

If the cleaning service is provided almost around the clock (two shifts), it is necessary to hire 9 people: a technologist, two ironers, four workers, a cleaner, and a cashier at the reception point. It is cheaper to invite an accountant to prepare monthly and annual reports than to hire an accountant on staff. Salary fund – $3000 monthly.

Costs and profits

To determine in advance whether a given enterprise is profitable, make a business plan how to open a dry cleaner. In addition to the production and organizational plan, registration, add advertising to your expenses. This includes an attractive sign and. This is an additional $150-200 cost.

Capital investments in business – $34,000. Monthly expenses (including utilities) – approximately $4,500.

How much can you earn from this? The average check is $8-10. With minimal workload (15-20 items per day), revenue is $6,000 per month, and net profit is about $1,500. With the growing popularity of the company, this figure increases to 2-3 thousand. Over time, large companies build a network of enterprises and increase their income to the level of 8-10 thousand dollars.

Even a small dry cleaning becomes a profitable investment. Competition in this area is not very high due to significant costs, so you can break even in a year and a half and receive a stable profit.

An example of a business plan for opening a dry cleaner in a small city with a population of 120 thousand inhabitants.

Business prospects

The crisis of the 90s led to the fact that dry cleaning enterprises under state care fell into disrepair: the equipment became outdated, there was an outflow of qualified personnel, and the quality of the services provided sharply decreased. Ultimately, the provision of dry cleaning services was practically discontinued. However, the demand for such services remains high. It is much cheaper for the consumer to restore the product to its original appearance by dry cleaning than to buy a new item. Therefore, opening an enterprise providing dry cleaning services in modern conditions is considered a completely promising project.

How much money do you need to open a dry cleaner?

According to business plan calculations, opening a small dry cleaner will require at least 3,220,000 rubles:

• Minor repairs to the premises - RUB 200,000.
• Purchase of professional equipment on a turnkey basis - RUB 2,500,000.
• Installation of security and fire safety systems - RUB 70,000.
• Business registration, approvals and permits - RUB 50,000.
• Advertising budget - 100,000 rubles.
• Other expenses (consumables, work clothes, fuels and lubricants, etc.) - 100,000 rubles.
• Reserve fund - 200,000 rubles.

Which taxation system to choose for an enterprise

The organizational form of the enterprise will be individual entrepreneurship. It is planned to use a single tax on imputed income (UTII) as a taxation system. Under such a system, the tax will be fixed and paid quarterly. A license is not required for such activities. Our dry cleaning will provide cleaning services for clothes made from different materials and groups: suits, coats, dresses, textiles, leather products, fur products, carpet dry cleaning, as well as manual cleaning of shoes, bags and suede. For urgent order fulfillment (within 24 hours), an additional payment will be charged - 50% of the price list.

Dry cleaning service technology

1. Reception of products
2. Sorting products by type and degree of contamination
3. Removal of specific contaminants, stain removal
4. Cleaning of products
5. Processing with organic solvents
6. Impregnation of products
7. Wet heat treatment
8. Checking the quality of work

Marketing and advertising

The first point of a business marketing plan is to determine the market capacity for dry cleaning services. According to some data, the average resident of Russia uses dry cleaning services on average once every 2 years. The population of our city is 120 thousand inhabitants. Of these, the number of economically active people (potential clients) is 60 thousand people. By simple calculations we get: 60,000 people. / 730 days = 82. It turns out that about 82 people need dry cleaning services every day. There are two organizations in our city that provide dry cleaning services. These are fairly well-known and established organizations that have been working in the market for such services for several years. However, the speed of customer service and the quality of the services they provide is not so great. We believe that the opening of our enterprise with modern high-quality equipment and trained personnel will allow us to attract the lion's share of clients. The average bill for the service according to preliminary calculations will be 1050 rubles. According to the most conservative estimates, an average of 12 clients will visit the dry cleaner every day (excluding time spent promoting the business). On weekdays the flow will be slightly higher than on weekends. This will allow you to receive an average daily income of 12,600 rubles, respectively, a monthly income of 378,000 rubles.

Download a dry cleaning business plan from our partners, with a quality guarantee.

