Imagine this: a dog poop clean-up business that’s set to rake in millions this year. Sounds like the setup for a comedy sketch, doesn’t it? Well, it all began with a bit of humor, as Will Milliken admits.

Before he founded Swoop Scoop, Will thought, “Maybe this could bring in a little extra—like a thousand bucks a month.” He wasn’t exactly an expert in dog waste. Then again, who is?

What he did possess, however, was a unique skill set—one honed over years in digital marketing. Skills that turned him into a formidable competitor. Skills that provided the perfect entry point.

“I used to run a small digital marketing agency, focusing on home service companies,” Will shared. “But over time, I realized that owning a home service company could be far more lucrative than just advertising for them.”

That was his gateway. He dipped his toes in by partnering with an electrician to build a modest electrical business, but Will was far from finished.

Not long after, his friend Levi approached him with another idea. They were ready to explore new horizons.

“I handled the marketing and operations, but Levi wasn’t an electrician, a plumber, or an HVAC technician, so we didn’t have a clear direction,” Will explained. “Then, one day, my wife, who was pregnant at the time, hired someone to clean up after our dog. That’s when the idea hit us—why not try that out and see where it leads?”

Neither had any clue if it would succeed, but they did have:

Will’s marketing prowess
Levi’s unyielding determination

Will recalls, “Before we even started, Levi was out in his backyard, timing himself to see how long it would take to scoop up dog poop. He didn’t even own a dog—he was just tossing rocks around to help us develop a pricing model.”

Talk about getting creative with problem-solving.

So, in September 2020, they launched this venture as a side hustle. A simple website, some door-to-door knocking, and posts in Facebook groups. But as their customer base grew from 5 to 10 to 20, Will decided to invest in Facebook ads.

By March, their client list had swelled to around 350 customers.

No secret sauce, just a blend of digital marketing expertise, a strong work ethic, and a straightforward pitch:

“Hey, we offer a dog waste removal service.”

The Peaks to Profits Playbook was born.

Since then, Swoop Scoop has evolved into a full-scale operation, with dozens of employees at times.

But what about sales?

According to Will:

• 2021: $267K

• 2022: $784K

• 2023: $1.53M

• 2024: $2M-$2.5M (projected)

This isn’t just luck.

It turns out, there’s a lot more to picking up poop than just, well, picking up poop.

“At first, it was just the two of us, but we quickly found ourselves overwhelmed,” Will said.

So, they began hiring early on. As Swoop Scoop expanded, so did the systems and processes required to manage it.

“It was always about identifying the next bottleneck: We need more trucks—how do we get them? We need more money—how do we find it? We need more employees—let’s figure it out. And the business just kept growing, faster and faster…”

Then one day, everything came to a halt.

Enter “the summer slowdown.” As Will explained, “People spend more time outdoors, go on vacation, and for a variety of reasons, things just slow down.”

But instead of being discouraged, they’ve learned to turn this slowdown into an opportunity.

Nowadays, Will uses the summer lull to streamline and optimize the business.

“Employee handbooks, documentation, GPS trackers for the trucks, website updates, new ad campaigns.”

They refine their hiring processes, standard operating procedures, operations, sales, customer service, marketing—using this time to enhance the systems that will drive future profits during peak seasons.

The result? They’re always ready to hit the ground running when things pick up again.

Curious about labor? They’ve never struggled to find people willing to clean up after dogs.

Each time Swoop Scoop posts a job opening, over 100 applicants line up.

How the Top 1% of Small Businesses Succeed

Swoop Scoop’s approach is deceptively simple.

Marketing? You might think they pour tons of effort (and money) into flashy campaigns.

Nope.

“Our first year, I literally uploaded a picture of a bag of dog poop. That was it.”

With that, Will says they were getting digital leads for about $6 each, closing one out of every three.

“It was kind of amazing. It’s not that good anymore, but when we started, it was bananas.”

Combine that with a few targeted marketing strategies, and Swoop Scoop now enjoys an average customer lifetime value of around $2,000.

Simple.

The business model?

Recurring revenue. Recurring revenue. Recurring revenue.

Most of Swoop Scoop’s clients pay a monthly subscription fee. Customers can visit the website, select their service, get a quote, and sign up—no need to even speak to anyone.

They use a third-party CRM called Sweep&Go, designed specifically for the poop scoop industry. (Yes, it’s real.)

“If a customer likes the price, they can enter their details, and our CRM handles the rest. Technically, we don’t even have to talk to people if we don’t want to.”

And they sweeten the deal with a free initial cleanup, drastically reducing barriers to signing up.

Easy.

Low startup costs?

To get started, “You just need a mode of transportation,” says Will.

The tools? Less than $100 to get one person started.

If you’re a solo scooper and manage to secure 125-150 monthly customers, you could theoretically earn thousands of dollars a month just picking up dog poop.

“And instead of spending $30k on a 4-wheel drive truck, we learned we could buy a cheap Chevy Spark that gets triple the gas mileage, zip around town, double-bag the poop, and toss it in the customer’s trash.”

Genius.

The key to success? “Dominate Google right away. I’ve had competitors put up billboards, but they didn’t rank on the first page of Google, so we got all the traffic.”

Simple.

“I always tell people this…”

Sure, Will has experience and a specialized skill set, but he doesn’t believe you need those to start.

In Will’s eyes, this business has it all:

• A solid business model: Recurring revenue, low startup costs, growing demand

• A real need: For the elderly, disabled, busy dual-income households, and more

• A space ripe for innovation: “There aren’t many sophisticated players in this industry,” Will noted. “It’s dog poop—who would think to enter this space?”

Plus, it comes with added benefits.

For instance, hiring someone to scoop poop is much easier than finding a qualified electrician, plumber, or HVAC technician.

“At this point, I own several other home service companies and still do some marketing for a few others… Swoop Scoop is the only one in my portfolio that continues to grow significantly.”

And the cherry on top?

“I always tell people this,” Will said. “This business checks so many boxes that it’s almost too good to be true…”

That is, “if you didn’t have to pick up dog sh*t.”

Now, after reading the whole 9 yards, as a realtor what have you picked up from Will that you can apply to your real estate business?

Here's my note:

Realtors can glean several valuable lessons from Will's journey with Swoop Scoop that apply directly to their business.

First, identifying and capitalizing on a niche market—much like Will did with dog poop clean-up—can set a realtor apart in a crowded field. Realtors can carve out a unique space by offering specialized services or targeting underserved client segments.

Second, leveraging digital marketing and maintaining a strong online presence are critical. Just as Will dominated Google rankings to drive traffic, realtors should prioritize search engine optimization and effective online advertising to ensure potential clients find them easily.

Additionally, simplifying processes for clients, such as using automated systems for lead management or client onboarding, can significantly enhance efficiency and client satisfaction.

Finally, embracing slow periods as opportunities to refine systems, improve services, and innovate, rather than viewing them as setbacks, can prepare realtors to excel when the market heats up again.

Real estate is never easy but it's simple and I coach the simple methods that do work. If this is what you're looking for then sign up here.

Note: Be inspired and learn something from Will. The story came from Codie Sanchez.