Coin Laundry Association (CLA) --  Prospective coin laundry owners and experienced owners alike will want to check out the National Coin Laundry Association's website www.coinlaundry.org for useful information on the Coin-Op industry.

	CLA has various programs to help you with advertising and promotional tips, video seminars, and many articles showcasing successful Coin Laundries.
	CLA offers an owner's instruction manual or "Gold Book", training videos to help owners cut their costs, and various other training tools.
	CLA publishes The Journal which is a monthly magazine chock-full of useful info, a CLA Members Only Report and free comprehensive statistical reports exclusive to the Coin-Op industry.
	One of CLA's most popular benefits is the Members Only Bulletin Board contained on their website. Members can post coin-op or equipment questions for fellow industry members, download past Journal cover stories, publish information others may find helpful, and access a variety of member services through the Bulletin Board.
	The training DVD "Attendant Training and Drop-Off Services" is available to members in English and Spanish. The "Idea-Share" segment of CLA's website also features the Spanish translation for several commonly used laundry phrases.
	You can e-mail CLA at info@coinlaundry.org or phone them at (877) 252-4332. Write them at Coin Laundry Association, 1315 Butterfield Road, Suite #212, Downers Grove, IL 60515-5602.

Florida Coin Laundry Association (FCLA)-- Florida Coin-Op owners also have a statewide association. You can contact FCLA's President Tom Rhodes Jr. c/o the Florida Coin Laundry Association at 4226 20th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960. Phone Tom for info on membership, meetings and Florida Coin-Op news at (772) 770-9457.  You may also email Tom at sunshinecoin@bellsouth.net. Tom and the FCLA have been busy negotiating excellent group rates for natural and propane gas with Teco Gas. To discuss program details or enroll in one of the available programs contact Joe Romano with Teco Partners at (813) 228-1649.

2008 Economic Stimulus Package -- Two key provisions of the recently passed Economic Stimulus Package effects coin laundry owners directly. 1) The package doubles the current small-business expensing limit from $125,000 to $250,000. This will provide owners with an immediate deduction for the entire cost of certain investments made in their business, such as the purchase of new machines, computers, office equipment and vehicles, up to a limit of $800,000. These items must be purchased, not necessarily paid for, and placed in service by December 31, 2008 to qualify for the deduction. 2) The package also provides for a 50% bonus depreciation, meaning a business owner can now take an immediate deduction of 50% of the investment, rather than depreciating the value over several years. However this bonus depreciation applies to investments of over $800,000. Your accountant can more fully explain these provisions and how they may apply to your business. 

Insurance -- Commercial Sales maintains up-to-date lists of companies who provide insurance coverage for South Florida coin-ops. Call us if you need an insurance recommendation.

Learning Library -- The following articles are designed to help potential laundry investors, new owners and long-time operators learn more about owning and operating a coin laundry. They are Microsoft Word Documents ; simply click on a desired title to display the article. Print directly from the screen, or right click on the title to save the article for later use. If you do not have Microsoft Word, we have provided the same document in Portable Document Format; this format should be viewable with any any system. Click on the second listed title -- each one will have the Acrobat symbol next to it's title. If you have problems with the document, click the button below to get the latest version of Acrobat Reader.

Industry Publications -- The Coin Laundry industry has three magazines which  are published monthly and distributed free to laundromat owners.
New Era Magazine: phone (714) 962-1351 or mail to 22031 Bushard Street. Huntington Beach, California 92646-8490
American Coin-Op: mail to Subscription Department, 965 East Jefferson. Detroit, Michigan 48207. 
The Journal: free to members of the Coin Laundry Association. Phone (630) 963-5547 or mail to 1315 Butterfield Road, Suite 212. Downers Grove, Illinois 60515-5602

Location, Location, Location -- Here are tips on recognizing an existing Coin Laundry with a good location:

	On a busy street with easy access for drivers. Easy to get into and out of the parking lot.
	Well-lighted plaza with large anchor store or convenience store.
	Long-term lease with reasonable rent. Availability of options to renew, and low rent increases.
	Working class or “blue collar” neighborhood with lots of rentals -- lots of kids. Look for high density areas.
	Safe area where women and families are comfortable using the Coin Laundry.
	Plenty of parking for your customers.
	Rhonda can help you find your ideal coin laundry. Call her at 954-584-5600.

Equipment Manufacturers --  Here is a list of the major manufacturers of coin operated washers, dryers and vending machines. A number of equipment manufacturers now sell detailed parts and repair information located on CD ROMs. Many laundry owners have found these CD's very helpful in learning to do most or all or their own repairs. 

 Interesting Coin-Op Facts -- 

	Bet you didn't know that Coin Laundry revenue is specifically exempted by law from any Florida state sales tax.
	The average Coin Laundry is open between 90 and 100 hours per week.
	Recent Coin Laundry Association (CLA) surveys show that the average store owner owns 1.7 Coin Laundries, and Association members own 2-3 stores on average.
	Coin Laundries have been in existence for over 50 years. There are between 30,000 and 35,000 Coin Laundries in the U.S.
	Drop off business -- wash dry fold and dry cleaning -- is the fastest growing income producer of most local laundromats.
	11% of Laundry owners plan to buy another Coin-Op within the next year.
	Nationwide, the average Coin-Op spends 20-25% of their gross revenues on utility costs.

 

Commercial Sales
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