Production plan

When choosing premises for dry cleaning, all SES requirements will be met, including the distance from residential buildings, which must be at least 50 meters. The size of the rented premises will be 85 sq. m. m. with a monthly rent of 42,500 rubles (500 rubles/m2).

The issue of accepting products for cleaning will also be resolved. The city will operate two clothing collection points in the most densely populated areas. One will be located in the same building where the equipment is located, the second will be a separate room (15 sq. m.) in a residential area of ​​the city.

What equipment to choose for dry cleaning

At least 2,500,000 rubles will be spent on the purchase of professional equipment. The line will include:

• Dry cleaning machine Suprema LC 24
• Universal steam manikin with built-in boiler
• Stain removal table
• Professional ironing table
• Vertical packaging machine

Staff

The following personnel will be employed: technologist, ironers (2 people), workers (2 people), administrator and driver. It is planned to outsource accountant services. The permanent staff of the organization will include 6 people. The monthly wage fund will be 96,000 rubles.

Schedule

Launching a project involves performing the following sequential actions:

1. Search for sources of project financing
2. Registering a business with the tax authority
3. Searching for premises and concluding a lease agreement
4. Repair and design of premises
5. Purchase and installation of professional equipment
6. Certification, approval of the project with the state. authorities
7. Personnel employment
8. Starting a business

Business risks

Opening a dry cleaner is associated with the following risks:

• High level of competition in the market
• High dependence on the successful location of the enterprise
• Lack of highly qualified personnel in this area
• Long payback period

Financial plan

Let's move on to calculating the main indicators of business economic efficiency. Fixed monthly expenses:

• Rent - 42,500 rubles.
• Salary - 96,000 rubles.
• Insurance deductions - 28,800 rubles.
• Utility bills - 30,000 rub.
• Consumables (powders, solvents, etc.) - RUB 25,000.
• Taxes (UTII) - 6,000 rubles.
• Accounting - 8,000 rubles.
• Transport costs - 10,000 rubles.
• Other expenses - 15,000 rubles.

Total - 261,300 rubles.

How much can you earn from dry cleaning services?

The net profit of the organization according to the business plan will be 116,700 rubles per month. The profitability of dry cleaning is 44%. With such indicators, the project pays for itself in 30 - 35 months of work (taking into account the period for business promotion).

This is a full-fledged, ready-made project that you will not find in the public domain. Contents of the business plan: 1. Confidentiality 2. Summary 3. Stages of project implementation 4. Characteristics of the object 5. Marketing plan 6. Technical and economic data of the equipment 7. Financial plan 8. Risk assessment 9. Financial and economic justification of investments 10. Conclusions

♦ Start-up investment in business: 940,000 rubles
♦ Payback period for dry cleaning: 24-48 months
♦ Business profitability: 15-35%

For the generation that grew up during the Soviet Union, the opening of a local dry cleaner was a common event.

At that time, this was not an attribute of luxury, but simply an obligatory component of every microdistrict.

In addition to the attitude towards the availability of dry cleaning services, the scope of ownership in this industry has also changed in our time. Previously, it was completely subsidized and generously financed by the state.

And now how to open a dry cleaner decided mainly by private entrepreneurs.

In order for a commercial structure to exist and make a profit, you need to invest a lot of money and effort in business development. Clothes cleaning services for the public are no exception.

In addition, entrepreneurs now have to fight with young competitors, of which there are more and more every day.

Which is not surprising, since the existing formats of dry cleaners allow you to enter the business even with a small capital. And the potential profit is very attractive.

Let's figure out what you need to do to achieve success by opening a dry cleaner.

Planning to open a dry cleaner

Dry cleaning project summary

Depending on the budget that an entrepreneur is willing to invest in the business, the format of the future establishment also varies.

There are mainly three common options:

1. Organization of a reception point.
   This cannot be called a dry cleaning business to the fullest extent, since the entrepreneur makes only a place where orders are taken from clients.
   And the cleaning process itself is delegated to another dry cleaner.
   This option does not require substantial cash investments, but you don’t have to expect much profit either.
2. Creation of a mini dry cleaner.
   In this case, the entrepreneur creates a small dry cleaning service with a minimum standard set of equipment.
   Subsequently, the business can develop into a whole network of mini-dry cleaners.
3. Big dry cleaning.
   If the budget for starting a business is not particularly limited, an entrepreneur can immediately start with a large dry cleaner, which will have high-quality equipment, have large capacities and offer a wide range of services.
   To expand in the future, it will be enough to open order collection points in other parts of the city.
   This option is the most profitable and has great potential. But the start-up investment will also require an extremely serious investment.

