Water Water Everywhere

Water was turned on at Bubbles last week. 

You may have assumed we had water - 

probably because you've never tried to open a laundromat in Ukraine.

Assume nothing, and take nothing for granted - even water.

 The construction group Abilit insisted that we had to get permission to and then lay our own water pipe - that the building's water wouldn't work for our store (more work and money for them).

After 50+ trips back and forth to the Lviv Water Department - we were right - and there is no need for extra digging, governmental permissions, and wasted time.

And, though water was turned on last week, it wasn't until today that we received the stamped, signed, stitched, and notarized certificate from the Lviv Water Department that we can show to random governmental inspectors and say, "back off!" 

Counter Cover

Question: How do you make piping like this look neat and tidy - like it belongs in an upscale place- and still have access to it for maintenance?

Solution: Custom counters with a removable front.

Don't forget a utility sink at one end - after all, we're trying to get stains out!

And plenty of  cupboard and storage space.

The removable front lets us fix any problems that may come up, add more machines as demand increases, gives more counter space for folding clean clothes, and keeps the store looking great.  

Parking

Good news is Bubbles is located on one of the most trafficked streets in Lviv - Volodymrya Velykogo.  

The not so good news is that parking is in the back, making it less convenient to access our store from the main street.  

So, we are currently in the process of negotiating this cement slab as a parking lot for Bubbles.  

The other good news is the Bubbles parking sign will be another billboard marker for us once the parking lot becomes a reality.

exterior

Before & After:

New windows, facade, sign and paint.

Of course, before we went from this to this:

 There was a middle time in 'no-man's land' where things were getting done, 

but not getting done correctly.

 

There you have it - the store front we leased and the new one we created.

reflections

We upgraded our Dexter dryers to have a reflective plate 

so when you open the dryer it's like looking in a mirror - sort of.

We've repeated the reflective concept in other aesthetic aspects of the store ...

 We'll give you a little tour - here's the front door and sign with our address and store hours:

When you walk in the beautiful new glass entry, there is an etched glass Bubbles sign and a glass bubble Bubbles chandelier:
 
You then walk through (left) another beautiful glass door and into the actual store. Here is a photo of the almost complete glass counter - there will be another glass Bubbles sign on the grey-stone behind:

The smaller counter on the left will be our smelling bar - where clients can smell the various types of fabric softener and choose what they want their clothes to smell like.
To the right of the counter will be a scale for customers to weigh their clothes for drop off, or to choose the right size washer to clean their own clothes.
Things are definitely coming together.

Getting Closer

And things are looking good in here!

The skeleton for the cover and folding areas around the washing machines is being built. It's really a neat contraption that Benj designed. Once it's complete I'll post pictures of the finished product - complete with removable top and front to get to the pipes for maintenance. 

On a more decorative note, the "bubble" mirrors above the dryers were hung today.

There is a pop singer in Kyiv who's agent heard about our store and the bubble chandelier we're making, and they called to see if they could video her singing in the store in front of the chandelier. Sure! We don't know how this information spreads, but we'll take it.

Every year our business has to be re-tested to make sure we're up to fire code ... different than the fire permissions and certifications. So, yesterday the guy shows up to check all the plugs, outlets, and wiring. Good news, we pass inspection. Bad news is, he's only one of three people who have to sign off on the inspection. He informs us that one signature will require a large bribe, and the other guy is out of town for the next 10 working days. Ugh. But then he catches a vision of how ridiculous all these hoops are that people have to maneuver in, around, and through to open a business in Ukraine ... and he VOLUNTEERS to sign for all three names! Bam! Job done, just like that - he stamps it - and we walk it over to the government agency so they can file it away until next year. No waiting 10 days, no bribes ... it's taken care of.

On a final note for the day, I'd like you to meet our friend 'the Babuska'! And we really are friends. She stops by almost everyday, let's us know she's keeping a close eye on our building and bushes, making sure no one takes anything they aren't supposed to, and asks us for bread money - which we give her. 

 All is well that ends well ... and we really are getting closer!

In The Press

We have a new 'press page' at the top of the blog because press coverage has begun.
This article comes out next week in Ukraine's "Personal Business" magazine.
Here's a brief synopsis - since the picture I took of the article is not legible, and unless you read Ukrainain, it wouldn't really matter if it was readable anyway.
It's a Q & A article - about us, our background with Ukraine, how Bubbles came to be, the services the laundromat will offer, what we expect from employees, what differentiates our business, and what is most important for us in business.
The article highlights two quotes:
"Bubbles is clean clothes, clean life," and "I want to start an honest business in Ukraine."
We explain while trying to hire an experienced accountant we interviewed 25 candidates and asked each the same question: "Is it possible to have an honest business in Ukraine?" Only ONE said it was possible (not a coincidence, that is the one we hired) the other 24 said "no" - you can't have an honest business here.
There are more articles coming, and interviews scheduled ... so there should be more "in the press" images and updates soon!

