If you are considering outsourcing the laundry needs of your business, there are a number of benefits you may want to review in your business context to see just how much of an impact taking laundry off your plate can make!
There are also a couple of trade-offs that you might want to consider which we’ll touch on as well.
3 Benefits of Outsourcing Your Business Laundry
Free Your Staff to Focus on Your Core Business
Managing laundry in-house diverts attention from your core business activities. For instance, AirBnB operators should concentrate on creating memorable experiences for their guests rather than dealing with laundry logistics and mechanic workshops make their money fixing cars, not washing dirty uniforms!
Having run an AirBnB myself for a number of years, the rush of getting sheets off the bed, washed and dried in a same-day turnaround was a headache, and I never liked the idea of having sheets, towels or other laundry on the line when guests were staying – it ruined their view. Of course the dryer was always an option.
Outsourcing laundry allows your business to refocus on your primary operations, this can lead to improved efficiency and ultimately to better customer satisfaction.
Cost Savings
Running an in-house laundry facility involves expenses related to electricity and water utilities, machinery, maintenance, labour and consumables like soap/detergents, softeners, stain removers and so on. These costs can add up quickly and surprisingly significantly. If you, as the business owner, are just taking the laundry home and doing it yourself, that is eating into your down time and taking the costs directly out of your pocket instead of from the business.
Outsourcing can save money by eliminating the need for either on-site laundry staff or taking away revenue generating time from your team and can reduce overhead costs at the same time. The savings can be passed on to customers, reinvested in the business or potentially taken as extra profit.
Staff Training and Turnover
Training and retaining laundry staff can be costly and time-consuming, and when there isn’t enough to warrant making it a full-time role, you need to make it part of someone else’s job – probably your own, right? If your industry also has high turnover rates, this can exacerbate the training challenge, and let’s be honest, if laundry is an ‘add-on’ to an employee’s role, it just might increase the likelihood of higher turnover.
Washing machines are not overly complex devices, but once you factor in training around workplace healthy and safety requirements, how to handle the types of washing you do, your machines and processes around how to deal with keeping laundry sorted, for example, resident domestic laundry at age care facilities, there is a lot to learn!
Outsourcing eliminates the need for specialised staff training sessions and minimises the impact of staff turnover on laundry operations. Our team of dedicated laundry staff are trained on how to get the best results from our machines and detergents, and how to deal with tough stains and foul laundry.
At Ipswich Laundry Service, we already have systems and procedures in place for dealing with many different kinds of laundry, including SAI Global certified systems for NDIS laundry requirements, and can work within your requirements to ensure that your laundry is collected from your business and delivered back, sorted, ironed and folded.
2 Trade-Offs to Consider When Outsourcing Your Laundry Needs
Reliability
Successful laundry outsourcing relies on a strong working relationship with a commercial laundry company that can offer you a consistent and reliable service. If your laundry is constantly getting damaged, lost, or isn’t up to your standards then it is going to cause problems for you.
It’s worth carefully evaluating potential laundry partners to ensure they are able to actually meet your requirements and not just say they can. A reliable laundry provider ensures smooth operations and avoids potential negative impacts on the business.
At Ipswich Laundry Service, we endeavour to always meet the commitments we make with our clients and if for any reason we are unable to, we’ll communicate with you to work out a solution.
Turnaround Time
In-house laundry rooms offer quick turnaround for urgent needs. For example, hotels experiencing high guest turnover during busy periods could benefit from on-demand laundry services, especially if they are large enough to maximise the use of in-house equipment and staff.
Outsourcing typically requires an external laundry partner, like Ipswich Laundry Service, to collect your laundry from your business, wash it to your specifications, and then return it to you. While we can facilitate reasonably quick turnaround times, in most cases this could mean slightly slower turnaround times, especially as you need to factor in the time needed to collect your laundry and get it delivered back.
So, for businesses that need same day or faster turnaround, outsourcing might not be the best choice. Of course, if you need fast turnarounds and want to go the internal route, you also need to have staff, equipment and laundry consumables on hand to facilitate those timeframes.
Consider Your Emergency Preparedness
Unexpected events like equipment breakdowns, insufficient linens, or even simply running out of laundry detergent can disrupt laundry services.
This is true whether you manage laundry in-house, or through an outsourced laundry partner.
There are a few things you can do to be prepared:
- Have extra linens or garments on hand to ensure continuity if your internal laundry faces a problem, or your external provider has an unforeseen delay.
- Have a backup plan. If you manage laundry internally, know who to call to get your washing done until your laundry is back online (our phone number is 0499 677 799). If you use an outsourced laundry partner, make sure they have their own backup plan (we do) and if not, consider a backup provider in the event of problems.
Summary
While there are risks associated with outsourcing laundry, the benefits often outweigh them. Businesses should assess their specific needs and choose a reliable partner with experience in bulk laundry in their industry.
Ipswich Laundry Service is the leading provider of professional laundry services for businesses looking to manage bulk quantities of domestic laundry and linens. Whether you need to wash, dry, iron, or fold your uniforms, linens, towels, or other items, we can handle it for you with speed and efficiency.
We understand that your business needs clean and fresh laundry every day and that’s why we offer flexible and convenient pick-up and delivery options to work in with your requirements.
Ipswich Laundry Service is more than just a laundry service. We are a partner in your success. We help you save time, money, and hassle by taking care of your laundry needs.
Don’t let laundry be a burden for your business. Let Ipswich Laundry Service take care of it for you. Contact us today to get a quote and schedule your first pick-up. You will be glad you did.