Clean Tablecloth Home Delivery Business?

jungle on 24/03/2020 - 11:43
Last edited 24/03/2020 - 11:44

Hi all,

I posted a thread here before, which was about a friend of mine, who runs a commercial laundry service business:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/524772

Well, his revenue drops to pretty much zero now, as all restaurants have been closed (no tablecloth is required for takeaway / food delivery anyway). He planned to suspend his business for at least 2 months, but I suggested him to try some new business model. Here is what I suggested:

As people who used to go to restaurant to have their dinners are forced to stay home, they probably still want clean tablecloths. What if you do a clean tablecloth home delivery service? Basically you deliver a clean tablecloth to the client's door every week, and pick up the dirty tablecloth from there. So the clients will always have a clean tablecloth. What if you charge $10 per week for this service? Some clients may want their tablecloths changed twice a week, then you can charge them $20 per week.

I want to get some opinions from all of you here - do you think this business model is feasible? Will you be interested in such a service? Or you have any even better ideas? Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Jungle

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Belgarath on 24/03/2020 - 11:51
    +5

    For $10 per tablecloth, Ill just wipe down the table when Im finished.

    • HighAndDry on 24/03/2020 - 13:25

      Literally for anything above $0 per tablecloth I'd do that. I'm really sorry for OP's friend but this is not a practical replacement business model.

      Having said that - pick up/drop off laundry services for the healthcare industry would surely be a demand market right now.

  • coxjon on 24/03/2020 - 12:06

    People would generally only have one tablecloth that needs washing at home. Why wouldn't they just wash it themselves?

    • jungle on 24/03/2020 - 12:47

      Thanks for the response mate. Well I actually think that some people "might" want the service for 2 reasons: 1) stains on tablecloths are usually hard to remove with normal washing machines 2) for some family with big dining tables, the tablecloth might even fit in the normal washing machines. Anyway, I don't really if this business model will work, but maybe it's better than nothing to my friend…

  • spackbace on 24/03/2020 - 12:21
    +3

    People are watching their money right now, no way anyone is going to specifically want their table cloth washed professionally!

    Your friend needs to focus on clothes or something. Even that will be tough with people not needing business shirts when working from home

  • Euphemistic on 24/03/2020 - 12:31

    Interesting idea. Sounds like a luxury that many can’t afford, but is a little income (for small group of wealthy people) better than none?

    • HighAndDry on 24/03/2020 - 13:26

      Not necessarily. Depends on friend's fixed vs marginal costs. Might not even be worth the electricity and depreciation to run a load of washing if there's not enough business. Plus all the admin and other overheads etc.

      • Euphemistic on 24/03/2020 - 14:09

        Of course. Income isn’t just what you take from customers, but what you are left with after you take out all the costs.

  • iDroid on 24/03/2020 - 12:34
    +2

    The less things entering my house right now the better.

    Non essential item coming into my house during contagious pandemic. Naaa.

  • Hithere on 24/03/2020 - 12:35
    +1

    $10 seems a little expensive, maybe $5 would be more acceptable?

    Who supplies the changeover table cloth? Does the client get their original tablecloth back each time?

    I use placemats and coasters, which I can wipe down daily, on top of a tablecloth, which I wash when required, and it's usually dry enough to replace that day.

    It's a novel idea though.

    • jungle on 24/03/2020 - 13:29

      Thanks mate… I think $5 would be non-profitable given the delivery cost, but probably they can still do it for small tablecloths…

      Well the business model is that they just supply clean tablecloths to the clients… the clients don't need to have their own tablecloths. First time they just deliver a clean tablecloth to the client and then replace dirty ones with clean ones every week afterwards.

  • skid on 24/03/2020 - 13:21

    Good idea but it has been shot down by the comments above. Maybe focus on the bulky laundry items like bed sheets. I personally find it a PITA washing and drying bed sheets.

  • Hithere on 24/03/2020 - 13:52

    they just supply clean tablecloths to the clients

    Hmm. I can see the feedback now "They supplied a tablecloth that didn't match my cat's fur" or "My neighbour has the same colour tablecloth as I do" or "The colours didn't match my Wedgewood dinner set".

    Maybe the idea suggested by skid - bulky laundry items - would be a better prospect.

  • woodg on 24/03/2020 - 16:30
    +2

    Maybe it's just me, but I don't know anyone that uses tablecloths anymore. Even my 83 year old mother who grew up in the tablecloth "era" doesn't use them anymore.

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