Joel Libava
(Sponsored Post)
I recently sat down (virtually) with Bin There Dump That COO, John Ferracuti.
I talked to John because I wanted you to get an overview of the franchise business along with a “why.”
As in, why should you seriously consider becoming the owner of a truly simple business: Bin There Dump That.
For the answer, check out the Q & A I did with John Ferracuti. Why?
Because I’m curious to know if you’re as impressed with the way Bin There Dump That prepares franchisees for success as much as I am.
Bin There Dump That: A Simple Business To Own And Operate
(That’s John Ferracuti)
Me: Will you please share how Bin There Dump That started?
John: Sure, Joel.
Mark Crossett was working as a general contractor back in the early 2000’s, specializing in upscale home remodeling projects, like kitchens, bathrooms and basements.
One of the consistent challenges Mark faced on his job was the ability to source a clean, affordable, reliable “residential friendly” solution to getting rid of home remodeling waste. At that time, the vast majority of bin or dumpster companies were providing large 30 or 40 yard dumpsters that were delivered and picked up by large, tri-axle trucks.
In essence, the equipment didn’t fit effectively in a residential setting and the companies that were in that business were unreliable, dirty and extremely difficult to deal with.
Mark’s Solution
Mark recognized that we was unlikely to find a suitable supplier in the field, so he decided to take matters into his own hands and come up with something new and different.
So after researching the industry, Mark designed a new, innovative system for “residential friendly dumpsters,” including smaller and more maneuverable trucks. They needed to be up-fitted with hydraulic hook lift systems, as opposed to old technology using inefficient cable hook hardware. Mark’s new system was fresh and built specifically to provide a simple and friendly experience for homeowners or contractors working at someone’s home.
Mark Crossett And Mike Kernaghan Meet
Mark met Mike Kernaghan in 2002, when Mike had a flood at the office where he was working at that time, and Bin There Dump That was hired to deliver some dumpsters to clean up the mess.
Mike’s business experience is in franchising and he quickly recognized that this great new bin/dumpster business could be scalable and franchised. Mark and Mike partnered and started Bin There Dump That as a franchise in 2004. I joined in Feb, 2008 and the rest is history!
Me: Besides being a simple business to operate, what sets Bin There Dump That apart from others in the roll-off dumpster space?
John: At Bin There Dump That, we believe that renting and using a residential friendly dumpster at your home should be a simple and friendly experience. Every single part of our business model is intended and created to provide a simple and friendly experience for the customer, the homeowner and their neighbors.
And just so you know, Joel, all our competitors just rent dumpsters. They don’t do anything else.
Bin There Dump That Franchisee Requirements
Me: What do you look for in a franchisee, and are there any specific qualifications or experience requirements needed to become a Bin There Dump That franchisee?
John: We look for smart people with a solid business background at some level of management.
Additionally, experience in customer service or sales is always a positive, as we strongly believe that building relationships is the most important quality leading to success in small business.
Here at Bin There Dump That, we have very successful franchise operators with experience in a wide variety of industries, including shipping, retail, restaurants.
For example, we have an ex-CFO, a few engineers, teachers, a person who sold airplanes and even a top executive from the pharmaceutical industry!
That said, we specifically don’t look for people with trash handling or trucking experience, as it is likely that the majority of their experience won’t include providing anything simple or friendly to the customers.
I guess the best description of our most successful franchise operators is “someone with management experience, a willingness to learn and follow a successful model and the ability to communicate with customers to build relationships.”
Here’s some information for potential customers:
Me: What kind of training and support do you offer to franchisees, especially those who may be new to the industry?
John: The Bin There Dump That Super Support team works within a thorough phased process that helps guide new Franchise Operators through all the items needed. This is done to help every Bin There Dump That location get up and running. Here’s how that works.
#1: Pre-Training Location Ramp-Up Phase:
Phase one starts with a Welcome Call – an introductory conference call to introduce you to the Bin There Dump That Home Office team. Each individual on the team will talk about how they will help you to be successful in this new venture. Then you’ll be introduced to your own personal Franchise Support Coach!
