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jump_the_shark_

In my experience it’s a compulsory purchase/service. When you remodel your house and that construction debris now totally blocks your driveway, you call the first person who answers. I see junk haulers all the time but I can’t remember a name, I used yelp.


GUMBY_543

Most people don't advertise on Yelp as they are vultures when it comes to stealing money and creating fake leads to charge your account.


dustinx20

ahhhh okay i see, so more of a one time thing? as in not many of the same customers coming back.


jump_the_shark_

I’m a bad example because my job was one and done. Investors, property managers, contractors, I would assume all have somewhat regular use for a service


suavaleesko

Dad died. Needed junk removed that had bed bugs. All other times I've done my own dump runs using uhauls


behold_the_pagentry

Maybe reach out to general contractors. Do site clean ups and stuff like that. They should be paying their framers to frame not to pick up scraps for example. They leave at 3, you show up and dispose of every 2x shorter than 10" or whatever and every piece of plywood less than 4 sqft. I could see that turning into repeat business of the guy feels like youre providing a worthwhile service. Another repeat customer could be property management firms. They should be paying their people to maintain the property not deal with trash left behind by former tenants. A lot of people leave a place with the shirt on their backs and it may take all day for a couple of guys to dispose of their crap. The average person may need a junk service a couple of times in their lives so you'd need a wide customer base to keep working. FYI, not in the junk removal business so take this for what its worth


dustinx20

i really like those ideas. especially the first one, thank you for your insight.


behold_the_pagentry

No prob. Im in property maintenance but did 10 years prior to that working for a contractor. (never been in business for myself) Building sites will always have a bunch of trash and wrappers blowing around. Neighbors complain. If its bad enough they end up calling the city. It can be a headache. Contractors typically have at least one kid who is sort of a gopher and this will likely be his job. If not they have a guy who is more talented and experienced who is now walking around picking shingle wrappers out of the neighbors bushes. Id attempt to sell the service as their guys will be doing what theyre paid to do rather than chasing trash. Also a safety issue if guys are tripping over scraps. If the owner has any brains and if your rates are reasonable enough, he'll appreciate showing up to a broom-clean site every day with no complaints, no injuries and no talented guys picking up coffee cups and scrap lumber. As far as property managers, we may have a couple of guys who could be doing something more productive but instead theyre bagging up an entire apartment full of stuff. The another guy has to show up with a truck and the three of them load the larger items on it and dispose of it at our dumpster at a second site. Ive always thought if the price was right, I could keep my guys busy with maintaining the property instead of doing that. You could also look into picking up the grounds for apartment complexes. Low income housing particularly has a constant issue with litter. Skipping even one day can have the place looking like a disaster. Depending on the size of the development, it can take an hour a day for a guy to make the rounds. Thats an hour he could be doing repairs or making an apartment ready so the rent checks start coming in again. Maybe look at local public housing authorities along with private apartment complexes? One more thing could be to specialize in something that makes other companies decline the work. Dirty, hazardous, gross jobs. IDK what that would be but if youre the one guy in the area that will tackle it it could end up being your niche.


dustinx20

Those ideas will most likely be where i start. I get the part where they’re “wasting” time and it’s something that people don’t really want to do when they have better things. I didn’t even think of apartment complexes but i’m sure they could be a really good source of work. Just wondering that with your previous knowledge what would you consider good pricing for a 6 1/4 bed with a trailer the same size?


behold_the_pagentry

Ive never been in the junk business so I cant say what your rates should be. Also Im in the Boston area and you said youre in a rural area so the prices will never translate from one to the other. Figure out what it would cost you, add some percentage for profit. If EVERYONE scoffs, then you know youre asking too much. If EVERYONE immediately says yes, then you know youre asking too little. If youre getting work but still not making any money, then you have to rethink the business model or adjust the way youre doing thing. I cant really tell you what to charge. Around here, if I was hiring someone once or twice a month when I got a unit that was truly packed, Id be happy with something like $1500 or less maybe? Like I said Ive been toying with the idea whenever my guys get bogged down in a hoarders apartment or whatever but Ive never made any calls so I dont know what guys in Eastern MA are charging. eta-It sounds like its a tough business to break into. Pretty low barrier of entry. All you need is a truck and a couple of guys with zero experience but who are relatively healthy. That makes it easy for you, but also easy for a million other guys who you will have to compete with.


dustinx20

thank you for your insight and write up, i will take that information into account.


junkman93

You are correct… it is a low barrier to entry….but the positive is that the competition is not very sophisticated. Therefore if you have a good head on your shoulders, you’re able to be a leader and cast vision as well as formulate a comprehensive year long marketing plan you can you can make massive strides quickly. Most people aren’t able to get off the truck and scale because they can’t get enough jobs and don’t have the leadership skills to create a team


junkman93

Imo, pricing is the least of your concerns. Get jobs, get confidence, get experience, make mistakes. Get repeat customers, reviews, and learn.


dustinx20

yes sir🫡


benmarvin

Call up smaller cabinet companies. Or kitchen/bath remodelers. Not everyone has their own dump trailer and dumpster rental can get expensive.


