When most people think of a laundry service, they think about clean clothes. But for Shanna-Kay Arellano, founder of Fresh Flo Laundry Concierge, the business has always been about something more valuable: time.
"People ask me all the time, 'Why laundry?'" Arellano says. "My goal has never been to convince people they can't do their own laundry. My goal is to remind them that just because you can do something doesn't mean your time is best spent doing it."
Fresh Flo Laundry Concierge was founded by Arellano and her husband to help busy families, professionals, and business owners reclaim hours that would otherwise be spent on laundry.
"As a mom, I know what it's like to look up and realize an entire Saturday disappeared between washing, drying, folding, and putting clothes away," she says. "You start the weekend wanting to relax or spend time with your family, and before you know it, it's Sunday night, and you're wondering where the weekend went."
That realization sparked the idea for a concierge-style pickup-and-delivery laundry service.
"What if I could create a business that helps people buy back their time?" Arellano says. "We wash clothes, but what we're really delivering is an extra evening with your family, a Saturday morning at the soccer field, time to work on your business, go on a date, read a book, or simply take a nap."
Although Fresh Flo is only six months into its journey, Arellano says entrepreneurship has already taught her valuable lessons.
"The biggest lesson I've learned is that done is better than perfect," she says. "A lot of people wait until everything is 'ready' before they start. I've learned you figure things out by doing. Every customer, every mistake, and every win teach you something."
That willingness to adapt has shaped the company's approach from the beginning. Initially, Arellano wanted every customer interaction to be personal, but one busy client's request changed her perspective.
"I was against having online forms because I wanted a more personal service," she says. "Then I had a client whose schedule made a virtual form the best option. I adjusted, and now he's one of our weekly regulars. You have to be open to serving clients based on their needs."
Starting a business wasn't without challenges. Beyond the uncertainty of entrepreneurship, Fresh Flo also entered a competitive marketplace filled with laundromats and traditional wash-and-fold services.
Looking back, she's most proud of taking the leap. "No matter where Fresh Flo goes from here, I'm proud that we're showing our children that you can bet on yourself and build something you're proud of," she says.
Fresh Flo recently expanded its offerings through a partnership with a local dry cleaner. The company is also growing its commercial laundry services for salons, spas, barbershops, and Airbnb hosts. Ultimately, she hopes people remember Fresh Flo for more than clean clothes.
"I hope they remember that Fresh Flo isn't about laundry; it's about time," Arellano says. "You can always make more money. You can always buy more things. But you can't make more time. We're a local family that wants to build a local business and pour back into our community one laundry drop-off at a time."