Taking time to soak up success
Susan never anticipated becoming ‘the laundry lady’. The idea came to her at home, overwhelmed as a new mum and walking past a pile of washing in the spare room, thinking there had to be a better solution.
“I’ve always been a problem-solver, but I never thought The Laundry Lady would turn into the success it is today,” Susan reflects.
The Laundry Lady is an award-winning mobile laundry service that offers washing, ironing, pickup, and delivery, providing much-needed support to busy families. In just a few years, it’s expanded from a solo operation to a team of over 350 contractors seeking flexible work across Australia and New Zealand.
“The Laundry Lady started in the lounge and quickly took over our spare bedroom, then a temporary warehouse, and now our permanent office.” Susan explains. “It’s still surreal walking into the office and seeing how far we’ve come from me doing laundry in my lounge room.”
“The recent completion of our office boardroom was a significant made-it moment for me. It's a physical representation of 'Wow, we've made it'," she says. "I've always worked in bigger companies where they had a boardroom, so I feel like we've really reached the next step."
As revenue grew, the business secured its first investment, to support expansion into Canada and the UK. “Knowing others believed in what we’re doing was a massive made-it moment for us. It wasn’t just about money, it made us feel really confident in our business model and our mission.”
Recent Xero research found that Australian small business owners aren't just driven by financial gains when celebrating their wins, a sentiment that resonates deeply with Susan.
“Sure, the financials matter, but what drives me is making a difference in the day-to-day lives of our contractors. Every time we get a message saying that working with The Laundry Lady has added flexibility in their already busy lives, that’s a moment worth celebrating.”
Susan’s not-so-secret weapon for celebrating her team is a strong focus on awards. Nominations and getting dressed up for award events are a way the team come together to acknowledge their accomplishments.
“Award entries are like a check point for us to take a moment and pat ourselves on the back,” Susan says. “Even if we don’t take home a prize on the night, in our eyes, we’ve already won.”
While the business is growing quickly, Susan remains closely clued into her business numbers through Xero. “Having a team almost fully made up of contractors means there are always a lot of balls in the air,” she notes. “I use a range of digital tools to help keep us on track and stay connected.”
Susan has a clear next milestone in mind. “We’re at 350 contractors now. Hitting 1,000 across Australia, New Zealand, and our new markets, that’s going to be a huge moment. I can see it already.”
Susans’s advice to other small business owners is to use awards entries, and other check in activities like setting and reviewing weekly revenue targets, and goal setting, to keep their employees engaged.
She also hopes other small business owners will take the time to stop and celebrate their team and their wins, because, as she puts it, “If you don’t stop and take that moment to look at what you’ve achieved, what are you doing it all for?”
Download Xero's report: Small business made-it moments and why celebrating them is important.