Halifax basketball player Jayrell Diggs is partnering with courier companies and laundromats to grow his SudDrop laundry service into new provinces.

The student athlete is expanding his laundry subscription service to Ontario this summer, with the hope of later growing across Canada.  

SudDrop collects dirty laundry from homes and businesses. It was the experience of trying to fit laundry into his hectic schedule that inspired Diggs, now a fourth-year commerce student at Saint Mary's University, to launch the business at the beginning of 2023.

“As a student athlete, managing school, training, and daily responsibilities left little time for laundry. I realized if I had this problem, others probably did too," Diggs, a six-foot guard from East Preston, N.S., told Entrevestor.

To date, his HRM-based service has been divided about 50/50 between residential and commercial customers. The margins are lower with residential clients but the approach has helped his young company grow.

"One commercial client is equal to about ten residential clients, so commercial clients are a lot more profitable, but residential clients allow us to grow through word of mouth and brand recognition," he said.

Soon, he will launch in Ottawa with commercial clients. A bar and grill eatery is already on board and then he plans to expand to apartment complexes. Once the company app is up and running, he will extend the service to residential clients.

He said there are competing companies in Ottawa but their presence means the public is already accustomed to paying for laundry pick-up. He hopes to differentiate himself by offering a rapid and personalized service with laundry cleaning available by the bag or pound.   

"We focus on speed and convenience while making sure each client gets the best possible service,” he said. “Our flexible pricing and fast turnaround set us apart."

All being well, he hopes to add Toronto, Etobicoke, Mississauga, and the Niagara region before expanding westwards.

At this stage, Diggs is running the business alone with the help of laundromat and courier partners and freelance staff. He is not yet raising money although he may soon offer a friends and family round in order to fund expansion.  

Recently, he won a national Futurpreneur award and plans to use the $10,000 prize to pay for marketing.

"This award is a huge step forward for SudDrop,” he said. “It allows us to invest in marketing, reach more customers, and grow our presence as we expand into new markets."