The buyer, and thus new owner of a small, typical neighborhood laundry, was beginning to have his doubts about whether or not he had gotten as good a deal as he thought. Laundry income, so far, had never attained the levels the previous owner had assured him that it was doing. After 7 months, he was still losing a little each and every month due to making payments, utility costs and rent. The income was not covering his costs. It was enough to have him be worried about if he could continue.

              

He was in the laundry doing some heavy cleaning when he was approached by one of his customers. She identified herself as the pastor’s wife from a nearby church. It wasn’t his own. She told him that their church was holding a drive to raise money for some overseas orphaned children. Would he be willing to make a donation and help with this project?

              

On a hurried impulse he did not fully understand, and certainly had not had time to think out, he made her the following offer.

              

He would donate the total income of the laundry for one day to the drive. Every penny would go for the drive if she would bring in members from the church to do their laundry on a particular Wednesday.

              

After she agreed, he thought it over and he worried that he had been too generous, but it was too late to back out now.

              

They had set a Wednesday, just a few weeks away, as the day for the drive. He knew Wednesday was his really slow day and thought he wouldn’t lose all that much except for what the utilities would cost.

              

Besides, he was paying the rent anyway, so his losses wouldn’t be all that great.

              

When the day came, the laundry was inundated with people. It wasn’t all that big of a church, but their congregation was from the right socioeconomic group for using coin laundries. The members also brought some of the friends they’d met in other laundries.

              

It turned out to be the biggest day that small laundry owner had ever had. He was proud to write a check for several hundred dollars for the drive. Of course, the local newspaper wrote about it, and the church’s bulletin had all of the details as well.

              

With that big Wednesday bump, and all that publicity it took several weeks for him to see that many of the customers who came in that Wednesday were still coming in. They had discovered his laundry, and appreciated that the owner was such a caring man.

              

To this day, many of these new laundry customers continue to drive past other laundries to do their wash with him.

              

The laundry’s cash flow began to ratchet up and up, and in a short time was close to 20% ahead of the washer and dryer income it had been doing. The laundry’s owner is considered a valuable member of that community, and now feels content that he made a good deal in the purchase of the business.

              

Isn’t it written somewhere that when you cast your bread upon the waters it will be returned to you many fold? This particular laundry owner felt his operation is the perfect example for that adage. You know, he’s right!