HBO Funny man Bill Maher is good for a laugh every once in a while. Almost fell off the couch when he mentioned The Coin Laundry Association at the end of his "New Rules" rant May 14th Show. It was referring to how it takes 2 cents to make a penny and 9 cents to make a nickel and "this makes... no sense" (cue rim shot). I was half asleep during the rant but it was something to the effect of "the country is wasting money and even money is under water ... every business has a lobby - even laundromats - those titans of industry (ball kick) ....and the CLA was the one that some how lobbied to keep making coins the way they are, so machinery doesn't have to be updated....". I'm paraphrasing and still looking for the clip online to share.I think I wrote, way back when, that the CLA should change it's name anyhow to get with the times. A big chunk of Mats now use swipe card technology and in the future it will be most all of them.
It will be interesting to see if the CLA responds to it's possibly most famous mention ever.
5 comments:
I wonder if CLA recently lobbied about that? Doesn't sound like one of their hot current issues to me? Would love them to verify. The changes on dollar bills screws up swipe card machinery all the time. Those systems should be updated automatically by the service provider, but what are you going to do?
Wouldn't be the last comedian to exaggerate for a joke!
I've read every post on the blog, and all the comments, so I've seen your references to the amount of free time you don't have. So I understand if you simply can't reply.
Was wondering if you might be able to provide a little advice on how you determine whether a facility is for sale? Are there brokers for this industry? Are you going through banks? Basically, how do you identify which stores could potentially be bought at the right price?
I'm in Manhattan, and looking to buy a store or two in the Tri-State area, but don't know how to figure out where I should look for opportunities.
Thanks very much,
Bob
Thanks Bob - Sometimes finding a business opportunity is like wanting to get a job but needing experience first. How can I get the job without the experience? I've found many more opportunities brought to my doorstep for additional stores and properties now that I'm IN the business then I ever did when we first searched. Vendors and repair guys you know on the streets all day are the best guys to know about the real finds & Opportunities. Doesn't help you much but I would still get in with your local CLA chapter but also introduce yourself to a couple of machine vendors and let them know about your serious interest in machinery for a new store - no shocker - they get to work quickly on scouting locations for you. They also have a lot of demographic breakdowns already that for the most part are right on for the best locations to have a laundromat in your given city.
Do your homework.
Good Luck
Nice blog.
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