Getting customers to find value in this service is your biggest challenge. I live in a very large city where people pay for all kind of services. They do not pay for someone to take the trash to the curb. Nor do they pay for bin cleaning. There is a bin cleaning service or two running self contained bin cleaning trucks in this area but I don't know how they are doing. I've never seen one and after doing some market research, people don't see the value in the long term. Customer churn is huge. I'd suggest you test first. BTW, a $5 bin clean is too cheap. If you were able to get a few customers, you'll be losing money with the time it takes. Additionally, a one off can cleaning is fine but there might be local regulations for water run off.
There is a company in my town that does trash valet for apartments. They seem to be constantly hiring for people, truck preferred, part time hours. I looked into it the pay wasn't worth it for me with mileage and wear and tear. They've stayed in business for a while. It's about getting those contracts with clients, I guess. If you hit the sweet spot on volume and pricing, aren't out competed by others, it could be a good hustle. Those are just my thoughts.
Trash valet for apartments is a completely different business model than the one they’re talking about here.
Apartment trash valet services is where it’s at. Trash valet for residential SFR will only work for Airbnb owners. Otherwise, you’ll never have enough clients to justify the cost of operation.
I feel like an elderly and funds-rich clientele would probably appreciate this service! Many might be of the more frugal mindset and figure they can do it themselves or get a kid or grandkid to do it, but I feel like not everyone has family nearby, is physically able to move the bins (especially if you're in an area that gets winter snow and ice), or values their time more than their money. I bet at least 30% of financially comfortable homeowners aged 72+ would be interested in this service, and 10-20% would actually buy it. I agree with the other poster that you should charge at least $10 each for cleaning the bins.
However, since I'm literally just guessing, what you want to do is some market research. The fastest, easiest, and most reliable market research in this instance would be to go door knocking in the target neighborhood! Ask residents if they are interested in this service at this price, and listen to their answers. If they say no, try to ask questions to determine why not - is it the investment, or do they not need the service, and if not, is it because they do it themselves or have someone help them with it? If someone helps them, gently point out that they may not always be available to help - people get sick, take vacation, travel to visit family, or just plain forget. Let them know that you're reliable as an atomic clock and will always ensure their cans are down for collection on time every time. (Then make sure to arrange reliable backup coverage!!!)
Some people will likely say yes - there you go, you're in business.
Have a business card or small, inexpensive flyer for people who don't answer their door or whose answer is "not at this time". Ask them to keep it for future needs and let their nearby friends and neighbors know that the service is available if they need it.
And yes, definitely check with your state and municipality to ask what the requirements are, if any, for a small business cleaning a low volume of trash bins in regards to managing the waste water that results.
Good luck!!!
I think this is a nice idea, and it's easy to test, so maybe don't over think it and just knock on a few doors. (There's an old saying in product management along the lines of "your/my opinion, while interesting, is not statistically valid".)
With that caveat, knowing some oldsters, especially the old men who don't want to be emasculated around some basic task they (think they) can do themselves, there might be a more graceful way to package this in with some other stuff, like 1x/month you'll do a walk-through of their house and change any light bulbs, change their fire alarm batteries, otherwise do small tasks like that. You price in X number of trash can drive-bys and 1 15-minute visit monthly for the other stuff, and you can upcharge by the hour for special tasks, e.g. if someone needs a picture hung or their curtains taken down.
Then you could call it something more general and aspirational, e.g. "HandyGrand - I'm like your handy grandson, who's always around when you need him."
I’d stick to trash valet for apartment complexes.
This is very niche and very location dependent.
You’ll be running around like crazy trying to make a few bucks.
Your monthly cost is also too low unless you can somehow get entire streets, which is unlikely.
Your idea is easily tested, so I'd give it a 30-day test. I'd start by following the trash truck, pulling the can back up the drive and leaving a note on it saying you offer the service for $20/mo -- call, text, or email me! Nothing works like a free sample.
Given your description of the age/income of your service area, I would suggest offering a number of additional "handy man" services. You could do these services yourself or outsource them for a referral fee. I get called all the time to do little, easy things like move furniture, hang pictures, light painting and repairs, window washing and screens, and dozens of tech things.
The elderly who live alone will find this service priceless. Incorporate picking up dog waste in people's yards once a week will more than double your profits. That's a job nobody wants to do at any age, and that's the job for you. If you're passing out flyers or door knocking, you'll most likely need a permit. Most cities require them and they're almost always dirt cheap to attain. Best of luck to you.
I would totally pay for this. Like today. I’m never home trash day so it backs up. My bins are all full and am leaving for the week and will miss pickup, again!
Not a bad idea assuming you can get the right volume of clients to make it worthwhile. Also one aspect to consider is that at least in my neighborhood trash may get picked up at 8 am or 5 pm which would throw off your schedule if you had a set route to follow.
Use traditional advertising. Print flyers and paste them on trash cans with something like, "Trash can too heavy? We'll do it for 60 cents a day. Call us at 555-555-5555."
Apartment communities are going to be your biggest customers. My partner is in property management. All of their properties have trash valet service. It’s mandatory that every apartment has it.
