How to Write a Simple Plan for a Dry Cleaner Drop-off Business

Scott Shpak reports:

"A dry cleaner drop-off business is a simple service where clothes are collected at your location for the convenience of your customer then taken to and returned from an off-site dry cleaner. As an add-on to an existing business, it offers low start-up and operations costs, and a business plan is a valuable tool with which you may approach and persuade dry cleaning service providers, as well as your banker[,] if you want to borrow money to get your drop-off business set up and marketed...If you are financing your own dry cleaner pick-up business, your plan may be more strategic to keep you organized and on track. When you borrow money to renovate a space to handle the business, for example, your banker will want to see your market research and plan for return on the investment. A dry cleaning provider may want to know how you will handle customers as an agent of their company. Your business plan can include all these aspects, but consider the plan's primary audience when deciding which to emphasize...State your mission for this business. Describe your company and your intentions for handling the drop-off business...Discuss how you will market and advertise your business. A convenience store may include flyers with all purchases to announce the drop-off business...Your business plan should include your advertising strategy and how you will distinguish your enterprise from competitors or other consumer options...Address your revenue potential and the costs of earning that revenue. Operating a drop-off business means that you will charge a premium on top of what your dry cleaning provider charges for wholesale work. How much you expect in sales and how you arrive at that number are crucial for your plan. Include costs for dry cleaning storage and fixtures needed to start the business and outline how you will staff the drop-off business...A general rule of thumb is that the length of a business plan increases with the amount of money needed to borrow. Graphics make it easy for others to visualize the potential of your ideas and research. Reasonable market research showing revenue, expenses and cash flow in graph form helps others make buy-in decisions. Introduce your plan to prepare the reader for your message, and conclude your plan to reinforce key points. Proofread and spell-check thoroughly, and format your business plan professionally."