The key to any good business opportunity is to find a product or service that you can provide which no one else is willing to provide. When it comes to pooping and scooping, the average person just isn’t going to want to do this chore. Yet when they have pets, and they have a backyard, there is going to be poop that needs to be scooped. This is where a pooper scooper business could create a very comfortable living.
A waste removal business has some key advantages to it that no other business opportunity has. If you are thinking about starting your own business and you don’t have a lot of capital on hand to get it going, then knowing how to start a pooper scooper business could be very profitable information indeed.
It Can Cost Less Than $2,000 To Get Started Today
The process of waste removal is quite simple. All you need to do is pick up the waste that has been left by an animal. That is why the cost of starting this business are quite low. Outside of your business licenses and registrations, the only equipment that tends to be personal safety equipment that will help keep the waste off of your skin and clothing.
Even if picking up animal waste is not your cup of tea, this business opportunity is so lucrative that you could hire others to do the labor while you market the business and sign contracts. The marketing aspect of a pooper scooper business is also one of its advantages. Many of the services that are provided are done at a flat fee rate. Instead of variable hourly rates, customers will know that you will charge them $30 per month to pick up their backyard once per week.
This is why the business is so lucrative. Unless the backyard is an acre or more in size, the average amount of time that it will take to fulfill a contract is about 10 minutes. If you are running this business on your own, and you allowed 20 minutes of travel time between four contract sites every day, then you will make a gross hourly wage of $120. If there are large yards, you can even charge more for your services, and this can further increase your profitability.
What Do You Need to Get Started?
You will need reliable transportation first and foremost to run a successful waste removal business. Although you could use your personal vehicle if money is tight, at the end of the day, your vehicle is going to smell quite fruitful. That’s why investing in leased vehicle that has a logo on it will be to your advantage.
Having a comprehensive mobile data plan will also be an advantage for you. This will allow customers to contact you via email or phone if they want to schedule services with your organization. You may find that certain customers will want an extra day of service every once and awhile, so by having a data plan that is always with you, can quickly respond to these customers needs and increase your profitability because you are working more.
Unless you want to get waste on your shoes, investing in a good pair of rubber boots will be a definite thing you’ll want to do. Having garbage buckets, lots of plastic bags, thick gloves, and shovels will also help you get through a job rather quickly.
As a final consideration, you’ll need to figure out a way to dispose of the waste that you’re collecting on a daily basis. This may be as simple as leasing out a dumpster by your place of business that is picked up once or twice per week, but that depends on your level of business. If you’re picking up hundreds of pounds of animal waste per week, that dumpster will start to smell worse that a baby’s diaper that has fermented. You may wish to explore landfill, compost, or fertilizer options to help you dispose of the waste properly.
How Do You Spread the Word About Pooping and Scooping?
The pooper scooper business has a natural target market with pet owners. Although dogs are the primary animal that creates waste that needs to be removed, some cat owners may also wish to have your service if they have outdoor pets and sandy soil around their property. Other animal owners may also have specific needs that you might be able to meet for them.
The fastest way to get started with this new business opportunity would be to form a relationship with a local veterinarian. No one is going to regularly see local pet owners more than the vet, so being able to have brand exposure in that local office will give you a higher rate of prospects than any other opportunity.
You may also wish to consider a limited advertising campaign. Avoid the newspaper because your advertisement will likely get lost. Free websites aren’t so great because you never know if a lead is genuine or not. Focus on TV, radio, or even a well-placed billboard to start building a higher level of brand awareness.
A final step may be the creation of a website. If customers can book their own appointments directly through your website, know how much your fees are going to be for their yard, and plan ahead for costs, then you could wind up with a booming pooper scooper business in no time at all.
It has been said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Maybe they weren’t talking about animal waste when this observation was made, but there is certainly some truth in it. Whether you take the contracts on yourself or you hire employees to do the work for you, removing dog waste can be a very profitable business venture. If your community does not offer this service, then you have the chance to create a business that smells like money in your pocket.
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