Dry cleaning advertising campaign

The dry cleaner is one of a number of establishments whose customers usually include all the people who live in the neighborhood.

Such “related” businesses (this includes pharmacies and bread stores) also need advertising.

It will just have small distinctive features.

1. Hire promoters to distribute advertising leaflets in nearby crowded places - at intersections, near markets, passages, metro stations.
2. Order advertising on a local radio or TV channel.
3. It is definitely worth introducing a system of cumulative discounts or other conditions into your business that encourage regular customers.

Carrying out promotions for cleaning clothes, original commercials, bright slogans - how many great options for attracting customers you can come up with!

Dry cleaning target audience

Fact from history:
In the first dry cleaners, dirty, greasy clothes were simply rinsed in kerosene. Then, after all the dirt had dissolved, the clothes were hung up so that the kerosene dissolved. In this method, things did not deteriorate, were clean and did not shrink.

The main target audience of the clothes cleaning business is solvent people aged 20-55 years. They have an average income level, which allows them to sometimes buy expensive things for themselves.

Careful attitude towards such purchases forces them to go to the dry cleaner several times a year.

It is these people who mainly visit the average dry cleaning order collection point.

Therefore, in the service business, they value, first of all, the following factors:

• how much does it cost to provide basic dry cleaning services?
• what range of services are provided;
• Does the item have high-quality and modern equipment?

Choosing a dry cleaning room

Before you open a dry cleaner, you need to find the ideal premises for it. A number of requirements are put forward to it:

1. For such purposes, only a room that is located on the first or ground floor, in the basement or in a separate building is suitable.
2. If an isolated premises is chosen for a business, the distance from it to the nearest house with residents should not be less than 80 meters.
3. For the dry cleaning to operate fully, the height of the building must be greater than 3 meters.
4. Sewerage, hot and cold water, and electrical wiring must be provided.
   Everything should work properly and without interruptions.
5. The building must have a properly functioning ventilation and heating system.
6. Typically, a room with an area of ​​100 m2 or more is chosen for dry cleaning needs.

It is a well-known fact that in order to attract more customers, it is recommended to open a business in crowded places.

It is prestigious and attractive to have a dry cleaner in the center, but the rental cost is extremely high. In addition, in residential areas the demand for dry cleaning services is high, and many will not want to go to the center in order to drop off clothes, but will look for something closer to home.

In fact, both of these options can be successfully combined!

The dry cleaner itself can be opened on the outskirts of the city, but in each district there is an additional collection point.

This will reduce rental costs while maximizing audience coverage.

However, we must not forget about the business expenses for salaries for additional workers and for the delivery of accepted clothing to the workshop.

How does the dry cleaning process work?

shown in the video:

Dry cleaning staff

If the entrepreneur has decided on a business option that involves opening an independent dry cleaner, rather than a collection point, 3 positions must be added to the staff.

The entire future success of the business rests on how professionally the employees perform their work!

Experienced employees will minimize the risk of claims, damage to clothing, and, therefore, business expenses for compensation to clients.

In addition, this will allow you to avoid investing additionally in training people.

So how many people will it take? The staff for a small dry cleaning service looks like this:

This list provides for a minimum number of employees, taking into account shift work schedules.

A technologist can combine his job responsibilities with the ability to accept orders and consult clients.

But accounting, if the business initiator does not plan to do it, can be outsourced to an outsourcing company or hired on a part-time basis with an hourly wage.

If you plan to open a clothing collection point separately from the main workshop, or even just one point, then transferring orders to a partner clothing cleaning company, personnel for these points must also be provided in advance.

Salary is included in the financial section of the business plan.

Financial calculations for opening a dry cleaner

Costs of opening a dry cleaner

Monthly dry cleaning costs

Potential business risks

Dry cleaners are enterprises whose activities involve a certain risk.

The entrepreneur must identify these dangers to the business in advance and provide an option for action in the event of their occurrence.

