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 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 Seventy-Six

Shanti
I am rolling
Fri Nov 23 20:48:08 2001


After months of research, planning and preparation I am finally in business. I am excited and raring to go.

I even got my first customer two weeks ago without any kind of advertisement. I have no clue where he heard about me...I hope to find out soon. The second one is my client from the limousine business. Hope to pick a bunch of them from my limousine clientiele as most of them have dogs, money and not much time or the inclination to clean up after them.

Shanti
Happy Scoopers
We clean up after your best friend!
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Pooch's Poop Removal
I'm rolling
Sun Nov 25 19:03:39 2001


Shanti,
Congratulations it's a wonderful feeling getting that FIRST customer just keep talking about your business and let everybody know and you'll be suprised and most of all don't give up or get discouraged. Once again congratulations!
Jerry
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Pat - Tidy Pets Unlimited
RE: I'm rolling
Sun Nov 25 07:47:18 2001


Hi Shanti,
Welcome! Best of luck to you and your new business. Are you strictly poop-scooping or do you offer other services?
Pat
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Shanti
Re: RE: I'm rolling
Wed Nov 28 23:58:12 2001


Only POOP service...EOM.
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PoopScoopKing
Hi Shanti
Sat Nov 24 07:30:57 2001


We are you doing business?


PSK
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Shanti
Re: Hi Shanti
Sat Nov 24 19:46:25 2001


I am servicing Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut.

Shanti
Happy Scoopers,CT
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Pooch Pal
Congratulations
Fri Nov 23 21:28:08 2001


Shanti,

Congratlations and welcome! That's great that you have a good source of referrals--terrific niche marketing!

Judy
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Powerreel
Do you guys deliver pet supplies also?
Fri Nov 23 21:38:54 2001


I bet if you delivered pet supplies ie# Food, Meds, Shampoos, etc. you could add some extra income with a small flyer in your invoice! just a tip from a landscaper...
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Leslie
lots of snow
Sat Nov 24 00:25:25 2001


I live in NB, Canada and we get lots of snow here. What does everyone else do if there is a lot of snow? It can be several feet high and not easy to walk in.
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PoopScoopKing
Shanti's link/ door hangers
Sat Nov 24 07:50:41 2001


kcprinting.com has door hangers for only 4.5 cents.

PSK
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Rachelle
Christmas gifts for customers!
Sat Nov 24 19:16:28 2001


Hey fellow scoopers!
I was just wondering how many of you are going to send a token of your appreciation to customers for the Christmas season. I found at a printing shop, mini-calenders, where you put your business card on the magnet at the top. They were only 80 cents a piece. They even came with envelopes. I was thinking of a client calender, but they were beyond my budget at $13.00 a piece.

Rachelle - What's Left Behind!
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Cindy - PET-DOO Services
gifts
Wed Nov 28 22:59:47 2001


I always get my "people" customers something. Last year I made fudge and gave them each a glass ornament. The year before I gave everyone a handmade ornament (crafty things). Just something to say "Thanks" to my "people". The dogs always get treats when I visit. I figure thats thanks enough for them. lol
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Pooch Pal
Holiday gift
Sat Nov 24 19:51:18 2001


We made some bandanas that slip over the collar instead of tieing around the neck, for each of the dogs on our route.
We liked them so much we made a slew of them and have been selling them in craft shows and to friends as well.

Judy
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Nimby
Re: Christmas gifts for customers!
Sat Nov 24 19:24:52 2001


I got some really cool dog stockings. They are hand made by a gal here in Seattle. They are red fluffy material with the white fleecie stuff at the top. She put my company logo on them and a dog paw print at the bottom. Real cute stuff.
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PoopScoopKing
response to Red's marketing post
Sun Nov 25 12:50:37 2001


Red, I'm in the north and my marketing experience has been about the same as yours. I've a few customers, but they don't typically come cheaply. My repsonse rates are inline with yours. If I could 4 or 5 clients per 500 fliers, I'd be rich!

PSK
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CA Mike
Re: response to Red's marketing post
Sun Nov 25 23:36:51 2001


Hi, Red -

For a while, I thought that my advertising program must be all wet. Then I read your recent post re:cost of a customer. I have found my costs to be about the same as yours here in CA.

I really don't want to walk neighborhoods to hang fliers on doors, so I use oversized postcard mailers. They cost about 10 cents each to print (two color) and 21 cents to mail. I get about 1 customer per 1,000 mailers. That's about $320 per customer.

