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Gross revenue, SDE, EBITDA, free cash flow and net income all describe what a laundromat earns, but each one measures something different. Ian Gollahon explains what each metric includes, how they compare to each other and when a buyer, seller or bank would use each one. This is Part 3 of Ian's laundromat valuation series, written alongside his Full Cycle Magazine article from the CLA. Part 1 covered leases and assets, and Part 2 covered gross revenue and SDE. This episode focuses on EBITDA and free cash flow. EBITDA takes out the costs that depend on who owns the business, so it shows what the laundromat could earn for any owner. Free cash flow works the other way. It reflects your own loans, your own taxes and the cost of replacing machines, which is why banks use it to judge whether a laundromat can carry its debt. What's covered: • Gross revenue, SDE, EBITDA, free cash flow and net income: what each one measures and how they compare • Why EBITDA takes out interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization • Why a buyer's interest, taxes and depreciation could be higher or lower than yours • How entity type affects what a laundromat pays in taxes • Asset sales, depreciation and goodwill • CapEx and the cost of replacing machines • How banks use free cash flow • Where the owner's salary shows up in each metric • Why laundromat listings often use these terms loosely 00:00 Introduction and Part 3 of the Valuation Series 01:04 Recap: Leases, Assets, Gross Revenue and SDE 03:29 What EBITDA Is 05:06 Earnings Before Interest 07:03 Taxes and Entity Type 09:00 Depreciation and the Asset Sale 10:59 Amortization and Goodwill 11:52 Why EBITDA Differs From Net Income 12:28 Free Cash Flow 13:11 CapEx: Who Pays for New Machines 14:56 EBITDA Depersonalizes, Free Cash Flow Personalizes 15:33 Why Banks Use Free Cash Flow 16:38 Owner Salary and Free Cash Flow vs. SDE 18:00 Next Episode: Net Income 18:38 Clearing Up the Confusion in Laundromat Listings Ian Gollahon is co-owner of Liberty Laundry, a three-store laundromat chain in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area that did $2.5 million in revenue in 2025, and co-founder of Wash-Dry-Fold POS, the original point-of-sale system for laundromats. He has spoken with more than 3,000 laundromat owners over the last decade. washdryfoldpos.com libertylaundryok.com laundromat-ownership.com laundryassociation.org/fullcycle/2026/09/how-much-is-your-laundromat-worth/

Carmen Cardiel helps run 55+ laundromat locations across Arizona and Southern California. She joins Ian Gollahon to break down the systems that hold up at that scale, and the ones that quietly fall apart. Carmen has been with Coinless Laundry for 12 years. She runs operations from the Arizona corporate office, which manages 33 stores, with a satellite office in Santa Ana covering Southern California. Fourteen stores offer wash and fold, three processing plants handle the commercial and bulk work, and almost 200 employees make it run. Coinless documents every machine outage twice a day, on the AM and PM shifts, and keeps separate on-call rotations for maintenance and for systems. Carmen's own request for a plain "is this machine operational, yes or no" filter changed how Wash-Dry-Fold POS handles repair tickets, because sorting a squeaky washer from a dead one matters differently at 55 stores than at three. Carmen also walks through running Cents and Wash-Dry-Fold POS side by side, and why Coinless consolidated onto one system. Her deciding factors were what her staff could learn and use at the counter, plus the long-term math on subscriptions and card processing across every location. Ian explains why processing terms barely register at low volume and turn into one of the largest line items as a chain grows. Then there is the hardware. Coinless runs true Windows PCs at the counter, not Android tablets, because one commercial customer makes her staff log into an outside portal and upload photos into someone else's database. The POS is the brain of the laundromat, so it has to drive the weight scale and the label printer, and still open a browser. Topics covered: • Running 55+ locations across two states from two offices • Windows POS hardware compared to Android tablet systems • Why card processing scales into a major cost at multiple locations • Running Cents and Wash-Dry-Fold POS side by side, and why they consolidated • What a laundromat processing plant is, and why you cannot start with one • Training almost 200 employees on the same procedures • Why Arizona laundromats slow down in summer Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:42 Carmen's background and 55 stores across two states 02:31 Wash and fold locations and three processing plants 03:44 Training almost 200 employees 05:15 The two biggest challenges at any scale 06:01 Maintenance and twice-daily machine reporting 07:45 