WashPit Tackles a Dirty Task
Springfield, Mass. - It’s a chore that many people dread, and it’s one of the most time-consuming one in households. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, laundry requires roughly two-and-a-half hours per week for the average family.
Helping families regain this time, WashPit provides full-service laundry cleaning in the Springfield area. Caris Martinez and Emanuel Parrilla started WashPit when their own families were struggling to fit washing into their schedule.
“We wanted to figure out the best way to take that away from people’s lives completely and do it at an affordable cost,” she said. “The only thing we don’t do is put it in their drawers.”
Martinez started the company from the perspective of a single mom while Parrilla saw how the challenge of laundry was impacting his elderly family members.
“We put our heads together to figure out a way to make WashPit convenient for everyone to use,” Martinez said.
They target students, stay-at-home moms, single parents, elderly families and those from any walk of life who find laundry stressful. Martinez and Parrilla understand the community, are both parents and are bilingual. These aspects help them service a range of customers in Springfield and surrounding communities.
Parrilla works behind the scenes as CFO while Martinez, as COO, manages daily operations of WashPit. This requires overseeing the washing of between 500 and 1,000 pounds of laundry each week.
Learning from Local Leaders
The duo knew nothing about starting a business when they began, especially in terms of marketing. They initially made mistakes and Martinez says they wasted some money trying to learn the ropes.
“We went into this blind,” she said, and they soon realized the need to seek assistance from others. “We wanted to go to somebody who knew what they were doing.”
They joined MAC RED a few months ago, attending every session possible. MAC RED is a members-only extension of the monthly Marketing and Cupcakes™ group, a community of professionals offering one-on-one guidance and access to targeted resources.
Working with StandOut Truck® owner and MAC RED thought leader Mychel Connolly has provided the Wash Pit owners with a level of education and understanding they weren’t able to glean from research and books. One-on-one sessions have also helped significantly.
“We look at him as a business partner and a really close friend,” Martinez said. “It’s nice to have those people in your corner.”
During one of the first sessions, Martinez and Parrilla learned the importance of simplicity and consistency in their marketing message. They’ve absorbed information from every program, with a goal of implementing at least one or two of the ideas.
“It’s super motivational for us. It’s helped us see things through a different lens,” Martinez said, whether it’s a perspective of consumer, business owner or someone else’s business. “It helps market what you’re trying to market rather than marketing the entire company.”
Cleaning the Path to the Future
WashPit recently was selected as the winner of the first ever StandOut Truck® grant, which provides them with advertising time on the truck and one-on-one guidance with Connolly.
Martinez said she was very excited the receive the grant, and is looking forward to getting more individualized marketing lessons. Planning for their time on the StandOut Truck®, Martinez is currently researching the best neighborhoods without other laundry service options that would fit with their customer base for the truck’s route.
To help WashPit grow, they’re hoping to add a commercial location in the near future. This will allow them to expand their service area in a manageable way.
Ironically they have created a full-time business from a task that everyone dislikes, yet they’ve found joy in providing the service to others.
“It’s not a chore for us anymore because we know we’re helping so many people,” Martinez said. “You see the relief on their face when you show up,”
Being able to experience how their customers feel makes her know that they’re making a difference in someone’s day.
“We try to give the family treatment to everyone,” she said. Doing little things like separating kid and adult clothes, are the little extra touches and bits of kindness she feels sets them apart.
With their focus on those who are in their community, Martinez knows that WashPit can help make a difference in the lives of their customers.
Make your own business STANDOUT with the StandOut Truck, and receive individualized marketing guidance by being a part of Marketing and Cupcakes. Visit standouttruck.com/contact to learn more about the many ways we can help you succeed.
