How to Start a Profitable Dry Cleaning Business in Nigeria

Last Updated on September 1, 2021 by Mikebush The Rich Lazy Asshole

Are you making efforts to start a profitable dry cleaning business in Nigeria? Well, look who we got here! A lucky guy who’ll get the best guide to launch a dry cleaning business in Nigeria. You know what? You’re at the right blog to read the juiciest article on the dry cleaning business in Nigeria.

Millions, if not a majority of Nigerians, are working-class citizens. They often leave their homes daily, sometimes as early as 6:00 am, and return during the eve. As you can see, ‘time’ for daily house chores at home, and most importantly, clothes washing and ironing is absent. And, of course, none of these classes of individuals would want to look tattered by day in any place.

Anyway, the idea of ‘dry cleaning’ or ‘laundry’ comes in here. It is an idea that will sort things out for a busy man and reward you like the laundryman/woman. The inspiring thing in this business is that the clients are ever willing to pay. All they’ll, however, expect from you will be a clean wash. Ironing and packaging are, of course, one of the few requisite they’ll expect of you. Hey reader, tell yourself that you’re into this already. There isn’t much time to waste. Else, I’ll advise my next-door neighbour to cease the chance instead.

Is Dry Cleaning Lucrative in Nigeria?

It is essential to find an answer to this question. This is a question that everyone should answer before venturing into any business. Whether the dry cleaning business in Nigeria is a lucrative venture, ‘it is.’ However, this answer could face limitations if certain things are not set right.

In Nigeria, the working class citizens are the chief determinants of the dry cleaning business. Their frequent hunger to look good before people is a contributing factor to this business. Apart from that, good hygiene also tops up. For example, not all homes love to wash their bed fabrics. They prefer to have a laundryman fix them. This is due to the ‘norm’ kind of belief that drycleaners in Nigeria always deliver.

You could also check or share other business ideas like Bedsheet business and Perfume business. The embedded enterprises are one of the fast-growing companies that you should tap into Nigeria. They’re equally very lucrative.

How well have you questioned yourself concerning this business? Have you checked out for the merits and demerits? Anyways, don’t bother much; we’ve made it a responsibility to drive you through that path.

MERITS

• It diminishes the rate of unemployment in Nigeria – a developing country.
• You’ll become a full-time entrepreneur.
• Bills will not stack up and stare at you.
• Nigerian men and women will appear so ‘take-away’ because of you.
• The neighbourhood will make your brand name a household name.
• Startup capital requirement is low.
• The business wears little risk.
• Your 24/7 physical presence does not matter.

The Risk Level

This business poses almost zero demerits or risk.

Benefits of Starting a Dry Cleaning Business in Nigeria

1. You can start it at home and later grow.
2. Building an audience is easy. However, it is your delivery that determines it.
3. The laundry and dry cleaning business are easy and comfortable to start.
4. It is very lucrative in that majority of people have no time to wash their clothes.
5. The presence of your business initiates competition within a business environment.
6. Your hygiene will encounter a boost.
7. Dry cleaning is a business of space. You can always find time to relax your bones.

The Problems of Starting a Laundry/Dry Cleaning Business in Nigeria

The main problem of the dry cleaning business in Nigeria is electricity. Light is a basic need in any business sphere. Moreover, Nigeria suffers a lag in stabilizing electricity. This issue thus affects and stutters the functionality of the dry cleaning business in Nigeria. Below are some other troubling issues that distort the dry cleaning business.

1. Damaging clients’ clothes

A client’s satisfaction lies within your carefulness in the job. Most clients can be burdensome in the sense that they tend to act as if perfection is a cup of water. This aside, damaging clients’ clothes might make you lose them instantly.

What to Do

For every clothe you damage by mistake or however, replace it. Once the customer arrives to pick, explain the incident, and offer to replace the clothing for them. Trust me; this action ties them down to you permanently. Moreover, try never to damage anyone’s clothes.

