Tech entrepreneur Al Lijee recently launched a nationwide junk hauling company JunkGator, and we had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about JunkGator and his business model.
What is JunkGator and how does it work?
JunkGator is an online marketplace connecting local, independent junk haulers with people in need of reliable, affordable junk removal services across the United States. All of our member partners are located in the US and so far, we’ve got over 500 members providing coverage in cities and counties from coast to coast.
The business model is based on a successful platform I created many years ago in Britain called Rubbish.com, which connects licensed waste carriers in Britain with those in need of reliable, affordable rubbish (junk) removal.
What types of services do junk haulers on JunkGator provide to customers?
Most of the members listed on JunkGator provide similar services, namely junk removal such as bulky item removal, furniture removal, trash and garbage removal, yard waste removal, and so on. Many also provide partial and full estate and house cleanouts, office cleanouts, or specific specialized services like construction and demolitions waste removal or electronics (e-waste) disposal.
What they all have in common, however, is that they’ve all got years of experience, offer flexible prices, reliable schedules (many also offer same-day junk removal services), and excellent customer service.
Why should customers choose JunkGator over a competitor?
First and foremost, JunkGator is a win-win for customers in need of reliable, affordable junk removal services in the United States. There’s no need to sign up (nor pay) for a membership – requesting quotes from local junk haulers is completely free and without any obligation to follow up.
Secondly, customers can better negotiate for fair, competitive prices than with the big national junk removal and waste removal companies and franchises, who tend to be inflexible with prices and services, not to mention (often) poor customer service and customer satisfaction.
Moreover, our members are committed to a ‘recycle first’ approach whereby junk is only disposed of in a landfill as a last resort. Eco-friendly junk haulers on JunkGator strive to recycle, donate, or sell junk in order to minimize waste destined for landfills. With over 146 million tons of waste going to landfills in the United States (50% of all waste generated), every little bit helps to improve the environment as well as to keep costs low both for the junk haulers and subsequently for their customers.
Why would an independent junk hauler want to be listed on JunkGator?
Easy, we provide them with a service in which they’re often lacking, which is digital marketing and lead generation. Most small, independent junk haulers simply don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to dump into marketing budgets and to compete with the big franchises, so in today’s increasingly online world they’re left out of the game for the average American searching online for “junk removal near me”.
Our straightforward, hassle-free approach is to let them what they do best (junk removal) and to help leverage their business by providing them with a platform where they can compete on a more equal footing, all for a nominal membership fee which they can cancel at any time if they wish.
What makes JunkGator unique in terms of the junk removal industry in the US?
It comes down mostly to how the junk removal industry works in the United States, in terms of how people start and operate their junk removal company. At the top of the ‘food chain’ so to speak, there’s a handful of big national companies with massive marketing budgets.
Many small business owners in the junk removal industry choose to operate under a franchise model, which gives them the benefits of lead generation thanks to their corporate marketing. The catch, however, is that the startup costs for franchising can cost tens of thousands of dollars (over $100,000 when all is said and done with the big names).
JunkGator is unique because we boost the visibility of the over 30,000 small junk haulers in the United States, which gives them more business and benefits the booming junk removal market by increasing competition. Customers benefit from having a greater choice, better prices, more flexible services, and better customer service which is something that small junk haulers tend to offer if they want to be successful in this industry.
What’s the goal of JunkGator going forward?
We’re hoping that JunkGator becomes the preferred method of finding affordable, reliable junk removal services in the United States from genuine, local junk removal companies.
Since Rubbish.com had the exact same approach and saw incredible success, we’re hoping that JunkGator takes off and benefits customers and local junk hauling businesses alike.