Susan Toft has grown her side hustle into an $8.6 million business and has plans to continue expanding globally. · Laundry Lady
After weeks of rain that little pile of laundry quickly turns into a mountain and the idea of spending a weekend washing, drying and folding, leaves most people praying for a laundry fairy. It was the same in Susan Toft’s household.
But, when thinking about the laundry problem from a different angle, Toft wondered if she could be the solution. It was 2012 and, on maternity leave from a job in international marketing, the Sunshine Coast mum decided to try it out.
Today, she is the CEO of a company that netted $8.6 million and has plans for expanding globally.
“I became the original laundry lady,” the 46-year-old told Yahoo Finance.
RELATED
“I created a website and had a mobile number and I picked up washing in my local area and brought it home to my own machine.
“I did a bit of Google AdWords and back then it was only about 20 cents a click.”
The grand plan did not involve Toft washing other people’s clothes forever though.
She wanted to scale the business and employ contractors all over Australia.
“I never had the time or resources and it wasn’t until 2016 that I got a $5,000 grant which allowed me to build an online booking platform and get my first ten contractors in South East Queensland,” she said.
“The model works that I paid them a percentage of the services they do.”
As with many small businesses the path to success does not run smoothly and a divorce and relocation left Toft reeling.
Financially she had to go back to her corporate life and The Laundry Lady, as she’d called it, became a side hustle.
“It was a tough few years and I didn’t know how I’d be able to come back to it but then in 2020 Covid saw an end to my job in events and it was now or never,” Toft said.
Suddenly there was a huge residential need.
People were at home but had no time for laundry and the business did what Susan had always hoped. It took off.
New laundry ladies and lads came on board in Melbourne and later all over the country and Toft was able to focus on managing the business rather than washing socks.
Toft said her original investment in the booking platform and early focus on her systems really paid off as there was nothing else like it.
This allowed the business to grow without teething problems.
Story Continues
“We had steady but fast growth over five years to 350 laundry ladies and lads across every state,” she said.
“And 45 per cent of those are in regional areas – everyone has laundry.
“People love the flexibility the business offers.”
Toft said 90 per cent are women however “many work with their husbands”.
“They can consistently earn between $300 and $3,000 a week.”
She provides them with a starter kit including flyers and magnets for any local marketing.
But head office does all the digital and event marketing.
It’s a model that’s working so well Susan has already expanded into New Zealand and is heading into Canada and the UK in the next 12 months.
In the last financial year The Laundry Lady saw a revenue of $8.6 million and she has lots of plans for future growth.
“Given how I used to help businesses grow internationally this is a real full circle moment for me,” Toft said.
“I never thought I’d be in laundry but I always had the desire in me to start a business and grow it.”
Get the latest Yahoo Finance news – follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.