Sex Club

We've been thrilled at the positive response we've received from restaurants and hotels (and we're not even open yet!) - corporate clients - especially since we've encountered a few stumbling blocks with opening, and haven't had any time to market Bubbles how we planned.
Yesterday a "private cafe" owner approached us, and asked if they could sign a wash contract - they even volunteered to pay double our asking rates for next-day service, and they only wanted a three day turn-around time. As we asked more questions trying to find out about the "cafe" we learned it's only open a few nights a week, from 10pm to 6am ... and you have to have an appointment.
If you know us, you'll know this conversation was about as strained as the Nudist Laundromat conversation .;. or the time we valued several wineries in Napa Valley (we don't drink alcohol) ... and of course this conversation is happening entirely in Ukrainian.
Needless to say, we passed up the offer.
We prefer to keep our machines as Hepatitis free as possible, thank you very much.

Smile! You're on Camera.

Our video surveillance is up and running ... which means we can (and do) check in on Bubbles at all hours ... and (eventually) from anywhere!

Uh-Oh

We could sure use a laundromat right about now.

Construction Quirks

Turns out, there are just different standards for construction in Ukraine than we're used to in America. First, we'll show you some of the poor building choices that we live with in our flat - a flat that was renovated this spring with the intent of being leased to an ex-pat family.

We have a great gas stove - better than our our SF rental - except for the fact that plastic molding was used on the wall behind and the heat has since melted and warped the molding.  Then there are the electrical outlets that occasionally 'pop' off the wall - and the builder actually used cardboard pieces to help stabilize the plugs and keep them in place. Whatever. 

Next, the bathroom. The tub water faucet is about two inches misplaced. How the water runs now actually hits the inner ledge of the tub ... if someone had thought through what they were doing, they would have moved the faucet over a couple of inches so it runs directly into the tub. But, the problem is, construction things are often not thought through. We've found the mentality is, "drill now, patch later." And we'd prefer it to just be right the first time. Finally, the sink leaks constantly - and it's only been used for 3 1/2 months.

Similar issues already plague us at Bubbles - why can you see this bathroom light cord? There is no reason that the hole should be visible. Why is this heater plug exposed two inches into the office? Why didn't they cut it so it ended behind the drywall? Why is the plumbing and piping ABOVE ground on the toilet? Why didn't they take an extra hour and dig down six more inches so the toilet could sit directly on the piping instead of exposing everything? Finally, why did they drill these extra ventilation holes in all the work rooms before they realized that there was a steal beam at one end that would prevent the pipe from going all the way through?

True, none of these issues on their own are earth shattering, and they aren't the reason we're 6 weeks+ behind schedule ... but when you are paying a decent amount for construction time and materials, you'd expect a decent completed job. We guess it's all a part of the crash course in Ukrainian business we're taking - and we're learning to work with it, through it, around it, and beyond it!

Two Steps Forward ...

One step back.
That pretty much describes the last three months of construction and permissions as we prepare to open Bubbles.

While explaining this concept to the kids using the tile floor, it became apparent that even though destination progress is slowed by this type of "forward-backward" movement ... three steps are still taken.
So, at the end of walking a mile in this way (two steps forward, one step backward) you've technically walked three miles ... and if you are on track, you weren't headed for a real destination anyway, just the exercise!
Translation = by the time this first store is said and done ... we'll have the "exercise" (or experience) of three stores ... even if we only have the income from one. And we'll be that much more "fit" to keep going.

LIGHTS, camera, action!

We have power and the lights are on! While we've had governmental power permission for weeks, it wasn't until Monday that the electricians were willing to connect our power. Then, of course, when the wires were to be connected on Monday, issues came up, and it wasn't until Thursday that everything was up and running ... but it is up and running! One of the hold-ups was that the little beady things on either side of this meter can only be removed by a city electrician - and if it's tampered with, there are fines, and fees. However, it takes weeks to get a city electrician during working hours, so we hired one to come by after working hours and get the job done - "When in Rome," right?

Another problem was the way Abilit (our main construction firm) wrote up our electrical project - suggesting we need 3 x's the amount of power that we really do need (an absurd amount!) so as to stall government approval, and have us pay them more, so they could use their "contacts" to get the project through ... see the corruption here? Anyway, problem averted, we have our own "contacts" and Bubbles will triumph. This is the folding room for hotel contract orders - lights, lights, beautiful lights in every room!


As far as other construction progress goes - the door frames are in, doors painted, and waiting to be hung.

 

The metal baseboards are mostly up and we'll remove the protective cover soon. The lip connecting the windowsill and drywall is installed. And the outside facade is coming along - more of a sky-blue than dark. So far the Ukrainian response to the blue has been overwhelmingly positive.