NOVEMBER SERIES: How Are You Doing?
All month we’ll be posting articles to help you think through the health of your company. Do you even know how you’re doing? If not, we’ll be helping you take stock of your company and its future.
How are THEY doing? (Part I)
What are your competitors up to?
SERIES: How are you doing?
By Becca Anderson
Evaluating your own company’s strengths doesn’t begin and end at your property line. To fully grasp how you are succeeding, you need to know how your competitors are doing, as well. With a structured, practical way to evaluate your competitors, you can turn new insights into improvement.
Scholarship Reflection
2025 DLI Scholarship Recipient
By Nadine Rana, Style & Grace Cleaners
It’s truly difficult to put into words what it means to be chosen as the 2025 Fabricare Canada DLI Scholarship Recipient. I am deeply honored and grateful for this opportunity, and for the sense of community that continues to grow within our industry.
My journey toward this scholarship began with something simple—reading Fabricare Canada. Like many owner-operators, I wear what feels like seventeen hats a day, and it’s easy to overlook the importance of staying connected to industry news. But I quickly learned that investing a few minutes to “be in the know” can open doors you never expected.
Ian Grant’s Life Saluted by Integrity Mechanical
Integrity Mechanical of Calgary, AB let us know of the passing of one of its former team members that many in that region will remember.
“We are deeply saddened to inform you of the passing of Ian Grant, a cherished former member of our team. Ian worked with us for many years and was truly dedicated to our industry.
He passed away on November 11 after a year-long battle with cancer.”
They went on to share several memories of Ian, and the impact he had on them.
Is it Time?
By Kevin Marois
The theme this month is planning and assessing things – and being aware of approaching problems so you can avoid them. Since I am an authority on equipment, let me give you a couple of guarantees. First of all, I guarantee that you will have a machine breakdown this month. Secondly, if you are in business more than five years, you will be replacing at least one of your machines.
You have been warned – so what are you going to do about it?
Would You Come Back?
How to Audit Your Brand Like a Client.
By Francis Flair
Most business owners never experience their company the way their customers do. You walk through the employee entrance. You skip the onboarding emails. You’ve seen your own logo so many times, it’s lost all meaning. But your clients haven’t. They’re picking up on every detail, especially the small ones.
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NOVEMBER ARTICLES: How are You doing?
Bad Math Doesn’t Get Better at Scale
Facebook groups, industry people, and gurus keep repeating this advice. It’s destroying businesses. Here’s why.
Editor’s Note: This article is reprinted by permission from Wash Weekly.
By Waleed Cope
I need to tell you about one expensive mistake I made in this business.
Early on, I had the opportunity for commercial laundry work. A hotel approached me about doing their laundry. I was so focused on landing the account that I bid the work too low. But I figured it would be fine because of the volume. “Sure, the margins are thin,” I told myself, “but think about all those pounds we’ll be processing. We’ll make it up in volume.”
I was wrong.
Under the Magnifying Lens
Evaluate your company as if you were buying it
By Becca Anderson
A lot of business owners assume their business is fine if it is operating at a profit and has no major problems on the horizon. One of the best ways to test that is to pretend you are going to buy your company. What would convince you of its true value?
This article lays out the list of criteria a buyer would consider, and includes a checklist for you to review to be sure you’re in good position – to continue, to sell, or even to expand.
OCTOBER ARTICLES
Five Stars for Laundry CEO Forum
By Becca Anderson
It would be impossible for me to convey all the information and experiences from the Laundry CEO Forum, held in Dallas, TX on October 5-7, 2025. There was so much knowledge shared among the participants and from the stage. If you are a laundromat owner and want to grow your business, get Laundry CEO Forum on your radar and make plans for next year. It will absolutely be worth the time and money you will invest.
Special reporting from the Laundry CEO Forum
Free Laundry Day Invasion
The CLA held one of its Free Laundry Day events in Dallas, TX on Sunday, October 5, 2025 in conjunction with the Laundry CEO Forum conference. The event lasted 2 hours, and dozens of customers were thrilled to come to the laundromat and find out there was no charge for the use of the washers and dryers that day.
You Are Not Alone
By Becca Anderson
I stopped in to chat with David Haick at Parker’s Cleaners in Oakville, ON the other day. I wanted to see how the average cleaner—the one-shop, family-owned, working day to day cleaner—was faring. That’s the bulk of the Canadian industry, so if it describes you, you are not alone in your struggles and victories.
Ask AI — Here’s How
By Becca Anderson
Do you get tired of people telling you to “just ask AI” if you have a problem? You might not trust AI, or (let’s admit it) you are just unsure how to even go about doing that and don’t want to say so.
This article is a how-to on asking AI questions pertinent to your business, and includes all the text of the answers the AI generated. I think it will both amaze and intrigue you.
Don’t hide from automation
By Kevin Marois
Some people are afraid of automation. “We have always done it this way”. Are you still using a Foot Stomper or a Belly Washer?
The fact is, you are already using automation. And if you want to stay in business, you need to study and embrace automation going forward.
Is GEO the Next SEO?
Here’s What You Need to Know
Linley McConnell
The way we search and shop is changing. This year, roughly 50% of Canadians used artificial intelligence (AI) tools for online purchases and product searches. In other words, AI is quickly replacing the traditional ‘Google Search’.
For years, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or ranking in the number one spot on Google was the cornerstone of digital visibility. But now, Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are reshaping the landscape and the way we find our information. Digital marketers are turning their attention to a new concept: GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization. Instead of optimizing content for Google’s search rankings, companies are now thinking about how to show up in AI-generated answers. And you should be, too.
Client Retention Is Not a Frontline Job
By Francis Flair
Not long ago, I sat across from the CEO of a company that was scaling its operations bigger. He told me, “Retention? That’s our customer service department’s responsibility.” He meant it sincerely.
But the numbers told a different story – clients were leaving faster than they could replace them, and the frontline team was burning out. This CEO made a classic mistake – treating retention as a departmental task instead of a leadership strategy.
