In the Spring of 2005, as the perfume of blooming flowers was wafting in the air, the sweet smell of junk was wafting in the minds of Nick Freidman and Omar Soliman. The idea had been planted in 2003 when the pair were hauling junk for summer money.
Clean cut and dressed in green polo shirts and khaki pants, the two college buddies set out to carve out a niche in the junk space with a catchy brand image and their good looks. And so was born College Hunks Hauling Junk.
Two Springs later, in 2007, the company sold its first franchise in Orlando FL. The hunks did 2.9 million in sales that year and they are now in over 15 metropolitan areas. Their junk juggernaut is underway.
But this success story is more than clever branding and hard work. Rather than rely solely on homeowners decluttering their garages and basements, the company went after the commercial market– office clean outs, banks clearing foreclosed properties, real estate brokerages. About 40% of their business is commercial.
They also offer free online job quotes.
Turning Junk to Scholarships
But the marketing initiative I think is noteworthy is their donating a portion of revenue from each job to local college scholarship programs.
By adopting a charitable purpose, the company is able to approach charity conscious companies and celebrities …. folks like Oprah Winfrey. Charity is good work and good marketing.
The company also donates items to Goodwill Charities rather than taking them to the local dump. These fellas really did learn something in college.
Think what you can do to serve a charitable purpose as you do business.
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