During this conference call you will be introduced to the pre-opening manual and checklist.
This checklist clearly lays out every item to be completed prior to the opening of the business. It will include things like ordering the truck and bins, getting on the insurance policy, getting websites live, ordering marketing materials, registering with the DOT, and much, much more.
Together, the franchise operator and the Super Support Team will select an opening date and work towards completing the tasks on the checklist.
Finally, the Support Team will create a time frame for all members of the team to work towards the actual date of the opening of the location. The team will also schedule continued update calls with you to help keep on task.
#2: Online and Live Classroom Training Phase:
The online and live training class is a hybrid program of video calls done from home and in person training held at the Home Office. It takes place approximately every 8-10 weeks and will typically have 3-5 new Franchise Operators participating.
Note: Franchise Operators should plan to bring an employee or partner who will be working in the business in the role of General Manager.
This is an intense training class that is focused on the execution of the Bin There Dump That Business Model. The approach is top down, starting with a focused effort on teaching the core values of the company and the intended relationship between the franchise operator and the franchisor.
Some of the things the trainer goes over include:
- Business Planning
- Sales, Marketing & Promotion
- Local Community Marketing
- Operating Software
- Estimating and Closing Jobs
- Administrative Office Procedures
- Financial Management
- Dumpster Delivery Expert Instruction & Safety Training
And much, much more.
Bin There Dump That: Live Training With A Franchisee
Every new franchisee will spend four days at an actual operating Bin There Dump That location.
This is where we take all our classroom preparation and apply it in a real life setting. At the live location, the new Franchise Operator will see:
- The Bin There Dump That proprietary operating software in action
- A full review of a Bin There Dump That transaction
- Orientation of a fully equipped Bin There Dump That truck & hydraulic lift
- Practice lifting and placing bins with the truck
- Live ride along’s with a Bin There Dump That Dumpster Delivery Expert – completing truck safety checks, actual bin deliveries and pickups, and trips to the transfer stations and landfills
#3: Post Classroom Training and Franchise Location Opening Phase:
The Super Support team will continue working with the new Franchise Operator to ensure all items on the Checklist are complete. It’s at that point that the new Franchise Operator will receive their first truck and bin deliveries.
Next, their local website will go live, and our proven online marketing strategies engaged.
In addition, the new Franchise Operator will be supported in their outside sales efforts, and connecting with the local representatives from the National Relationships program.
Me: Wow, John! You really focus on the details. In my experience, receiving training like that benefits new franchisees in a big way. Next question. What type of ongoing support do you provide?
John: Regular Support Calls are scheduled between the new Franchise Operator and the Super Support Team to ensure that the business is off to a good start and so that any questions, issues, or challenges are addressed early and often.
Furthermore, each new Franchise Operator will have a multi-day, on-site visit with their Franchise Support Coach within the first 6 months of the business being operational. The purpose of the visit is to help ensure that the business is running efficiently and that the Franchise Operator is using all the tools available to them effectively. Plus, we offer another thing, support-wise.
Franchise Operators will have the option to join a Peer Performance Group. Peer Performance Groups are small groups of Franchise Operators (typically 5-8 per group) who connect on a web meeting once per quarter to share and analyze their Key Performance Indicators.
The KPI’s are important numbers to measure in the business.
Examples include average sale per bin rental, average dump/fuel/labor costs per bin rental, net profit, etc. And by sharing these KPI’s within the small groups, Franchise Operators can share experience and best practices, ask questions, and learn from one-another’s successes and challenges.
A Simple Business That Includes A Business Development Conference
Once per year, Franchise Operators join together for the Bin There Dump That Business Development Conference. This event is usually hosted in January or February (typically slower months for those in northern regions).
We’ve found that this is a wonderful opportunity to bring the entire Bin There Dump That team together.
Plus, it’s a great way to collaborate, share in new developments within the business, inspire one another, network with suppliers and have some fun.
