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Launched in 2021 by tech entrepreneur Al Lijee, JunkGator is looking to stir up some fresh competition in the junk removal industry in the US. We interviewed the founder of JunkGator to ask some questions about his new venture.
JunkGator, what is it? How does it work?
We launched JunkGator as an online network connecting customers with junk removal companies operating across the United States.
Our junk hauler members are often local, independent small businesses that need greater online marketing and want to generate more leads.
Our customers are everyday homeowners and business owners across the United States that simply want better value junk removal services for their hard-earned money.
What sorts of services can customers find on JunkGator?
Since all of our members operate in the best way that suits their business interests, they may provide different services from one another. Most, however, provide ordinary trash and garbage removal, furniture removal, bulky item removal, and so on.
There are a few common denominators among all of our members. All JunkGator members must be approved first, according to our standards of commitment to quality service, reputability, reliability, and customer service.
What can customers expect from hiring a junk hauler on JunkGator?
Although we mostly onboard junk haulers that are small, independent companies and sole proprietorships, we don’t accept any old cowboy to this rodeo. One of the reasons that people are sometimes skeptical of hiring some small junk removal company instead of a more well-established national brand is that they’re afraid of scams. Maybe they are operating illegally or are illegally dumping waste.
JunkGator solves this problem and separates the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, by only allowing approved and vetted junk haulers to join and become listed. This way, good, honest businesses can successfully grow while customers can expect to find genuine, local junk haulers that offer flexible prices, great quality and excellent customer service.
How does JunkGator help small junk removal companies?
Good question. Small junk removal companies are often one-man, one-pickup operations, sometimes they’ve got teams of 2-10 employees, maybe family or friends. We complement the activities of these hardworking individuals by filling in the gaps where they tend to suffer compared to franchises and big companies: marketing and lead generation.
Ask a junk hauler about vehicles and supplies and you’ll get a pretty good rundown of what they need and how much it costs. Ask them about marketing and you’ll often get two big answers: do it yourself or shell out a few thousand for paid advertising.
The problem with DIY online marketing is that it isn’t free, it costs time – especially if the junk hauler has limited experience in SEO, building websites, managing social media profiles and so on. The problem with paid advertising is that it can cost a significant amount yet bring in few quality leads.
JunkGator takes care of the digital marketing by providing these small businesses with an affordable lead generation tool managed on their behalf. We list the company and use SEO tools to rank highly in Google and other search engines, all while generating quality leads from interested customers located in the same ZIP code as the junk hauling company.
How is competition in the junk removal industry?
There’s perhaps never been a better time to get involved in the junk removal industry in the United States. On average, Americans throw away about 5 pounds of waste every single day. Granted, much of that is household garbage that gets collected every week by garbage trucks, but a lot of it cannot and should not ever go into a landfill.
Refrigerators, television sets, old furniture, yard waste, and other such items can be a real hassle to get rid of. When you consider mass consumerism and mass consumption mixed with planned obsolescence of many items, the result is an exorbitant amount of waste. Someone’s gotta get rid of it!
How are you competing with the established waste collection corporations?
So, JunkGator is not exactly competing with the big national brands directly at their own game. We don’t own or operate any junk removal vehicles nor do we employ any junk haulers ourselves.
Instead, we act as an online marketplace where customers can quickly and easily get in touch with local junk haulers, who compete with one another as well as against franchises and the big names out there.
Last question: what’s next for JunkGator?
We’re excited that we’ve launched the website in 2021 just as much as we’re excited for what’s to come. Firstly, we’re always looking to keep onboarding new members that meet our strict criteria for quality and customer service so that customers can keep finding great value junk removal services in cities and counties across the country.
What comes after that? Well, we hope that we’ll become the go-to junk removal platform in the United States. For customers that want same-day junk removal, bulky item removal, house cleanouts, office cleanouts and so on from local small businesses, we want to be that bridge that connects happy customers with happy and successful junk removal business owners.
