How Many Portable Restrooms Should a New Business Have?
New portable restroom business owners have lots of questions. One of the first is, “When I go to buy portable restrooms, how many should I get?”
It’s an important question. Every new business needs to start somewhere. The challenge is finding that “sweet spot” where you can conduct operations and lay the foundation for your business without getting in over your head.
Set Your Goals Before You Buy Portable Restrooms
So, how many portable restrooms is enough? The answer depends on you and the goals you have for your business. Many new portable toilet rental business owners have identified one of these goals as their reason for getting into portable sanitation:
- They wanted to supplement their income while leaving open the possibility of expanding down the road
- They already owned a similar service business and wanted to expand into the portable restroom sector
- They wanted to fully commit to owning and growing a full-time portable restroom business
If your goal is the first one listed and you want to keep your day job, you could start by buying 10 portable toilets. Now, that’s not enough to meet the demands of a full-time operation, but it will keep costs down and you’ll make money while getting your feet wet in the industry.
If it’s goal #2, the number of suggested portable restrooms can vary widely. Regardless if you currently have a septic-pumping operation, an equipment rental company or a similar business, you could start with a single portable restroom or two since your established service business is profitable enough to keep you afloat. However, if you have a large enterprise and lots of available cash, you could start with 100 toilets or more.
Want to Be a Full-Time Portable Restroom Operator? Start with 28 Units
In our experience, most new business owners have a goal of operating a full-time portable restroom rental company. For these individuals, planning is especially important. Before you buy a porta potty, you need to determine whether or not you have the opportunity to be successful. To do this, you should identify your service area, assess possible customers, gauge the level of demand and scout out competitors.
Another thing you can do is pre-sell your portable sanitation services. Reach out to construction companies and event organizers to let them know you have plans to establish a high-quality portable toilet rental business. Find out if they have any interest in using your services.
When you’re done planning, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is and find portable toilets for sale. For many portable restroom operators, the magic number is 28 or multiples of 28.
Why should you buy portable toilets in increments of 28? Because that’s the maximum number of porta potties that fit on a 53-foot semi. The most cost-effective decision for delivery is to fill the semi completely. However, some PROs do cap their initial portable toilet purchase at 20 units because that’s all their delivery trailer will hold.
Hypothetically, if your new portable restroom business has 28 available units, it’s reasonable to assume you could have 20 rented out in the first few months. This is a manageable number to be able to cover your route and clean those units in a day. This will leave you with time to promote your business and sell your services the rest of the week. You’ll still have those remaining 8 units available as your business grows.
Still have questions or need help getting started? PolyJohn is a portable restroom manufacturer that wants each of its customers to succeed. For assistance, contact us.