What are the key KPIs for wash and fold service

The essential KPIs are customer churn rate, weekly ARPU, contribution margin per load, on-time delivery rate, and average order weight per pickup Track these five metrics weekly and monthly to see early signs of profitability and operational stress Use revenue milestones-REVENUE 1Y and REVENUE 2Y-to benchmark growth and EBITDA metrics to assess profitability

How often should I review these KPIs for early warnings

Review operational KPIs weekly and financial KPIs monthly for timely action Weekly tracking catches delivery, order weight, and churn trends while monthly reviews compare ARPU and contribution margin to REVENUE 1Y and EBITDA 1Y figures Combine these cadences to forecast when minimum cash could be reached and to adjust spending before the Minimum Cash month arrives

What is a good cadence for matching marketing to revenue

Align marketing reporting to monthly subscription cohorts and quarterly partnership reviews Measure new paid subscriptions each month and compare against REVENUE 1Y and REVENUE 2Y targets to validate spend Evaluate partner referral performance monthly and optimize when conversion or ARPU fails to progress toward breakeven in Year 2

Do I need a separate metric for specialty treatments profitability

Yes, track specialty treatments as a distinct revenue stream and calculate contribution margin per treatment Monitor specialty treatment revenue growth versus projected forecasts and its impact on overall ARPU Use the Specialty Treatments forecast figures to ensure upsell economics cover additional processing and consumable costs before scaling

How should I use minimum cash and IRR in planning

Use the minimum cash figure and IRR to set financial guardrails for runway management The Minimum Cash value should be your operating floor and IRR informs return expectations compare planned spend and capex to avoid breaching the minimum cash threshold Use these figures when forecasting scenarios and fundraising timing

wash and fold service KPI guide with 5 must-track metrics 2y

You're running a wash-and-fold and need clear metrics: customer churn rate; revenue per weekly subscription (ARPU); contribution margin per load; on-time delivery rate; average order weight per pickup. Track those five weekly for ops and monthly for finances to spot profitability and cash risks.

5 KPI & Metrics for a Wash and Fold Service: What Numbers Matter Most for Success?

#	KPI Metric	Description
1	Customer Churn Rate	Monthly percent of subscribers canceling; indicates retention and revenue risk.
2	ARPU (weekly)	Average weekly revenue per active subscription, used to inform pricing and revenue forecasts.
3	Contribution Margin/Load	Revenue minus direct load costs, utilities, and labor to assess profitability per load.
4	On-time Delivery %	Percent of pickups and deliveries completed on schedule, impacting satisfaction and churn risk.
5	Average Order Weight	Average pounds or kilograms per pickup to size capacity and plan labor.

Key Takeaways

Track monthly churn to forecast subscription revenue and runway
Measure weekly ARPU to set pricing and capacity
Calculate contribution margin per load after all variable costs
Monitor on-time delivery rate to reduce churn risk

What Are The 5 Must-Track KPIs?

You're running a wash and fold service - track these five KPIs: customer churn rate, revenue per weekly subscription (ARPU), contribution margin per load, on-time delivery rate, and average order weight per pickup to catch profit and ops issues early. Read revenue context and owner earnings How Much Does a Wash and Fold Service Business Owner Earn?. One clear metric often saves you months of guesswork.

Five Must-Track KPIs

Measure monthly customer churn rate
Calculate weekly ARPU laundry
Compute contribution margin per load
Track on-time delivery rate and average order weight

What Numbers Tell You If You're Actually Making Money?

These five numbers tell if your wash and fold business is actually profitable; read the quick checklist below. They are the core wash and fold KPIs: gross margin after COGS and processing materials, EBITDA versus fixed monthly burn and facility rent, net cash position versus minimum cash requirement, contribution margin per load after direct labor and utilities, and breakeven year comparison to reached breakeven revenue level. See practical setup steps at How to Start a Profitable Wash and Fold Service? and track these metrics weekly for subscription laundry KPIs to spot trouble early.

