Mark Vlaskamp started a laundry-delivery business in 2017 in hopes of cashing in on a model that was gaining popularity.
So in 2019, the cofounders opened their own laundromat in Austin, Texas. During the day, The Folde is a self-serve laundromat. It closes to the public at 9 p.m. and operates overnight to process all of the day's wash-and-fold orders. After the initial startup costs, Vlaskamp said payroll was his largest daily expense; the company has 72 employees.That means Vlaskamp is on a"never-ending quest" to control costs. For example, he's modified the machines to be more efficient. Instead of using factory defaults, he's tweaked the settings to improve cleanliness and reduce utility costs.
Search-engine optimization is the best way to drum up business, as many customers find The Folde via Google and Yelp. The company has social-media accounts, though they are more of a reference check to reinforce trust than a method to gain customers. Traditional laundromats stick to the bare minimum, but he believes every detail matters, from the lighting to the cleanliness. And customers are willing to pay for higher quality, he said.
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