Junk removal businesses have become increasingly popular in recent years due to the growing need for sustainable waste management. However, like any other business, there are some things you can do now to ensure you’re constantly growing and set up for future success.
We spoke with Lee Godbold, the CEO of Junk Removal Authority, to better understand how he turned a small junk removal business into a successful franchise. These are his tips for growing a junk removal business:
1. Have a future vision
This one is the most important. While it’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day operations of running a business, without a clear picture of where you want to go, you risk being defined by the smaller details and putting out fires instead of focusing on the bigger picture.
To set a future vision, start by thinking about your long-term goals. Consider questions like how many trucks you’ll have, what they will look like, the number of employees you’ll have, the kind of uniforms they’ll wear, as well as the reputation you hope to maintain around your community. By getting all these visuals together, you’ll be able to create a picture of what your business will look like in the next 5-10 years.
Once you have a clear vision, make sure to reflect on it regularly, whether that’s once a week, month, or quarter. This will ensure that you stay committed to a long-term goal and help you avoid getting sidetracked by day-to-day minutiae.
2. Operational excellence
Your business’s success depends on providing excellent service to your customers. Operational excellence involves keeping your trucks clean and well-maintained, having team members wear consistent uniforms, and ensuring that customer service is top-notch.
Lee and JRA use Workiz to help keep his customer service up to par through a built-in full communications suite, online booking and checkout, and automated alerts that keep his team and customers in the know when a job is coming up.
By providing excellent service, you’ll build a positive reputation, which will help you attract new customers and retain existing ones.
3. Marketing
Marketing is another essential component of growing your junk removal business. It starts with your logo and branding, which should be memorable and eye-catching. Your website is also critical, as the majority of customers come from online searches.
Pay-per-click advertising can be expensive, but it can also drive significant growth for your business. SEO is also important, as 50% of your potential traffic will skip over the ads and scroll straight to the organic listings.
You can work on ranking up by encouraging customers to post pictures and leave reviews to help build your business’s reputation. Workiz helps JRA get more reviews by sending an automatic follow-up when a job is done.
In addition to online marketing, consider avenues such as email marketing, calling, and yard signs. While Facebook ads may not be as successful, maintaining a social media presence can also still be beneficial.
4. Know your numbers
Knowing your numbers is also critical to the success of your business. You need to know your sales per payroll hour, average job sale, and allowable acquisition cost.
Workiz analytics and reporting can help you stay on top of these numbers, so you can stay focused on making informed decisions about the future of your business.
5. Stay ahead of capacity
As your junk removal business grows, it’ll be important to stay ahead of capacity. Set up a spreadsheet to import sales, project your path, and plan for adding new trucks or employees. Lee recommends looking at adding new trucks during slow seasons to better prepare for busy seasons.
Having a future vision is essential for any junk removal business. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to running the #1 junk removal business in your community.
For more info on this topic, watch the full webinar with Lee here:
