(This story is part of series introducing a new awards program by the Dayton Business Journal called Inno Under 25, about young entrepreneurs, innovators and business owners in the Dayton region.)
After a long night working for UberEats, 23-year-old Charles Wheeler tossed out a simple business idea while staring at a pile of laundry he didn’t want to clean.
Tumble LLC, the on-demand laundry and dry cleaning service, was born and co-owners Wheeler and Jeffrey Caldwell took on the responsibilities as owners and employees, while working toward their college degrees.
“We do everything,” Wheeler said. “Jeffrey and I wear so many hats within the business. We like to consider ourselves to Koby and Shaq with both of us being basketball fans and a dynamic duo. Things I lack, he picked up on and vice versa.”
Caldwell said he was surprised at how easy licensing and starting an official business was.
The real challenge came from closing their first sales and maintaining consistent income. He believes their business ran smoothly thanks to the support of friends and family and offering a service that is always in demand.
Wheeler said his age has been a benefit, allowing him to tap into his online network as tech savvy member of Generation Z. The pandemic also, unexpectedly and indirectly, aided Tumble in its early growth.
“I think people are more prone to using delivery and carrier services because the pandemic is still going on,” Wheeler said. “Individuals are more apt to using applications to do things like this. On-demand services are a crave. ... Hygiene and cleanliness are needed during a health crisis. People are more cautious of hygiene.”
Wheeler said Tumble will expand services within the next three to five years with an “all-out concierge service” to accommodate other needs such as prescription delivery, groceries and more. Eventually, he hopes to open a consignment shop, which was an original idea of the co-owners to serve the community.
Wheeler graduated from Wright State University in 2019 with a bachelor’s in science in kinesiology and health sports management.
He attributes his success to mentor Nate Sowder at The Entrepreneurs' Center and his parents for their sacrifice and support as he navigates uncharted territory as the first in his family to run a business.
“There’s times where it’s not always a reality that I’m owning and operating my own business with a high school friend,” Wheeler said. “It’s like a testament to living and working every day to make things better because there’s no opportunity to bask in what we’ve done. Eventually, the time will come where we can sit back and relish in our accomplishments. [For now], I want to stay locked into the grind.
Tumble won Wright Venture, an annual student entrepreneur competition earlier this year. The business employs four workers aside from its co-owners.
Tumble is currently working on an app, but orders can be placed by phone or on the official Tumble website.
Tumble LLC
Founded: Spring of 2019
Co-owners: Jeffrey Caldwell and Charles Wheeler
Monthly sales: $500 to $1,000, and growing
Website: https://www.tumblego.com/
Services: On-demand laundry and dry cleaning services
