regardless of women having margin of business with in the economy I thinking laundry is quite achievable

You know, sometimes when people think about business, they imagine it has to be something big or complicated — tech, oil, import/export. But the truth is, something as simple and ordinary as laundry can be the foundation of real success. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, in the stories of people who started with nothing but a bucket and a will to work.

Take Rose Kalu Awa, for example. She started in Abuja, not with any fancy machines or storefront, but with just ₦13,000 in her pocket — enough to buy a few essentials: a bucket, detergent, an iron. That was it. She washed clothes by hand in her home, carefully, piece by piece. There was no logo, no branding — just her commitment to doing the job well. Over time, word spread. Her customers kept coming back. She reinvested what she made into a small workshop, and eventually opened a pickup center in Utako. Years later, that simple bucket and soap turned into a full business with structure, customers, and reputation. She didn’t rush. She just stayed consistent.

Then there were Abimbola and Adaeze, two young women in Lagos who were both looking for a way to earn something for themselves. They only had ₦3,000 between them — you can barely buy lunch with that today — but they decided to try. They started offering laundry and cleaning services to busy professionals in their area. They were dependable, they communicated well, and they treated people’s clothes with care. Little by little, they built a business. No loans. No handouts. Just grit. They’ve grown since then, and now they run a registered business with a steady stream of clients.

Another story that sticks with me is Kingsley’s. He studied Physics in school. After NYSC, he was one of those graduates — smart, hungry, but jobless. So he decided not to wait. He pulled together just over ₦100,000 — enough to buy a washing machine and a pressing iron, maybe a generator. He started doing laundry for people in his area. At first, it was small, but he treated it like a real company. He marketed himself, focused on service, and in just one year, his earnings had multiplied five times over. Now he’s servicing schools, churches, homes — his little idea became his cousin

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And then there’s Enibukun Adebayo. His story is bigger now, but he didn’t begin big. He built Clean Ace, a chain of dry-cleaning services across major cities. But what makes his story special isn’t just the business — it’s that he created an academy to train others. He saw that people looked down on laundry work, like it was somehow beneath them. So he decided to professionalize it — to give it dignity. He trained young people, women, anyone who wanted a skill and a future. And through that, the impact grew beyond him.

There’s also Crystalz Laundry — a woman-led business in Ibadan. The founder, Odedina Abimbola, started during her NYSC. She didn’t wait for a dream job. Instead, she learned from someone already in the business, got the basics down, and launched with what she had. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was honest. She took her savings and bought a washing machine and an iron. Slowly, she built trust in the community. Today, her business is officially registered, and her customer base continues to grow.

What ties all these stories together isn’t luck or connection. It’s the fact that they started where they were, with what they had, and refused to look down on small beginnings. There was no shame in washing clothes. In fact, that humble work paid their bills, built their confidence, and gave them freedom. Each one started with next to nothing — no offices, no funding, no grand plan — but they moved anyway. And the road opened up as they walked.

So when you say you’re thinking about starting a laundry business — honestly, I don’t just think it’s achievable. I think it’s wise. It’s clean work, needed by everyone, and the market is wide open if you’re consistent. You don’t need to know everything from day one. Just start. Serve well. Grow slow. Reinvest. Stay grounded. These women — and men — have done it, and you can too. There’s dignity in laundry. There’s power in it. And there’s profit too.

If you want, I can help you map out your own start — quietly, humbly, from wherever you are. Just say the word.