The repair ticket filter Carmen asked for 09:41 What a laundromat processing plant actually is 11:55 Why you cannot open a processing plant first 14:53 From paper tickets to a POS system 17:32 Running Cents and Wash-Dry-Fold POS side by side 19:38 Subscriptions and card processing at scale 21:03 Features compared to ease of use 26:05 Windows PCs compared to Android tablets 30:33 The craziest thing Carmen has seen, and the FBI 34:17 Closing Ian Gollahon is co-owner of Liberty Laundry, three laundromats in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, and co-founder of Wash-Dry-Fold POS, the original point of sale system for laundromats. https://coinlesslaundry.com https://www.washdryfoldpos.com https://www.libertylaundryok.com https://www.laundromat-ownership.com

Stephen Gramaglia spent 21 years at Eastern Funding watching laundromats succeed and fail before he ever owned one. Then he built CleanFresh Laundromat into four of the largest, cleanest, fully attended stores in the New York City area, and his busiest location now moves thousands of pounds of wash-dry-fold every week. Stephen opened his first store in May 2020, in the middle of the COVID shutdown, and went against everything the industry was known for: small, dark, and unattended. He built big, spotless, "bougie" laundromats in densely populated Manhattan and Yonkers and ran them as a premium full-service experience. In this conversation he explains what 21 years of financing laundromats taught him about why owners fail, why undercapitalization is the number one killer, and how he runs high-volume wash-dry-fold across multiple locations without living at the store. He and Ian also get into commercial hardware, the dashboard numbers that drive staffing, tracking employee card usage to catch theft, and building a multi-generational family business. What you'll learn: • Building large, clean, fully attended laundromats against the industry grain • 21 years inside Eastern Funding and what really makes laundromat loans go bad • Why undercapitalization is the number one reason new owners fail • Running high-volume wash-dry-fold across multiple locations • Attendant ownership of every order, from sort to wash to dry to fold to bag • Weighing orders in and out to catch missing items fast • Why commercial POS hardware beats a cheap laptop at scale • Employee theft and the machine start ratio that exposes it Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:39 Four large NYC laundromats and the "bougie" positioning 04:27 21 years at Eastern Funding 08:33 Why laundromat loans go bad: undercapitalization 14:02 How much cash you really need to start 14:35 Revenue mix and high-volume wash-dry-fold 18:00 Operating at scale: systems and accountability 22:52 Weighing orders in and out to catch missing items 24:39 Why commercial POS hardware beats a cheap laptop 31:06 Building the dashboard operators actually need 34:06 Laundry cards, WashLynx, and tracking card usage 36:37 Employee theft and the machine start ratio 39:44 Building a multi-generational family business 46:15 The craziest things he's seen in his stores Ian Gollahon is the co-owner of Liberty Laundry in Tulsa, Oklahoma — three stores, $2.5M in revenue in 2025 — and co-founder of Wash-Dry-Fold POS, the original point of sale system built specifically for laundromats. washdryfoldpos.com libertylaundryok.com laundromat-ownership.com cleanfreshlaundromat.com easternfunding.com

Two numbers tell you almost everything about what a laundromat is worth: gross revenue and SDE. Ian Gollahon breaks down both — what they mean, how they connect, and exactly what belongs in seller discretionary earnings and what does not. This is Part 2 of a 4-part series on laundromat valuation, running alongside Ian's ongoing feature in Full Cycle Magazine from the CLA. Part 1 covered the asset sale and the lease. This episode moves to the earnings side: gross revenue as your quick gut-check, and SDE as the number brokers, the SBA, and most buyers actually price a laundromat on. You'll learn why laundromats typically sell for one to two times gross revenue, why Eastern Funding often lends on 50 to 70 weeks of revenue, and why you can never make an offer on gross revenue alone. Then Ian walks through SDE line by line — the owner's S-Corp salary add-back, and the difference between the costs you add back and the income you strip out. What's covered: • Gross revenue: why 1x to 2x is the typical range, and what it hides • The Eastern Funding 50 to 70 week rule of thumb • Why the SBA recommends SDE for businesses under $5 million in revenue • The S-Corp owner salary add-back — the single biggest SDE adjustment • What to ADD into SDE: owner salary, unnecessary personal vehicles, trade show and conference travel (Clean Show, Excellence in Laundry), redundant family payroll, lifestyle extras like magazine subscriptions • What to LEAVE OUT of SDE: non-operating interest income from cash in