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DOG OWNERS: Love your dog -- hate poop?
Help is here at last!
THE INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF DOG WASTE REMOVAL SERVICES
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.
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Page Sixty-Three
Message Date/Time:
Thursday, 05-Oct-00 19:07:14
starting a pooper scooper buisness
i have been thinking about starting my own scooping business but am reluctant to do it.some people tell me that i am crazy some say that it is a good idea. i currently have a full time job. i am not quite sure what is holding me back. i feel confident that it will work. what should i do
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Message Date/Time:
Friday, 06-Oct-00 07:57:25
Re: starting a pooper scooper buisness
Person with no name,
You ARE crazy - stick with your job. This business stinks!
:)
Red
PS: You say you're "confident that it will work"? Well I'm confident "it" will work too - unfortunately the problems come from ourselves not from "it".
...if "it" is to be it is up to ME...not "it".
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Message Date/Time:
Friday, 06-Oct-00 08:37:13
Doggie Dooley no threat to scoopers!
I don't know about the rest of you scoopers, but we get a call or email a week to see if we sell the in-ground dog waste "dooley's". We don't.
I know some people report they work, but we've never heard anything but bad news regarding these types of products. A new client signed up with us just this week. They installed the dooley & dug the 4 foot hole and thought they were good to go.
Anyway, they got home to find the entire tub had POPPED right out of the ground, apparently like a rocket, because it was several feet away from the hole, and the casing was cracked. The chemicals and dog waste had flown EVERYWHERE.
Needless to say, they believed hiring us was a MUCH safer solution to their dog waste problem :)
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Message Date/Time:
Saturday, 07-Oct-00 17:57:33
Re: Doggie Dooley no threat to scoopers!
Just had a very heavy client cancel services due to finances. They have 3 dogs including a St. Bernard and a whole lot of waste. I can't imagine them handling the vloume their dogs create. I mean, I'm a professional and work my proverbial butt off cleaning on a weekly basis. They have one of those Dooley things - lol! In a way, it's very funny!
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Message Date/Time:
Friday, 13-Oct-00 10:28:22
Re: Doggie Dooley no threat to scoopers!
I always tell people the truth about Doggie Dooly.
They work -- in the right soil and temperature. With the proper effort and procedures. With the proper size and/or number of units for your dog(s).
I also tell them that lots of my customers have Doolys that they no longer use thanks to PET BUTLER.
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Message Date/Time:
Friday, 06-Oct-00 17:08:40
scoopers
I had first read about this kind of business a while ago and dismissed the idea because of what some others had said but once again I come across people just like me...Different! I am thinking seriously about this and would like any information that I can get my hands on I am a stay at home mom with four kids and boy could I use the extra income no matter how wierd someone else might think I sound. Help!!!! thank you Theresa
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Message Date/Time:
Monday, 09-Oct-00 12:49:04
Re: scoopers
Buy Matthew's book (like we all did) and print out the archives and read them. Then you can make an informed decision about whether this is right for you and your family.
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Message Date/Time:
Saturday, 07-Oct-00 13:29:49
Thinking about new business in Orange County
We, my sister and I, are seriously thinking about starting a Dog Waste Removal Service. We have read this message board and looked at all the webpages we could and in our local area. What we are wondering are, what are people charging here in So. Cali? How do you deal with the waste? Do you need a waste removal license? Or, who do we contact to find out the specifications of what we need to do & know. Also, is there a Dog Waste Removal club or something to that effect in So. Cali to discuss issues, ideas, and stuff. :)
Echo & Sheryl
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Message Date/Time:
Sunday, 08-Oct-00 03:40:01
Re: Thinking about new business in Orange County
I don't know of any dog waste removal clubs (anywhere) but on this message board. You have to charge whatever the market will bear in Orange County. Most scoop site have a list of rates on them. Start high and see if you get clients. If not, try a little lower. (Do your market research first) If you decide to start your business, let me know. I get calls from Orange County sometimes, but it's much too far for me to go.
Good Luck!
Tim
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Message Date/Time:
Thursday, 12-Oct-00 00:18:02
Re: Re: Thinking about new business in Orange County
Joe,
Are there any special quirks that come with running this kind of business in California? Licenses? Regulations, etc? I was thinking about starting a business in the San Diego area. Where is your business located in California? Please advise.
Thanks, S&M
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Message Date/Time:
Monday, 16-Oct-00 00:47:29
Re: Re: Re: Thinking about new business in Orange County
Looks like the message board messed up again. This is Tim and my business is loacated in Los Angeles county. Running a business here is like anywhere else. Just have to adjust your pricing a bit. People around here have yards the size of my livingroom so I charge a little less than most people. Good luck!
Tim
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Message Date/Time:
Monday, 09-Oct-00 11:35:51
starting scooping business
how do i find out if there is enough people with dogs in my area to make a successful business.
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Message Date/Time:
Tuesday, 10-Oct-00 15:44:04
Re: starting scooping business
One thing you can do is look in your yellow pages to see how many Veterinarians, Pet Groomers, and Pet Supply stores are listed. If there are pages and pages of them, the area probably has enough dog owners. Also you can call your Township's County Clerk's Office and ask if you can get a copy of the names & addresses of folks who have Dog Lisences. This will give an idea too. Good Luck!
