The 2-hour workweek laundromat (and 5 other deals worth your time)

Welcome to Issue #1 of Boring Business Weekly — a weekly deal digest for people who want to buy small, profitable businesses in the $100K–$2M range. No hype. No startups. Just cash-flowing, unglamorous businesses that build real wealth.

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Here's a deal that caught my eye this week — and it checks nearly every box for a first-time acquisition.

The Numbers:

Why It's Interesting:

This is the platonic ideal of a boring business. A laundromat with staff already in place, a long-term lease secured, and an owner who has systematized themselves almost entirely out of day-to-day operations. At $133,000 in annual cash flow, this business throws off serious money for what amounts to a weekly check-in.

The 2–3 hours per week figure is the headline. That means the systems and staff are genuinely running the show. For a first-time buyer, that's a massive de-risking factor. You're not buying a job. You're buying a cash flow stream with training wheels already installed.

At an estimated 3x multiple on $133K SDE, a buyer could structure this with an SBA 7(a) loan at roughly 10% down — meaning you could potentially control this asset for $40,000–$50,000 out of pocket, with the business's own cash flow servicing the debt.

The One Risk I'd Investigate:

Equipment age. Laundromat economics are bulletproof until the machines need replacing — and a full equipment refresh can run $150,000–$250,000. Before making an offer I'd want a full equipment audit: age of every washer and dryer, service history, and remaining useful life. If the machines are more than 10–12 years old, I'm either negotiating the price down or walking away.

The Takeaway:

If the equipment checks out and the lease has 5+ years remaining with renewal options, this is the kind of deal that changes someone's financial life. A buyer who puts in $45K down and services a loan at current rates walks away with $50,000–$60,000 in annual cash flow after debt service. That's a second income — or a first business.

→ Search current laundromat listings on BizBuySell

Deals drawn from active listings on BizBuySell and BizQuest. Because listings sell quickly, I link to the search category so you always see what's live right now.

1. Oakland, CA — Coin Laundromat | ~$110K Revenue | ~$50K Cash Flow

A straightforward self-service coin laundry in a shopping center location. Annual gross of approximately $110,000 with cash flow around $50,000. Rent is just $1,900/month for 1,200 sq ft — one of the lowest occupancy costs I've seen on a laundromat listing this week. At roughly 2x cash flow this is priced for a quick sale. The risk: lease term is short, so your first negotiation after signing the LOI should be with the landlord about renewal terms.

→ View California laundromat listings

2. San Francisco, CA — Coin Laundry + Pickup & Delivery | Growing Revenue

Revenue trending sharply upward — $15,900/month in 2023, $17,600 in 2024, and $20,600 projected in 2025. That's nearly 30% revenue growth over two years in a business that's supposed to be stable. Someone is doing something right. Worth a deeper look to understand what's driving it — new services, pricing changes, or expanded delivery routes. Growth like this is rare in a laundromat and deserves a close look at whether it's sustainable.

→ View California laundromat listings

3. New York, NY — Manhattan Laundromat | ~$420K Revenue | ~$130K SDE

High-volume laundromat generating approximately $420,000 in gross sales and $130,000 in SDE. Brand new 10-year lease just assigned — 64 machines total. Manhattan rents are the wild card here at $8,700/month all-in, occupancy costs eat into margins more than a suburban location would. Best suited for a buyer who understands the NYC market and wants density-driven volume over low overhead.

→ View New York laundromat listings

4. New York — Semi-Absentee Laundromat | $340K Asking | ~$90K Net

Asking $340,000 with approximately $220,000 in annual revenue and $90,000 in net profit. Semi-absentee ownership structure already in place. At roughly 3.8x earnings this is priced at a slight premium — but the absentee structure means you're paying for a business that runs without you, which has real value for a first-time buyer who still has a day job. Worth underwriting carefully on the expense side.

→ View New York laundromat listings

5. Houston, TX — Laundromat Near I-45 & Beltway 8 | High-Traffic Location

A fully equipped operational laundromat near one of Houston's busiest intersections. High-density surrounding population with strong blue-collar demographics — exactly the customer profile that keeps laundromats full year-round. Listing details are limited publicly but the location fundamentals are strong. Worth a call to the broker to get the financials package before this one moves.

→ View Texas laundromat listings

Laundromat valuation multiples hit a new high in 2025.

According to BizBuySell's valuation benchmarks, laundromat multiples have always run higher than most service businesses — and demand pushed them to a new peak this year. What does that mean for you as a buyer?

You're competing in a hot category. The "passive income" crowd has found laundromats. That means less room to lowball, more importance on moving fast with clean offers, and more value in finding deals through direct broker relationships before they hit the open market.

The sweet spot right now: deals under $500K where institutional buyers aren't competing. That's your lane — and it's where this newsletter lives.

Let's run the numbers on a $400,000 purchase price for a business generating $133,000 in SDE using a standard SBA 7(a) structure:

That's $73,600 in your pocket annually on a $40,000 investment — a 184% cash-on-cash return in year one, assuming the numbers hold through due diligence.

Want to improve the structure? Ask the seller to carry 10–15% as a seller note. That reduces your SBA loan amount, lowers your monthly payment, and gives you more breathing room in year one.

SBA lender tip: Get pre-qualified by 3 SBA Preferred Lenders before you make your first offer. Sellers and brokers take pre-qualified buyers significantly more seriously — and in a hot market, that edge matters.

→ Find SBA Preferred Lenders near you

This is Issue #1 — and I want to be upfront about something.

I started Boring Business Weekly because I believe the single best wealth-building opportunity most people are ignoring is right in front of them. Not crypto. Not startups. Not real estate at today's prices.

It's the laundromat on the corner. The HVAC company the owner wants to retire from. The car wash that's been cash-flowing quietly for 20 years.

These businesses aren't glamorous. They don't make headlines. But they make money — reliably, repeatedly, and with far less risk than people think.

Every week I'll bring you the best deals I find, the data you need to evaluate them, and the frameworks to think about financing and operations. My goal is simple: to help you find and buy your first boring business.

Hit reply and tell me — what type of boring business are you most interested in? I read every response and it shapes what I cover each week.

See you next week.

[Roman] Founder, Boring Business Weekly

A note on deal sourcing: listings in this issue are drawn from active deals on BizBuySell and BizQuest. Because listings sell quickly, I link to the search category rather than individual listings — so you always see what's live right now.

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