dog poop a scoop business

danielle1977

My friend in the USA has just brought a franchise to pick up dog poo. The franchise has the benefits of setting you up with insurance etc. Would doing this in the UK work-would people pay to have someone clean up their dog poo?

The equipment all seems easy to get, long reach pooper scooper, bags, a bucket, disinfectant etc. Could do my own flyers etc.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the idea, what to charge, would I need insurance?

I have just become a full time student, after being part-time and have given up work (this became possible with other half getting pay rise) but still want to earn some money and this seems like it could fit around nursery and school-therefore no childcare.

ciano125

How would this work? Would someone pay you to walk behind them whilst they take their dog for a walk and as soon as it squats down, kapow, you're there scooping it up? Or would they tell you where their dog had left a log when they got back from their walk and you'd have to go out and hunt down the offending turd? They could get busted for leaving it there in the first place if that was the case. However, I suppose you could give them some kind of sat nav tracking device and they could press a button on it which recorded the exact position of the poo, so then you would know exactly where it was in order to go and retrieve it. Or would you just go around scooping up any old brown trout you came across, in which case, how would you get paid at all?

I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but this just sounds like a "crap" idea for a business.

nikki2804

^^
I think its maybe more aimed at de-pooping gardens. Some evil cat keeps leaving 'presents' on my lawn so I would probably pay someone to remove it (as my son will soon be at the 'playing in the garden' stage)

Could work but don't know how many people would actually pay for it. Plus can't you catch things from poo?

danielle1977

Thanks for your thoughts

ciano125-you don't follow them round-they pay you to clean up their dog poo from their garden, they still have to clean up when they walk their dog (though I might get fit if I walked around after everyone).

nikki2804-you wear gloves, use a long handled scooper thing, wellies, so hopefully it doesn't come near you

People have been offering this kind of service in the USA for a long time, I remember in 1998 my boss (she was manager of a day care centre), in USA quit her job to set one up and my parents thought she was mad.

People pay for dry cleaning, house cleaning, lawn care, window cleaning, block paving cleaning...any other thoughts about why this might not work?

In the USA people pay once a month for twice a week, weekly, every other week cleans, depending on how often they want it.

paulabear

Would you be able to do an online survey to find out who woulod pay for this to be done? Having had a dog who used to go in the yard outside our house I know how easy it is to get a day or two behind with picking up after them and then you just feel disgusted at the thought. If you could handle it I think it might be a good idea, people pay to have their bins cleaned, why not this? Would love to know how you get on if you do it. People might turn their noses up but someone has to do the nasty jobs

paulabear

poopbutler (US business) seem to be pretty good at what they do

---Pooper Scooper? Funny name-serious business. Bare with me for a minute while I try to illustrate the importance of using a professional pooper scooper service for your dog. Ok, so you pay someone to house sit your pets when you’re away on vacation, right? You get a professional groomer to cut your dogs nails and wash & blow their beautiful coats. The vet takes care of your fury friends vaccinations, teeth cleaning and any other health related concerns and maintainence. You even pamper your dogs sometimes and send them off to spend the day at doggy day spas and extended canine vacations. Your dogs have a whole team looking after them! But who’s looking after their poop? You laugh. But seriously. Dog poop happens, and it happens a lot! And to fall behind on picking up your pets waste is almost always an invitation for disease carrying flies and other animals to pay your property a visit. And who wouldn’t love more free time by hiring someone else to do the dirty work. Just think about stepping in the smelly excrement left behind in your backyard & tracking it into the house. Yuck!

Us dog owners know what that’s like and we don’t like what we know-if you catch my drift. Have you ever wished you could just make the whole smelly problem go away? Maybe hire a professional company to turn your property into a poop free zone, while you happily sit back knowing their effort to battle back all that disgusting dog poop that’s been piling up in and around your yard each week is fought and won WITHOUT involving your participation? If you’re anything like the typical dog owner, you’ve got a lot better things to do and ways to spend your free time than crawling around on your hands and knees after your dogs playing “poop butler”…. picking up their “canine landmines”. Ok, but somebody has to do it! But you & your family are sick and tired of it being you. The Poop Butler is THE solution to a poop free yard.---

-think if you advertised it locally and told people why they needed you to do it, it could be pretty popular. The company above also do dog walking, if you could offer that as an extra it might be good?

BeautyandtheBeast_3

i wouldnt pay for someone to pick up poop and i certainly wouldnt give that job a go!
but if you think it works then try it but the thought of it is disgusting. xxx

Errata

The average dog craps 2 or 3 times a day, not every time in their own garden. Not all houses have dogs. Where wll you dispose of the crap ? Will you wheel a barrow load of it around all day until you've finished your round ?

whichwhydoIturn

Good luck to him my oh works 4 an agency he picks litter 5 days a week.there is always a need for people to do those unwanted jobs.happy easter to everyone !!

livingseaside

I have been thinking about this from a slightly different angle. I am a professional dog walker and see so many plastic bags with dog pooh as well as obviously using them myself. I did wonder how elderly people cope if they can't bend down, do they just leave it or struggle to pick up? Not sure if there is a long handled scoop on the market.

On the idea of cleaning people's gardens not sure how many people would pay but perhaps letting agents who have let property to people who have animals might be interested??

paulabear

Um, I put my dog's crap in my wheelie bin? Some goes in a public bin but at least twice a day he goes in the street outside my house, I pick it up with a poo-bag, it goes in my bin. I'd guess anyone clearing up their own yard would do the same, and wouldn't therefore have any objection to someone else doing so.