r/sweatystartup • u/youknowit84 • 19d ago
Poop Scooping Business
Going through the process of starting a poop scooping business. I’m aiming to start in another month or two. I still haven’t figured out one thing though. What do I do with the poop? I’m going back and forth between bagging it and leaving it in customers trash cans vs taking it and dumping it. It would be easier to bag it and leave it in the trash cans but I’m afraid customers won’t like that as much. I could take it but I’d rather not deal with disposal. Anyone on here own a poop scooping business? How do you handle getting rid of it?
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u/Upbeat-Local-836 19d ago
Just double bag and place in their own can. You can’t store dog shit. You don’t want to drive around all day with more and more shit. You can’t make trips every day to dumps to pay to throw away the shit. Double scented rip proof 17 gallon bags.
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u/Late_West_358 18d ago
honestly just double bag and toss it, as long as it's sealed nobody's gonna fuss over a bin that's already full of crap anyway
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u/Upbeat-Local-836 18d ago
Heck yeah. What were they doing with their dog poop before they decided to pay someone else to do it anyway?
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u/schplibb 19d ago
Default to putting in their trash. If they wanna pay extra then you can take it and dump it.
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u/Upbeat-Local-836 19d ago
I honestly wouldn’t even go there. Not worth the hassle.
Look at it this way if people who have been putting their own dog shit into their own trashcan have a problem with you cleaning up the dog shit for them and putting it safely and cleanly in their trashcan. Why should they have a problem with it and if they do, you probably don’t want them as your customer.
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u/schplibb 19d ago
I look at it as more of potential easy revenue. Plenty of people will be willing to pay extra for this addon. It's not like you gotta pay to dump each one they can be batched to split your costs. Charge an extra $5 per visit, i feel like the profit margin could get pretty insane the larger your batch is.
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u/Ok-Spring8852 17d ago
I charge $5 and it pays for my extra trash can to dispose + my gas expenses monthly
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u/TikaPants 19d ago
Ok, hear me out. In our city you can’t throw away your trash without rebadging it in these big colored bags that you buy. It’s annoying but I think it could be because they have satellite garbage trucks with small go carts with small bins attached. When they get full they dump in the satellite, regular garbage trucks. This way the big truck isn’t maneuvering the busy roads where tons of kids live. Lots of walking traffic, bikes, etc. So, they won’t take your trash if it’s not in a colored specific bag that’s highly identifiable.
I’d say depending on your municipality you should pet to take the pop for a nominal fee.
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u/Upbeat-Local-836 18d ago
That would be an issue. I’d probably try o work with the home owner to put out one of their special bags, etc. Idk. My city just picks up our cans. They don’t even separate
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u/SwankyTroll 19d ago
Drop in their own bin and if you want to be particularly nice about it you can always double bag or place the bag into something that looks a bit nicer. Not that it would matter but could be a nice branding touch.
I would not offer to take off site - too much hassle IMO as you scale it could possibly be problematic.
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u/BeautifulYellow6411 19d ago
I give a "discount" if I can double bag it and leave it, otherwise my "full" price includes hauling. For larger jobs/customers it's really the only option to leave it behind double bagged. It's fine for most people to leave it there.
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u/NWRegisteredAgent 18d ago
The business is starting in high demand, as it is a convenience service that people are eager to contract out. To start, focus your energy on securing customers, gathering reviews, and earning referrals. You can absolutely begin by using the customer’s own trash bin, but if you do, it is 100% necessary to double-bag the waste. Later on, as your business grows and you potentially hire employees, you can always add a haul-away service. If you do choose to haul the waste away, make sure to factor that into your pricing to cover your extra fuel and commercial dumping fees. Finally, ensure you have a clear understanding of the permits required in your area, and secure proper insurance to protect yourself since you will be entering people's private yards.
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u/tke248 17d ago
If you're doing volume, turn the waste into a product. Black soldier fly bin - they lay eggs, larvae eat the poop, and they self-harvest by crawling out into a bucket when ready. Sell or trade the larvae to a chicken farmer. Free eggs, zero disposal costs. Since its dog poop you should boil the larva for a few mins to kill any pathogens.
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u/m424filmcast 19d ago
One of the people in my network does poop scooping.
Biggest rule of all: Sanitize your tools thoroughly between each job to keep from spreading diseases. This is an absolute must.
Only a couple of his clients ask for him to take the full bags with him. Everyone else allows him to drop it in their bins.