Start an Ironing Service
If you have an interest and skills in ironing, a work from home ironing service could be a great way to make extra money. The investment in equipment is minimal, since you really only need a good iron and ironing board to get started, but there are some other tasks to consider. Find out how to start an ironing service to find out if it's right for you.
Steps
- Make sure you have the time and energy do the job. Even if you enjoy ironing, ironing hundreds of clothes in a week is a lot different than just ironing your own. Think carefully about whether you'll be able to keep up, and be sure you have enough time to meet the demand of a work from home ironing service.
- Meet with your local government to find out what licenses you need to run your home business. If customers will be coming to your home for pickup, there may be zoning issues with parking and traffic. Unless you are doing a very high volume, this shouldn't be a problem.
- Speak to a business adviser, lawyer or accountant. Find out how to start an ironing service, and decide whether you need to apply for a Federal Tax ID. They can also show you how to handle taxes and set up your business.
- Invest in equipment and supplies. Get the best iron you can, as well as a backup in case it breaks. Get a clean, wide, sturdy ironing board. You'll need a clothing rack and tags to keep clothes sorted and organized. A steamer and a dryer with a wrinkle removing setting can help to remove heavy wrinkles from clothing before you iron it. Invest in starch, wire hangers and plastic clothes bags to cover the finished clothes. Look into having hanger covers or bags printed with your business name.
- Choose a space. This is a job that can be done as a home business, but you could also consider ironing at your clients' homes, or renting a space at a dry cleaner or laundromat. Find a space in your home or office where you can keep the ironing board and supplies set up and ready to avoid taking extra time for preparation.
- Decide whether to offer delivery service. If you choose this option, you'll need a clean car that has enough space to transport ironed clothes without wrinkling them. Allow time in your schedule for dropping off clothes. It might be helpful to drop off several clients' clothes at once on a predetermined route.
- Talk to an insurance agent about liability insurance. This will cover the cost to replace customers' clothing if they get lost or damaged. There's always a chance that clothes will get damaged or that customers will blame you for damage they didn't see. In addition, it will cover loss that could occur from fire, theft or other damage while the clothes are in your home.
- Learn to handle basic business tasks for your work from home ironing service. You'll have to take care of billing, accounting, customer service and marketing.
- Price your service. Decide how much you want to make per hour. Then think about how much time it will take to iron each piece. You can offer quantity discounts, and add charges for heavily wrinkled or special clothing and delivery. Make sure the charge is attractive to customers while providing you enough profit to keep your business going.
- Advertise your service. You can advertise online at Craigslist and local online classifieds. Put advertisements in your local paper. Hang brochures at laundromats, dry cleaners, grocery stores and other businesses in your area.
Things You'll Need
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Clothing rack
- Tags
- Steamer
- Starch
- Wire hangers
- Plastic clothes bags
