Vendarryl Jenkins was doing very well with his real estate holdings and even added a laundry room to one of his apartment buildings to bring in extra income. Then he saw one of his tenants leaving with large bags of laundry in tow.

When he questioned her about it, she said the equipment he installed was great, but it would take her all day to finish the laundry. Using large capacity machines at the neighborhood coin laundry, she could complete the task in only an hour. "It's just a matter of time," she told him.

Upon visiting the laundry and seeing people waiting in line to use the 50-pound washers, Vendarryl was seriously interested in the concept. "I thought this fits my business scheme," he said of seeking investments that allowed him to continue with his full-time job and didn't require substantial on-site management.

Laundry Investigation

Vendarryl spent a year visiting Laundromats in the DC area and investigating the coin laundry business. His conclusion was that an active owner, with the right equipment and a customer-centric focus "really could do well."

But more important, he saw the coin operated laundry business as an opportunity to generate the financial means to help his son and daughter further their gymnastics careers.

"I said, 'I have to create some way to make their dreams come true,'" he said.

Heavy Duty Machinery

"Knowing the community I was going into, heavy-duty equipment was paramount," he said. "I wanted something that was built like a tank."

He found that at IPSO distributor Laundry Equipment Services Inc. in Berkeley Springs, W.Va. The durable steel frames of the washer extractors gave him far more peace of mind than the other brand he was considering. Beyond that, Vendarryl wanted a brand that was supported.

"As a new investor, the most important thing is they sold me on their service … they weren't going to leave me." A fact backed by his review of references from others in the industry.

Commitment to Customers

Vendarryl attributes early success of his Big Load Laundry to extremely active marketing in the neighborhoods he's serving, as well as "doing all the little things." Vendarryl took off from his regular job for the first month the laundry was open. "I want to be here to meet customers," he said of the importance of making his new clients feel welcome. He's adamant that this high level of customer service is what was missing from the laundries he visited and what will be key to his laundry's future prosperity.