an investment account, one-time equipment sales, and cash windfalls like COVID-era city or state grants • Why roughly 3x SDE lands you right back at about 60 weeks of gross revenue • How SDE differs from EBITDA, and when each one matters Timestamped chapters (estimated — verify before uploading): 00:00 Introduction and Series Recap 01:30 Gross Revenue: The Big Number 03:15 The 50 to 70 Week Rule 05:00 What Gross Revenue Hides 06:15 SDE: Seller Discretionary Earnings 07:45 The S-Corp Salary Add-Back 09:15 What to Add Into SDE 11:30 What to Leave Out of SDE 13:15 3x SDE and How the Numbers Line Up 15:00 What's Coming on EBITDA Ian Gollahon is co-owner of Liberty Laundry, a three-store laundromat chain in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area that did $2.5 million in top-line revenue in 2025. He's also co-founder of Wash-Dry-Fold POS, the original point-of-sale system for laundromats, and has spoken with more than 3,000 laundromat owners over the last decade. washdryfoldpos.com libertylaundryok.com laundromat-ownership.com laundryassociation.org/fullcycle/

Laundry lockers are one of the most requested features in laundromat software, and Wash-Dry-Fold POS just shipped them. In this episode, Ian Gollahon sits down with Cole Norton, one of the developers behind the new laundry locker system, to break down how it works and why it opens up new ways to make money. Cole walks through the full customer experience, from scheduling a locker online through the My Laundry Order app to dropping off laundry at an unattended store after hours. He explains why the system was built to work with any setup, whether you have high-tech smart lockers or just a box with a master lock on it. Ian and Cole also dig into the unattended laundromat angle: how lockers let customers drop off and pick up around the clock without staff behind the desk. If you run a laundromat and want to grow drop-off and wash-dry-fold revenue without adding labor, this conversation lays out exactly what the new locker feature does and how to put it to work. What you will learn: • How the laundry locker system works with smart lockers, simple drop boxes, or anything in between • Why lockers make unattended and after-hours drop-off possible • How customers schedule, pay, and leave instructions through the My Laundry Order app • Why the customer never sees a third-party marketplace, only your branded store • How to point customers to your locker page with a website link or a printed QR code • Why laundry lockers are included free for all Wash-Dry-Fold POS subscribers Topics covered: • The new Wash-Dry-Fold POS laundry locker feature • Drop box vs. individually numbered lockers • Running an unattended or after-hours laundromat • Online scheduling and payment through My Laundry Order • Branded, marketplace-free customer experience • Growing pickup and delivery and wash-dry-fold revenue Chapters: 00:00 Cold open 00:57 Welcome and introductions 01:58 Why laundry lockers, and how AI tools made it possible 02:50 Do you need a specific brand of locker? 04:04 Drop box vs. individual lockers 05:27 Running an unattended laundromat with lockers 07:37 The customer drop-off experience 09:04 Using lockers with or without the online app 09:39 Website links and QR codes 10:54 A branded experience with no third-party marketplace 11:28 How many lockers can you add? 13:52 Included free for all subscribers 14:10 Cole on tech support and customer feedback 15:15 Development hours and the AI advantage 16:13 Wrap-up Hosted by Ian Gollahon, co-owner of Liberty Laundry in Tulsa, Oklahoma and co-founder of Wash-Dry-Fold POS, the original point of sale system built for laundromats. washdryfoldpos.com libertylaundryok.com laundromat-ownership.com

Omer Khan is a second-generation laundromat owner running four fully attended Skyline Laundromats in Atlanta. He grew up pulling quarters on the weekends, spent a few years in corporate America, and came back to build the business into a 24-person operation where pickup and delivery is now starting to outgrow self-service. This conversation is loaded with operator-level detail you can actually use. Omer breaks down why he's converting his back storage into a dedicated processing facility — and why Ian has watched that model succeed for owners with existing stores but fail for people who try to launch delivery-only with no demand behind it. They get into the real logistics of running self-service and wash-dry-fold under one roof without running off your self-serve customers. Omer also tells the story of the employee who threatened to quit when he switched from Clover to Wash-Dry-Fold POS — and stayed after a Spanish-speaking coworker trained her on it in three days. Plus the night Brian built a feature request overnight at a conference, why Omer sells retail at both the counter and the vending machines, why he ripped out his ATMs, how he handles homeless activity at one tough location, and