This is one of the simplest business ideas I have found and a very easy business to start. And with all the pet owners around the world, there is a constant supply of repeat business.
If you wouldn’t mind being on doggy poop patrol, this would be a great way to earn some extra income and even establish a full time business.
Many people just don’t want to clean up after their pets, and would be willing to pay a small fee to have their yard taken care of on a regular basis.
If you can line up enough homes in a neighborhood and schedule your pick ups strategically to keep your gas expenses in line, those small fees can add up quickly.
You could schedule weekly or twice weekly pickups or whatever your clients wanted and adjust your fees accordingly.
I am not sure exactly what you should charge for this service, you would have to do some research. You could first check to see if there are other services in your area and find out what they charge, and you could also do some research online.
The easiest way to market this idea would be to print up flyers and start posting them in public places.
And a good door to door flyer campaign would probably be the fastest way to get business coming in.
Be sure to target more affluent neighborhoods first. They are more likely to be the homes of busy professional people who may not have the time or inclination to take care of this chore.
You can also offer seasonal services, and a spring clean-up service if you live in an area where there would be less winter business. But most people would still like winter clean-up if possible.
It would also be beneficial for you to educate yourself on different dog food types and the effect they have on a dog’s bowel movements.
And do some research on various health issues for pets and how that can affect their waste.
This way you can alert the pet owner as to any changes in their animals bowel movements that might indicate a health concern.
This would add value to your service and make you seem even more credible and reputable.
To get this business idea started all you really need is good transportation, some type of scooping device (do some research on this so you don’t have to be bending down to pick everything up) and a bucket for the waste.
Ebay has some great deals on dog poop scoops:
It would also be a good idea to invest in biodegradable bags to dispose of the waste, and you would have to decide if you would dispose of all the waste yourself, or bag up the waste at each house and dispose of it in the homeowner’s garbage.
Make sure to check city ordinances about this to see if there are any guidelines here.
You should also have a dedicated phone line and listings in phone and internet directories. You could also
build a website
with more information about your service and print the web address on your flyers. That way people could visit your site and see what you have to offer.
Having a website would not be necessary to get started, but if you decide to make this a full time business, it would definitely increase your credibility and help build your business. Check out
Pet Yard Pick-Up.com
to see an example of this.
And you could use a website as another income stream.
Build great content about your service and animal care in general, and then monetize the site with affiliate recommendations and by selling ad space to local pet care services in your area.
This is one of those small business ideas that is simple to start and has very little start up cost.
And if you use bio-degradable bags for the waste it would also be an eco-friendly idea too.
This could also be a great kid’s business idea. A kid could start this business in their neighborhood to earn some extra cash. It’s a business idea that provides a lot of flexibility and would teach some great business skills and responsibility.
