Bill Lynott
July 6, 2011
CHICAGO — This is a difficult time for anyone trying to build a portfolio of savings and investments capable of providing a financially secure retirement. According...
June 28, 2011
SARASOTA, Fla. — As with many parts of the country, drycleaning coupons abound in southwest Florida; but they only focus on getting the customer in the door, says...
Phillip M. Perry
June 15, 2011
NEW YORK — Trade shows are great for bringing together the industry’s most important players and prospects. But all that product-seeking and hand-shaking comes...
Phillip M. Perry
June 13, 2011
NEW YORK — Trade shows are great for bringing together the industry’s most important players and prospects. But all that product-seeking and hand-shaking comes...
Howard Scott
May 19, 2011
CHICAGO — Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that you’re in the third year of a five-year lease. But times are tough. The economy in your area is down....
Martin Young
May 17, 2011
CHICAGO — Every season brings a unique set of stains to the garment-care professional. Spring typically finds customers venturing outside again to do yardwork,...
Rick Siegel
May 10, 2011
CHICAGO — Every month, I like to align my column to the magazine’s theme. But the May had me stumped. What do I know about “Retooling for Recovery?”...
Everett Childers
May 5, 2011
P&G’s new Tide-brand plants could be the wave of the future, if franchise operators can keep the consumer experience fresh.
LEAWOOD, Kan. — Procter &...
Diana Vollmer
May 3, 2011
CHICAGO — We’re all under pressure to save money today. You’ve been cutting back on every possible expense for the last two years. But now, there are hints...
Ian P. Murphy
April 26, 2011
Operators returning to the industry sawed off an abandoned building to create a dream plant, taking Plant Design honors.
GIDDINGS, Texas — Siena Dry Cleaners in...
Howard Scott
April 14, 2011
CHICAGO — You run a small shop with several experienced employees. Business is great and the customers love you, but the grind is getting to you. It seems like...
Rick Siegel
April 7, 2011
CHICAGO — I confess: I was once about as eco-unfriendly as you could get. I drove a gas-guzzling car, believed a light off was a light wasted, and even though the...
Ian P. Murphy
April 5, 2011
CHICAGO — Wherever I go these days, I no longer get questions about removing customers’ stains, I’m asked about correcting “in-house” stains....
Ian P. Murphy
March 30, 2011
CHICAGO — The talk of the industry always seems to hinge on the newest big company to make the scene. And following extensive research from parent company Procter...
Dr. Woodruff Imberman, Ph.D.
March 23, 2011
CHICAGO — Executives of large drycleaning and laundry operations are awakening to an unfortunate fact: That although unions lost their battle in Congress for the...
Dr. Woodruff Imberman, Ph.D.
March 22, 2011
CHICAGO — Executives of large drycleaning and laundry operations are awakening to an unfortunate fact: That although unions lost their battle in Congress for the...
John Spomar Jr.
March 17, 2011
CHICAGO — The telephone is essential to any business. We have an answering machine that takes messages from our (mostly commercial) drycleaning customers and helps us...
Martin Young
March 15, 2011
CHICAGO — A reader recently wrote to ask for guidance in removing Super Glue from an expensive piece of fabric. I had a problem answering, however, since there was...
Howard Scott
March 9, 2011
CHICAGO — Visiting a drycleaning plant recently, I witnessed the following encounter: An angry customer demanded to see the boss. When the boss came to the front,...
Ian P. Murphy
March 3, 2011
CHICAGO — Where would your business be without the Internet? Even if you never built a website, Google and Yelp! tell people where you are, what you do and how well...
Howard Kaschyk
March 1, 2011
CHICAGO — This month’s issue goes to the core of what all drycleaning business owners should do. That is, to use advances in technology to reduce costs and to...
Rick Siegel
February 22, 2011
CHICAGO — The year was 1977. I was 20 years old, creating advertising supplements for shopping malls, and I had the opportunity to use a new technology—the...
Diana Vollmer
February 10, 2011
CHICAGO — A drycleaner’s priorities often seem to be in a constant state of flux. Not long ago, everyone was saying you had to have a website. Today, you...
Ian P. Murphy
January 20, 2011
CHICAGO — Sometimes we revel in the failures of others. We say things like “I knew they couldn’t do it,” “I was sure they’d fail...
Martin Young
December 24, 2010
CHICAGO — The New Year is a perfect time to modify practices that no longer contribute to the bottom line. And today, getting stains out is no longer something you...