2. Stains

Just like Nigerian mosquitoes, some stains can be annoying. When customers give you clothes, one of the reasons behind it is that the stain on them is powerful. In this case, however, removing them becomes very tricky. Sometimes, you could end up not removing them.

What to Do

Order for washing chemicals and apply them on such stains. These chemicals also save the stress of ‘handwashing’ and tearing cloth.

3. Equipment and their Headaches

In this business, be ready to make repairs from time to time. The dry cleaning business in Nigeria is cool. But, if you’re a stingy person, you’ll not like it. It is good to be frugal, but you’d have to let go of this business at times. When working tools go faulty, which will always happen, quickly replace them. Customers detest dry cleaners with flimsy excuses.

Steps to Start a Dry Cleaning Business in Nigeria

In the sections above, you’ve seen some necessary things about dry cleaning. In this section, the focus centres on the fundamentals of starting a dry cleaning business in Nigeria. This is the section that will further broaden your knowledge and understanding of this business. Do you know what my advice is? Be attentive, lest you fall!

1. Check and Ascertain Your Capital

You cannot go into any business without checking and ascertaining your capital. Your capital determines whether your business will start as small scale or large scale setup. At the moment, in Nigeria, few things have their prices to be relatively high. One might tell you that as low as between ₦20,000 and ₦30,000 can start you a laundry business. Well, this is not entirely true due to the present cost of things. However, if you want to kick-start with just iron and a wooden table, it will suffice. But, if you plan to acquire more significant equipment, this amount won’t do.

The more significant equipment includes:

• Washing machine
• Powerful chemicals
• Dryer
• Bigger generator
• A high number of irons etc.

2. Build a Proper Business Plan

As necessary as capital could be in starting a business, a business plan is seemingly required. Without a proper business plan, you may not be able to predict your business. This suggests that every business needs it to aid in checking whether the company is on course or not.

Your business plan should contain how you want to run the business and, most significantly, the pieces of equipment you would be able to afford to start the business. A business without a good or no business plan is due to fail with time. To avoid failure, along with your success story, having a guide in a business plan will suffice. Do not in any way try to tempt this concept by avoiding it. This may have been a null idea in the past, but is presently necessary to survive in this modern sphere.

3. Find a Suitable Business Environment

The chief reason behind the failure of millions of businesses in Nigeria is this concept – business environment. Entrepreneurs tend to try and dodge this idea, but it often returns to haunt them. In your case, I wouldn’t want you to fall into this ugly pit. This is because it is often tough to regain balance in a failed business.

The best way to locate and situate your dry cleaning business in Nigeria is to study geography. While studying geography, also try to build your audience.

If you intend to invest big in dry cleaning, find a wealthy location. If it is otherwise, do not bother establishing yourself in affluent areas because they’ll refuse to patronise you. The insinuation is that you should try to gather more capital and establish a ‘not too rich’ but decent business.

4. Getting the Needed Laundry and Dry Cleaning Equipment

It would help if you had the necessary equipment in place to signify your arrival. We do not recommend borrowing equipment from other businesses. Endeavour to have in place, the basic working stuff like electric iron, pressing board, and generator.

The section that precedes this section bears a detailed list of dry cleaning items you’ll need.

5. Build Your Customer Base

When you situate dry cleaning business in Nigeria, look towards customer base creation. Your customer base could always begin with your friends and family. Please, do not neglect this move if you’re in for success in this business. Imagine building up to 100 number of persons; this means money.

 

6. Advertising Your Business

It is, however, essential to market your business to prospective customers who would patronise you. But, note that before you advertise your dry cleaning business, the company must have already commenced operation. You can promote your business through:

• Getting a big banner and placing it outside your shop
• Giving out flyers and handbills
• Radio/TV stations
• Newspapers
• House to house information
• Social media advertisements using platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

With at least a form of these advertisements mode put in place, your business will experience a boost.

