Minimum Viable Store
I’ve been writing more lately about my laundry business because it has been a bit more stressful. The stress has to do with money of course. I signed a lease on a storefront back in April and began paying rent for it in June, but did not even pass my inspections until just last week (mid-July).
The plan has been to install washer and dryer hook ups and start cranking out laundry in-house thereby reducing costs. The problem is the cost of the installation is $4k and I only have $6.5k. Since rent is $1.6k I can’t afford it. So I’ve been chasing money from family and friends. Something I hate doing. And it has been stressing me out.
Today was the last straw because my family sources have been exhausted. I was forced into survival mode, which led to an epiphany.
Why not open the front of the store and leave the back of the store for when there’s capital to support it?
I always thought of opening the store as this whole project where everything had to be done and ready to go. Everything: washers, dryers, plumbing, electricity, hot water heater, vents, equipment, security system, remodeling, etc. And so if I didn’t come up with $10k I would be in a world of shit. I took it for granted that I could come up with the money.
Today it hit me. Open the front of the store and leave the back of the store renovations for later. This way, I can use the storefront as a billboard and start accepting foot traffic. I can continue to outsource the laundry as I do now while the store becomes financially stable, meaning self sufficient, then I can begin building out the back of the store as an in-house laundromat.
It’s weird how when you are forced into survival mode, your brain always seems to find the answer.
So I called up my uncle and told him my plan. Remodeling the front of the store was always his project anyway. It is still going to cost a huge chunk of change but the store will be open in a couple of weeks and hopefully the giant sign above the store and the now open sign in the window will attract many more customers.
Now my mind has shifted to what it will take to open the front.
I have to think about the bare minimum it will take to open the store. It’s the minimum viable laundry store!
This story is part of a series documenting the journey of a Dallas startup called Feather Laundry. For your reference here is the Table of Contents for the series.
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