In addition, Franchise Candidates engaged in the Due Diligence process around this time may be invited to some of the conference events to meet the team in person and get first hand experience of the Bin There Dump That culture – Ask a Bin There Dump That franchise representative for more information.
Finally, one of the best parts of being a Franchise Operator is having instant kinship to other Bin There Dump That Franchise Owners. It’s of the utmost importance that there is a bond between team members and they can turn to one another support, advice, and to celebrate each other’s achievements – both professional and personal.
Me: How do you assist franchisees with marketing and advertising efforts to attract customers to their businesses?
John: The Bin There Dump That marketing program is built on three pillars:
- Digital and Internet Marketing
- Relationship Building with contractors
- Bins are Billboards!
In a nutshell, we provide a tried and true program to maximize results from all three marketing pillars. That includes an extremely specific, proven strategy for local digital marketing, with the help of your Franchise Support Coach and the five person Home Office Digital Marketing Team.
Me: Franchisee satisfaction is crucial for long-term success. How do you maintain strong relationships with your franchisees and address their concerns or challenges?
John: Every franchise location in our system has an assigned Franchise Support Coach, whose job is to maintain regular contact and communications with every one of his or her assigned franchise locations to help them succeed.
To that end, the Franchise Support Coach is the liaison between every Franchise Operator in the system and the member of the Super Support Team the Franchise Operator needs at that moment.
There is no challenge that the Super Support Team hasn’t addressed with someone in the system and our experiences are shared to help all locations succeed. In the first two years of business, every franchise operator has scheduled support calls with their coach, to be sure that the business is on track for success.
More About The Peer Performance Group
The Bin There Dump That Peer Performance Group program puts franchise operators on teams of similar operators who act as a de facto Board of Directors for each other. These meetings are moderated by a member of the Home Office Super Support Team, but the meetings are run by the members of each team, with the goal of helping each other succeed.
We meet yearly at the Annual Business Improvement Conference, where we have a great balance of educational and culture building events! And attendance at the Bin There Dump That conferences have been fantastic over the years. Plus, the Executive Team at Bin There Dump That is open and accessible to every franchise operator in the system.
Me: What is your vision for the future of your franchise company, and how do you plan to achieve sustained growth and expansion in this space?
John: We plan to continue to grow the Bin There Dump That network across North America, with a goal to keep our steady growth right around 20 to 25 newly opened franchise territories per year for the next five to ten years.
This is a manageable growth curve that allows us to grow the network while effectively training new franchise operators and strongly supporting the existing network, helping them grow profitably in their own territories.
Experience tells us that the franchisor can only succeed as the franchise operators succeed in their local markets.
And Joel, just so you know, we are, by far, the market leader in North America, in the Residential Friendly Dumpsters industry and we will continue to work hard to create the simple and friendly experience that sets Bin There Dump That apart from everyone else in this space.
Available Franchise Business Territories
Me: Are there specific areas of the U.S. you’re looking to add franchise locations to?
John: Yes, Joel! These areas:
Philadelphia
Las Vegas
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Las Angeles
San Diego
Bay Area
Sacramento
Phoenix
Tucson
Albuquerque
Central Florida
Boston
Western Massachusetts
Queens
Long Island
Rhode Island
Delaware
Mississippi
Me: Is there anything else you’d like to tell my readers-some of who may want to contact your franchise development team about becoming a Bin There Dump That franchisee?
John: Yes.
To me, SIMPLICITY is the most appealing quality of the Bin There Dump That business model. It really is a simple business to own and operate.
But please don’t mistake the word simple with the word easy.
That’s because we don’t believe that running any small business is easy and it shouldn’t be.
Running a successful small business requires dedication, hard work, intelligence and skill.
That said, at Bin There Dump That, we have created a tried and true model that is as simple and straightforward as any small business I am aware of and we are dedicated to supporting every single franchise operator in our system in the best way we can.
Me: Thank you so much, John!
If you’d like to learn more about Bin There Dump That, and see if becoming a Franchise Operator is right for you, I encourage you to grab their Free Franchise Kit.
