The Laundry Lady, which operates from a Sunshine Coast Headquarters, received a $1 million investment offer on the most recent episode of The Shark Tank, a popular TV show on Channel 10/10 Play.
THE LAUNDRY LADY
The Laundry Lady is a mobile, pickup and delivery laundry service operating Australia-wide (and now in New Zealand!).
It was founded as a solo operation on the Gold Coast in 2012 by entrepreneur and busy mum, Susan Toft (The Laundry Lady now CEO).
Susan’s bright spark of an idea came after seeing the washing piling up at home. As a busy, working mum trying to juggle a corporate career and raising two kids – Laundry Lady was a service she needed!
Her side-hustle really took shape and took off in 2020 when she was made redundant from her corporate job and had the time and energy to invest in The Laundry Lady.
Susan, who pitched her mobile laundry service to the five investors, says the seven-figure offer from Canadian businessman and US shark Robert Herjavec will really “catapult” growth.
“Such a significant investment will help get our name into even more international markets like the USA and Canada, where we plan to launch in the next couple of years,”
Susan says.
“It will allow us to better streamline our systems, and have the staff in place to manage the growing number of customer enquiries and recruitment of Laundry Ladies and Lads.”
HOW IT WORKS
Customers head to the Laundry Lady website, enter their suburb, select their services, and that’s it! Laundry is collected straight from their door and returned the next day. Washing, drying, folding and ironing services provided.
- Pickup and delivery direct to your door – with a 24-hour turnaround
- We service busy families, businesses (like cafes, hair salons, beauty salons etc) plus National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants. We are an NDIS registered service provider
- Easy online bookings and payments
- Customise bookings to suit the customer’s needs – i.e line-drying, handwashing etc
- Specially-formulated laundry liquids – The Lady Lady uses their own, specifically formulated laundry liquids, manufactured by another Sunshine Coast-based business Concept Labs, and Kin Kin Naturals, or the customer can provide their own.
THE TEAM
Laundry Lady’s services are delivered through a national team of contractors who all work from their own homes, using their own cars and equipment.
They are a team of women and men who want a flexible work-from-home business they can fit around their kids, families or life commitments.
Laundry Lady now boasts a team of 200 contractors Australia wide, and in September 2023 launched into the New Zealand market, with teams in Christchurch and Auckland and new locations coming live soon.
THE LAUNDRY LADY HQ
Laundry Lady’s Head Office is based in the thriving Aura Business Park on the Sunshine Coast (QLD), but its team of 200 contractors (Laundry Ladies and Lads) work remotely right across Australia. The Head Office is the base for dispatching laundry supplies to the Contractors, and Customer Service Support, Marketing, and Accounts.
AWARDS
2022 Trades and Services (large business) winner at the Sunshine Coast Business Awards. (Also, finalist in the 2023 Sunshine Coast Business Awards, with winners to be announced in November).
2022 – CEO and Founder Susan Toft was named Corporate Business Woman of the Year at the Sunshine Coast Business Women’s Network Awards.
2023 – State finalist in Telstra’s Best of Business Awards for Outstanding Growth
For those wanting to book a service or Join the Team, head to: https://thelaundrylady.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laundrylady_aus/