Home Ironing Business

[WorkFromHomeEarnMoreMoney]

Ok, I really need to start earning more money, but with 3 kids and a husband who works weird shifts I can only really work from home. Trying to have a part time job would be nigh on impossible unfortunately, so I’m looking to earn money working from home.
An ironing business seems on the surface to be a good contender, can anyone give me any success stories or massive pitfalls they’ve come up against when setting up a business like this?
In all honesty I’ve only ironed my immediate families clothes, so I’m starting to look properly into this now.
What sort of turnaround do customers expect?
I would offer collection/delivery service and charge by the item.
I already own a good steam iron and large ironing board.
I’m not keen on doing bedding, but I think most people aren’t, so would have to bite the bullet on that one! I would consider approaching B&B’s and holiday lets, so that would be their main requirement.

Please tell me.....is this a good idea? Is it financially viable?

How much can you iron in an hour? What is the normal charge per item where you live?

I know someone who charges by weight which I find a bit odd as it must mean a shirt costs more than jeans! This said she does really well on it and could work every hour available!

I wouldn’t charge by the hour, that would cause problems I think. I would charge per item and have a nominal pick up/drop off charge.

I know you won’t charge by the hour. But I am trying to work out how much you will earn by the hour.

You should research what people charge per item where you live. ( look at the ads people are posting for ironing) Then see how many items on average you can iron in an hour. That way you can work out how much you will earn per hour.

That will let you know if it’s worthwhile.

I own a very successful ironing & laundry business that started out as home based, so it can work.
As for fitting it in around your family life, I'm assuming whilst at home you'll have other chores to do so I would make sure you set out a specific time for ironing and make sure you stick to it. Pricing wise, I would charge per item as customers can work out on their own what it will cost and it's clear from the outset. Have a look for businesses offering the service in your area and go in to ask for leaflets to compare prices. Some places I know of charge stupidly low prices for ironing, but experience has shown that they pay staff well below minimum wage and the quality of service is low as its really hard work. So don't feel like you have to compete with silly low prices. You are offering a valuable service and people will pay for it.
If you were considering approaching B&B's, remember that they usually expect their bedding & towels laundered as well as ironed so have a think if it's something you could cope with. I don't tend to look for business from these types of places because they expect a lot of work done at minimal prices and I wouldn't want to lower my service standards just to accommodate and compete with larger businesses.
There's also a cost you may not have considered much yet and that's coat hangers, polyroll and trouser guards. Customers will expect their clothes to be protected with polyroll and most don't supply their own hangers. Sorry if I've bombarded you with stuff there but I'm happy to pm if you want any more advice

That’s great, thanks MrsMcHooha
Yes, I was wondering about the coat hangers - do you ever have them returned? Also, do you wrap each item individually in polyroll? I know it sounds daft, but i’m trying to look at this from an ecological side too. Possibly I could offer a discount for the return of hangers, but the polyroll (which I know is probably the best product to use) is a one use disposable plastic, so I may have to look into that further.
At home I have a specific room that I could use to keep everything separate and I have the time to allocate towards slowly building something up. It’s that initial leap of faith to get started really, I’ll do a lot of thinking, planning and research before jumping that hurdle.
As to the B&B’s, bedding isn’t great to do but I would do it - washing though is not something I wish to take on and you’re right, that would probably be an expectation.
Thank you for your insights, it has given me food for thought!