A local laundry business is poised to further its international reach after receiving a $1 million investment offer on a reality television show.
The Laundry Lady, which operates from its Sunshine Coast headquarters but has contractors Australia-wide, received the season’s top offer on the October 3 episode of Shark Tank.
Laundry Lady CEO Susan Toft, who pitched her mobile laundry service to the five investors, said the seven-figure offer from Canadian businessman and US shark Robert Herjavec would 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,” Ms Toft said.
“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.
“I’m thrilled Robert could see the potential in our business, offering even more money than we asked for in the pitch; showing the real value of what I’ve managed to build from the ground up.”
This year, Laundry Lady kickstarted its international operations by launching into New Zealand.
“Our first three Laundry Ladies and Lads have officially signed up in New Zealand, and we’re off to the Women’s Lifestyle Expo in Christchurch on October 7 and 8 to spread the word in the local market.”
The growth into New Zealand follows a successful grant from Trade & Investment Queensland.
While growth has really accelerated in the last few years, the initial idea for The Laundry Lady started on the Gold Coast back in 2012.
“My lightbulb moment came when I saw my family’s clothes piled high in the spare room,” she said.
“I knew this was a service I needed as a busy working mum.
Seeking a better work life balance, she kicked off her entrepreneurial journey as a sole trader – empowering other women (and men) to launch their own businesses with a scalable work from home model.
Today, Laundry Lady is an Australia-wide service with a team of 200-plus laundry ladies and lads; a number that’s growing weekly, with customers including busy families, businesses, and NDIS customers.
Visit laundrylady.com.au.
