How to Start a Post-Construction Trash Removal Business

If you're an entrepreneur interested in starting your own small business, trash removal, while it may not seem like a glamorous choice, can be a useful and profitable option. If you live in an area with a great deal of new development, construction and landscaping improvements, a small trash removal business is great for the demand created by construction waste.

Instructions

1. Assess your local area's needs. If there is a lot of house construction near you're location, plan your small business around the type of waste produced in home construction. If your area has a lot of renovations, demolition or landscaping improvements, plan for those types of waste.

2. Learn about the regulations for disposing of certain types of waste. Much of the waste produced by construction may require special permits or fees for disposal, so check with your local landfill for how to abide by local and state regulations.

3. Get a vehicle capable of transporting waste and modify it for the type of trash you're handling. Based on the type of trash you'll need to transport, you may be able to operate out of a basic pick-up truck or you may need to modify it with an elevated bed or roll-out cover.

4. Give your trash removal business a headquarters for customer relations. Any small business can benefit from office space to start out, even if you don't need the office to actually conduct business. Advertise locally and regionally as a waste removal service.

5. Factor in disposal costs and associate fees when budgeting for your construction waste removal business. Because vehicle operation and disposal fees can be expensive, so plan to spend about 80 percent of your total revenues on operation costs.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact construction companies as well as private homeowners when advertising. You may be able to build a corporate client base as well as a private one with partnerships with other businesses that need trash removal services.

• Learn about potential hazardous waste at construction sites, including sharp objects, chemicals and biohazards. Conduct routine training and inspection with your employees to maintain a safe work environment for trash removal.