CHICAGO — Over the past decade, our world has had an explosive development in technology. This evolution has caused a dramatic shift in the way businesses and consumers operate. We’ve seen a massive transition from traditional brick-and-mortar business to online business models. Companies like Uber to Airbnb, Amazon to Alibaba, Netflix to Disney Plus and more have completely dominated the market.
These major industry takeovers, however, don't mark the completion of this phase of change; they mark the beginning, with the next installment being the small business landscape. And one major industry in the domain of small enterprise, of course, is the drycleaning and laundry industries.
To stay competitive in any market, cleaners have to be able to provide their services to the consumer in the most accessible and convenient way possible. Unsurprisingly the online business model has taken commercialism by storm — not to mention the pressure of digital business transformation brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to KPMG, 55% of people will search online for reviews and recommendations before making a purchase, 47% will visit the company website, and only 26% will visit the physical store.
So, what do these statistics really mean?
It’s safe to say that consumers enjoy the ease and comfort of purchasing from home, which of course comes with the new norm of delivery of goods and services. This brings us to the democratization of the next big flourishing industry, transportation.
Where to Start?
Cutting-edge POS software packages can marry the drycleaning, laundry and alteration industries with intuitive and convenient brick-and-mortar, mobile, and delivery systems to help you create and manage your new business.
What should the implementation of this technology look like?
A Modern POS – Payment processing and in-store POS solutions have historically made you fit their mold, rather than them fitting your mold. In a modern POS, a merchant is looking for the best technology but also a simple solution. It does no one any good if the POS can calculate a merchant’s profit to the 1000th decimal if no one can read it or know how to do it. A merchant is looking to have a POS be easy to use, help their employees in everyday life and, most importantly, help them improve their business.
A Driving App — Modern solutions encompass route management software to make it easy to fulfill deliveries by providing step-by-step delivery instructions. They allow the owner to onboard new drivers quickly with a simple and intuitive native app with interactive navigation. Delivery drivers can save time and fuel with up-to-date information on traffic conditions, distances between points, and estimated travel times.
A cleaner’s driving app should also have an integrated communication tool that allows drivers to make a call or send a direct message to the customer with a single tap. The customer can receive updates via automatic SMS or push notifications about when a delivery has started, when it should be expected and when it’s arriving. With this technology, you can select your delivery route manifest, scan delivery invoices from a built-in camera feature, and optimize your delivery route quickly and accurately.
Putting Your Solution Together
Reach out to your technology partners to understand what possibilities exist for you today. These partners are eyeing trends within the marketplace today to understand how they can help you save money, evolve your business, and ensure you have the right solution for your store or mobile service. It's time to put 2022 on a spin cycle and freshen up how our industry is doing business.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].