• Violation of the rules and requirements of the SES, which will lead to the closure of the dry cleaner.
• Introduction of new legal requirements for business.
• Changes in prices for chemicals necessary for dry cleaning.
• Damage to customer products, which will become a stain on the reputation and incur expenses.
• A decrease in the level of demand for a given business due to an economic crisis or season.

Dry cleaning is a popular and profitable business with virtually no competitors. There are more and more users of dry cleaners every year - people appreciate the simplicity and convenience of using these establishments. Do you want to know how to open a dry cleaning and laundry business and how much you can earn from it? Check out our business plan!

Studying the market

At the moment, the dry cleaning market is almost completely free - such establishments operate only in large cities. At the same time, the growth in the number of potential users of dry cleaners is approximately 20-25% per year. People don’t have enough time to wash, dry and iron their clothes themselves, so they give their clothes to laundries and pick them up ready for use.

Dry cleaning will clean your clothes much better than classic washing

Experienced market participants cite the following figures: a city with a population of 1 million people brings an entrepreneur about 130 thousand dollars a year, and a city with a population of 500 thousand brings about 70 thousand.

What do you need to do to study the market? Find out if there are laundries/dry cleaners in your locality, what services they provide and how much they charge for their services. Think about who will become your regular customer and with whom you can enter into ongoing service agreements.

Please note: With the right approach, you will be able to work not only with the population, but also with commercial and public institutions. Dry cleaners often service kindergartens, hotels, hospitals, etc.

Production plan

After analyzing the market, it is necessary to draw up a production plan. The main question is where to locate your business. The legislation puts forward serious requirements for placement:

1. It is prohibited to locate a dry cleaner closer than 80 m to residential buildings.
2. The room should be located either in the basement or on the first floor.
3. There should be no restaurants, cafes, food markets or shops near your establishment.
4. The size of the required room is from 150 square meters, the ceiling height is more than 3 meters.
5. The presence of two exits in the room.
6. The room is finished with glazed tiles and water-based paint.

It is best to rent a building located on the outskirts of the city. Here you will not disturb anyone, and rent will be inexpensive. To ensure convenience for customers, it will be possible to place several laundry collection/delivery points in the city center - they can be opened anywhere. In this room you will need to place a production room, a bathroom and a ventilation chamber.

Buy only high-quality dry cleaning equipment

The production plan should include the renovation of the building (it is almost impossible to find a ready-made one) and a list of necessary equipment.

Read also: How to open a private security company (agency)

Also make a list of your services. It will include:

1. Dry cleaning of textiles.
2. Cleaning suede and leather products.
3. Cleaning fur clothing.
4. Textile washing services.
5. Cleaning and repair of products made from other/combined materials.

Add a visual work diagram to the document, which will consist of several points:

1. Reception of things at points.
2. Delivery to the enterprise.
3. Sorting things.
4. Cleaning difficult stains.
5. Washing things.
6. Cleaning with special solvents.
7. Impregnation with special means.
8. Heat treatment.
9. Quality control.
10. Issuing items to clients.

Necessary equipment for dry cleaning clothes

We recommend that you purchase original equipment for your enterprise - it will quickly pay for itself and work for as long as possible. The market leaders are installations made in Italy and Germany. You will need to purchase:

1. Apparatus for dry cleaning of linen.
2. Tanks for temperature treatment.
3. Self-cleaning nylon filter.
4. Special steam cabin for steaming.
5. Steam board.
6. A table on which staff will remove stains.
7. Capacious industrial washing machine.
8. Steam generator.
9. Drying.
10. Packaging machine.

Pay careful attention to personnel selection

In total, you will have to spend 30-50 thousand dollars on the purchase of equipment. About another 5 thousand dollars will need to be paid for delivery, installation and launch of the equipment.

Additionally, you will need to purchase chemicals for washing: powders, stain removers, solvents, etc. Reception points are also equipped with furniture, hangers, a computer for accounting, etc.

Dry cleaning financial plan

Here is an approximate financial plan for a small laundry room measuring 150 m2. Costs will be:

1. Current repairs - 300,000.
2. Purchase and installation of equipment -2,600,000.
3. Installation of alarm system (fire/security) - 60,000.
4. Registration of documents - 50,000.
5. Marketing - 150,000.
6. Other expenses – 100,000.

In total, you will need 3.3 million rubles to open an establishment.

