What is dry cleaning pillows
Dry cleaning of pillows is the complete cleaning of the outer surface of the pillow from any dirt. Dry cleaning does not involve the use of strong chemicals, but sprayers may be used. Pillows are cleaned, fluffed manually or using automatic machines and packed in separate cases that will keep the product clean until it arrives home.
Dry cleaning of pillows is not common due to the fact that it costs more than usual. Quick cleaning with a wet, chemical method is considered more effective, but cleaning pillows with liquid chemicals can harm the health of the person using the pillow.
Registration and selection of equipment
Classic dry cleaning of pillows does not require opening an LLC - it is quite simple to register with the tax office as an individual entrepreneur, indicating OKVED 96.01 as the code. The procedure for registering an individual entrepreneur does not cause any special problems and is completed in one day. If you wish, you can also register an LLC, but this is associated with additional costs and difficulties with drawing up the charter, various title documents, etc., so almost no one does this.
Next we move on to selecting the necessary equipment. It can be purchased either new or used. We recommend getting new devices as they are not that expensive to save money on. The new ones have a warranty, so if anything happens to the installation, they will fix it for you free of charge. It’s better not to mess with used ones, especially if you don’t understand anything about the structure of units. Today on the market there are cars from various manufacturers: Russian, Ukrainian, European, Asian. Everyone has their own advantages and disadvantages. We recommend purchasing licensed devices certified in the Russian Federation to avoid various disagreements and problems: if necessary, you will be able to demonstrate the relevant documents to inspection authorities and meticulous clients.
A standard pillow cleaning machine costs about 65–70 thousand rubles in 2020 prices. You will also need an inexpensive automatic sewing machine for 20 thousand and a vacuum cleaner for 6–10 thousand, which allows you to effectively clean the room from dust. That is, the total investment amount will be 100 thousand rubles, which, you see, is not that much for a start.
Attention:
You should not pay much attention to the performance of the unit, since these are rather subjective numbers. The operating time depends on the quality of the pen and its level of contamination.
For example, to clean a relatively new soft goose feather product, it will take about 3-5 minutes. To work with a chicken feather it will take about 15-20 minutes, that is, in an hour you will perform no more than 5 operations.
How to start a pillow cleaning business
To start a pillow cleaning business, you will need to write out a detailed business plan. The cost of installing a place for reconstruction of pillows with all costs is no more than 50 thousand rubles. The equipment takes up literally a few square meters, so two places for specialists to clean pillows and a small window for receiving goods for further cleaning can be placed in a room measuring less than 20 square meters.
You will need to purchase a sewing machine on which craftsmen can sew down-filled bedsteads, and a certain supply of these bedsheets. Use multiple sizes; The most popular is the classic 70 by 70 centimeters. Filling pillows with down is a separate service that must be included in the price list. Cleaning itself will cost about half as much as filling the diapers.
Proper dry cleaning of pillows involves cleaning the pillowcase from all fluff, which is placed in a special hole on the installation. After this, the contents of the diaper should be carefully sifted to remove excess and silicified. At this stage, the craftsman can add additional feathers or down to completely complete one pillow. Quartz treatment is necessary in order to get rid of any bacteria and possible mites, as well as to prevent their appearance in the future. Pillows that have been used for at least three years should be quartzed every six months.
The contents of the pillow, which the craftsmen have worked on so far, are packed into a new pillowcase. You can use the old one, after cleaning it using the methods already mentioned above, if the client has not ordered an update to the bedstead. It will also cost additional costs. A new pillowcase will allow you to be sure that the pillow is clean and use it like new.
Opportunities for development: related services
No matter how high-quality and fast the provision of services for cleaning and restoration of pillows, customers will always demand their improvement and expansion of the range. And competitors never sleep.
If the pillow restoration workshop successfully copes with the existing number of orders, it is worth considering introducing additional services.
They could be:
- cleaning other feather products (blankets);
- sewing new pillows and bed linen according to customer designs and sizes;
- changing the shape and size of the pillow (forming from one large to two and vice versa, from a cushion to a pillow, etc.);
- changes in the composition and density of the filler;
- buying a pen.
Not all clients are comfortable carrying their bedding to a remote office, and they will be happy to use the services of a mobile collection point. A stationary workshop may have a full-time courier who will pick up products for processing and deliver them back.
It would be optimal to combine both work options. A mobile trailer can easily drive right up to your home or organization’s building; it can set a schedule for travel to nearby communities and reach a larger number of clients. It should be taken into account that mobile offices require additional costs for electricity supply, transport fuel, and heating.
