Site Map | Search This Site | Contact Site Owner

Scoopers & Friends Discussion Board Archives

Messages archived from the Scoopers & Friends Discussion Board, going back to May of 1998. The discussion board board is an online forum about the business of pet-waste removal. Browse the messages, CLICK HERE TO SEARCH by keyword, or click here to participate in current discussions.

Message Date/Time:
Wednesday, 14-Oct-98 01:39:38

Los Angeles interest ... Hi, I'm a petsitter/dog walker here in LA,CA and I'm interested in starting w/ scooping. Could some of you let me know how you started, costs and some of the problems you may have encountered? I'm already insured and bonded. If anyone is already in this area, I'd love to chat. Thank you in advance, you can email me privately if you wish. Sonia and Ecco(my black lab)
Message Date/Time:
Thursday, 22-Oct-98 15:38:07

Re: Los Angeles interest ... Hi Sonia,
I recommend reading all the messages here on the message board, and going to www.pooper-scooper.com and reading the archived messages there. You'll find a LOT of information on exactly what you've asked about. :)
Of course, if you have any specific questions, comments, etc. please post them, too. Folks participating here are most friendly and helpful!
There's one pooper-scooper in Los Angeles listed on the International Directory of Dog Waste Removal Services, which is online at www.pooper-scooper.com, too. Los Angeles should be a terrific location; I would expect it to support lots of pooper-scoopers. :)
This should be a natural complement to your present services!

Best Wishes!

Matthew
Message Date/Time:
Thursday, 15-Oct-98 12:54:50

metronet news ... Hi Everyone!
I was contacted by a reporter from MetroNet news out of Toledo about PooP b Gone. During the on-line interview I turned him on to the Pooper-Scooper Directory webpage and Matthew's own webpage so he could get more information for the story. The story is in today's edition of MetroNet if you all want to check it out. He mentions PooP b Gone, Dog Poop Patrol out of Toledo and he also did a great write up on Matthew. The webpage is www.themetronet.com/index.html
It is under the "Scat Patrol" heading.

Take care all!!
Message Date/Time:
Friday, 16-Oct-98 13:39:35

Tooling with the own business idea ... I currently live in a house with 3 other adults and one day after reading an article from a Wisconsin newspaper we all thought the idea of a pooper-scooper business was a great idea. I would love to include pet walking as well as I had previously been creating some brochures and such on this. We live in a community in Tampa, FL where there are a ton of dogs and therefore, travel time to jobs would be next to nothing, and the the chance for clientelle would be quite high. I've looked in the phone book and on the web for pooper-scooper businesses in this area and so far have found none so we could be the first here! There are about 15 pet sitters but none listed strictly as pet walkers.

2 of the people in our house would be moving in the next 6months to a year and may start up or branch out the business we begin to the new area where they buy a house.

I would like to know some ranges in the insurance people are paying and your methods for disposing of the waste once you've visited the yards (i.e., do you put it with your trash (w/few clients), do you make special trips to a dump, does it cost anything if you drop it somewhere special, etc.)

Thanks in advance for your replies and help.

Susan

Also, what is the best way to go about finding out if someone else has our business name (or choice of) registered or in use?
Message Date/Time:
Monday, 19-Oct-98 21:36:42

Re: Tooling with the own business idea ... Buy Matt's book. It's the best investment you can make in your company. You get answers to those questions and more. You can refer to it as often as you wish. The information in the book is well thought out. It ain't perfect, but I've never seen anything nearly as good.

Also look into the archives and check out the guy who had a partner problem. Talk to a lawyer. Check out the state offices that deal with small businesses. Go to S.C.O.R.E. seminars. Read at least 2 books a week from the library about business startups. Sound like too much work? Don't quit your day job. Owning your own business is not for sissies. Remember the 40 hour work week? That's for employees, not owners. Want some easy money? Get a job. Want your own business, be prepared to work.
Message Date/Time:
Thursday, 22-Oct-98 15:28:53

Re: Tooling with the own business idea ... Insurance premiums can vary quite a bit depending on where you live, which company and agent you use, how much coverage you buy, the number, ages, and records of your employees, and the terms of the policy. I advise people to call several insurance agents to get quotes. Generally speaking, you should be able to get insurance for $300 to $700 a year, I think.
Some service owners choose to leave the waste in plastic bags in the customers' trash cans. I personally prefer taking it away to provide a more complete service. This is something for you to decide based on your own desires, the local regulations and waste disposal facilities, and the needs and wants of your clients. There are examples of each kind of service, doing well and pleasing customers.
If you go to a landfill, you'll almost always have a dumping fee, and you may have to register as a waste hauler and have a kind of permit to use the landfill. You might be able to have a regular waste hauling company pick up the waste from your place of business; it's worth calling around about.
The best way to find out if your desired business name is available is to contact your state's Secretary of State office. Check the government section of your white pages; there should be something like a "name availability" office listed. In some states, you can check for free; others require a fee. Registering a business trade name should be a lot simpler if you're just going to do business in your own state, as opposed to getting a national trade name.
Message Date/Time:
Friday, 16-Oct-98 16:57:01

question ... Just wondering I am in the Panhandle of Florida and just got done advertising in a local newspaper and not one call, I have just started this up in the area a little over one month now, how long did it take for some of you to get your first customer,
Message Date/Time:
Friday, 16-Oct-98 20:15:26

Re: question ... I found it took me advertising for about 6 weeks straight before I got my first call. They say people have to see something many times before they actually respond to it. I started to get discouraged at first, but once they started calling, it's been a steady build-up ever since. Don't give up!! Having fliers & business cards at vets & groomers is also a good idea. Good luck!
Message Date/Time:
Thursday, 22-Oct-98 13:27:45

Re: question ... Carolyn,
Keep us updated on the results of your newspaper ads. This is exactly the kind of info that helps those of us that are in the business planning stages. I would be very interested in a follow-up on the results of your ads. Do you ask each of your new clients where they found out about you? I have sent for Matthew's book and am just starting to do my feasability research.
Message Date/Time:
Thursday, 22-Oct-98 14:59:27

Re: question ... Hi Carolyn,
When I started, I placed a small ad in the local paper on Sunday, in the "Information" category. I also sent out a news release to all the local papers, tv and radio stations the week before the ad appeared. The ad itself produced a call from a tv news producer, and one new customer. I ran the ad the next week, and the week after that. I got a few calls from each of those ads, and a couple of dozen calls from people who saw newspaper articles or tv news stories about my service.
Over the years I tried many different kinds of marketing. In the long run, the most consistent source of new business for me was a classified ad in the neighborhood weekly papers, under "Pets" or "Pet Services." I found that my results were better when I included my basic price and the words "satisfaction guaranteed."
How many times did you run your ad? What did it say?
Running one small ad just one time rarely results in new business (although I have had results from a single small classified ad). Especially in this kind of business, which most people have never heard of before, it's necessary to build credibility and confidence. Seeing a small ad one time, some people will think it's a joke. Others may notice it, but when they don't see anything else about it in the following days and weeks, they'll think it was just something that didn't work out.
Effective marketing is a cumulative effect of several marketing methods over time. If you distribute a news release and get an article about your business in some of the local media, people will know you are for real and take your ads a lot more seriously. If you run your ad every week for six weeks, people will start talking about it. If you run an ad every other week for six months, people will say "Oh, I've seen them around for years."
You can't rely on just one method of getting out the word about your service, let alone a single exposure. Keep working on spreading the message, even while your present ad is out there. Give away business cards like crazy, place stacks of cards at vets and groomers, use local bulletin boards, get a sign for your vehicle, send out a press release, put classified ads in different papers, put one in your local regional magazine, talk to leaders of dog clubs to see if you can place an ad or get mentioned in their newsletters, distribute flyers door-to-door if you have time on your hands, make your presence known to local associations for the blind or other support groups for people who use service dogs...
The possibilities are endless, keep thinking and trying as many things as you can. Some won't produce new business and you'll quit using them. Some will be a consistent source of customers, and you'll want to stay with those things. When you do start getting calls, ask each new customer and prospect "Where did you learn about us?" and keep track of that information.
Make it your mission to create awareness of the existence of your service. Use as many marketing methods as you can think of and afford.
Message Date/Time:
Friday, 16-Oct-98 22:16:06

Working After Dark to Get Started ... I'm waiting on Matthew's book and should probably wait to get it before I ask my barrage of questions, but I can't wait! So here's just one in this posting: Since I'd need to start part-time while I maintain my full-time job, like a lot of scoopers do, I don't know if I could always do the job on the weekends. And I don't know if I could find daylight hours either before or after my regular job because of the short amount of time between when it gets light and when I should be at my job; and it gets dark by the time I leave. Has anyone here started by working after daylight hours and using a strong light? It sounds unlikely to be adequate, yet at the same time, necessary to get the job done.

More questions laterthanks in advance for any help from you experienced scoopers.

Nancy
Western Fairfax County, VA
Message Date/Time:
Monday, 19-Oct-98 21:26:13

Re: Working After Dark to Get Started ... One hand for a scoop, one for a shovel and one for the flashlight. EEEEEK! Alien poop scoopers!!

Seriously, even with a head mounted light, you will have major quality problems. I hate to discourage you, but I think you should review your assets and your commitment. Since I became involved in this business, over 20 "companies" have started and folded in less than a year in Franklin County Ohio alone. Plenty of opportunity, lots of poorly thought out attempt. I know this sounds harsh, but why waste time and money without a real chance to succeed.
Message Date/Time:
Tuesday, 20-Oct-98 06:35:00

Re: Working Around a FT Job to Get Started ... Point well taken, Pete, and I appreciate the wisdom of the experienced. But I guess the real question is, what are the ways that others are working around full-time jobs when the days are short? Does it mean that, if I can't arrange more flex-time at my job than I have, that I should gear up to start in about March when the days are longer and I have daylight in the morning and after work to do a few jobs? Then by the following October, when the days start to get shorter, I'll know the direction the business is going in. Tell the truth - do these concerns sound more like I'm not ready to make a commitment, or like I'm really trying to think through the obstacles? Remember, I haven't gotten Matthew's book yet but I'm waging that it doesn't cover this in depth (I assume it sticks mostly to the pooper-scooper business and not general business startup which the rest of the world covers) or I wouldn't take up time & space here to ask.
Message Date/Time:
Saturday, 24-Oct-98 09:56:31

Re: Re: Working Around a FT Job to Get Started ... Boy, is there a lot to think about!
I suggest that everyone should question their commitment before starting their own business. Since you took that guff from me, and you're still considering doing this, I already respect your perseverance more than many.

