A License is controlled at the state level... permits depend usually on town/city regulations... so, depends on where you live - or more specifically where you want to place the laundromat.
Some of the things I would look for at a laundromat are:
1. Does the P&L look accurate... are some things missing? (common missing items are Insurance, payroll taxes, unemployment, disability, repairs, office supplies, cleaning supplies, soap, vent cleaning, etc)
2. What is the lease length... longer is usually better... but also look at the lease history (the laundromat has been in existence since the 60s and always only gets a five year lease)
3. How many gallons of water was used a month... how much electricity... is this congruent with the gross income...
4. What is the condition and age of equipment? What is the type of equipment? Are there many front loaders?... How many machines are out of order?
5. Is it a card or coin store? Generally speaking, a card system is the better way to go...and more in keeping with the general trend in laundromats.
6. Hours staff work is this congruent to the number of hours open and reflected in payroll...What's the Staffing pattern?
7. Number of staff and is the owner pulling a lot of the shifts (to reduce payroll on p&l) or is the staff covering them? You're looking for a business not a job! Does staff seem satisfied? Are the staff paid on the books? Are all payroll state taxes paid?
8. Location and number of other laundromats in area... what's the competition ... what are their pricing? Are you ahead or behind? Is there room to raise fees?
9. Demographic make up of area
10. Lease/rent and what is the annual escalating cost for operating mat
11. What are the Tripple Net Lease terms?
12. Does the laundromat do WnF... is there a specific WnF process established by the business... or do the staff seem to do their own thing with washing/folding?
13. How far from your home is the mat located? (it's recommended that the first laundromat not be more than about 30 minutes away)
14. How often do the dryer vents get cleaned?...The vents should be cleaned at least once a year -- better two times a year depending on how busy the laundromat is and lint produced.
15. Are the reports for machine repairs consistent to age of equipment?... for example... 20 years old equipment but claims only $1000 annual repair costs on P&L..
16. Can you verify income from a reliable source? Is there a POS printout to review?
1. Keep the laundromat clean.
2. Keep the Machines in working order.
3. Don't be the cheapest price but be a medium to high price... that will eliminate the bottom feeders who will be the bane of your existence if you cater in any way to them.
4. Make sure your bathroom is updated, in good shape and clean.
5. Manage customer expectations.
6. Do What You Say You Will.
7. Don't nickel and dime customers - frequently, giving away a free dryer turn goes a long way to customer satisfaction.
8. Advertise on social media - every other form of advertising is a waste of money and time.
9. Get a card system for the laundromat it will be cheaper and easier to run in the long run.
10. If doing wash n fold... be clear upfront what you can and can't do... have a clear process to wash, fold, shelf, return and bill for the items.
11. Encourage word of mouth advertising and don't expect to start with a large clientele initially... it takes time to grow and the best form of advertising I found is Word of Mouth.
12. Be very clear up front that the laundromat is for paying customers don't allow people to loiter or hang out. This creates a really bad reputation for the laundromat if you allow it.
13. Be clear up front that the laundromat is a business ...act like it is ...some people think that it's a social service and they can get their laundry done for free or reduced rates. Some laundromat owners do free days. If you give away your services for free people will come to expect it.
14. Hire Trust Worthy Employees Whom are capable of running the business without giving it away.
15. Hire Employees without experience and you will train them to do the task how you want them to do it a person with experience doesn’t often like to be told what to do.
There are a number of other services that complement a Laundromat. To name a few common ones:
1. ATM.
2. Laundry Soap sales.
3. Soda/Candy Vending Machine.
4. Dry Cleaning Drop-off.
5. Wash N Fold.
6. Video Games.
7. Games of Chance (state regulated).
Some uncommon but notable ones (check local laws):
1. Dog washing Station.
2. Ice Vending Machine.
3. Coffee Bar.
4. Games of Chance ('Coin Pusher',etc).
5. Small Boutique to sell abandoned items.
6. Coffee Bar.
Yes, many people manage remote laundromats. However, laundromats require daily attendance by someone. Remote management is not recommended until you have a firm understanding of the logistics and needs of a laundromat, have established who will be present daily to clean and manage immediate problems and can handle cash removal, restocking and other essential daily laundromat needs. There will also need to be significant technology to monitor issues and automate the laundromat process. You need to game out how to identify and handle issues like water hose bursts, floods, pipe blockage, stuck laundry in a machine, broken water valves in on position, vandalism, customer refunds, trash removal, dryer fires, lint build-up, scheduled maintenance, etc.
There’s plenty of online resources as well as written resources to help run a laundromat. Owning and running a laundromat is not nuclear science and not brain surgery. There are specific things that you need to be done to be successful but those are easily learned and followed through on. There's a reason that a high percentage of laundromat succeed, because it's not too difficult. Keep the place clean, keep your prices reasonable, keep the machines working, be friendly to the customers, and keep your bathrooms clean.
There's very little a franchise can offer you that you can't do yourself. Laundromats are local businesses. When you go to a new area and you need a laundromat you type 'laundromat near me'... you don't look for a franchise name. There are no well known franchise names in laundromats. Customers are simply looking for machines that they can start with cash or card that will clean and dry clothing.