In the premises of a stationary office, demonstration restoration of pillows or sale of finished products can be carried out.
Cleaning pillows step by step business plan
- Describe your idea. Indicate how it differs from its competitors by considering the largest companies in its field. Don’t forget to write down what audience you are targeting, what city you plan to launch in, and whether the network will expand as necessary and as funds become available.
- List the risks and opportunities of the business. Risks include a drop in demand, the opening of a competitive business with more attractive prices, instability of the niche, and a fall in the national currency. All of this can in one way or another affect the profitability of your project.
- Describe ways in which you can get rid of the problem or prevent its occurrence. In the opportunities column, indicate the expansion of the workshop and the opening of a franchise program, as well as the offer of services other than cleaning pillows.
- The financial plan will need to include all monetary aspects: how much it will cost to purchase equipment, furnish the premises, rent it, and how much money you expect to earn. Renting an area of 20 square meters in a shopping center will cost you approximately 50 thousand rubles per month (depending on the city in which you are opening and the shopping center). You will immediately receive free cleaning of the premises and save yourself from filling out many mandatory documents - all this will be taken care of by the shopping center. Specify wages for employees - you can hire two people to receive the pads and clean them, or become a manager and direct the activities on site. It will cost from 50 thousand rubles every month to pay for labor. In your financial plan, be sure to include monthly expenses for purchasing components for filling pillows, pillowcases, and any other materials. Each additional action must be indicated in the price list.
In the business plan you need to indicate prices (150-200 rubles for one full pillow) and calculations of the breakeven period. With an initial investment of up to three hundred thousand rubles, you will achieve payback approximately a year after the start of the project. If the time to reach a net profit is important to you, offer cleaning of not only pillows in your workshop. This will increase your average check and bring you closer to your main goal. The profit after reaching payback will be from 50 thousand rubles per month. If you open with a franchise, the profit doubles. If you decide to offer more than just dry cleaning of pillows, immediately after becoming a plus you can count on an income of 150 thousand rubles per month.
- In your production plan, write down the equipment you purchase, all materials and an approximate calculation of the number of necessary purchases per month. This will determine how you spend the money allocated to support your business.
- The marketing plan is responsible for the advertising component. Despite the fact that your target audience is already gathered in the shopping center, you must have a sign and several banners inside the complex. Launch an advertising campaign on the Internet - this will quickly pay for your project. Choose city websites that your potential audience visits and place your banners (large pictures with text) and teasers (small pictures with a call to action) on them.
Buy only high-quality materials. Using low quality materials will result in negative reviews and a generally negative vision of your project for the target audience. In addition, low-quality materials can stall the work of craftsmen or extend the time spent working on one pillow, which will also negatively affect the financial result.
Documents for organizing a mobile cleaning station
The first stage is the registration of activities in any form of ownership (individual entrepreneur, LLC, etc.).
The second stage is to obtain permission to organize traveling trading activities. This document is drawn up at the Market Department at the place of registration of the business entity or at the place where services are provided to the population.
To open your own pillow cleaning business, you must provide the following package of documents to the Market Department:
- audit trail and book of complaints and suggestions (page numbering, lacing, seal and signature of the director or individual entrepreneur);
- premises rental agreement or property ownership documents;
- permission to carry out activities from sanitary and epidemiological control authorities;
- permission to carry out activities from the fire service authorities;
- certificate of registration of an entity providing household services to the population;
- list of services;
- a copy of the waste removal agreement;
- a copy of the state registration certificate;
- a cash register registration document (if installed) or receipt forms in the BO-3 form.
Equipment for cleaning pillows.
Equipment for cleaning pillows is a device for cleaning pillows using a dry method, which costs from 5 thousand rubles. It allows you to quickly clean the down or feathers of a single pillow by filtering contaminants from the clean material. Often the filter is located next to the sewing machine, which is already built into the machine. On modern machines, the machine is installed in order to sew up the napkins immediately on the spot, however, such equipment can only be purchased from special companies. At the initial stage, it will be easier to buy a cleaning device and a machine separately.
Organizational aspects
When opening a small company for cleaning down and feather products, in which the service will be carried out by two specialists, you need to take care of organizing the following points:
- rent a room of about 10 sq. m. or buy a comfortable vehicle;
- purchase equipment for carrying out restoration work, including a professional vacuum cleaner;
- take care of access to electricity or buy a powerful generator;
- choose a sewing machine and a set of universal furniture (table, chair);
- buy fabrics and threads;
- stock up on quality raw materials (down and feathers).
Important. The assortment at the service point should always include a good selection of ready-made napkins.