Working with a Distributor to get the Best Industrial Laundry Equipment

In the industrial laundry and coin-operated Laundromat industry the distributor serves as a vital link between store owners and industrial laundry equipment manufacturers. The best distributors can add a lot of value to your laundry business because they are experts with their fingers on the pulse of your industry. Establishing a healthy working relationship with an experienced distributor can be the difference between success and failure if you’re building a new store or looking to upgrade industrial laundry equipment in an existing Laundromat. These vital experts function as unofficial “business consultants” and it’s important not to underestimate their value.

Good industrial laundry equipment distributors will work with new store owners to discuss site selection and subtle details necessary to start a laundry business. They typically answer all of your questions very patiently and offer a shrewd understanding of the local market where you plan to start your Laundromat. This is crucial to your success and a distributor will have a great deal of experience analyzing demographics and helping you to determine your target customer base. He or she can explain what to expect from your competition and can help you come up with a plan to effectively manage the cash flow of your fledgling enterprise. An additional advantage to working with an experienced distributor is that he or she likely has existing relationships with municipal leaders and can offer you guidance in applying for the permits necessary to get your business off the ground. A distributor understands that your success will mean success for him and so you can and should expect to form a close, longstanding working relationship with your industrial laundry equipment distributor.

If you’re not new to the laundry business you likely already have a working relationship with an experienced distributor and while much of your dialogue will revolve around money (after all, you want to get the best deal on new or lightly used industrial laundry equipment), your distributor will function as a business advisor – offering insight and marketing advice as well as sharing information about new popular services (like wash-dry-fold service) in your industry.

One way to foster a long-lasting and healthy relationship with your distributor is not to nickel and dime him on every purchase. It’s important to remember that when he or she recommends a more expensive model or brand that he’s doing so for several reasons:

• He’s interested in making sure that your customers are happy with your industrial laundry equipment. Happy customers mean that your laundry will be busy and the busier you are the busier your distributor will be.
• He’s offering you up-front value in the form of advice and he wants to make sure that he earns enough money to continue doing so. While it isn’t your responsibility to overpay for washing and drying machines, investing in high quality industrial laundry equipment and paying a bit more for that quality ensures that your distributor makes a decent living. When you consider the expertise he’s offering you and your business it’s probably worth investing in that relationship.

One short-sited point of view that’s common among some laundry store owners is the idea that store owners who order industrial laundry equipment through a distributor only need the equipment and don’t benefit from their distributor’s experience and expertise. This is a fine attitude when everything is going according to plan, but when something goes wrong with your machines your distributor is the first person you’ll call. In these moments it becomes clear that you rely on him and that he offers immeasurable value to your business.

One of the primary reasons of premature bearing failure in industrial laundry equipment is improper installation and having a distributor who knows how to level install, bolt and grout properly can save you time, headaches and (most importantly) money. It’s an old story – you have to invest money to earn money and you have to spend money to get items and service of value. The same is true of your professional relationship with your distributor of industrial laundry equipment – an investment you make through your distributor is an investment in the longevity of your business.

So, whenever you’re thinking of pinching pennies and ignoring your distributor’s recommendations … STOP. Take a breath, and think about the long-term health of your business and how it depends on the value your distributor offers. Your favorite restaurant probably isn’t the cheapest place to order food, but you go there because you’re happy with the service, and because the value can’t be beat. When you invest in industrial laundry equipment try to approach it the same way – spending a little more for high-quality appliances at your distributor’s recommendation is an investment in the long-term success of your business.