Mark Rowe, a famous influencer and comedian, once argued that passion isn’t required if you want to be successful. Practicality and purpose play a more significant part in the road to success. He further argued that if you’re going to be rich, you already have the means to do so. He mentioned that one of the crucial sectors in the US is the sewage and waste treatment industry, and if you want to be successful and wealthy, you should start a business in it.
Mark Rowe was undoubtedly right about that. The wastewater and sewage industry is estimated to earn upwards of $63 billion, and it has so much room to grow. One of the reasons there is still so much room in this industry is that many entrepreneurs find the job too dirty. But this isn’t necessarily true.
We now have equipment in the industry that completely removes any interaction with waste and sewage while doing this job. You no longer have to use your hands or your body. The industry is dominated by machines that do the job for you. So now that’s out of the way. If you want to be in one of the fastest-growing sectors in the US, then joining the wastewater and sewage industry is for you. But what do you need to know?
Your Target Consumers
Let’s start with your target consumers. The reality with this business is that your consumer base is huge. Everyone is in dire need of sewage treatment every single day, and you can’t certainly accommodate all of them. This is why about fifteen thousand other companies work in the same industry as you. But don’t worry, because of so many consumers in the market, the industry is nowhere near oversaturated. So let’s break down two of your major consumers: residential and commercial.
Residential vs. Commercial
Many companies in the wastewater and sewage industry concentrate more on servicing a particular city’s commercial and government sectors. Consequently, they believe that this is the best place to gain the most revenue. This belief is true to a certain extent.
It’s estimated that more than half of the revenue from this sector comes from commercial and government contracts. These contracts are great because they give you the stability you need to grow. One of the best contracts is those that include septic tanks.
Septic tank services are considered to be crucial services in commercial, residential, and government areas. As stated earlier, the most revenue comes from commercial and government sectors. However, you should start offering pumping services for septic tanks in residential areas as well. This service is the most common in residential areas, and it will gain you as much revenue in commercial areas while increasing your clientele. In addition, this gives you connections to other people interested in your service. This is essential if you want to grow your company as a whole.
Overhead Costs
Now let’s get into the meat of business planning, and that is your overhead costs. There isn’t an average overhead cost for this business because many businesses work in the sector, both big and small. However, the base overhead costs for many start-up businesses for the first year are around $180,000. As much as we want to suggest that amount of money as your overhead cost, we know that is too high of a benchmark for many starting entrepreneurs.
We suggest that you should at least have $50,000 in your bank account before starting this business. This should cover the first three months of your operations and technology. Once you get past those months with a couple of clients, you should sustain yourself for the year.
Equipment
During the first months of your startup, we suggest that you rent your equipment and only buy essential ones. These essentials are small tools such as monkey wrenches, screwdrivers, and more. After that, you should rent big equipment such as pumps, even if you can afford them. This is because you want to start without paying too many utilities, and most of the utilities of every business come in the form of offices and storage. So avoid needing an office during the first few months of your startup.
Market Yourself
You will need to market yourself. Sewage treatment is a fundamental industry in the US, and once you’ve made your company known to the people, they will certainly get your services. You don’t have to spend too much money on marketing. Marketing on social media sites and getting a good following should be enough to propel your business into a success.
Sewage treatment is no longer the dirty work we used to know many years ago. Instead, it is one of the cleanest jobs and earns billions of dollars. So what are you waiting for? Start your sewage treatment business today.