Give a header name

Gross margin after COGS
EBITDA vs fixed monthly burn & rent
Net cash vs minimum cash requirement
Contribution margin per load (labor + utilities)

Which KPI Predicts Cash Flow Problems Early?

Net cash runway vs minimum cash threshold is the clearest early warning for cash flow pain, and you should watch it every month so you can act fast - read operational cost drivers in parallel with subscription trends and receipts timing. Track monthly changes in subscription revenue against fixed expenses, monitor the receipts timing gap between pickup collections and processing receipts, and flag any rise in on-demand refunds or specialty treatment credits. Also watch accelerating customer churn that slices predictable weekly subscription income; it changes runway math immediately. For startup cost context, see How Much Does It Cost to Start a Wash and Fold Service?

Early cash-flow warning KPIs

Net cash runway vs minimum cash threshold
Monthly change in subscription revenue vs fixed expenses
Receipts timing gap: pickups collected vs processing receipts
Rising refunds/credits and accelerating subscription churn

Which KPI Shows If Marketing Is Paying Off?

Track partner-driven subscription growth. Watch new paid subscriptions per month from partnership channels, and compare customer acquisition cost to the first 12 weeks of ARPU to see if marketing pays back. Also monitor conversion rate from retail referrals, share of revenue from partner referrals, and zip-code revenue growth for studio partnerships - and check costs against startup assumptions in How Much Does It Cost to Start a Wash and Fold Service?

Marketing-to-revenue KPIs

New paid subscriptions per month from partners
Customer acquisition cost vs first 12 weeks ARPU
Conversion rate from retail referrals
Share of revenue from partner-driven referrals

What KPI Do Most New Owners Ignore Until It's Too Late?

Contribution margin per load after all variable costs is the single metric new owners often ignore, and ignoring it quickly hides real losses-keep reading to spot the others. Watch load-level yield losses from damaged or misprocessed garments, RFID bag replacement rate and consumable costs, per-van utilization versus fuel expense, and a growing deferred maintenance backlog. These five wash and fold KPIs reveal margin leaks fast and connect directly to subscription laundry KPIs and laundromat performance metrics-see How Profitable is a Wash and Fold Service? for context.

Hidden KPIs that kill margins

Contribution margin per load-track revenue minus processing materials and direct labor
Load-level yield loss-flag damaged/misprocessed garments per batch
Per-van utilization-compare stops to fuel and delivery variable expense
Deferred maintenance backlog-grows into capex-like repair risk

What Are 5 Core KPIs Should Track?

KPI 1: Customer Churn Rate

Definition

Customer Churn Rate measures the monthly percentage of subscribers who cancel. It shows how fast subscription laundry revenue is degrading and helps forecast cash runway and recurring revenue stability.

Advantages

Detects revenue leakage early so you can act.
Shows which acquisition channels deliver long-term value.
Drives retention strategies that improve ARPU and CLTV.

Disadvantages

Can mask seasonal variations if not cohort-segmented.
Doesn't explain why customers leave-needs qualitative follow-up.
High short-term promotions can temporarily lower churn, fooling analysis.

Industry Benchmarks

Benchmarking should compare monthly churn by segment: partner-referred cohorts, direct sign-ups, and on-demand users. Compare retention at 3 months and 12 months to judge long-term fit and partnership quality.

How To Improve

Implement QA checks on every load and measure refunds.
Run targeted onboarding and 2-week follow-ups for new subscribers.
Segregate partner cohorts and negotiate SLAs with studios.

How To Calculate

Customer Churn Rate = (Subscribers Lost During Month ÷ Subscribers at Start of Month) × 100

Example of Calculation

Customer Churn Rate = (50 ÷ 1,000) × 100 = 5%

Tips and Trics

Segment churn by acquisition source every month.
Track 3‑ and 12‑month cohort retention to spot onboarding gaps.
Flag spikes in churn after service issues or price changes.
Run win‑back campaigns within 30 days-defintely track lift.