J.D. Dixon
August 17, 2011
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It’s no secret that millions of people, and an increasing number of businesses, interact on social media sites on a daily basis, sharing...
J.D. Dixon
August 16, 2011
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It’s no secret that millions of people, and an increasing number of businesses, interact on social media sites on a daily basis, sharing...
Paul Partyka
March 29, 2011
CHICAGO — When designing a self-service laundry, have you ever downplayed customer comfort? After all, the customer is just there to use your equipment, right? Well,...
Mark Benson
November 19, 2008
When you own or operate a small business, it can become an obsession. The smallest of details, the everyday actions, the biggest of plans — they all swim around in your...
Mark Benson
September 23, 2008
It’s that time again. The holidays are right around the corner. I’m having trouble wrapping my brain around this.
It was so much easier five, six, seven years ago to feel...
Mark Benson
August 21, 2008
The nation’s tough financial times are a big topic in my Laundromat. Rarely does a day go by when economic problems don’t come up in conversations with customers and...
Mark Benson
June 25, 2008
CHICAGO — So you’re new to the business. Welcome. Jump on in, the water’s fine (usually about 120 degrees). I congratulate you on making that first step into the unknown....
Mark Benson
May 21, 2008
CHICAGO — We’ve just endured a terrible winter in the Chicago area. The days and nights were just a little colder, and the snow just kept coming. It wasn’t about blizzards...
Mark Benson
April 17, 2008
CHICAGO — Why would anyone want to spend their Wednesday night, especially after working, sitting in a laundry? Sadly, Aristotle and his colleagues left this question...
Mark Benson
March 12, 2008
CHICAGO — Sitting four blocks from the Laundromat in a bathroom stall of a taco place, Chris has one heck of a haul. A wallet with $50 in cash, a couple of credit cards, ID...
Mark Benson
February 14, 2008
CHICAGO — Long before my father, Tom, got into the Laundromat business, he was a customer. He would wander a few blocks away from home to a hole-in-the-wall coin laundry...
Mark Benson
January 10, 2008
CHICAGO — As a small-business owner or manager, you take on hundreds of tasks seemingly at once. You’re a budget director, PR representative, mechanic, human resources...
Mark Benson
December 11, 2007
CHICAGO — Believe it or not, the new year has arrived. How do you plan to improve your laundry in 2008?
If you feel guilty about not having any New Year’s resolutions, now...
Mark Benson
December 3, 2007
CHICAGO — Believe it or not, the last days of the fourth quarter are approaching. The holidays are right around the corner. The clothes are getting heavier and take longer...
Mark Benson
November 10, 2007
CHICAGO — You flip a switch and the lights go on. I don’t need to know how that works, I’m just glad it does.
You press a button and cool air starts pouring out of your...
Mark Benson
October 14, 2007
CHICAGO — In Chicago politics, there is a lot of vacancy in the gray area. People take strong positions for or against a single policy, person or philosophy. The two sides...
Mark Benson
September 14, 2007
CHICAGO — Here’s the pitch: “I have the perfect product for you. You’re going to love it. You’re going to use it every day. You’re going to be sitting at work all day...
Dion Marcionetti
August 14, 2007
CHICAGO — Technology and the coin laundry business: They’re like oil and water — they just don’t mix. I believe that 75% to 80% of laundry owners think that’s true. We work...
Mark Benson
August 14, 2007
CHICAGO — I got in Friday morning by 6 a.m. My primary purpose was to deal with the anticipated line of angry and confused customers. Surprisingly, I didn’t get a bilingual...
Mark Benson
July 14, 2007
CHICAGO — Your employees are your ambassadors, it’s important to treat them as such.
I mean this in two ways. First, they need to be treated with the respect that title...
Mark Benson
May 7, 2007
CHICAGO, Ill. — Many days at the laundry can be broken down into simple terms. There are customers you know who smile when they walk in the door. There are customers you...
Mark Benson
April 9, 2007
CHICAGO, Ill. — Rumors of its beauty have circulated among customers for hours. Then, one bold explorer sets out to find it. Successfully negotiating the laundry’s tricks...
Mark Benson
March 12, 2007
CHICAGO, Ill. — If there’s one thing for certain in this industry, it’s that coin laundry customers have a diverse list of wants and needs. For example, many customers are...
Don Miller
February 1, 2007
CHICAGO — I guess if some of you maintenance “beginners” are back for more tips this month, that’s half the battle. The next step is to digest the information and try to do...