the bill breaker jams that led to Brian 3D-printing a fix. The two crazy stories at the end are worth the listen alone. • Opening a processing facility: why it works for existing operators and fails for delivery-only startups • Designing space for both self-service and pickup and delivery without losing your self-serve base • The employee who almost quit over a new POS — and why she became the best on the system • How Brian built a requested feature overnight at the Elevate Conference • Why you sell soap and snacks at both the counter and the vending machines • Why ATMs aren't worth the $2 fees and the headaches they bring • Handling homeless activity and the equipment that attracts it — including the bill breaker he left out of the wall • Bill breaker jams and Brian's 3D-printed workaround • The ceiling heist: a thief who came in through the AC unit and cut every wire • The phone scam that nearly cost $4,000 — and how to train your staff against it Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:21 Meet Omer Khan and Skyline Laundromats 03:01 Owning vs leasing the real estate 04:44 Parking lots, water lines, and the cost of ownership 06:32 Revenue mix and pickup and delivery growth 09:08 Opening a processing facility: why it works and why it fails 13:22 Dedicating space and an animal wash station idea 16:33 The employee who almost quit over a new POS 19:11 Brian builds a feature overnight at the conference 23:41 Card systems, CCI, and Laundroworks 24:33 Machine start integrations 26:39 Why sell retail at both the counter and the vending machines 29:05 Why ATMs aren't worth the $2 30:04 Dealing with homeless activity and the equipment that attracts it 32:57 Bill breaker jams and Brian's 3D-printed fix 34:38 The craziest stories: a ceiling heist and a phone scam 44:25 Train your staff: scam red flags and metal doors Ian Gollahon is the co-owner of Liberty Laundry in Tulsa, Oklahoma — three stores, $2.5M in revenue in 2025 — and co-founder of Wash-Dry-Fold POS, the original point of sale system built specifically for laundromats. washdryfoldpos.com libertylaundryok.com laundromat-ownership.com skylinelaundromats.com

Ian Gollahon and Brian Henderson join Randy Radtke on Alliance's Laundry Nerd Podcast to break down the new Speed Queen and Huebsch Alliance Insights API integration with Wash Dry Fold POS — the first point-of-sale system with direct machine-level access to Alliance washers and dryers. This is a recast of the Laundry Nerd episode, shared here for owners running Speed Queen, Huebsch, or Quantum machines. Brian and Ian explain how Wash Dry Fold POS negotiated with Alliance to become the first POS partner granted this integration — it was not a public API release — and the specific employee theft and efficiency problems it solves on the wash-dry-fold side. You'll also hear the 10-year origin story of Wash Dry Fold POS, why the company stayed "an inch wide and a mile deep" on laundromats, and the real-world results customers like Philip in Missouri are getting after enabling the integration. Topics covered: • How the Alliance Insights API integration with Wash Dry Fold POS actually works • Why WDFPOS is the first and currently only POS with this level of machine integration • Starting Speed Queen and Huebsch machines by credit card at the register • Tracking the vend-to-wash-dry-fold ratio (around 37% benchmark) to catch employee theft • Closing the loop between order tracking and machine starts • The 10-year history of Wash Dry Fold POS and the 2020 cloud rebuild • How to enable the integration (API key + equipment pairing) • What's next on the roadmap Chapters: 00:00 Intro from Ian — why this Alliance recast matters 02:00 Welcome to the Laundry Nerd Podcast 03:00 How Wash Dry Fold POS got started 07:00 Inch wide, mile deep on laundromats 10:00 What separates WDFPOS from dry cleaning and delivery systems 14:00 The equipment problem log and why the Alliance API fit 16:00 Why most manufacturers stayed closed — and how WDFPOS became the first partner 18:00 Top use cases: credit card starts and attendant efficiency 21:00 Philip's store in Missouri — real-world example 23:00 Connecting the two systems 25:00 Going live at Clean Show 2025 — Sharon Brinks as the pilot store 27:00 Shoutout to Alliance's digital product team 28:00 What's next — development never finishes 29:00 Where to find Wash Dry Fold POS and the podcast Ian Gollahon co-owns Liberty Laundry in Tulsa, Oklahoma (three stores, $2.5M in 2025 revenue) and co-founded Wash Dry Fold POS, the original POS built specifically for laundromats. Over 1,200 systems sold in all 50 states. Wash Dry Fold POS: https://www.washdryfoldpos.com Liberty Laundry: https://www.libertylaundryok.com Laundromat Ownership Podcast: https://www.laundromat-ownership.com Alliance Laundry Systems: https://alliancelaundry.com Speed Queen: https://speedqueencommercial.com Huebsch: https://huebsch.com

Sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp — which business entity actually makes sense for a laundromat owner? Ian Gollahon walks through every structure he's personally owned and breaks down when each one is the right call. This episode is for anyone buying their first laundromat, scaling to multiple stores, or staring at a tax bill wondering if there's a smarter way to be set up. Ian covers why an LLC is non-negotiable before you sign a lease, the exact net profit threshold where filing as an S-Corp starts saving real money, and why C-Corp status almost never makes sense for a laundromat unless you have a very specific exit plan. Topics covered: • Why sole proprietorships are the most common and most underrated entity • Why a general partnership for a laundromat would be "psychotic" • The asset protection reason every laundromat needs an LLC before closing • How an S-Corp election cuts the 15% self-employment tax on distributions • Why $80K–$100K in net profit is the realistic S-Corp threshold (not the $60K marketing pitch) • How the salary vs. distribution split actually works inside an S-Corp • When a C-Corp makes sense — QSBS, five-year flips, and distributor showroom stores • Why most laundromat owners should never convert to a C-Corp Chapters: 00:00 Intro and why this matters 00:35 Sole proprietorships explained 03:00 Why partnerships are off the table for laundromats 03:45 LLCs — the asset protection vehicle every operator needs 05:15 S-Corp basics: tax filing status vs. business entity 06:30 The self-employment tax problem 08:00 How the S-Corp salary plus distribution split works 10:30 Why C-Corps rarely fit laundromats 11:15 QSBS, five-year flips, and distributor exceptions 13:00 C-Corp double taxation explained 14:30 The evolution: sole prop to LLC to S-Corp to C-Corp 16:00 Wrap-up Ian Gollahon is the co-owner of Liberty Laundry (Tulsa, Oklahoma — 3 stores, $2.5M revenue in 2025) and co-founder of Wash Dry Fold POS, the original point-of-sale system built for laundromats. https://www.washdryfoldpos.com https://www.libertylaundryok.com https://www.laundromat-ownership.com

Before Liberty Laundry hit $2.5 million in revenue in 2025, Ian Gollahon was selling billboards. This is a recast of his original interview on the Laundromat Millionaire Show — the conversation that started the Laundromat Ownership Podcast. Ian covers how he and Brian Henderson acquired a turnkey three-store chain at $2.1M in revenue and grew it to $2.5M, all while running Wash Dry Fold POS. He breaks down the team structure behind a semi-passive laundromat — attendants, store managers, an ops manager, and a facilities manager — and explains why each layer exists. He also gets into the fires. Three dryer fires in the first 12 months of ownership. Ian explains what caused each one, how full attendance made the difference, and why he now runs dryers at 170–175°F instead of the factory default of 190°F. On the software side: cloud-based mobile dashboards, the first-ever Alliance machine start integration, Laundry Works and Wash Links, employee theft detection via machine start ratios, and how Wash Dry Fold POS compares to CleanCloud, Curbside, and Cents. • Growing Liberty Laundry from $2.1M to $2.5M in revenue • Laundry Works card system: removing coins from all three stores • Team hierarchy: attendants, store managers, ops manager, facilities manager • Trevor the facilities manager — the hire that changed everything • Hiring via Indeed: filtering 100 applications down to 3 solid interviews • Three dryer fires in year one — causes, response, and what changed • Wash Dry Fold POS vs. CleanCloud, Curbside, and Cents • Alliance machine start integration: what it actually does • Catching employee theft with the 30% machine start ratio • Credit card processing at 2.65% vs. the industry standard of 4–5% Timestamps (verify before uploading): 0:00 Intro 1:48 Laundromat Millionaire interview begins 7:20 Acquiring Liberty Laundry 8:03 Growing revenue from $2.1M to $2.5M 11:22 The semi-passive income reality 12:37 Removing coins with Laundry Works 22:16 What semi-passive actually requires 26:35 Building the team hierarchy 33:10 The facilities manager hire 44:22 Three dryer fires in year one 48:05 Lowering dryer temps to prevent fires 53:50 Wash Dry Fold POS updates 1:01:07 Alliance machine start integration 1:08:59 Catching employee theft with machine start ratios Ian Gollahon co-owns Liberty Laundry (Tulsa, OK — three stores, $2.5M revenue in 2025) and co-founded Wash Dry Fold POS, the original point-of-sale system for laundromats. washdryfoldpos.com libertylaundryok.com laundromat-ownership.com

