Solved: Improving Junk Removal Business's Profitability & Efficiency

Hi there,

Thanks for getting in touch. I had a look over the situation you described with your junk removal business and I'm happy to give you some of my initial thoughts and guidance. It sounds like you've made a decent start getting to £2500/month, but I totally get the frustration of being stuck with low-value jobs while the bigger, more profitable ones slip through your fingers. It's a common problem, but one you can definitely get past.

You're doing a lot of marketing, which is good, but it feels a bit scattered and maybe not focused in the right places to attract the clients you actually want. Let's break it down a bit.

We'll need to look at your current marketing...

Tbh, a lot of what you're doing is what I'd call 'hope marketing'. You're putting stuff out there and hoping the right person sees it at the right time. Sometimes it works, but it's not a reliable way to build a real business, as you're finding out.

Social Media & Nextdoor: Posting on Facebook, Instagram, and local groups is fine for keeping your brand name out there, but its not a lead generation machine for a service like yours. People aren't usually scrolling their feed thinking "You know what, I need some junk removed". They search when they have a problem that needs solving right now. So while it doesn't hurt, it's not where your high-value customers are probably looking for you.

Yard Signs: I'd scrap these immediately. Honestly, who's seeing them? And are they the right people? It's a lot of effort for what I suspect is a very low return. That time could be much better spent elsewhere.

Realtors & BNI: Contacting realtors and networking is a solid idea for getting those bigger estate cleanout jobs. But it's a long game. It relies on building relationships over time. You need something that brings in leads now. Also, you need to track it properly. Out of the 10-20 realtors you text a day, how many have actually given you a job? If the answer is close to zero, you need to rethink the approach. Maybe a special offer for their clients could work better?

The main issue here is that most of these methods don't put you in front of people with an urgent, high-value problem. The person who needs a massive construction site cleared isn't looking on a yard sign; they're probably grabbing their phone and searching online.

I'd say you need to focus on where your customers are actually looking...

This brings me to the most important point. For a service business like yours, you need to be where people are when they have an immediate need. And today, that place is Google.

You mentioned you don't have the money for Google Ads, and I hear that a lot. But you need to reframe how you think about it. It's not a cost; it's an investment designed to make you money. You're not just spending £100, you're investing £100 to get a £500 job that you wouldn't have gotten otherwise. The goal is to build a predictable system where every pound you put in brings more pounds back out.

The beauty of Google Search Ads is that you are only showing up for people who are actively searching for your exact service. They've already decided they need help, now they're just looking for the right person to hire. This is a completely different ball game from posting on Facebook and hoping for the best. These are high-intent, ready-to-buy customers.

I remember one campaign we ran for a home cleaning company. They were in a similar situation, lots of small jobs but no scale. We focused their entire budget on a small set of Google search keywords. I usually recommend a budget for ad spend of $1-$2k per month to start with - but this depends on how many leads you need (number of leads you need x cost per lead = ad spend).

You probably should get Google Guaranteed working for you...

This is the biggest red flag in your whole post. You said you're approved for Google Guaranteed but haven't gotten any leads. Somethings seriously wrong there, and you need to fix it pronto. Google Guaranteed (or Local Service Ads) is probably the single most powerful tool for a business like yours.

Why? Because you get a green "Google Guaranteed" checkmark next to your name. It screams trust and reliability. Customers love it. Plus, you generally only pay when you get a lead, not just for a click. If its not working, here's what you need to check right now:

-> Your Profile: Is it 100% complete? Have you filled out every single section with as much detail as possible? Do you have good, clear photos of your work, you, and your equipment?

-> Reviews: How many do you have? Are they recent? Are they good? You need a constant stream of 5-star reviews. This is probably the most important factor.

-> Service Area & Job Types: Have you set your service area correctly? I've seen this go wrong so many times. We had an HVAC client whose targeting was too broad, and they were getting leads from so far away that the travel time made the jobs unprofitable. You need your targeting to be tight, focused on the areas where the high-value jobs are (like that wealthy neighbourhood you mentioned).

Fixing your Google Guaranteed setup should be your number one priority. Forget the yard signs and even ease off the social media posting for a week and put all that energy into this. It could honestly be the thing that transforms your business.

You'll need a clear strategy for paid ads...

Once you've got Google Guaranteed sorted and hopefully bringing in some cashflow, you can start to think about a small, controlled Google Search Ads campaign to supplement it and specifically target those bigger jobs.

This is where you can be really strategic. You can choose the exact phrases you want to show up for. Instead of just "junk removal," you can target the high-value stuff directly. Here are some examples of keywords you could target:

Now, what about costs? It varies massively by area. But based on our experience with similar service businesses, you might be looking at a cost per lead (someone calling you or filling out a form) of anywhere from £15 to £50. We're running a campaign for an HVAC company currently, they are in a bit of a competitive area, and they are seeing costs of around $60/lead. Your goal is to figure out your numbers.

Let's do some rough maths. Say a lead from Google Ads costs you £30. If you are good on the phone and close 1 out of every 4 leads into a paying job, your actual cost to acquire a new customer is £120. If you're targeting bigger jobs worth £500, £1000, or more, spending £120 to get one is an incredible deal, innit? This is how you build a real, scalable business.

This is the main advice I have for you:

This is a lot to take in, I know. So I've put the key action points into a simple table for you to focus on.

Trying to figure all this out while also running the business and doing the actual jobs is tough. Getting your advertising right can create a predictable flow of the exact type of jobs you want, but getting it wrong can be a fast way to waste the limited money you have, which I know is a big concern for you.

This is where getting some expert help can make a huge difference. An expert can make sure your campaigns are set up correctly from day one, that you're not making costly mistakes, and that you're optimising to get the most profitable jobs possible, not just any job.

If you'd like to go over this in more detail, we offer a free initial consultation where we can look at your specific situation and map out a proper strategy. Just let me know if that's something you'd be interested in.

Hope this helps you get on the right track.

Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh