Reddit's Favorite "Boring" Side Hustle
In a viral r/sidehustle thread asking for "boring or unsexy side hustles that make money," poop scooping dominated the comments. Multiple people chimed in with real numbers:
- "12 customers for $1k/month. Trying to grow!" (173 upvotes)
- "I also do poop scooping and I can't recommend it enough. It cost me like $30 to start." (69 upvotes)
- A separate r/sweatystartup post: "I turned $135 of tools and a logo into just over $1k in cleanups this month with 1-2 recurring monthly customers."
Meanwhile, a Great Dane owner replied: "Bless people like you who are brave enough to be pooper scoopers. I love my pooper scooper guy." (159 upvotes). The demand is REAL.
Why This Is Actually a Silver Bullet
Most people laugh at this business. That's exactly why it works:
- $30 startup cost. A pooper scooper ($15) and garbage bags ($15). That's literally it.
- Recurring revenue. Most customers sign up for weekly or bi-weekly service. $80-150/month per customer, paid every single month.
- 67% of US households own pets. According to the American Pet Products Association. That's a massive addressable market.
- Almost zero competition. Nobody wants to do it, so there's often no other service in your area.
- Works as much or as little as you want. Service 5 yards on Saturday morning and make $200-400. Or build it up to 50 customers and make $4,000-7,500/month.
The Business Model
- Weekly service (1 dog): $15-20/week ($60-80/month)
- Weekly service (2+ dogs): $20-35/week ($80-140/month)
- Bi-weekly service: $25-40/visit
- One-time cleanups: $75-150 (spring cleanup specials are goldmines)
A route of 15 weekly customers at $75/month average = $1,125/month. Most routes take 3-4 hours per week to service once you have them clustered geographically.
How to Start This Week
- Buy your equipment. Pooper scooper with rake ($15-25), heavy-duty garbage bags, hand sanitizer, and a bucket. Total: ~$30-50.
- Name your business. Something memorable and slightly funny works best. "Doody Calls," "The Poop Fairy," "Scoop Soldiers" — whatever makes people smile.
- Post on Nextdoor and local Facebook groups. "Hey neighbors! I'm starting a pet waste removal service in [Area]. $15/week for one dog, $20/week for two. First cleanup free!" This alone can get you 5-10 clients.
- Print door hangers or flyers. Target neighborhoods with lots of dogs (you can usually tell by the yards). 100 flyers = 3-5 calls on average.
- Offer the first cleanup free. Once people experience a poop-free yard, they don't want to go back to doing it themselves.
- Set up recurring payments. Use Square, Venmo auto-pay, or Jobber (field service software). Autopay = you never chase money.
Scaling Tips From Reddit
- Cluster your routes geographically. Aim for customers in the same neighborhoods so you minimize driving time.
- Upsell deodorizing spray. Charge an extra $10/visit to spray the yard with a pet-safe deodorizer. Easy add-on that customers love.
- Spring cleanup specials. After winter, yards are disaster zones. Charge $100-150 for a deep initial clean, then convert them to weekly service.
- Partner with dog walkers and pet sitters. They refer clients to you, you refer to them. Win-win.
- Once you hit 30+ customers, hire a helper at $15/hour and focus on sales and growth.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Lowest startup cost of any legitimate business ($30)
- Recurring monthly revenue
- Virtually zero competition
- Outdoor work, flexible schedule
- Customers rarely cancel (nobody wants to go back to scooping)
- Extremely easy to learn — zero skill barrier
Cons:
- You're picking up dog poop (obviously)
- Weather-dependent (rain, snow)
- Seasonal slowdown in winter for some areas
- Physical work (though not strenuous)
The Bottom Line
Pet waste removal is the ultimate "unsexy side hustle that actually prints money." The startup cost is a single trip to Walmart. The demand is enormous (67% of households have pets). And the competition is basically nonexistent because most people are too proud to do it. Swallow your pride, pick up a scooper, and you could be making $1,000+/month within 60 days. As one Redditor put it: "I can work as much or as little as I want." That's freedom.