US woman makes more than S$270K per year cleaning dog poop
37-year-old Erica Krupin was a pharmacy technician when she had the “entrepreneurial itch” to try something new.
In 2018, she began scooping dog poop as a side hustle and named her Michigan-based business Kroopin’s Poopin Scoopin.
The inspiration for Ms Krupin’s business came when she saw her pitbull, Java, relieving itself in the backyard.
She then thought of hiring someone to clean her dog waste and realised it could be a business opportunity.
Source: Kroopin’s Poopin Scoopin
She later left her pharmacy technician job to operate the business full-time in Feb 2020, just a few weeks before the pandemic spread through the US.
Kroopin’s Poopin Scoopin reached $250,000 (S$337,000) in revenue for 2024, according to CNBC’s report.
As Ms Krupin approaches her seventh year running her business, she expressed a desire to hire more workers and expand her services to more cities in Michigan.
Started her side hustle without a university degree
After graduating from high school, Ms Krupin was unsure about what to pursue next.
Even though she enrolled in general courses at a local college, she did not enjoy it — noting that she had “always really struggled in school”.
In 2005, Ms Krupin was hired as a pharmacy technician at the University of Michigan’s medical centre in Ann Arbor, where she worked for 13 years.
She described it as a stable job, but she felt a strong urge to do something different and creative, which led to her starting Kroopin’s Poopin Scoopin.
Dog poop scooping business required low setup costs
Ms Krupin said she spent around US$1,000 (S$1,300) on initial supplies, including a kid’s gardening rake, trash bags, gloves, a dustpan, disinfectant, a business registration, insurance, a website, and a cargo trailer with a hitch for her car.
She also recalled handing out doughnuts with business cards to introduce herself and promote her services.
Source: Kroopin’s Poopin Scoopin
Ms Krupin decided to quit working as a pharmacy technician after her side hustle gave her a higher income than the hospital.
Shares advice for entrepreneurs on podcast & YouTube
Mr Krupin ran the business on her own for the first 18 months. Now, she has two employees on her payroll, reported by CNBC.
Kroopin’s Poopin Scoopin charges customers based on how often they need their yards cleaned. Most people choose weekly cleaning, which costs US$87 (S$117) per month.
Source: Google Maps
The business also offers other options, like a one-time cleaning for US$50 (S$67) or cleaning twice a week for US$156 (S$210) per month.
She explained that the demand for cleanings varies throughout the year, but March and April are the peak months for requests.
Ms Krupin explains that this is typically when the snow melts to reveal previously hidden waste.
Following her successful business, the entrepreneur has also started her own podcast, The Scoop With Erica Krupin, and a YouTube channel where she interviews other business owners and shares entrepreneurial advice.
Also read: 6-year-old boy in US starts poop scooping business to raise money for cat adoption
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Featured images adapted from Kroopin’s Poopin Scoopin and Kroopin’s Poopin Scoopin.