7. Register with CAC

Get your dry cleaning business registered with CAC. The cost of getting CAC certification for a dry cleaning business ranges between 15,000 and 20,000 Naira depending on your location and using a third-party agent.

First, perform the CAC name search via https://publicsearch.cac.gov.ng/ComSearch/ to know whether your dry cleaning business name is available already or not.

A-List of Dry Cleaning Equipment

1. Washing machine(s)
2. Varieties of washing basins. (You need at least three bays in order not to wash multiple clothes together)
3. Dependable generator set
4. Hangers of different kinds – suits and trousers
5. Decent-sized water tank(s)
6. Washing Buckets
7. Powerful washing chemicals
8. Varieties of laundry detergents to be used on separate clothes
9. Industrial size pressing board (You can improvise this with a table – wooden or iron)
10. Cloth starch in bulk quantity
11. A garment conveyor to hang washed clothes
12. Wooden shelves
13. Strong transparent nylons for wrapping the clothes
14. Cloth drying machine(s)
15. Delivery van (Optional)
16. Musical sets

Titbit

The dry cleaning business in Nigeria is a business you can do alone. However, it’s is recommendable to have at least 1 (one) employee. This will help you a lot. You can pay the employee daily, weekly, or monthly.

LAUNDRY PRICE LIST IN NIGERIA

Below is the current price list in Nigeria today as it concerns dry cleaning.

Fabrics/Wears and Prices (₦)

Tie – ₦50

Shirt – ₦150

Shirt with Anger – ₦200

Trouser – ₦200

A Complete Suit – ₦600

Safari Suit – ₦400

Native Wear(Buba and Agbada) – ₦850

Jeans – ₦200

Women’s Native – ₦350

Men’s Native – ₦300

Shirt and Blouse – ₦300

Small Bed Sheet – ₦300

Large Bed Sheet – ₦600

Blanket Duvet – ₦550

Small Towel – ₦100

Medium Towel – ₦250

Large Towel – ₦300

Wedding Gown – ₦2500

Full Aso-oke Wear – ₦500

Little Bride Gown – ₦300

Pyjamas – ₦150

Native Cap – ₦150

Socks – ₦50 (Per pair)

Singlet – ₦100

Sweater – ₦300

How to Market your Dry Cleaning Business in Nigeria

Every dry cleaning business owner aims to make more profit. This can be done with the aid of proper marketing. Once you can market your laundry and dry cleaning business, it will become an ideal profitable venture. I know you’re interested in learning how to go on with this. So, why not continue riding with me.

Certain defecting factors could affect your dry cleaning business marketing. These factors often cause the standard of businesses to diminish in no time. Here is a list of these burdening factors.

• Location
• Competition
• Weak Capital
• Staff Strength
• Pricing
• Serviceability

The good news, however, is that the above could always be put off in your dry cleaning business. You want to know how to do that. Read down.

• Constantly strategise your business
• Be innovative
• Offer home deliveries
• Obtain a loan if your capital is weak
• Franchise and perform a merger with other dry cleaners near you
• Let your price attune with those of others around you
• Employ more hands and deliver services on or even before time.

Consider integrating the above list or risk being a forever-minor in the field. The giants or tycoons are always looking to kill your business, be smart, or become a victim.

Also, be conscious of your pricing. As is above, let your price synch with those of others around you.

More ways to bolster your stance in this business.

·         Provide quality service.

·         Improve your marketing standard and renew your strategies.

·         Take advantage of online platforms.

·         Synch your price with others and be watchful. Avoid hiking your service price.

·         Run promotions: E.g., Wash 5, and get one free.

·         Network with rich people.

In conclusion, the dry cleaning business in Nigeria is very profitable. It is advisable to start small, acquire customers, and then burst out bigger. Understand that this business, like other businesses, requires customer base-building. As you build your base, bring in newer machines to aid in perfecting the job.

To get a proper business plan for a laundry business in Nigeria, find and hit the subscription button. I am willing to give it out to aid your laundry business growth.