The Clean Clothes Corner Laundry (from Bernard W. Taylor III)

When Molly Lai purchased the Clean Clothes Corner Laundry, she thought that because it was in a good location near several high-income neighborhood, she would automatically generate good business if she improved the laundry's physical appearance.  Thus, she initially invested a lot of her cash reserves in remodeling the exterior and interior of the laundry.  However, she just about broke even in the year following her acquisition of the laundry, which she didn't feel was a sufficient return, given how hard she had worked.  Molly didn't realize that the dry-cleaning business is very competitive and that success is based more on prince and quality of service, including quickness of service, than on the laundry's appearance.

In order to improve her service, Molly is considering purchasing new dry-cleaning equipment, including a pressing machine that could substantially increase the speed at which she can dry-clean clothes and improve their appearance.  The new machinery costs $16,200 installed and can clean 40 clothe items per hour (or 320 items per day).  Molly estimates her variable costs to be $0.25 per item dry-cleaned, which will not change if she purchases the new equipment.  Her current fixed costs are $1,700 per month.  She charges customers $1.10 per clothe item.

1. What is Molly's current monthly volume?

2. If Molly purchases the new equipment, how many additional items will she have to dry-clean each month to break-even?

3. Molly estimates that with the new equipment she can increase her volume to 4,300 items per month. What monthly profit would she realize with that level of business during the next three years? After 3 years?

4. Molly believes that if she doesn't buy the new equipment but lowers her price to $0.99 per item, she will increase her business volume. If he price reduction results in a monthly volume of 3,800 items, what will her monthly profit be?

5. Molly estimates that if she purchases the new equipment and lowers he price to $0.99 per item, he volume will increase to about 4,700 items per month.  Based on the local market, that is the largest volume she can realistically expect. What should Molly do?