I have found that advertising in the paper gives about the same result per dollar spent. But the results are scattered about the county, so drive time goes way up.

I am always asking for referrals, but get very few. I will be suggesting Christmas gift certificates for the rest of this season. That worked O.K. for me at Father's Day - I'll see how it does for Christmas.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

Mike
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alamedascoopers
Red's advert info
Mon Nov 26 19:39:08 2001


Mike, how do you work gift certificates? What about big jobs, like yards that haven't been picked up for a while?
Do you do a dollar amount or a visit amount or what?

Stefani

PS where in CA are you? I'm in NoCal
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Catherine
Re: response to Red's marketing post
Sun Nov 25 14:02:13 2001


Thanks Red for that thourgh response. I too wish I could get 4-5 customers per 500 fliers. I have been getting 2-3 customers per 1000. (cost 3.5 cents per flier). It's allot of walking for 2 customers so want to get that up to 5 per 1000. But it is working all the same.
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nimby
I know we keep going back to this but,
Mon Nov 26 18:07:21 2001


Has anyone used both Peachtree and Quickbooks Pro? If so which do you prefer and why?

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CA Mike
Re: I know we keep going back to this but,
Thu Nov 29 01:38:35 2001


Hi, Laura -

I have used both, but I prefer Quickbooks Pro. It is much more intuitive than Peachtree. Peachtree is good if you have an accounting background and are doing batch input. Other than that, Quickbooks blows it away.

The learning curve is steep with any good accounting program, but I feel it is worth it. I ran my last two companies on Quickbooks and am very comfortable with it. If you decide to get it and need help, just give me a call.
Mike

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Erin, Dirty Work
Re: I know we keep going back to this but,
Mon Nov 26 22:18:29 2001


We prefer Quickbooks, and better yet, Quickbooks Pro for a much more intuitive interface. If you have lots of inventory (like if you also sell pet supplies and food), Peachtree is worth considering. But make sure with Peachtree that you back up ALL the misc. files that make up your data! It's easy to miss one and then you are out of luck if you ever have to restore your data.
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minesweepers
quickbooks
Tue Nov 27 15:22:35 2001


i use pro myself ,why ??i'm not really sure probably because it cost $300 bucks and i don't know any better .however it works quite well and tracks every aspect of the business.a little to much iof you ask me but very good
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nimby
Re: quickbooks
Tue Nov 27 19:45:23 2001


Thank you for the response. I am using "My Deluxe Invoices and Estimates." The program costs about 19.95. But I am finding that I need more information regarding taxes collected etc.... It keeps losing information on the reports. I can mannually go back and get the info but, 80 clients for each quarterly report takes hours of my time... and that is just to get the report so I can START on the tax pages...YUCK!!! I am looking into getting either Peachtree or Quickbooks Pro. I was hoping to find out which one is easier to setup and use... I am not a computer wiz! Laura
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MINESWEEPERS
QUICKBOOKS
Tue Nov 27 20:50:19 2001


QUICKBOOKS PRO CAN DO IT ALL AND KEEP TRACK OF CUSTOMERS AND PROCESS CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS(PRO ONLY FOR THE CARDS).IT HAS A INTERVIEW AT THE BEGINNING AND IT ASKS EVERYTHING IT NEEDS THEN INCLUDING OPENING BALENCES OF YOUR CUSTOMERS AND WHEN YOUR FISCAL YEAR STARTS AND ABOUT 1000 OTHER THINGS.IF YOU GO TO INTUIT.COM YOU CAN GET A SAMPLE DISK TO PLAY WITH YOU CAN ONLY USE IT FIFTEEN TIMES SO DON'T PUT TOO MANY CUSTOMERS INTO IT BUT IT WILL GIVE YOU A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT YOUR GETTING INTO
P.S. THE PROGRAM IS A LITTLE PRICEY AROUND $275
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MINESWEEPERS
ONE MORE THING
Tue Nov 27 20:56:11 2001


YOU CAN GO BACK AND CHANGE ANY YEAR OR MONTH AFTER IT'S BEEN RECONCILED.YOU ALSO ONLY HAVE TO BACK UP ONE ITEM IT HANDLES THE REST .IT ALSO ASKS IF YOU HAVE INVENTORY TO TRACK IN THE INTERVIEW
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nimby
Re: ONE MORE THING
Tue Nov 27 21:17:59 2001


