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 ó 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 ó and even fun. It bills itself as "#1 in the #2 business.
As a franchise