Got Junk?
The Rob Harris Success Story

Franchise Success Stories

By Amy Covington

If you're looking for a way to score hidden gems, you're best bet is to stick to garage sales and flea markets. But just because Harris doesn't pocket the proceeds from his finds doesn't mean he doesn't have an adventurous element to his job.

You would love to use your garage for its intended purpose. Store your car, maybe put a new Harley or boat in it. What started innocently enough - an old sofa here, a bag of old Time Magazines there - ended with losing actual square footage of your house. Before you knew you it you were inundated with ... JUNK. You finally stopped opening the garage door and declared the area an official disaster zone.

Rob Harris, one of a select group of visionaries, makes his living helping people with too much junk on their hands. He understands how overwhelming it feels to think about the countless hours sorting, hauling and disposing of unwanted, accumulated junk. While the need is there, it's not a simple task getting the word out that this type of service exists.

"One of the biggest challenges is educating the population that companies like mine exist," says Rob Harris, a 1-800-GOT-JUNK franchisee in Orlando. "Many people just collect more and more junk and they have no idea there is a company like mine that will relieve them of all this mess. Once I do penetrate an market or zip code the calls start coming in steadily and my customers tell all their friends and the wheels are set into motion for more business."

Okay, so no one likes to sort through piles of junk but do they really need a team of professionals to relieve them of their mess? It all depends on how much time you want to spend wading through mountains of old newspapers, toys, broken furniture or worse and finding a place that will take your ancient orange couch that's been collecting dust in your basement for 20 years.

"We take what the city will not or that you physically can not get to the curb," says Harris. "It's like painting your house. You 'could' do it if you had the time and tools, but it is labor-intensive work and the tools cost are expensive. Think of us in the same light; we have the necessary tools for the job and we don't mind the heavy lifting. Fridges and couches are heavy and they are our top items we haul away."

Job description

So what kind of background does someone need to succeed in this line of work? The good news is that there is no set forth path to prepare you for a business like this, other than good people skills, the ability to manage a team of laborers, and being able to do heavy lifting always helps.

"Self-motivation is most important because you have to do the same thing daily as far as marketing goes for the first year to make a name for yourself and it gets tough at times to keep going. But if you do, you'll reap the rewards."

Harris' background is as varied as they come. From selling industrial roofs to Oracle software and working for five years at Aramark Uniform Company, Harris never set out to help rid the public of junk. He also spent six years in the Marines, which he says taught him the discipline and leadership needed to do well as a 1-800-GOT-JUNK? franchise owner.

By 2003, Harris was ready to be his own boss. On February 3, 2003 he realized the benefits, and challenges, of running his own business. Why 1-800-GOT-JUNK? "The cost was low and that meant a low risk to me," Harris says. "They were not in Atlanta yet and I wanted to be the first in the industry, so that I could capitalize off of this concept. I became a Franchise Partner in September of 2005."

There were other perks to this particular franchise for Harris. Being in the service industry allowed him to raise the bar for customer service. "In my opinion the service industry needed a makeover," says Harris. "Having to wait for 8 hours for the cable installer is non-sense or trying to navigate a computerized system over the phone with your bank is unacceptable.

"At 1-800-GOT-JUNK? we answer the phone in person within 60 seconds 24 hours a day, seven days a week and our crews are the best professionals in the business. We give our clients a 2-hour window and we show up on time, in uniform, with a clean truck and provide up-front pricing. Since I have been in this business I have received testimonials and compliments regularly and have never received a complaint."

Buying a 1-800-GOT-JUNK? franchise is not for everyone, as it requires the ability to hit the ground running to grow the business in a particular territory. But franchisees aren't left to re-invent the wheel - after all buying a franchise means taking advantage of the franchisor's tried and true methods and marketing efforts.

"The company provided me with a Business Development Coach (BDC) and they brought me up to Canada for a week-long training," says Harris. "Once trained, I worked with my BDC weekly to set goals for my territory. Corporate also provides a business-in-a-box marketing packet, which they encourage new franchisees to use when getting started. It contains items like marketing postcards and magnets. My BDC worked with me to help decide how to use the marketing pieces most effectively within my territory."

Treasure Hunting

We've all heard the adage that one man's junk is another man's treasure - but Harris is no scavenger. If he comes across a valuable item he donates it to St. Vincent De Paul's or the Salvation Army. So if you're looking for a way to score hidden gems, you're best bet is to stick to garage sales and flea markets. But just because Harris doesn't pocket the proceeds from his finds doesn't mean he doesn't have an adventerous element to his job. Harris once found a grenade in a tool box in a house where a person had been evicted.

"The grenade turned out to be a training grenade, but a bomb technician had to make that call," Harris recounts. "When we opened the tool box and picked it up not knowing what it was, it was heavy and looked just like a grenade I threw at Marine Boot camp so we put it down quick and called the cops. We had to fill out a homeland security form and report the property and owner of the property to the authorities."

On a more bizarre - yet less dangerous-note, Harris hauled away 8 full truck loads of QVC boxes-mostly unopened. So if you're looking for a job where each day brings new surprises, this just might be the franchise for you. In addition to strong motivation and a thrill-seeking nature, Harris says that you'll also need trucks, tools, uniforms, and great employees with great attitudes.

About 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

1-800-GOT-JUNK? is a full service junk removal company that removes obstacles and de-clutter lives. Whether it's an old sofa, household appliances, or yard debris 1-800-GOT-JUNK? will remove it. Our professional crews work to recycle and donate whenever possible and are committed to accountability in local communities and to the environment.

Founded in 1989 in Vancouver, BC, by 1989 by 18-year-old entrepreneur Brian Scudamore 1-800-GOT-JUNK? has become the World's Largest Junk Removal Service. The hyper growth brand has been dubbed one of the fastest growing companies in North America. And is found in over 270 locations across the United States, Canada Australia and the United Kingdom and is trending to earn over $100 million in 2007 revenue.

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