Also, fixed expenses need to be included in the dry cleaning and laundry business plan: rent, salaries, taxes, utilities.

Laundry Organization Plan

The organizational plan specifies the operating principles of the institution. You will need to draw up a detailed feasibility study for dry cleaning, calculate the required area for work, and draw up a plan for connecting to utility networks. The first step is to write a letter to Rospotrebnadzor and Gospozharnadzor, indicating that you are going to open a new enterprise. The letter is accompanied by an architectural plan of the building, certificates for equipment and a technological step-by-step description of the cleaning process.

Recruitment

To operate the organization you will need to hire:

1. Technologist.
2. Accountant.
3. Driver.
4. Receptionist (2-4 people).
5. Ironers (2 people).
6. Workers (2 people).

Dry cleaning or mini-laundry is one of the developing and promising types of business. Cleaning services are gradually becoming an integral part of not only other countries, but also our society. Modern people have the most acute lack of time, especially in big cities. With the increase in the pace and dynamics of life, the main part of everyday responsibilities is naturally transferred to representatives of the relevant various services.

Moreover, there are things that simply cannot be washed or put in order on your own (leather, furs, expensive fabrics, designer or delicate items, etc.), so good dry cleaning in such cases becomes a lifesaver. And despite the rather large initial investments, experts consider this business profitable and well-paid.

Main features of the activity

First of all, you should understand that dry cleaning is not an ordinary laundry, and the main difference is that in dry cleaning you can not only wash, but also dry clean, clean and restore blankets / feather beds / pillows, deal with bulky and expensive things, “conjuring” each spot using special equipment. For ideal business development, it is better to combine dry cleaning and laundry services, or cooperate with already operating establishments.

1. Unfortunately, for systematic profit and profitability of a business, favorable stable economic conditions are necessary. This is the main reason that in our cities there is one dry cleaner for every 160,000 people, while in Western countries an enterprise can be designed for 12,000 potential customers. However, if you look for a positive aspect, then there is an excellent opportunity for promising growth and market development.
2. If you don’t have a lot of start-up capital, you can start small: that is, open a dry cleaning collection point. This will not require renting large areas, equipment or other costs. Try to establish contacts with already large companies and enter into agreements with them so that they themselves pick up and bring things back. This way you will gradually delve into all the intricacies of this business from the inside, gradually collecting funds for expansion.
3. Having already sufficient experience and funds, you can open a full-cycle mini-dry cleaning service, which will specialize in a standard set of services: washing, ironing, drying, some minor repairs, stain removal, etc. Please note that for cleaning leather and fur or suede will require additional equipment. It would be ideal if you manage to cover the entire range of services at once, but this does not always work out, because good quality equipment and reagents are quite expensive. Moreover, you still need to be able to work with them.
4. There is an option to open a franchise business if you enter into an agreement with an already developed network of dry cleaners. However, in this case, you will give up to 60% of the proceeds to the franchisor.

First steps

To act thoughtfully and intelligently, you will need a clear business plan that will help you reduce costs and start making profits as quickly as possible. Next, you will have to go through many stages to establish and organize your own business from scratch.

1. Study the situation on this market in your region or city. If large companies operate, then you need to offer consumers something that will help you stand out from existing companies: this could be exclusive services, first-class quality of work, flexible pricing policy, etc. You need to act based on demand.
2. Decide on the direction in which you will work and take care of the legal registration of the business. To open you will need a lot of documents and permits.
3. Next, you should successfully select a production facility, making sure to comply with all the requirements and standards of various inspection organizations.
4. Then comes the turn of purchasing specialized equipment and chemicals with which you will have to work.
5. Personnel is a very important point. A professional master technologist will simply be worth his weight in gold.
6. Attracting customers and active advertising.

You can start small, but in the future you have the opportunity to develop your business in many directions: place orders via the Internet, organize a mobile (mobile) representative office or workshop, go to the client’s home to receive things. Seasonal storage services for clothing (even bags and shoes), as well as additional cleaning services for expensive furniture, carpets, etc., are now considered very popular. In short, there is room to grow and expand.

