New business idea but can it work?

[WorkingMum23]

Hi everyone,
I'm currently a stay at home mum and would like to start a business and work from home in the future. I used to run a very successful dog walking business. I've had an idea for starting a ironing business from home there are a few spread out but not that local to me in your opinion is there a demand for such a service? Any feedback or tips would be wonderful, thank you.

 

[WaveJumper]

My son has an old school friend whose mother does just that, takes a little while to get established but she’s even paying someone now to run around in her sign written van picking up and delivering, we see it all the time. With most families having two out at work full time seems a growing trend to get your ironing taken care of.

 

[JamaC]

You have already asked the exact question that will answer your initial question

Is there a demand

Where you live will give a you an indication if this business will work or not.

Think about your customer and what type of person will pay for this service.

You know your locals better than any of us, so if your answer is yes, then of course the business will work, it's just about grafting.

 

[AW-UK]

Hi everyone,
I'm currently a stay at home mum and would like to start a business and work from home in the future. I used to run a very successful dog walking business. I've had an idea for starting a ironing business from home there are a few spread out but not that local to me in your opinion is there a demand for such a service? Any feedback or tips would be wonderful, thank you.

Yes, there will always be someone who wants services like that doing for them, be it elderly, people who are too busy to do to themselves, people who live alone / students (whose parents refuse ) who can't do it and are not interested in doing it.

Spend a bit of time looking at what others are doing (not necessarily in your area) to market their services, suggest Facebook and local newspaper as a starting point (most you can see online).

 

[intheTRADE]

My friends partner does exactly this in a town up here in the North East and is doing very well from it. She has actually taken on 2 staff and has a small unit now where they do the ironing from so there is definitely demand for it, but it will be totally dependent on your location.

Her main customer is young professionals who live surrounding towns and commute into Newcastle for work

 

[Mitch3473]

Similarly as above, my wife had this idea when we returned back to Blighty and set up the spare bedroom. Initially it was quiet but after making a few tweaks it went ballistic, 7 years later we have staff, a 2000 sg ft unit, 2 vans, commercial machinery and are currently not only turning customers down but in the autumn will be having our annual cull. It does depend on your location and client base, ours is only about 5% private, the rest is commercial and I can only speak for our particular area. We offer the complete package and dont do ' just ironing ' Where abouts are you..?, do you have competition..?

 

[WorkingMum23]

Hi, thanks so much everyone. I live very close to the Norfolk broads so we get lots of tourist's in the holiday's. I only have a normal family size washing machine so not sure what else I could offer based on that. There are a few places that offer ironing but none that close to me really and laundrette s are quite pricey! Do you think it's best to price things individually, per kg or per a certain amount of items?

 

[fisicx]

Sharon who does our ironing charges by the hour and bills monthly. We just drop of the basket on a Monday and pick up the previous weeks ironing. If you want pickup and delivery you pay per mile.

Don’t get involved with laundry. Just stick with the ironing. Offer your services on sites like nextdoor and you will soon pick up new customers.

What you will need is a separate room so you can manage the baskets, hanging rails and your ironing board.

 

[Mitch3473]

Depending on which way you want to go you could potentially have a good business in a tourist area. Is it just a part time pin money operation or do you want to take it further.

 

[SillyBill]

Plenty of lazy buggers around like me who pay for this. If only I could outsource potwashing/dishwasher loading...Think the lady who does ours is a pin money job type affair but keeps her in a few quid I suspect with very minimal overheads. Go for it and good luck.

 

[Socio South West]

.... in your opinion is there a demand for such a service? Any feedback or tips would be wonderful, thank you.

This is called Market Research: You have several pointers offered already as to those who are likely to be customers - and more importantly regular repeat customers which will make the business sustainable. Look at the demographic in your local area - are these people and businesses there?

In the rural areas of Norfolk its reasonable to think there are commuters to the local cities and also to London who would find your service useful - but as in most rural areas collection and delivery could make a big difference to how much business you get.

The delight of the business is that it is very cheap to set up, and if it doesn't take off you will not lose a fortune closing it down.
Beware of the well worn trap for Mum at Home businesses where, after an initial enthusiastic flood of orders friends and family, the mechanism isn't in place to find business thereafter.

 

[Emge58]

I don’t see why not especially with lots of people returning to work and having less time in their home. Facebook marketplace is usually a good place to start and having a page. Then really I’d imagine it’d be word of mouth that would be the big thing for you. Could you also link with domestic cleaners?

 

[Peter Morris]

There are always people needing ironing done, so the potential is there to grow it big that you need staff to cope with demand.

 

[yyovvo]

Will it work?? This can be a very geographical dependant business and very difficult for someone remote to you to know if it will work or not. Only 2 ways to find out.
1. build an MVP (minimal viable product) and start. Meaning, get the bare minimum that you need to start and start and see if it works.
2. run a local survey. eg place a few FB adverts and see what the response is like. If 100 people call you in an hour or if you get no response then you got your answer.

 

[MattRumbelow]

I think this could absolutely work. As an aside, I'd suggest that if you want the business of anyone under 30, it really helps to have an online form and/or pricing listed online. With most people I know my age, I don't like ringing a number for stuff like this. Most website builders will have an option to add a contact form and I think it'd be a great help. Good luck with your new business!

 

[MBE2017]

We seem to have become a Nation who prefers to pay for what was once normal housework.

I’m sure you will hit a few wrinkles but you will iron them out along the way. Go for it.

 

[fisicx]

We seem to have become a Nation who prefers to pay for what was once normal housework.

Wasn’t too long ago that all housework was done by service workers. And there was no such thing as DIY.

 

[WorkingMum23]

Thank you everyone. I'm definitely going to go for it. Just need to figure out pricing and the best way to deliver items back ie; folded or hung and how to protect clothes once ironed.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Pricing - see what the competition charges - try not to undercut them!

Offer folded or hung, don't force either

 

[AW-UK]

We seem to have become a Nation who prefers to pay for what was once normal housework.

I’m sure you will hit a few wrinkles but you will iron them out along the way. Go for it.

I think for some the problem is you put it off and off until it piles up so much that you just leave it, or get stuck in.
I am the same with the dishes, I know I should put them in the dishwasher after i've used them, but it's "easier" to let them pile up on the side then it ends up being a 20 minute deep dive unloading the already washed stuff from the dishwasher and loading it up again, mind you with all of us that is every other day it goes on but once you've cooked and eaten and watched TV for a bit you're ready for bed, not dishes.

Washing is the same, basket gets to overflowing before we put that on, it's on all the time but with kids clothes, no free time for adult clothes haha.

Growing up I thought it was only the richest of the rich who lived in these big plush mansions who could afford those kinds of services, but they do seem to be more mainstream now, especially ironing and such, in our house we have to move pushchairs and toys out of the way just to get to the ironing board.