How to Start Swoop Scoop: Pet Waste Business That Makes Money on Day One

Podcast: How Much Can I Make? — Real Jobs. Real People. Real Money.
Host: Mirav Ozeri
Guest: William Milliken, Founder & President of Swoop Scoop
Release Date: November 18, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode shines a spotlight on the surprisingly lucrative world of professional pet waste removal, featuring William Milliken, the 32-year-old entrepreneur behind Swoop Scoop—a dog poop collection service that surpassed $3 million in annual revenue within just five years. Host Mirav Ozeri explores the mindset, techniques, costs, and growth secrets that allowed Milliken to turn a humble, low-barrier side hustle into a multi-million dollar business, sharing honest advice for listeners considering a similar path.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origin of Swoop Scoop & Business Inspiration (01:02 – 01:54)

• Background: Milliken comes from a digital marketing and home services background (electrical, garage doors).
• How it started: Inspired when his wife, pregnant and unable to scoop, hired a local service. Recognized most businesses require a particular trade, but "scooping" did not.
  • "My business partner started off, like, timing himself, scooping rocks in his backyard just to see how long it would take so we could set pricing..." (01:24)
• Naming & trademarks: Swoop Scoop's name came after trademark issues with original picks. Chose from the only trademarkable option available. (01:07)

2. Customer Validation & Initial Growth (02:13 – 03:02)

• Market surprise: Almost no search volume or obvious online customer demand at outset.
• First customers: Relied on grassroots outreach—friends, family, door hangers, vet clinics.
  • Paid Facebook ads turned 20 clients into 300 within 3 months.
• Startup timeline: Roughly 4–5 weeks from idea to first paying customer.

3. Economics & Logistics of Poop Scooping (03:07 – 04:31)

• Full-time viability: One operator can manage ~150 clients at ~$110/month per client; 60–70 clients may replace most incomes.
  • "So one technician or owner operator, they can, they can handle up to about 150 clients by themselves, which is a pretty, pretty good income." (03:12)
• Business model: Subscription; weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly service.
• Yard timing: Average yard takes 7 minutes (03:58).
• Startup costs: Can begin with a bucket, rake, and disinfectant for under a few hundred dollars; legal setup costs extra.

4. Risks & Challenges (04:49 – 07:44)

• Dog bites: Rare; about once every 20,000 yards.
  • "I haven't been bitten by a dog. ... [My business partner] has been bitten by a dog a couple of times. Unfortunately, it's pretty rare..." (04:49)
• Competition: Low barrier but hard for new entrants to match Swoop Scoop’s brand/reviews.
• Operational challenges:
  • Hiring and retaining staff; especially challenging at scale.
  • Managing customer churn—losing 4% a month can be 100+ customers at scale.
• Seasonality: Demand spikes when weather is poor and after snow melts ("peak poop pain season" in spring); summer can slow as families DIY or travel.

5. Expanding the Business & Community-Building (09:11 – 10:01, 14:54 – 15:41)

• Beyond franchising: Launched the Poop Scoop Millionaire online community, teaching the business model to others for a low monthly fee.
• Community scope: Nearly 900+ members worldwide learning the pet waste business, sharing tips, accessing discounts, and organizing events (like "ScoopCon").

6. Customer Questions & Practical Concerns (04:31 – 08:58)

• Dealing with apartment complexes: Swoop Scoop also installs and services pet waste stations for HOAs and commercial properties.
• Waste disposal: At some locations, dog waste is professionally incinerated; in others, double-bagged and disposed of via customer trash.
  • "A lot of our customers actually didn't care if we took the waste away ... saves us a lot of money." (08:19)

7. Smartest and Not-So-Smart Marketing Strategies (12:09 – 12:50)

• Missteps: $5k spent on Pizza Hut box flyers—resulted in zero new customers.
• Wins: Wrapping all Swoop Scoop vehicles boosted brand visibility and drove hundreds of signups annually.
  • "Hundreds of customers signing up every year just from our truck wraps alone..." (12:30)

8. The Business’s Potential & Future Outlook (10:38 – 15:09)

• Scale achieved: Over $3 million annual revenue with ambitions for $10 million in 3 years (13:08).
• Recognition: Made the Inc. 5000 as the 6th fastest-growing consumer service business nationwide (11:01).
• Simple path to independence: For $69/month, anyone can learn the ropes—no franchise fees, no geographic exclusivity, full independence.

9. Advice for New Entrepreneurs (10:01 – 10:33, 16:24)

• Just start: Don’t get stuck on perfect branding; get customers and refine along the way.
  • "If you don’t have customers, you don’t have cash flow. And if you don’t have cash flow, you don’t really have a business..." (10:05)
  • "If you're thinking about starting a business...and you’re not willing to start [one] like this because it’s so simple, you’re probably not even gonna start..." (16:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You can go out there and start making money within, like, a day." – William (00:03, 16:24)
• "I like money. I'm definitely not passionate about dog poop...It's just kind of interesting to see how big we could take picking up dog poop." – William (14:14)
• "We wrapped all of our vehicles...We get hundreds of customers signing up every year just from our truck wraps alone." – William (12:30)
• "There's a guy in New York, he calls himself the King of Poop." – William (05:51)
• "So I call it peak poop pain season...That's actually when we get probably 70, 80% of our clients..." – William (06:14)
• "For $69 a month, we'll basically teach you everything we know to get to the point that we did. It's a pretty good offer." – William (14:54)

Important Timestamps

• 00:03 – How to start with almost nothing
• 01:24 – Business inspiration & partner’s first steps
• 02:33 – Getting the first customers
• 03:07 – Number of clients needed for full-time work
• 03:58 – How long a yard takes
• 04:49 – Dog bites & safety
• 06:14 – The seasonality “spring rush"/peak season
• 09:11 – Launching and expanding the Poop Scoop Millionaire community
• 10:01 – Advice on how to start
• 11:01 – Making it onto the Inc. 5000 list
• 12:30 – Smartest marketing move
• 13:08 – Future industry and business projections
• 14:14 – Favorite part of the business
• 14:54 – Structure and price of the online community
• 16:24 – Just get started; the ultimate barrier is willingness

Where to Learn More / Get Started

• YouTube: Free channel on “dog poop business” for getting started (16:41)
• Online Community: Poop Scoop Millionaire—training, resources, discounts, global network

Final Takeaway

This episode reveals that even the most unglamorous jobs can be a goldmine for anyone willing to execute, hustle, and think entrepreneurially. Swoop Scoop’s journey proves that money and opportunity are everywhere—sometimes they’re just lying in your own backyard.