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Most likely, you have used a portable toilet on one or more occasions in the past.
The portable toilet hire industry is a specialized one that serves a large customer base, so it’s important to gather as much information as possible before committing to starting a business — large or small. To help you out, we put together a list of 8 things to know before starting a portable loo hire business to help pique your interest and motivate you to pursue your venture with the knowledge necessary to succeed.
1. Many Industries Need Porta-Loos
Portable toilets are necessary at numerous locations. They can be found at carnivals, concerts, city events, worksites, golf courses, sports stadiums, outdoor weddings, parties, and many other places.
When getting into the porta-loo hire industry, it’s important to understand the nuances between events and the types of portable cabins that are appropriate depending on the customer, venue and users. Keep your audiences in mind and adjust your sales and marketing depending on the group.
2. Mobile toilets are Convenient, Strong & Long-Lasting
The value of portable cabins isn’t just that they allow people to relieve themselves at events. Porta-loos serve a wide customer base because they are easy to move thanks to lightweight plastic, require little maintenance and hold up in a variety of conditions.
When entering the portable loo hire business, do yourself a favor and invest in top-quality products. An initial investment in the tools, accessories, and portable toilets themselves manufactured with high-quality materials will ensure you get a good return on your investment and prevent you from needing to replace components every year. Guangzhou CLEEN will provide you the best HDPE portable toilets to start with.
3. Business Plan Essentials: Locations & Event Details
Health and Safety regulations require 1 toilet for construction sites with 1-5 workers, 2 toilets for 6-25 workers, 3 toilets for 26-50 workers, 4 toilets for 51-75 workers, 5 toilets for 76-100 workers and so on. For events that last no longer than 6 hours with no food or alcohol served, a general rule is to provide 1 portable toilet for every 100 females and another for every 500 men, plus an additional urinal for every 150 men. Events that last longer and do serve food or alcohol necessitate additional toilets. When delivering porta-loos, make sure you know and understand the layout of the location so you can prepare for possible weather conditions, site requirements, crowd size and whether or not you will need to employ additional staff for routine toilet maintenance and care.
4. Remain Within Budget!
When putting together an initial budget or quote, there are many things to consider. Each budget will be specific to the event, but some typical factors to consider when quoting are:
· Portable cabin type (standard vs. luxury)
· Portable cabin quality and material desired
· Crowd size
· Event layout
· Toilet accessories desired
· Duration of toilet hire
· Dates of delivery, pick-up and transport
· Toilet quantity desired
5. Jobs Can Be Really Dirty and Smelly
It should come as no surprise that the portable loo hire industry can be a dirty and smelly one. After all, you’re dealing with people’s waste daily. Not every service will be horrible. However, there will be times when you could be met with mud, water, grime and worse. When alcohol is involved, who knows what you could find? Portable toilets have been known to be vandalized with graffiti, cracked, burned, and even have waste on the floor.
Transferring waste from the toilet to the truck and then from the truck to the dumpsite takes some getting used to. If you aren’t careful, waste can leak, tanks can lose pressure and hoses can spray. Just remember to laugh because it’s part of the learning curve.
6. The Work is Hard, But the Pay is Good
While the portable loo hire business can be challenging, the pay can be really good. The salary reflects the dirty aspect of the job as well as the knowledge and skill needed to do the job correctly. Business owners and employees must have knowledge in many areas including toilet servicing, truck driving and maintenance, marketing and customer service. The job isn’t for the faint-hearted!
Guangzhou CLEEN is one of the leading HDPE portable toilets manufacturers.
7. The Industry is Competitive
It’s a dirty job, but many people choose to do it. The portable loo hire industry is very competitive and includes a mix of small, family-owned operations and industry giants. In high-population areas with large, frequent events, you’ll need a good sales pitch, high-quality products, impeccable customer service and a wealth of industry knowledge to stand out. What makes your business different? When creating your business plan and making a sales pitch, emphasise your differentiators.
8. Invest in High-Quality Tools, Products and Service
Last, but certainly not least, remember that high-quality tools, products and customer service make a massive difference in the industry. When customers are happy with the cleanliness, customer service, product durability and dependability provided by your business, you are sure to see an influx of business for both short-term and long-term porta-loo hires. Learn everything you can about the industry, from trucks to transport, sanitation to budgeting. Portable toilets receive high foot traffic and are exposed to the elements. Make sure you provide your customers with the best possible experience, no matter what! E.g., portable toilets from Guangzhou CLEEN.