Legislative framework

Whether you want to organize a full-fledged independent dry cleaning service, or open only a dry cleaning collection point, you will have to register your business. In addition, the opening and operation of these institutions are subject to various current standards: a whole range of hygienic, sanitary-technological and epidemiological ones. It is necessary to strictly adhere to them and comply with all regulations of the relevant structures.

Registration is suitable for both cases. Experts advise choosing a form of taxation. You must also pay a state fee. In order for the enterprise to begin operating, you will need to create a program for sanitary production control, coordinate it with Rospotrebnadzor and obtain permission to open from this service. Then, after you find, prepare and equip the production premises, you will need to complete the necessary documentation with the SES and other services for its compliance with the standards. You also indicate activity codes (OKVED). Then a seal is made and a cash register is purchased.

A license to open is not required.

Advantageous location

The requirements for the premises in which the future dry cleaning will be located are quite strict. It’s one thing to simply place a point where things will be accepted from clients, but a complete production cycle is quite another.

In the first case, you can get by with a small room (up to 40-50 sq. m), which will contain only the necessary set of furniture. Receivers will sort received clothing or other items on site to prepare them for dry cleaning. Then the driver comes and takes everything, and therefore brings clean things that you will need to give to clients. That's the whole scheme of how such a point works. As you understand, such points should be oriented towards the local character, choosing places with high traffic:

• residential densely populated areas;
• large stores;
• large shopping or shopping and entertainment centers;
• hotels.

Be sure to make sure that there is a good transport interchange (close to the metro, bus stops, train station, etc.).

As for full-scale production, the matter is much more complicated, and the selection criteria are stricter:

• The workshop area must be at least 100 square meters. m, and if you want to organize additional services (such as carpet or furniture cleaning), and also add a laundry room, then you will need about 250 sq. m. m;
• ceiling height, according to requirements, cannot be less than 3 meters;
• the room must have wide doorways and an emergency exit;
• It is mandatory to have a constant supply of water, sewerage, heating, electricity and high-quality ventilation (supply and exhaust and backup). The fire alarm must be connected to the ventilation system;
• if your dry cleaning is not located in a separate building, then it can only be placed on the ground or first floor of a house with a separate entrance. However, it must be transferred to non-residential stock. Moreover, the distance from residential buildings, grocery stores, restaurants (and other catering establishments), pharmacies, and departments with children's goods must be at least 80 meters;
• employees of the SES, Gospozhnadzor and Rospotrebnadzor will inspect the premises and issue you a sanitary epidemiological report and permission to operate it. All equipment that you will have must have certificates (plus - you will have to provide the services with design drawing documentation for its installation), and the drugs, substances and reagents used in the work will receive a sanitary and epidemiological certificate;
• all employees must have professional hygienic training (at least short courses), as well as medical books with which they will have to undergo regular medical examinations;
• A special site will need to be placed on the territory for the collection and temporary storage of industrial waste, since chemicals cannot be drained into the sewer. In order to dispose of this, you will need to enter into contracts with a special company. Fluorescent lamps that are used for lighting are also subject to recycling;
• You will also have to systematically disinfect and disinfest the premises and your vehicles, plus clean the ventilation systems. All these activities will also require contracts;
• SES also places special requirements on indoor repairs: separate special types of tiles and paint must be used on the walls and ceiling, etc. Also, the room must have a perfectly flat and hard floor that can support the weight of the machines and prevent vibration. And on the electrical panel you need to make not only a general switch, but also automatic switches for each machine.

In addition, you will need to come to an agreement with the district or city government and utility services.

The dry cleaner should have: a reception area for visitors (if you do not have remote collection points), the production premises itself, a warehouse, a utility room, a bathroom and a staff room.

Specifics of work and necessary equipment

However, the main cost item will not be the premises, but professional equipment. Your company will be able to beat competitors only if you provide either the full range of possible services or some exclusive services (cleaning stage and theater costumes, for example). Based on the chosen specifics of the work, you need to select the necessary equipment:

• special dry cleaning machines (using perchlorethylene), plus self-cleaning tanks and nylon filters. For small production, devices with a capacity of 10-12 kg are suitable; for large-scale products, devices with a capacity of 18-25 kg will be needed. If you plan to deal only with textiles, but also with leather or furs, then you will have to purchase more expensive equipment (additional cleaning machines and painting booths);
• a cabin in which stains will be cleaned or removed (or a table);
• steam-air mannequins for cleaning outerwear;
• steam pneumatic mannequins for stretching trouser legs and sleeves;
• steam generator and compressor;
• combined multifunctional ironing tables (with electric-steam irons);
• trouser presses;
• special installations for packaging and storing clothes;
• hangers, baskets-trolleys;
• brushes, labels;
• storage racks and tables (with a load capacity of up to 200 kg).

