How one person turned a mountain of garbage into a $ 350 million-strong empire

Photo: Facebook 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

When Brian Scudamore was 4 years old, he drew a picture of himself hauling trash. “I probably saw myself as a garbage man,” he told the TV channel CNBC.

Brian skudamore

Now in 47 years, Skudamore is the founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK ?, a multimillion-dollar business that transports garbage and collaborates with 180 offices in the United States, Canada and Australia.

In 2014, his company earned $214 million with a profit margin of about 20%. “We will end this year with $359 million,” Scudamore said in CNBC Make It.

Skudamore began his business while still in college. He left high school and was accidentally enrolled at Cockordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Parents did not want to pay for the education of their son and were extremely concerned about his attitude to school. The young man was looking for a way to finance his studies. One day he saw near McDonald's A truck was passing by, collecting rubbish. It was at that moment that the idea of ​​starting his own business was born. “I thought to myself, what can I do better than this truck,” Scudamore recalls.

In 1989, he invested $1000 into his business, of which $700 was spent on purchasing a pickup truck and the rest on printing flyers and business cards. “I walked down the street, met realtors, knocked on doors and asked people if they had trash or any junk,” Scudamore said.

His girlfriend had exits to a local newspaper in the province of Vancouver, and they published an article about the business of Skudmor. After 24 hours after publication, he received about 100 job offers.

The business took off so quickly that the young man dropped out of college.

“College is here to stay, but my business could quickly fail, and I’m going to make the most of it,” Scudamore recalls telling his father when he dropped out yet again.

At first, Skudamore took about $ 100 for his work. Then he bought large trucks, increased work speed, began working with large companies such as Gamestop. Through 8 years of operation company GOT JUNK? earned $ 1 million

“I didn’t have the right people for my business,” the businessman recalls.

He fired all 11 employees who were working with him at the time.

Photo: Facebook 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

“I took a piece of paper and wrote down what my business would look like in the future. I wrote that I would be on the Oprah Winfrey Show. I will have clean, shiny trucks, friendly drivers in uniform,” the businessman recalls.

At the end of 2003, all of the writing came true.

Photo: Facebook 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

Today except GOT JUNK? Skudamore launched the project WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, a company You move me and cleaning agency Shack shine.

These three franchises generated approximately $50 million in revenue in 2017, a significant contribution to the overall goal of $359 million.

“When I first started my business and invested the first $1000, it seemed crazy. It was a risk that paid off,” the businessman says today.

Read also on ForumDaily:

How is life in Israel, a woman butcher

Five household trifles from the life of Americans, which should be adopted by all

Personal experience. How a successful TV reporter engaged in the delivery of bread in New York

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.