Sharon Brinks bought a run-down zombie mat in 2014 as a single mom looking for extra income. Today she owns two Speed Queen Touch laundromats in Wichita under the Laundry Station brand — and her store was the proving ground for the Wash Dry Fold POS + Speed Queen remote vend command integration that operators across the country now use. This conversation goes to places most laundromat podcasts won't. Sharon explains why pickup and delivery didn't pencil for her operation, how a five-year manager she trusted completely stole from her in felony territory while she was on chemo, and why stopping quarter supply and routing customers to the counter was one of the smartest moves she ever made. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2024, treated through the fall, had a lumpectomy in November, and opened her second store in August of that same year. She's now cancer-free, stronger than ever, and considering store number three. Ian and Sharon also cover the full origin story of the Speed Queen remote vend command, what WDF order tracking looks like in a real operation, how to protect your stores from bill changer theft, and the craziest things Sharon has seen in 12-plus years of laundromat ownership. • From zombie mat to two top-rated Wichita laundromats — Sharon's journey since 2014 • Equipment mix: no top loaders, no soft mounts, and why she'd size up on 80s next time • Speed Queen Insights + Wash Dry Fold POS: the remote vend command origin story • Four ways to pay — and why the bill changer is your biggest theft vulnerability • Stopping quarter supply: cutting cash handling and routing customers to counter payment instead • Pickup and delivery: why she walked away and what she'd tell anyone considering it • Employee theft: a trusted five-year manager, felony-level theft, and how it happened during chemo treatment • Rebuilding: what Sharon did after cleaning house • Breast cancer during construction — diagnosed May 2024, chemo, lumpectomy, radiation, now cancer-free • Mammogram PSA: early detection is what saved her life • Craziest laundromat stories: poker chips in a washer, baby mice in a blanket, and unconscious customers Timestamps (estimated from transcript — verify before uploading): 00:00 Introduction 01:22 About the show and Sharon's background 04:03 Why she fell in love with the laundry business 08:06 Store size, equipment mix, and what she'd change 14:31 Machine maintenance and the semi-passive myth 20:09 Speed Queen app, Insights, and payment options 23:08 Wash Dry Fold POS + Speed Queen remote vend command 33:38 WDF order tracking, timestamps, and the point-and-say method 37:59 Pickup and delivery — why they stopped 53:22 Employee theft and the bill changer problem 1:00:12 Stopping quarter supply and reducing cash handling 1:09:17 Breast cancer journey and mammogram PSA 1:15:23 Craziest laundromat stories Ian Gollahon is the co-owner of Liberty Laundry in Tulsa, Oklahoma — three stores, $2.5M in revenue in 2025 — and co-founder of Wash Dry Fold POS, the original point of sale system built specifically for laundromats. washdryfoldpos.com libertylaundryok.com laundromat-ownership.com thelaundrystationks.com

Episode DescriptionIn this special crossover episode, the tables are turned and our host Ian Gollahon (co-founder of Wash Dry Fold POS (WDF POS) gets interviewed by Steve Marcionetti on the Drive Time podcast. Together, they explore the evolution of the laundromat industry and why simplicity is the ultimate tool for growth. Ian shares his journey from selling billboards to co-owning three high-performing laundromats in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which generated $2.5 million in top-line revenue in 2025. He discusses the "crawl, walk, run" philosophy of business, explaining why new owners should master self-serve and wash-dry-fold operations before diving into capital-intensive delivery services. Key topics covered in this episode: The Power of Simplicity: Why WDF POS was designed with "big buttons" for attendants who aren't computer experts.Security & Efficiency: How the deep integration with CCI (Card Concepts Inc.) helps owners prevent employee theft and monitor machine-start ratios.The Real Cost of Delivery: Why it often takes months to see a return on delivery customer acquisition costs.Building a Team: Why almost every employee at WDF POS has real-world experience working in a laundromat.Episode Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Ian Gollahon introduces the Liberty Laundry and WDF POS background.01:21 – Start of the interview with Steve Marcionetti on Drive Time.02:37 – Ian’s "origin story": From selling billboards to meeting Brian Henderson.04:38 – The early days of Wash Dry Fold POS and its rapid growth.07:16 – Coming into the laundry industry with zero experience.09:18 – The philosophy of simplicity: Designing software for non-technical attendants.13:29 – Pricing and Value: How WDF POS became the affordable market leader.14:52 – The WDF POS team: Why real-world laundromat experience matters.20:05 – Deep Dive: Integrating POS with CCI card systems for better security.26:26 – Common Mistakes: Why first-time owners shouldn't start with delivery.30:37 – Advice for distributors: Removing complications from the sale.