Kelly
PET MAID
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Message Date/Time:
Monday, 09-Oct-00 12:55:42
Re: starting scooping business
Try this on for size: (I think it's a conservative but realistic projection)
1. Determine your boundaries / territory.
2. Find out the population of that area.
3. Estimate 3 to a houshold.
4. Assume 1/3 have dogs.
5. Figure 1 out of 200 would pay for your service after seeing your message several times over an extended period of time.
6. Compute that your message will reach ___% of those people. (be realistic - expect an extremely low percentage of your target market to receive and actually decipher your message unless you are investing in the tens of thousands on a continual basis.)
Example:
600,000 people
200,000 housholds
66,667 dog owners
333 would use your service...
6% market penetration = ~20 customers.
Once you have motivated them to contact you then your closing percentage will be affected by your rapport, professionalism, and prices.
I can't help you on your marketing penetration % but certainly wish you the best...unless you're in the Dallas area and then I hope you die! but that's another story...
Red
PS: I imagine there will be quite a differing of opinions from my numbers. I look forward to hearing from others on this subject!
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Message Date/Time:
Friday, 13-Oct-00 10:23:45
Re: starting scooping business
Check out your local county auditor's office. They should be able to tell you how many people bought a dog license.
Or, check out the November issue of Dog Fancy. They have a system to estimate dogs and dog owning homes based on Census info.
What town?
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Message Date/Time:
Monday, 09-Oct-00 11:51:51
Really considering this
This message board is great! I read about this type of work about 2 years ago and keep thinking about it. I am reading every message in the archives and learning a lot. I think I will order Matthew's book too. Most people think I am crazy but when I read the message board, I realize this really can be a viable business. Thank you all for the inspiration!
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Message Date/Time:
Wednesday, 11-Oct-00 19:55:37
payments
what is the best method of collecting payment from your customer?
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Message Date/Time:
Sunday, 15-Oct-00 00:36:58
Re: payments
Peter,
There are three main ways to collect money: Pay per visit, pay in advance, and bill after services.
People hire you because they don't have the TIME/inclination/ability to do it themselves. That makes pay per visit very impractical. It also encourages a here today, gone tomorrow mentality.
Pay in advance gives the client the opportunity to cancel on you and owe nothing. If they find one pile you missed, and then get the bill, they could easy stop the service. This method is good for YOUR cashflow, but isn't so good for customer service.
Bill after service means you stand behind your work and the customer must be satisfied before they send the check. I see myself as a cross between a professional service and a utility, neither of which bill in advance. You assume the risk by bill after service - the customer doesn't have to.
Signing up clients without meeting them almost requires billing after service. Most new people ask me on the phone how I bill (if I don't tell them). They are relived to know that they don't have to give a check to a stranger before that stranger comes in their yard. Once they know you do good work (for four weeks), they have no problem sending a check.
I make good looking invoices on QuickBooks and use a single window envelope to mail it. The invoice includes the due date. I include a 6 3/4 envelope with my address stamped in the "TO:" area just like your electric, gas and dentist does. I make it REAL easy for them to pay me.
If someone is more than a week late in paying, I call and ask if there is a problem with my service to them. They always say no and then I state that I haven't received their payment. Once they say there is no problem, they have no excuse to withhold payment. If I leave a message on their voicemail, I can count on the check in 3 days.
The way you bill is probably the most you will interact with your customers. You may never meet your customers in person and they will only know you by what you send them. Make it professional.
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Message Date/Time:
Sunday, 15-Oct-00 08:42:03
Re: Re: payments
Amen, Mark, Amen.
Red
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Message Date/Time:
Saturday, 28-Oct-00 07:30:38
Re: payments
The best method is what works for you and your customers. That may vary among different scoopers.
I like to make it easy for people to buy from me -- that's why I like to make the payment method very simple, easy to understand, and as convenient as possible for the customer. What I found to work very well is to send a bill in the mail once a month, after the work is done. The bill lists the charge per visit and the number of visits for that month, the date by which the payment is due, a $3 late fee for bills not paid by the due date. It helps to provide a pre-addressed return envelope, too. That makes it easy for the customer, and you don't have to worry about whether the address will be printed correctly and legibly.
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Message Date/Time:
Thursday, 12-Oct-00 22:27:38
New service provider
Just a note to let all the scooper's out there know that I am starting a new scoop business. It's name.....Doodytime. It's location..Vero Beach, FL
I have the market all to myself here. Hopefully thinks will go as planned. I'm planning on a slow start though. I have read the archives and heard the stories. Matt's book was a great investment. I will keep everybody posted as to my success. good luck to all the other new scooper services out there too.
John
Doodytime!
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Message Date/Time:
Friday, 13-Oct-00 10:39:42
3rd year project
Dear all,
I am a 3rd year student at De Montfort University, studying product design. For my final project I am looking into the disposal of dog waste. Any problems or tips about clearing up after your dog would be most useful in my research. Any other issues such as health and environmental would be great.
thanks
Laura
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Message Date/Time:
Sunday, 29-Oct-00 12:54:27
Re: 3rd year project
Laura...
So---do your research! It's all there in the Archives---answers to all your questions and more.
Tricia