Should you retool immediately or hold off for a few months?

Growing your laundromat business through acquisition is quite popular. The decision to grow in this manner is often intertwined with the decision on whether to retool immediately or wait.

There are a couple of schools of thought on this topic. Financially, it may make sense to retool immediately as some acquisition finance programs make it quite attractive to roll the complete retool into the package.

From a marketing standpoint, retooling immediately creates a dramatic effect from the start. Retooling, adding larger capacities and cutting-edge controls are tangible representations that ownership has changed and customers will be well-served. Plus, new equipment enables you to increase prices and offer better, faster service.

New, more efficient equipment will also likely significantly lower water and electricity costs, meaning more money for additional profit opportunities such as starting a wash and fold service. You can also choose machines that allow for different vend prices for a specific cycle type. For example, some owners might charge more for hot or warm cycles, or an extra wash/rinse/spin cycle. These are things to keep in mind as you go through the retooling process

Of course, the flip side is that by waiting to retool, you can listen to customers and let those conversations drive equipment capacities and the like. From there, you can decide the timeline for work and budget you’d like to make your new laundromat