How much is a laundromat actually worth? In this kickoff to our valuation series, which runs alongside the CLA’s Full Cycle magazine, Ian Gollahon breaks down the two most critical pillars of your investment: Assets and Leases vs Real Estate. Ian shares insights from his $2.5M multi-store operation and 3,000+ owner interviews. In this episode, he explains why net income is often a misleading metric and how industry experts utilize Section 179 elections to minimize tax liability while maximizing cash flow. You will also learn the exact 25-year lease structure needed to protect your business's long-term value and how to negotiate a "7-month out" on personal guarantees. 00:00 Ian Gollahon Owner of $2.5M Liberty Laundry 02:15 The problem with valuation advice in online forums. 04:30 Asset Sales vs. Corporate Acquisitions: Why your tax books matter. 06:50 Identifying "Zombie Mats" and valuing used equipment. 09:15 Using Section 179 to expense $300,000 in equipment. 11:45 Why a profitable laundromat with a bad lease is worth zero. 14:20 The Ideal 25-Year Lease: The 5x5 Rule. 17:30 How to negotiate a 7-month personal guarantee. 19:50 Capping CAM fees to protect your margins. 21:40 Why owning the real estate is the ultimate de-risking strategy. Links: Blog Post: https://www.washdryfoldpos.com/laundromat-valuation-assets-leases-and-real-estate/ Full Article: https://laundryassociation.org/fullcycle/columns-and-departments/how-much-is-your-laundry-worth-part-1/ Liberty Laundry: https://www.libertylaundry.com/ Full Cycle Magazine (CLA): https://laundryassociation.org/fullcycle/ Wash-Dry-Fold POS: https://www.washdryfoldpos.com/

Laundromat Maintenance and Repair Ticketing SystemFrustrated by "no work good" post-it notes and the "headache" of tracking down model numbers in cramped crawl spaces? In this episode of Laundromat Ownership, host Ian Gollahon sits down with Sean Henderson, the original creator of the modern Laundromat Machine Repair Ticket System integrated within Wash-Dry-Fold POS. Gone are the days of driving across town to check paper binders at different store locations. Sean shares the "in-the-trenches" story of how his experience as an operations manager for Liberty Laundry led to the development of a centralized communication tool that tracks repairs, parts, and equipment history. Key Takeaways from This Episode:Solving the Communication Gap: Learn how an integrated system ensures attendants provide detailed reports—including sights, sounds, and smells—rather than vague notes.The Power of Integration: Discover why having your repair tracker inside your Point of Sale (POS) software eliminates the need for separate logins and extra employee training.Warranty & Cost Management: See how tracking repair history helps prevent overpaying for diagnostic "trip charges" and ensures repetitive issues are covered under warranty.Advanced Equipment Tracking: It’s not just for washers and dryers. Sean explains how the system manages vending machines, bill breakers, and even miscellaneous items like "clogged toilets."Triage and Urgency: Explore the latest "In Service vs. Out of Service" features that allow facilities managers to prioritize high-revenue machines, like 80-pound washers, on busy weekends.The Technician Role: Understand the "mechanical room" permission level, allowing maintenance staff to log updates via mobile without accessing sensitive financial reports or clocking in for regular staff. Whether you are managing a single store or a 30-store chain, this episode dives deep into why a purpose-built laundromat management tool is essential for scaling your operations and keeping your floor running at maximum capacity. Learn More at: https://washdryfoldpos.com/ https://www.washdryfoldpos.com/laundromat-machine-repair-tracking/

