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1-800-DryClean Franchise Review and Business Opportunity

In 1988, while attending the University of Central Florida, entrepreneur Darrell New started his own business delivering dry cleaning to busy professionals in Orlando, Florida. He called his business “Valet Express” and after graduating, found that his business was not only fun and easy, but also profitable. He continued to build the business with his wife and brother and began franchising in 1999. Today, he has more than 100 franchise units in the United States.

1-800-DryClean franchisees require a franchise fee of $14,900 plus a territorial fee of $15,000. Total startup costs range from $60,000 to $72,000. 1-800-DryClean requires a franchise minimum net worth of $100,000 and a minimum cash requirement of $30,000. The parent company also charges a 7% royalty.

1-800-DryClean is easy to start up and requires no rental or inventory as it can be run as a home-based business. They offer training and support in a variety of different ways, including their “Getting Started Right” training for new franchise owners. They also offer training in business planning, operations, and marketing. They charge a marketing fee of just over 1% of gross sales.

1-800-DryClean does not require owner operation, but is definitely recommended. They also recommend more than one van and advocate hiring, training, and managing additional drivers, office support staff, and salespeople. They provide ongoing support through their intranet site, company publications, and conferences. Proprietary business management software is also provided to help manage schedules and routes.

As with any franchise opportunity, your success with 1-800-DryClean will depend on your ability to market your business and service. If you don’t know how to do this yet, or if you need more marketing training, I suggest you look at additional resources to learn this critical skill.

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