Here's my best advice.

Plan for everything you can think of for a couple of months. Get your **** together. Look for mistakes. Replan. Get advertising ready for the first thaw. (Do you commonly get one in January where you live?) Get your second wave of ads AND a press release ready for February. Be Really, really ready. Have a flex time situation ready at your day job, if you need it. (Show your boss how she benefits from you working flex)

BE PREPARED! It pays off.
Message Date/Time:
Thursday, 22-Oct-98 14:35:59

Re: Working After Dark to Get Started ... Maybe it would be better to wait until Spring. As winter approaches, fewer people will want to start service; but in the early Spring you could be starting at the best time of the year for getting new customers. The middle of February is also usually a slow time for news, and your press releases might have the best chance of getting picked up then.
I don't recommend working in the yards after dark. Even as it gets close to sunset, the lighting is just not suitable for finding the waste very well. A good search requires steady scanning of the area not only right at your feet, but also several yards all around you. Even with a headlamp, the area you'll be able to scan will be so small that you're progress will be awfully slow. In addition, the shadows will hide a lot of waste. I just don't think it would be practical, even if possible, do work in the dark.
Add to that the possibility of customers being bothered by somebody traipsing around the yard at night, and it really seems unfeasable, to me.
Working on the weekends could be a good idea, or maybe you could change your work schedule. If those ideas won't work for you, then maybe you could spend the winter doing planning, accumulating a little money for advertising, tools, etc., working on marketing materials, reading my book and generally getting ready for a really big start once the big thaw comes in February or March.
I hate to tell anyone not to start right now, but considering the whole situation you might do a lot better to wait a few months.

Matthew
Message Date/Time:
Friday, 23-Oct-98 15:05:21

Re: Re: Working After Dark to Get Started ... Oh, it could be done. Series of lights along a length of lightweight beam -

0==0==0==0==0==0

that would rest across the shoulders. The spread would be enough to light a decent area. You'd look really weird, but I suppose it could be done. I wouldn't do it, but to each their own.

john
Message Date/Time:
Saturday, 17-Oct-98 07:31:21

just wanted to say hi ... just wanted to say hi.
i hope everyone is dooing well.
watch where you step
how many of you can do a yard and not step in it, interesting you always step in the one you missed
Message Date/Time:
Monday, 19-Oct-98 21:13:26

Re: just wanted to say hi ... Most of the year, I can do a day's work (30 yards or so) and never step in a pile. Autumn, however is another story. I stomped on 2 today :-(
Message Date/Time:
Thursday, 22-Oct-98 14:22:12

Re: just wanted to say hi ... Hi, Debbie! :)
I used to take a small amount of pride in how many yards I could do without stepping in it. Considering that I might do a couple hundred yards in a week, I'd step in remarkably few piles.
Of course, after years of "feces foraging" I got pretty good at noticing the stuff. Still, every now and then.... yuck!
Speaking of "the one you missed," it can be amazing sometimes that you can clean a yard carefully, searching the whole place in two directions, and still have a kind of nagging feeling that you might have missed one. I found that when I'd have that feeling, I'd almost invariably find one last pile when I'd go back. A pooper-scooper's "sixth sense" ? LOL... could be, could be.
Message Date/Time:
Monday, 19-Oct-98 20:48:53

Follow-up from archived postings ... I've finished reading the archives, while waiting patiently for Matthew's book, and I have questions about 2 postings: (1) Diana, Have Doggie, We'll Doo - what's the status of the association? I'm a big believer in professional associations and I think it would be the second best thing to happen to scoopers; and (2) David, Doody Calls! - did you ever do the door-to-door talking to people method you intended to do, and if so, with what results? I'd also like to ask a 3rd question: has anyone tried cold calling by telephone? I found a reverse phone number directory on the internet once (you look up the phone number by the address rather than the name), and I could probably find it again and I'd consider that method if it worked for others. Thanks in advance for your help, scoopers. I hope to be one of you one day!
Message Date/Time:
Tuesday, 20-Oct-98 11:59:43

Re: Follow-up from archived postings ... Cold calling might work. I know real estate agents use that method with some success. In the past I've gotten hold of a list of licensed dog owners in our area, listed by street not name. You could get hold of a similar list for your area, then call only those houses on the list.
Message Date/Time:
Tuesday, 20-Oct-98 13:54:41

Re: Follow-up from archived postings ... Hi Nancy - Yes we have started gathering all materials for the association. Working with designers, lawyers, accountants. it's enough to make your head spin. It is taking some time but we will announce soon.
We have also done cold calling. it was good if you have the time or you have some one working for you. We would get about 6 customers from 200 phone calls. It is a lot of work.
Good Luck to you!