When combining dry cleaning with laundry, you will need to acquire washing/drying machines. These must also be production devices, since ordinary household models will not be able to cope with such a load.

To purchase good quality equipment that will serve you for many years, you need to choose reliable suppliers. Pay attention to stable and large companies that have been in this business for many years. An important point in this point is not only a guarantee of the quality of their product, but also further assistance: after-sales service (both warranty and post-warranty), technological support, quality certificates, assistance with installation and connection. Be sure to order the installation and commissioning service, although it will cost you a tidy sum (about 10% of the cost of the equipment itself).

Don't forget about the necessary chemicals. It is ideal if the selected equipment can work not only with the widely used solvent perchlorethylene, but also with alternative options: silicone, hydrocarbon solvents or K4. You will also need various enhancers, detergents, stain removers, finishing agents, products for leather restoration, dyes, finishing materials, preparations for wet cleaning of leather and suede, etc. You must have certificates for the entire range of products used.

Personnel and work organization

One of the most important points in this business is the search for a professional master technologist. This issue should be resolved before opening a dry cleaner, since for you it will play the same role as a chef in a prestigious restaurant. It is to him that clients can go, and after him they can leave. After all, almost all dry cleaners have more or less the same equipment and use the same preparations. But only a technologist can discern a problem with a thing and decide how to act. Sometimes clients do not take into account many factors: the degree of wear of the clothes, the characteristics of the fabric, texture, accessories, but they want to get the item back in perfect condition. Or the fabric, for example, is very expensive, and you need to sit over each stain separately, studying its structure and exploring how to get rid of it. This especially applies to handmade designer items, wedding and evening dresses, stage costumes, museum exhibits, etc.

Many companies simply lure technologists away from competitors or send staff to advanced training courses. Some supplier companies themselves train people if you purchase branded equipment from them.

In addition to the chief technologist, you will need:

• minimum two workshop workers;
• two ironers;
• accountant (if you do not do accounting yourself or do not outsource accounting);
• driver;
• cleaning woman;
• receivers at separate points.

Keep in mind that dry cleaning is an enterprise with a certain degree of risk. Your staff should be provided with special clothing, gloves or mittens. It is mandatory for production to have a first aid kit, which will contain medications for household and chemical burns, protective hand creams, etc.

The client will not always be satisfied, even if you do your job well. To protect yourself from unfounded claims, warn in the receipt about possible risks (no label on clothes, questionable quality of the item, etc.) so that customers sign that they have been warned and will not submit claims.

Attracting consumers

Your clients can be both ordinary people (individuals) and large corporate customers (legal entities), that is, restaurants, cafes, hotels, which can significantly increase your overall turnover.

Reception points should be located in places where they can always be seen by a large number of people. This way you will have passive advertising. A bright banner or an original sign will also help to attract the attention of potential customers. Ordering a report on TV or radio is quite expensive, especially for a beginning entrepreneur. You can distribute printed advertising: post advertisements, hand out booklets, leave business cards in clothing stores, salons, and other organizations.

Don't neglect the Internet. Try to create a website and actively promote it. It is also worth advertising dry cleaning on forums and social networks. At first, advertising may cost a lot of money, but with the advent of a regular client base, the situation will improve: word of mouth will work, and you will not need to spend so much on an advertising campaign. Promotions, discounts, bonuses and discount cards will provide you with significant assistance in attracting people.

Conclusions

The average profitability of this business rarely falls below 15%, and in large successful enterprises it even reaches 40%. Think about what related services you could offer your clients: mini-atelier, shoe repair, product painting, etc.

Approximate costs (prices are in rubles):

So, to launch full-fledged production, you will need several million rubles. That's how much it costs to open a dry cleaner. Experts claim that the payback period for such a project is at least one and a half to two years, depending on the amount of the initial investment. Equipping and opening only a reception point, of course, will be much cheaper.