Editor’s note: This article was first published in November 2011. The DoodyCalls figures are from that month: 49 franchises in 22 US states, more than 3 million droppings collected a year and 1.5 million dollars in revenue.
As the saying goes, some people have the gift of turning everything they touch into gold, while for others everything they touch turns into… Jacob D’Aniello came up with a way to make a business out of poop, dog poop to be precise, because, as he puts it, even in the worst recessions, dogs still poop.
Perhaps the hardest part for this entrepreneur was getting his business idea into the market, but as we’ll see, he overcame that small obstacle, and his brand, DoodyCalls, now has 49 franchises in 22 US states.
His business idea was based on taking advantage of the new law requiring pet owners to pick up their animals’ droppings when they take them out to relieve themselves. That was the initial idea; months later he expanded the service.
If someone has pets at home that mess up the garden, for about 15–20 dollars a week DoodyCalls will come by and collect the droppings. The company also signs agreements with housing developments and residents’ associations to keep their grounds clear of dog waste, regardless of whether the city council has its own cleaning service.
Its numbers: more than 3 million droppings collected a year and 1.5 million dollars in revenue, and Jacob is in the middle of expanding. What do you think of this idea?
Further reading
- Business idea: selling tobacco tax-free and legally
- 5 business ideas invented and patented by children
- Business ideas for 2012
Featured image: Emilio Labrador, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
