How to Start a Business Cleaning Out People's Homes
The junk hauling business really got a shot in the arm when Brian Scudamore, founder of 1-800-Got Junk? joined the fray. "Everybody's got junk," Brian says in an Entrepreneur magazine article. Started in 1989, within 10 years Scudamore decided to franchise the business. The company is now the world's largest junk removal service (according to the company website) with franchisees in three countries, 43 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces. And to think it all started with just one truck.
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Instructions
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Purchase or lease a durable truck for hauling away household items and debris. Purchase gloves, masks, shovels and other similar items.
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Hire at least one employee or find a business partner to join you. It will take at least two people to lift large pieces of furniture or debris.
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Calculate a fee structure that is based on volume, hours worked and/or distance. Consider labor rate, vehicle maintenance and any applicable disposal fees. 1800GotJunk charges by volume; other companies charge by the hour.
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Subcontract or create a joint venture with local moving companies to haul away furniture items that families do not want to move. Contact mortgage companies and offer to provide clean-out services for houses in foreclosure.
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Take the items to a landfill, sell to other individuals or donate to thrift stores or charitable organizations. Some jurisdictions, such as the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, require haulers to have a permit before dumping.
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Tips & Warnings
Register your business with your local and state government. Some states, such as Ohio, require a detailed list of all items collected.
National franchises with advertising budgets and uniformed workers are entering the clean out/junk removal business in many markets.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Cargo truck image by Canakris from Fotolia.com