Is the "coin-op" era officially over? In this episode of the Laundromat Ownership Podcast, host Ian Gollahon sits down with Matt DeWolf, the Editor-in-Chief of the CLA's (previously known as the Coin Laundry Association) newest media venture: Full Cycle. Matt shares why the industry’s flagship publication, Planet Laundry, is being retired after decades to make room for a premium, multimedia brand that reflects the modern laundry entrepreneur. * The Rebrand to Full Cycle: Why the CLA is moving to a high-end, quarterly format focused on deep storytelling and actionable business strategies. * Lessons from the Car Wash Industry: Matt discusses the striking parallels between laundromat evolution and the car wash consolidation curve he witnessed over the last 15 years. * The "iPad Gimmick": Why high-tech gimmicks can't save a store in a poor location, and why customer experience remains the ultimate competitive advantage. * The Mission of the CLA: A breakdown of the "Connect, Learn, Advocate" pillars and how the association protects owner interests at a national level. * Starbucks in a Laundromat? Hear the story of the St. Paul operator featured on the first cover of Full Cycle who is officially licensed to serve Starbucks coffee. 1:13 - Matt’s journey from car wash media to the CLA 3:12 - What is the CLA? Connect, Learn, Advocate 5:56 - From Planet Laundry to Full Cycle: The vision 8:58 - Why the shift to a quarterly, long-form publication? 13:52 - What to expect in the first issue (March 2026) 19:48 - Case Study: The Starbucks licensed laundromat 28:04 - Comparing the laundry and car wash consolidation curves 33:34 - The "iPad Gimmick" and the importance of demand * Full Cycle: www.FullCycleMagazine.com * Contact Matt DeWolf: [email protected] * Wash-Dry-Fold POS: www.washdryfoldpos.com

In this episode of Laundromat Ownership, Ian Gollahon sits down with the industry’s "Power Couple," Dave and Carla Menz, the minds behind the Laundromat Millionaire brand. Dave shares his powerful journey from growing up in extreme poverty in Flint, Michigan, to building a Cincinnati-based laundry empire generating over $2.3 million in annual revenue. We dive deep into the "Learn by Doing" philosophy - explaining why achieving excellence and putting in SOPs and staffed trained for self-serve and WDF is often a good thing to have in place before trying to scale delivery (which is often a slow grind to begin with). The conversation covers the critical importance of market dynamics, the dangers of "paralysis by analysis," and a candid warning against running 24/7 unattended stores. Dave and Carla also reveal the wildest things they’ve ever caught on camera and why laundromat success is the ultimate lesson in delayed gratification. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction: Meet Dave and Carla Menz 01:31 - Queen City Laundry: From a $85k "Zombie Mat" to 4 Locations 04:39 - The Origin of the Laundromat Millionaire Brand 07:34 - Why Collaboration is Elevating the Laundry Industry 11:18 - Dave’s Backstory: Overcoming Poverty and Finding Servitude 17:40 - The "Zombie Mat" Transformation: Safety and Cleanliness First 22:18 - Carla’s Transition: From Teaching Math to Scaling a Business 27:29 - Advice for Newbies: Capital, Time, and Business Acumen 31:15 - Market Dynamics: Supply, Demand, and Identifying Under-Saturated Areas 35:43 - Crawl, Walk, Run: The Logical Order of Scaling Services 37:24 - Achieving Excellence Before You Scale to Multiple Locations 41:12 - The Reality of Launching Pickup and Delivery 48:53 - Laundromats as a Long-Game: The Power of Delayed Gratification 54:11 - Craziest Stories: What Happens in a 24/7 Unattended Laundromat 59:35 - Why Dave Switched from 24/7 to Fully Attended Stores 01:03:05 - Resources and Where to Connect with Dave & Carla Resources: https://laundromatmillionaire.com/ https://queencitylaundry.com/ https://washdryfoldpos.com/