How to Start a Pooper Scooper Business
When thinking of the service industry, you might not immediately think about a pooper scooper business, but many people are more than happy to pay someone to remove their dog's feces from the yard. As the owner of a pooper scooper business, you contract with customers and they pay you to remove the poop weekly or biweekly. Startup is inexpensive, making this an easy business to get into.
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Things You'll Need
- Reliable vehicle
- Cell phone
- Business cards
- Rubber gloves
- Trash bags
- Shovel
- Trash cans or canisters
Instructions
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Get a business license. You'll need a license from your city or county in order to operate legally. Before you get the business license, you must pick a good name for your business. Many pooper scooper businesses make a play on the words "doody," "dog" or "poop" in their names.
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Decide on a fee structure. Providing a high-quality service is important, but the first question people will ask is, "How much will it cost?" Prepare yourself to tell people about your services and their costs.
Consider a variety of services. For example, how much will you charge customers with more than one dog? Will you charge extra to clean poop from concrete? What if a dog is ill? Include your price structure in the contract you draft for customers.
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Purchase your supplies. Eventually you'll want to buy your supplies at wholesale prices, but while you are trying to get clients and build your business, purchase them as inexpensively as possible from a local source. Make sure you have enough supplies in your vehicle for about a week's worth of clients.
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Market your services. You can do this by leaving business cards at veterinarians' offices, at dog grooming businesses and at doggie day care or dog boarding businesses. The clientele at these businesses are those most likely to pay for this service.
At the very least, give your business card to everyone you know. You can also create a flier that gives more information about your services and prices. It might also be helpful to build a website to market your services. Once you have a website, you can place free ads on sites like Craigslist.com and link to your site.
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Expand your business. Many pooper scooper business owners provide other services to dog owners. Once you are established, consider offering pet sitting services or transportation to the vet. Over time, you can create a full complement of services that dog owners might want to use.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit dog image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