Thanks for the info
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Have Doggie, We'll Doo!
Quit stealing
Tue Nov 27 10:04:22 2001


I spoke with Matthew a few months ago about scoopers going to other scoopers web-sites and out and out stealing sales letters, and advertising to use for their own use. Matthew posted a letter and I saw that no one responded back to that post. I am going to say one time that it is illegal to steal from a web-site. I am tired of paying attorney fees for some one that would be so unprofessional as to steal ohers information. It is a waste as people that steal usually won't be around that long.I have been in business over 11 years and have hired Ad agencies,copy writers and radio spot writers and I am not going to put out my hard earned money for some creep to come and steal. Please Stop!As for Happy Tails in New York you stole ome of my sales letters word for word and had the nerve to give it to the newspaper as your own. Well the newspaper has been contacted and you also will be hearing from me or/and my
attorney. I do not bother anyone with their business, I do not have time. I do have watchers though and they do scan web-sites, national newspapers and such time to time and run across these thefts.If anyone would like to contact me, please feel free to do so at 773-286-4727 or at doggiedo@ix.netcom.com - Diane Rossi - Owner-Have Doggie, We'll Doo!!
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Erin, Dirty Work
Re: Quit stealing
Wed Nov 28 14:54:02 2001


I agree with Diane that a companies work should be their own, unless they issue permission that theirs text and content is public domain.

Unfortunately, when I have expressed such sentiments, I have been slammed in the past by those that think it should be "share and share alike" because we're all in the same industry. Try telling that to Coke and Pepsi!

People either have the inclination to copy or be original and proud of their own efforts. I don't know if telling people "not to copy" will work, but here's hoping :)

Erin
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Rob
Stealing Web Stuff
Wed Nov 28 14:22:41 2001


I absolutely agree with you. I recently came across a new site that had a paragraph or two exactly word for word as I had on my site since spring. It ticked me off that for all the work I've put into the site that this person could not take a little time to at least re-word it for themselves. But I do not have a business attorney or copyright notices on my site. Ce la vie. Do you have copyright notices on your site?
Best regards and happy scoopin,
Robert.
Doggy Doo's Clean Up & Disposal
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MINESWEEPERS
TIS THE SEASON...
Tue Nov 27 17:16:57 2001


TO STEP IN C%#P,HAS ANYONE BEEN STEPPING IN A LARGE AMOUNT OF POOH LATELY.I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS WITH NO MESS ,THE LAST TWO WEEKS EVERY &%&$$^$% DAY I COME HOME WITH STICKS AND LEAVES STUCK TO MY BOOTS.AM I GOING BLIND OR IS THERE ACTUALLY A SEASON FOR THIS(IE;FALL WITH THE LEAVES OR WHAT IT'S KIND OF ANNOYING)I USED TO MAKE A JOKE THAT IF I STEP IN IT I'M NOT DOING MY JOB AND ANY EMPLOYEES I EVER GET WILL BE FIRED FOR THE SAME REASON.I GUESS I HAVE TO FIRE MYSELF ????
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Mel
my shoes
Tue Nov 27 21:20:23 2001


I have been stepping in poop for the last 3 weeks . Before that I was very good at not stepping in it.I hope it is only a phase that my shoes are in right now . I am sure they will get out of it soon . I do hope so because I only pick up crap I don't take crap. I might have to charge my clients for a disposal fee.hmmm more money. HAPPY SCOOPING MEL
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P.E.T.S. fkoyd
stepped in it
Wed Nov 28 20:10:46 2001


I see what you mean that can get to be expensive. what I use are a pair of high quality rubber boots easy to wash off just an idea i quickly switch them at my truck and into my shoes i go watch your step
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Red
Re: TIS THE SEASON...
Tue Nov 27 18:55:14 2001


You're right MS, it is the season...

I actually call my feet "my second eyes" as I usually don't lift them much off the ground while scooping (I drag 'em) thus they are constantly finding "stuff" that my eyes miss. Odd thing is, I have worn the same tennis shoes for over a year now and they really don't look all that dirty (most of the product they find is dry). That reminds me - isn't the cold weather our friend as far as making "things" hard and easier to scoop! Oh, and I love the dead grass - it's a very good thing! ...but those #%@*! leaves....

-Red
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MINESWEEPERS
YUP EOM
Tue Nov 27 20:43:29 2001
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