CHICAGO — Asked about their goals for the New Year, only one-third (33.3%) of drycleaners responding to this month’s Wire survey say they’ve made resolutions affecting their business and personal lives. Some 42.5% of respondents hadn’t made any New Year’s resolutions, and about one-quarter (24.1%) hadn’t made any New Year’s resolutions by the time they took the survey, answering “Not yet.”

Most say they experienced some degree of success in meeting their 2009 goals, however, and are optimistic about their future plans. More than half (51.9%) of drycleaners said they met “some” of their goals last year, and 5.6 said say they met all of their goals. One-third (33.3%) “did not meet business goals,” while 9.3% didn’t set any goals.

Asked “What’s your No. 1 business priority for 2010?”, nearly half (49.1%) picked “Attracting new customers.” Another 22.6% said they wished to “Raise prices and/or cut costs,” and 13.2% will “Explore extra services or new opportunities.” A small percentage (5.7%) named “Add/update equipment,” and 1.9% said they would focus on initiatives to increase sales, improve service and spruce up their stores.

Asked to name their “No. 1 personal priority for 2010,” 41.2% listed “Lose weight/Improve fitness, and 22.6% said they wish to “Save more money.” Some 11.8% hope to “Get organized,” and another 11.8% want to spend more time with their families or away from their stores. One respondent’s biggest personal goal is to “Reduce business-related stress,” another’s is to “Play more golf,” and a third’s is simply to “Enjoy life.”

Drycleaners are optimistic about meeting their New Year’s goals. Asked “Will you accomplish both of your No. 1 priorities (business and personal) in 2010, 37.0% said, “There’s a good chance,” and 25.9% said, “Yes, there’s no doubt.” Another 25.9% gave achieving business and personal goals a 50/50 chance, while just 5.6% said there would be a “slim chance” of accomplishing both goals. Just 1.9% gave themselves no chance, and 3.7% weren’t sure.

While the American Drycleaner Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.

Subscribers to American Drycleaner’s Wire e-mails — distributed weekly — are invited to participate in an industry survey each month. The survey is conducted online via a partner website. Each survey is developed so it can be completed in 10 minutes or less. Readers are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.

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