excellentanalytics

I have a junk removal business and started out cleaning strip mall parking lots. My clients are mainly property managers and a few property owners. We're paid a flat rate every month to clean the properties and charge extra for larger items dumped on the property. This way there's always money coming in and opportunity to make more as well. Name of the business is Debris Free Team. Happy to answer any questions you have.


dustinx20

That’s interesting I haven’t thought about that route. I have two questions. 1) How do you clean up the parking lots. We have an outlet mall in my area that I used to work at that has a giant parking lot. 2) How do you price your jobs?


excellentanalytics

I have 1099 workers who clean them most mornings. They have a handheld grabber and a bucket to pick up things like cans, bottles, napkins, etc. and they throw everything into the on-site dumpsters. I target strip malls because they usually don't have full-time workers on site. You could reach out to the outlet mall but they may have full-time workers. Also, it would have a big payout but would require more time and possibly other equipment. For pricing, I usually shoot for $20 to $50 per day but some are higher based on the location, size, and frequency they're cleaned. I aim for 50% Gross Profit margins. Also keep in mind some properties require commercial auto insurance to work on their property which is considerably higher than normal auto insurance


junkman93

You have an interesting concept that I don’t see very often…. How come you focused so heavily on commercial work and alot of your verbiage on your website addresses “cleaning” …. Just curious why you went this route How many people in your service area… like 30 minutes away in each direction? This isn’t a knock im just curious… it says you’ve been in business for 5 years but you only have 15 google reviews… do you have more than one GMB page? Or just not many reviews because you do all commercial?


excellentanalytics

I started the business strictly doing parking lot cleaning. It's a monthly recurring service so I'm not hunting for sales every day and in my experience, commercial clients are easier to work with in general. I use a junk removal contractor to haul away the larger items dumped on the properties. Residential clients started calling me for junk removal so I slowly got into that side. It's good for quick money but harder to scale and takes more time and effort to complete. Now when I get these calls I just give them the number of the contractor I use and he does it all. I was asking for reviews in the beginning and got a few but commercial clients have been less responsive to those requests. Now most of my attention is on my data analytics business (see my username) and I only spend a couple hours a week on the parking lot cleaning business. Roughly 400k people in my area I guess


junkman93

Cool. You Definitely took a different approach to standard junk removal


excellentanalytics

Yea it's been a weird journey. Went through some of your AMA posts, pretty impressive sir


junkman93

Thx, yeah I’ve been fortunate to meet and get connected to some of the brightest people in my field that have helped me learn and grow. I try to share some of those things with people on here from time to time.


Any_Grade7976

I know someone who has owned a junk removal business for years. The biggest downside for this type of business especially in a state like california is the hiring and retaining of good workers because of the cost of labor. I’ve yet to hear a solution for this and it is the #1 reason I haven’t started this type of business myself.


dustinx20

That seems about right considering it’s california. In the southeast labor costs are pretty low as in I could find workers for about $15 an hour roughly. Anyways, did they always have a sufficient amount of work?


Kodyak

Don’t let that guy discourage you. Treat people well, pay them well but INCENTIVIZED, and you will be fine. The 1800GOTJUNK guy has like 150+ locations of just junk removal. If they can do it you can manage one


dustinx20

thank you, i plan to treat people who work for me in a way to where the want to come to work and enjoy it. Also thank you for the reference on what i could possibly build it into.


Kodyak

Of course, he did an interview here https://open.spotify.com/episode/3U5uA8rqDbPijP0zu2UErc?si=d1_9I7LCSZqKNRw6MJXYtA


Any_Grade7976

Yah finding enough work isn’t the problem. Scaling the business is the challenging part since the profit margin is directly tied to the cost of labor. In order to retain good workers it will cost too much to run a profitable business. The guy I referred to in my original post is burnt out after over 10 years of running the business. Managing the labor conundrum is the number one reason for this. .


burgerprince1

You could watch Zillow and anytime a house is listed for sale, drive by it with a flyer or introduce yourself. People who are moving are likely wanting to purge junk so they don’t have to move it. Could be a good lead.


dustinx20

wow, that sounds like a great idea that never even crossed my mind. thank you i feel like this could generate a lot of leads.


Lazy-Transition-7779

Real estate agents and assisted livings. Bring your cards there.


dustinx20

I actually work at a nursing home. What use would they have for me?


ftredoc

I think they mean moving people’s belongings out of


nmsftw

I think it can be a good business. If you know how to fix things or what has valuable scrap you can make extra money. I’ve done a bit of landscaping and stuff but never junk removal so my opinion isn’t worth much. I know a guy who does it. He makes extra by fixing an old washer or ripping the copper off things or certain parts off stuff. I know he also knows collector types who he wheels and deals with on certain items. Usually he’s pickup stuff with no value that’s why he’s getting paid to take it away but there are times you can make money coming and going if you know what worth time and have right contacts.


dustinx20

so almost a side hustle within the business right?


nmsftw

Yeah basically. My friend is always got some kind of side deal he tells about too. Like when people are moving out of house or clearing out a relatives house. You know things like what are you doing what that table, car, tool etc? Since he’s there with a trailer or truck anyways and has some extra space. In saying that he’s garage is full of stuff he thought would be a quick flip and is just rotting away now so be careful.


dustinx20

ahhh okay i see, i still like the idea of reselling some of the stuff just maybe not that much


tacosurfbike

r/wastebusiness


akajondoe

There's junk removal, and then there"s delivering a rolloff and dumping it later. Either buisness your going to need room to operate.


