"Got poop? Pat Kelly scoops. Lexington's well-known entrepreneur is stepping back from his successful Pop-A-Lock business into something else. He's become the Pet Butler. These days, the ex-Marine's official title is Fecal Matter Removal Technician. It's a dirty job. In fact, for anyone who's watched Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs," it's easy to see that this job might be one that TV host, Mike Rowe, could go for. And like the TV show, Pet Butler is all about doing an honest day's work: providing a service, cleaning up poop and safely disposing of it, that people need. Pat Kelly is just the guy to do it.
Pet Butler is a franchised company based in Dallas with a mission to serve pet owners who are just too pooped to scoop when beloved Fido or Frisky goes on the lawn, again and again. Customers can schedule weekly pickups, but twice a week is recommended. Convenience is a factor, and health is, too — fecal matter is not only disgusting but germy. And the yuck factor is, well, eliminated. As a franchise, Pet Butler is a high-tech service-oriented company that has been in business for 20 years. Professional technicians' daily rounds are coordinated by Blackberry from a call center, 1-800-Pet-Butler. The company is supported by a strong marketing component. Its Web site, Petbutler.com is rich with information for consumers as well as potential franchisees. New Pet Butler owners even attend POOP University, called PU, for training on how to run and market their business. The company is friendly and approachable — and even fun. It bills itself as "#1 in the #2 business."
As a franchise, Pet Butler has some interesting statistics to back up its success. The business earned $2 million in revenue in 2006, and technicians picked up more than 35 million piles of poop. There are currently 60 franchises in 18 states, with the Lexington site being among the newest, opening for business in April 2007.
Pat Kelly is ready to roll. With two vehicles wrapped in Pet Butler motifs and a crew (of one, so far) outfitted in official technician uniforms, he is all about business when it comes to showing up professionally and reliably. The cost varies depending on the yard size and number of dogs, but an average yard can be kept deposit-free for the price of $11 per week and $3 for each additional furry friend. Entertainment is a value-added feature. Kelly is likely to sprinkle conversation with a few clean, potty jokes and puns, like saying he's gone from being an entrepreneur to an entre-manure. Sandy Kelly, Pat's wife, is part-owner in the business, but she is keeping her current job as manager of a local Chick-Fil-A restaurant.
From Pop-A-Lock to Pet Butler
Pat Kelly helped make Pop-A-Lock a household name. He intends to do the same with Pet Butler. "Driving around in a Pop-A-Lock truck, I'd be at a red light and see someone in the car beside me sound out the name and smile. Now, when people see the Pet Butler vehicle, they do the same — especially, since we've added the poop sculpture on the back. People take pictures. They make a connection." That's one step in breaking through the clutter and developing a brand name. Kelly is experienced in marketing and growing brand recognition. About Pet Butler he said, "I like the business model. This is marketing business that provides a service. I ran across a mention of Pet Butler in Entrepreneur Magazine. It was listed as a top franchise. So I took a closer look."
Actually, the initial business plan was to invest in a franchise with his daughter, Colleen. "As a parent, I think it is important to teach our children to sustain themselves." Colleen took dad's advice and blazed her own path to The Lexington Hospital for Cats, leaving Kelly holding the doggie bag. "Dr. Mills says she's a natural with cats, and it's the right fit for Colleen," Kelly said with a laugh.
Kelly believes Lexington and the surrounding area is a prime market for Pet Butler services. "Our lifestyles are so different than just a few years ago. We're all busier. People love their pets, but they've got better things to do than pick up poop in their yard." He sees growing Pet Butler just as he has other businesses. "You build awareness that you exist. And you gain acceptance for the service you give. I remember when having someone else mow your lawn was not accepted. Now it is." Kelly's target is to provide service to 150 to 200 customers a year. Naturally, the punch line is: "We're taking crap from everybody in town." Another favorite line is, "Remember, your dog's biscuits is our bread and butter. It's what we Doo — with brown."
Kelly is quick to share his secrets of success: "When you do something for a business, you've got to go in knowing about yourself and what makes you successful." He is sharing his experience with other pet-related businesses in Lexington such as Pet Pros by reaching out to combine energy and resources to go to different media and market themselves. "I've envisioned this before for the service industry. The same goes for the pet industry here. There's interest, and together we can benefit the whole market segment." Pet Butler is sponsoring a new Web site, Lexpaws.com, scheduled to go live in mid June. It's designed as a community site, part of TopsinLex.com, where pet owners can find out what's going in Lexington on the pet scene. It will feature chat boards for pet questions, videos of local Stupid Pet Tricks and a MySpace for pets.
Pat Kelly is in business not just to do business but to make the pet business — a $35.9 billion national industry — work better. There's some fun to be had, too. The Ca-Ca Convention is coming up this summer. The Kellys have booked their reservations for a working vacation. But even when the Kellys are away, a call to 1-800-Pet-Butler will have a qualified fecal removal technician at your service, any time.
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