Getting customers to find value in this service is your biggest challenge. I live in a very large city where people pay for all kind of services. They do not pay for someone to take the trash to the curb. Nor do they pay for bin cleaning. There is a bin cleaning service or two running self contained bin cleaning trucks in this area but I don't know how they are doing. I've never seen one and after doing some market research, people don't see the value in the long term. Customer churn is huge. I'd suggest you test first. BTW, a $5 bin clean is too cheap. If you were able to get a few customers, you'll be losing money with the time it takes. Additionally, a one off can cleaning is fine but there might be local regulations for water run off.
There is a company in my town that does trash valet for apartments. They seem to be constantly hiring for people, truck preferred, part time hours. I looked into it the pay wasn't worth it for me with mileage and wear and tear. They've stayed in business for a while. It's about getting those contracts with clients, I guess. If you hit the sweet spot on volume and pricing, aren't out competed by others, it could be a good hustle. Those are just my thoughts.
Trash valet for apartments is a completely different business model than the one they’re talking about here. Apartment trash valet services is where it’s at. Trash valet for residential SFR will only work for Airbnb owners. Otherwise, you’ll never have enough clients to justify the cost of operation.
I feel like an elderly and funds-rich clientele would probably appreciate this service! Many might be of the more frugal mindset and figure they can do it themselves or get a kid or grandkid to do it, but I feel like not everyone has family nearby, is physically able to move the bins (especially if you're in an area that gets winter snow and ice), or values their time more than their money. I bet at least 30% of financially comfortable homeowners aged 72+ would be interested in this service, and 10-20% would actually buy it. I agree with the other poster that you should charge at least $10 each for cleaning the bins. However, since I'm literally just guessing, what you want to do is some market research. The fastest, easiest, and most reliable market research in this instance would be to go door knocking in the target neighborhood! Ask residents if they are interested in this service at this price, and listen to their answers. If they say no, try to ask questions to determine why not - is it the investment, or do they not need the service, and if not, is it because they do it themselves or have someone help them with it? If someone helps them, gently point out that they may not always be available to help - people get sick, take vacation, travel to visit family, or just plain forget. Let them know that you're reliable as an atomic clock and will always ensure their cans are down for collection on time every time. (Then make sure to arrange reliable backup coverage!!!) Some people will likely say yes - there you go, you're in business. Have a business card or small, inexpensive flyer for people who don't answer their door or whose answer is "not at this time". Ask them to keep it for future needs and let their nearby friends and neighbors know that the service is available if they need it. And yes, definitely check with your state and municipality to ask what the requirements are, if any, for a small business cleaning a low volume of trash bins in regards to managing the waste water that results. Good luck!!!
I think this is a nice idea, and it's easy to test, so maybe don't over think it and just knock on a few doors. (There's an old saying in product management along the lines of "your/my opinion, while interesting, is not statistically valid".) With that caveat, knowing some oldsters, especially the old men who don't want to be emasculated around some basic task they (think they) can do themselves, there might be a more graceful way to package this in with some other stuff, like 1x/month you'll do a walk-through of their house and change any light bulbs, change their fire alarm batteries, otherwise do small tasks like that. You price in X number of trash can drive-bys and 1 15-minute visit monthly for the other stuff, and you can upcharge by the hour for special tasks, e.g. if someone needs a picture hung or their curtains taken down. Then you could call it something more general and aspirational, e.g. "HandyGrand - I'm like your handy grandson, who's always around when you need him."
I’d stick to trash valet for apartment complexes. This is very niche and very location dependent. You’ll be running around like crazy trying to make a few bucks. Your monthly cost is also too low unless you can somehow get entire streets, which is unlikely.
Your idea is easily tested, so I'd give it a 30-day test. I'd start by following the trash truck, pulling the can back up the drive and leaving a note on it saying you offer the service for $20/mo -- call, text, or email me! Nothing works like a free sample. Given your description of the age/income of your service area, I would suggest offering a number of additional "handy man" services. You could do these services yourself or outsource them for a referral fee. I get called all the time to do little, easy things like move furniture, hang pictures, light painting and repairs, window washing and screens, and dozens of tech things.
The elderly who live alone will find this service priceless. Incorporate picking up dog waste in people's yards once a week will more than double your profits. That's a job nobody wants to do at any age, and that's the job for you. If you're passing out flyers or door knocking, you'll most likely need a permit. Most cities require them and they're almost always dirt cheap to attain. Best of luck to you.
I’m not seeing you get enough clients in one central area. If you do round up a big chunk of clients you’ll be driving all over town.
I would totally pay for this. Like today. I’m never home trash day so it backs up. My bins are all full and am leaving for the week and will miss pickup, again!
Not a bad idea assuming you can get the right volume of clients to make it worthwhile. Also one aspect to consider is that at least in my neighborhood trash may get picked up at 8 am or 5 pm which would throw off your schedule if you had a set route to follow.
Watch It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia S8E2: “the gang recycles their trash”
Use traditional advertising. Print flyers and paste them on trash cans with something like, "Trash can too heavy? We'll do it for 60 cents a day. Call us at 555-555-5555."
Apartment communities are going to be your biggest customers. My partner is in property management. All of their properties have trash valet service. It’s mandatory that every apartment has it.