Im just floating around a few ideas in my head as to possible business ventures. I am not really looking at making a ton of cash, just be comfortable.
I noticed that there are a lot of dry cleaner locations which seem to be quite busy and profitable. Has anyone ever looked at starting a small business based on something like that, or perhaps a tea shop etc? Mindless work, but hopefully somewhat profitable.
I had looked into opening a Subway, but upon speaking with some people, decided it wouldnt be the best ROI.
I am from an insurance background in Canada, and it seems like it would be pretty tough to get into the business field in Taiwan, so I am mulling over alternatives.
Your post brought the new shoe cleaning businesses to mind. There was a local shoe-making store near me and I never noticed it. Last week, I noticed this great little shoe store with a cool name, nice counter, busy. I took my shoes in to get fixed. Husband tells me the store had been there for years but was doing badly. Son has taken it over and repackaged it. I think is an example of modernising a business to fit the market. Might be a way to go with a drycleaning business.
I noticed one recently and tried it out for some old tennis shoes. Worked wonders and they look very busy. Seems to fit the Taiwan culture of not letting anything go to waste.
I also took my old black leather jacket (that had turned white) there. They treated it for a few days and now it is beautiful black and new again. Amazing for $NT1000, I have a new leather jacket.
You’re nuts if you think it would be comfortable running a dry cleaning business. At every cleaner I’ve gone to the mom and pop work hard virtually every day till late at night. Not to mention the hazardous chemicals they’re constantly exposed to and the many burns they probably receive from the irons. No thanks. I’m grateful for their services, but there’s no way I would even consider that job.
Agree. What could the margins possibly be on an ironed shirt? Can’t recall the price, but I know it was comfortably cheap enough to get all my office Johnny gear washed and ironed rather than doing it myself.
A dry-cleaner’s is obviously not going to make a chap much coinage, but that is not the point, is it Mr dan2006? Oh, I can read you like a book. You want to get your hands on women’s clothing. Oh yes, I can well imagine. Let me guess - you’re planning to specialize in dry-cleaning schoolgirl uniforms. You sick perverter of fabric!
You’re nuts if you think it would be comfortable running a dry cleaning business. At every cleaner I’ve gone to the mom and pop work hard virtually every day till late at night. Not to mention the hazardous chemicals they’re constantly exposed to and the many burns they probably receive from the irons. No thanks. I’m grateful for their services, but there’s no way I would even consider that job.[/quote]
It seems that most of the shops in Taiwan are run very late into the night. I will give the Taiwanese one thing, they have work ethic.
There is a glasses shop in Kaohsiung, 24 hours. As I recall, the owner sleeps in the shop, and if someone comes in during the night, he wakes up to serve them.
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]Agree. What could the margins possibly be on an ironed shirt? Can’t recall the price, but I know it was comfortably cheap enough to get all my office Johnny gear washed and ironed rather than doing it myself.
HG[/quote]
In KHH, an entire suit dry cleaned didn’t cost more than $150nt, so I guess the margins would be thin. But the shop near me seemed to have the volume somehow, so that’s how they profited I guess.
I use a full service dry cleaner who does all of our washing, drying and ironing. She works extremely hard but by no means should anyone turn up their nose and think there is no money in it. She is in the shop around 14 hours a day, gets $60 for one load of washing and easily takes 100 loads per day. She also has an extra side business of dry cleaning which is farmed off to another shop. After buying the machines they do not cost a lot for her to run due to the low price of gas and water in Taiwan. She has no staff or rent to pay for (she owns the building along with several other properties).
I often wondered why she didn’t try opening another shop in a new location, hiring a fellow expert washer lady (e.g. a ma) to do the washing and gradually expanding until she can retire from the proceeds.
[quote=“tango42”]The shoe cleaning business has potential.
I noticed one recently and tried it out for some old tennis shoes. Worked wonders and they look very busy. Seems to fit the Taiwan culture of not letting anything go to waste.
I also took my old black leather jacket (that had turned white) there. They treated it for a few days and now it is beautiful black and new again. Amazing for $NT1000, I have a new leather jacket.[/quote]
Taiwan is a culture of waste, you’ve got things backwards. But trainers and shoes can be very expensive, easily become dirty and moldy here. Same with those LV bags. Go to Japan if you want to see white, shiny, spotless shoes, cracks me up every time.
They are making a killing out of me this season: about 700 nts for the feather down, 300 something for the Japanese covers, each winter jacket from 150 up… No wonder they smile when they see me.
Maybe the OP can join a established chain, such as the organic washers, or provide any other specialized services to differentaite his business from the rest. The cleaning of high end bags is a niche market… 300 to 3000 each. Seriously.
I’d also look at niches like cleaning for the elderly whose family can’t get a legal live-in helper. You could set up online ordering for delivery and drop-off by courier. Or diaper cleaning services, I’ve had requests and people do pay me now and then to do a load of their diapers. Or high-end garments and bags only. Less orders but better return?