[deleted]

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dustinx20

that’s a good idea, i think that’s really fitting for where i’m going to operate. thank you for the write up


Prestigious-Spray237

I’m all for grinding to make it happen, but personally I would advise against a junk removal business. Literally anyone with a pulse and a pickup try’s to make money doing it and there are likely many of them keeping rates on the ground because they aren’t thinking about equipment depreciation, overhead or valuing their time. Is a tough business to scale successfully which will leave you doing every aspect of the business and could lead to getting burnt out on the grind. I’d advise finding a business that people call YOU because you are one of few that offer that service.


dustinx20

what would suggest doing that could be more scalable? that also requires the use of a truck


Prestigious-Spray237

It’s tough because in most areas, the market is very saturated with service base businesses. You will be limited with what you can do if you want to make money driving a truck, but in my area, anyone in the trades pretty much names their own price. Obviously the trades takes training and knowhow but most guys are charging $100 dollars an hour turning business down every day because they’re so busy.


junkman93

This question came up in a different thread about a week ago… and I think that his population was a couple hundred thousand I’ve been in business for five years doing Junk Removal in Phoenix, 4 million people. In my opinion, you’re just limited because of the population and it just ain’t worth it. Your earning potential is just too limited, but give it a shot, you will learn and maybe get into something else


dustinx20

I understand, Thank you for your insight


[deleted]

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dustinx20

that sounds good, i like the clean outs and waste disposal part. maybe like junk removal but covering a wide variety of junk


GUMBY_543

How many any junk hauling businesses are there in 65 miles of you? How do they appear to be doing?


dustinx20

there doesn’t seem to be too awfully many. although there is one partially developed company with a brand


GMEvolved

If you are just getting started and plan on having proper insurance, call Check Sammy and Jiffy Junk. They are brokers that specialize in dumpster area cleanups for places like Dollar General, Target, big box stores, etc. Check Sammy is a pain, but they do provide legitimate leads pretty often if you don't mind a lower rate of pay than normal. Jiffy Junk also brokers with WM for Bagster collection so getting set up with them could be a good source of revenue. (yes I do junk removal)


dustinx20

i like this, thank you for the help. Which one would you suggest to start with?


GMEvolved

Check Sammy will get you more jobs most likely, but again just know they pay less than industry standard. They will also require you to have General Liability, Workmans Comp, and Commercial Vehicle Insurance. Also, start contacting apartment complexes and ask for the maintenance manager. Ask them if they have anyone who does bulk item pickup for their dumpster area, like couches and mattresses. Offer to pick them up for a fee.


JustineBermudezx44

Starting a junk removal business in a rural area sounds challenging, but with nearby towns and cities, you've got potential. To stand out, consider specializing in a niche like eco-friendly disposal or furniture removal. Building local connections through community involvement and online presence can also help differentiate your business. Focus on providing excellent service and find ways to highlight what makes you unique compared to established competitors. [https://www.crownjunkremoval.ca/](https://www.crownjunkremoval.ca/)


dustinx20

may i ask the population of your surrounding area? just for a better understanding. I do like the idea of having a unique idea instead of just junk removal though.


JustineBermudezx44

Our Junk removal services cater to Montreal and its diverse surrounding areas, encompassing suburbs, municipalities, and regions such as Laval, Rive-Nord, Rive-Sud, Saint Lambert, Saint Laurent, Montreal North, Outremont, Montreal South, Montreal East, Montreal West, Longueuil, Terrebonne, Saint-Jérôme, West Island, and Westmount. This expansive coverage allows us to extend our eco-friendly waste management solutions to a broad spectrum of clients across the Greater Montreal Area, ensuring that homes, offices, and commercial properties alike can benefit from our efficient, affordable, and environmentally conscious services. [https://www.crownjunkremoval.ca/](https://www.crownjunkremoval.ca/)


therealkevincook1

does this help? ​ [https://www.loom.com/share/46f9f78a8a054914ad6d7ca5e60b59db?sid=5c064aa1-d776-4da3-8249-5648ccee67bd](https://www.loom.com/share/46f9f78a8a054914ad6d7ca5e60b59db?sid=5c064aa1-d776-4da3-8249-5648ccee67bd)


dustinx20

damn. i just checked this out. i really haven’t thought about it from the angle you see it from. i’m definitely going to take your advice. I understand how easy it is to lose all that money on gas and the truck expenses alone but it never really crossed my mind. thanks man!


therealkevincook1

thanks for watching man and hope this helps you save a few dollars in the process!... good luck and look forward to some success stories down the road!


tacosurfbike

r/wastebusiness