How I Made $30,000 in 7 Months with my Pet Waste Removal Business

By the end of March, I already reached $14,549.12 due to the craziness of the Spring Rush season, which was already more than what I made in my first year scooping. How did I double that since March?

 

Starting in April, I had around 45 weekly clients that I serviced so this helped bring in a steady flow of income. With the increased demand I experienced, I had to restock on cleaning supplies like Bleach, paper towels, and sanitation wipes but I still had plenty of plastic bags that I’ve been saving up.

 

Due to wear and tear, I had to buy myself a new pair of shoes to scoop in for $42.89, and another summer hat for $12.00. Spring rush really affected me physically, to the point where I had to buy finger splits and a back brace to recover from the heavy workload, which cost me $52.72. I also invested in a pair of jumper cables for my car for $39.67 in case of an emergency.

 

As for my reoccurring expenses, I still pay $9.99 for my virtual mailbox with iPostal 1, and $12.86 for my Google domains. I’m still using NiceJob to help me gather reviews, and to host my website. Since implementing NiceJob, I’ve more than quadrupled my reviews from 14 to 56, and it’s been costing $174 a month to use their services.

 

With my CRM Jobber, I spent $119.48 in April, May and June and $149.36 in July. In April, the transaction fees on Jobber cost me $152.06, since they take 2.9% + 30 cents for each transaction I make with the Connect plan I’m subscribed to.

 

Disclaimer: Some of these links are affiliate links where I’ll earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

 

Inflation affected everyone in different ways, even more so on the gas pump. I’m estimating I spent $350 in gas each month, which definitely cut into my expenses. But inflation and the upcoming recession really began affecting me in more ways than gas and I wouldn’t realize this until a few months later…

 

Since spring rush really took a toll on me, I wanted to slow down on my Facebook ads and focus more on my Google Ads so I can accurately measure the differences between the two. I spent $207.76 on Facebook Ads, which was significantly less than what I paid in the first three months of the year. And I bumped my Google Ads to $455.43 to test if I can generate new leads this way.

 

During this time, I was in the process of getting my first apartment complex as a client. One of their requirements was that I had to get a Worker’s compensation coverage waiver through my State, and the application fee was $50.

 

 

 

Even with the increase spending on Google Ads, I completed 140 scooping appointments in April, which resulted in $4189.48 in income and an additional $225.91 in tips through Jobber for a total of $4,415.39. This was a huge drop compared to the $7400 I made in March but it goes to show how much money there is to make during the Spring Rush.

 

 

In May, I had to re-up on my plastic bags which cost $61.07 and I worn out my work gloves to the point that they were falling apart so I bought a new pair for $19.28. The most exciting purchase I made in May were my business cards, which cost me $61.87. With my body feeling a little better, I jumped back into Facebook Ads and spent $441.13 along with $435.07 on Google Ads. My transaction fees dropped to $131.89, which was not a good sign since I was spending more money on my advertising than April. But more on that later in this blog.

 

 

I completed 123 scooping appointments in May, most of which came from my weekly customers and not new business. However, I did acquire an apartment complex to service, which helped me stabilize my monthly income.

 

 

In June, I decided to spend money on new equipment for my Pet Waste Removal Business. I got really tired of using a rake on gravel and rocks. With my chronic back pain, it’s not ideal for me to bend over and pick up waste with my hands, even though I do when I need to. I bought a pair of aluminium tongs to help me for these kinds of jobs, which cost me $60, a couple more handles for my rakes for $87.07 and a brand new pair of waterproof boots for $101.83. I also bought some bleach to sanitize my equipment for $13.97.

 

The upgrade I was most excited for in June was when I purchased a Green screen. For $171.91, I can now do floating heads in all my videos and plan on implementing that in some way for my advertising campaign.

 

My transaction fees dropped even more, to $114.95, indicating even less jobs were being completed. I also unfortunately went through a losing spell where 7 of my weekly clients decided to end their services with me.

 

Remember how I mentioned inflation and the upcoming recession affected me in more ways than gas? Almost everyone who decided to cancel services cited that they needed to save money or could no longer afford my services even though I haven’t increased my rates. Some decided it was easier for them to pick up the waste since they spend more time in the yard during the summer but may want to hire me back in the future when it’s colder.

 

This was a healthy reminder to me that hiring a Pet Waste Removal Business is more of a luxury service and not a necessity for people. So when the economy gets rough, you may likely be the service that gets canceled first if you haven’t focused on your customer experience and building a brand your client’s are happy to support. But before you get canceled, remember to inflate the like button on this blog because it really does help out a lot. Thank you!

 

Once I started losing customers, I took a drastic turn.

 

Do you remember when the whole internet was going crazy about Amber Heard? I tried to ride this wave and posted an Amber Heard meme on my Facebook business page and promoted it with Facebook Ads to the tune of $801.12, along with another $360.16 through Google Ads.

 

 

So what happened? It pretty much blew up for me, getting shared over 95 times and having an endless stream of comments of people engaging on my post. In total, over 13k people saw this ad, it had the most engagement than any other post, and over 200 people clicked the link to check out my website.

 

 

 

However, I completed 114 scooping appointments, which was less than what I did in May since I lost a handful of weekly clients. All that money spent on Amber Heard resulted in 4 new appointments, but most of them were client’s who already hired me in the past.

 

My apartment complex still helped me stay steady, so I received $3807.49 in Pooper Scooper Business Income, and $137.63 in tips for a total of $3944.63 in June.

 

Since I bet big with Amber Heard and failed, in July I decided to take a break from Facebook ads, and only spent $447.62 on Google Ads. I bought some more equipment for my Pooper scooper business, along with some fancy long sleeve T shirts with SPF protection since this summer’s heat wave was melting me outside.

 

My business insurance also had to be renewed, which cost $175.44 for annual coverage. With the loss of residential clients, I began looking into ways I can expand into commercial jobs. I signed up for an Apartment Association in my state that required a $295.00 membership fee, and I paid around $80 for lawn signs that my apartment complex can utilize on their property, which was an upsell service I offered.

 

 

 

Even without the Facebook ads, I saw an uptick of new clients and completed 132 scooping appointments in July. Along with my apartment complex job, this resulted in $4359.25 in income and $112.50 in tips for a total of $4,471.75.

 

 

 

 

 

Even though I still have a healthy number of weekly clients, I do have some concerns about the current economic conditions our world is experiencing. If you’re worried about how a potential recession and inflation may affect your Pet Waste Removal Business, click the next blog now to learn what you need to do.

 

And I’ll see you on the next scoop!

 

And As Always, Acknowledge The Now. Bye!