Edited by Rivermore Academy
Entrepreneurship requires finding uniqueness in a homogenous market to succeed; female entrepreneurs stand on one end of the business world with their unique business acumen and adaptability.
Since ancient times, household chores have always been cumbersome and busy. Among them, laundry and ironing are essential tasks, and most of these chores are often placed on the shoulders of women, especially for those who are both career professionals and housewives, it becomes even more challenging. Therefore, in 2015, Nini Tan embarked on entrepreneurship and founded the first dobiQueen self-service laundry store.
Outsourcing household chores to do more meaningful things
As the saying goes, 'time is money,' and when a person has time, they can do anything they want. Nini Tan's mother had to manage the business and take care of household chores and children at home, leaving her with no personal time. As Nini entered the workforce, she also experienced the heavy burden of household chores. Consequently, Nini Tan decided to outsource some of these chores.
In 2015, the first dobiQueen self-service laundry store was born, allowing families in need and working migrants to bring home cleaned and dried clothes within an hour. During this hour or more, people can take a break or engage in more meaningful activities, such as spending time with family and friends, pursuing hobbies, browsing on phones, reading, or working. This way, they can save on the expenses of owning a washing machine, utilities, and laundry detergent. By 2023, Malaysia has seen the emergence of 75 dobiQueen outlets.
The first one-stop specialty service in Malaysia
Nini Tan was not the only one who opened a self-service laundry store; Malaysia had many self-service laundry stores in the market. However, why did dobiQueen stand out?
The answer lies in its specialized services. Only such services can break through the homogenized market and make customers feel that using dobiQueen's services is truly worthwhile.
DobiQueen always uses branded and guaranteed laundry detergents and softeners, and their dryers offer wrinkle-free functions, eliminating the need for ironing. Additionally, unlike other self-service laundry stores, each dobiQueen outlet has a supervisor who assists customers in transporting their washed clothes to the dryer, allowing customers to have ample time to focus on their own tasks without having to return to the store to move the clothes.
However, dobiQueen's most distinctive feature is its 6-hour one-stop service.
In a typical self-service laundry store, customers need to transport their clothes to the store and bring them back home afterward. Yet, dobiQueen further provides extremely convenient services for customers, setting it apart from other self-service laundry stores.
In this specialty service, customers can leave their clothes outside their homes or offices. dobiQueen will then collect the clothes, wash, dry, and fold them within 6 hours, and return them to the customer. This means that customers can stay at home the whole time, having their clothes cleaned without leaving their homes.
In a homogenized market, especially with the proliferation of self-service laundry stores in Malaysia, specialization allows businesses to stand out and play the following roles:
1. Increase differentiation, making consumers believe that the company offers unique value.
2. Meet specific needs by tailoring solutions to individual customers.
3. Establish brand recognition, creating a unique symbol in consumers' minds.
4. Enhance pricing ability, as consumers are willing to pay higher prices for specialized services.
5. Resist competition by providing products or services different from competitors.
Hence, it's not surprising that this specialized service makes many customers prefer dobiQueen over the numerous self-service laundry stores, allowing dobiQueen to expand its outlets throughout the Klang Valley and achieve unparalleled success.
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