How two budding entrepreneurs turned to Setmore for some dirty business

What could a 13-year-old and a 10-year-old team up and do? Kickstart a business. Yes, you heard it right. Keaton Hunt and Kiera Huff aren’t your average kids – they’re entrepreneurs who run Turd Herder. And what is their specialty? If you’re from Colorado Springs, you can take up their services to do the dirty work for you… Picking up dog poop so you don’t have to.

Turd Herder: The rather-pleasant origins

Any parent faces a lot of questions from their kids that need to be answered. Sometimes, a request for a new toy or more ice cream mandates a clever response. Annie Wardle, the mother of the ‘kidtrepreneurs’ had just that. 

When Keaton and Kiera repeatedly felt they had to be paid for chores, Wardle replied, “I will not buy you these things just because you want them. If you want something, you have to work for it, just like I do.” And that was the tipping point. 

What followed was even more surprising. Wardle looked up several business ideas for the kids to choose from and they settled for clearing dog-doo. And thus, Turd Herder came into being.

“It’s been three years running the business. It’s pretty cool to run a business right where we live,” begins Keaton. When asked to describe the experience in one sentence, he adds “Well, it makes good money!” Hey, who can argue with that?

Messy work, but the not-so-messy booking process

It’s getting homeschooled on weekdays and working on weekends for these business owners. With such a busy schedule, Turd Herder happily turns to Setmore to streamline their booking. They share their online Booking Page link with their clients and display it on their Facebook page.

Discovering Setmore wasn’t by chance. Efficient scheduling runs right in the family! You see, Wardle runs a marketing agency, Talk Out Loud. And no prizes for guessing, she turns to Setmore for managing her appointments. 

She was the first to say an online Booking Page could help Keaton and Kiera set up Turd Herder. Their clients can click the link, pick their appointment slots, and the kids show up to clean. For a monthly fee of $20, the pair will get rid of the poop from your yard and take one messy chore off your list.

The Turd Herder team utilizes Setmore to schedule their appointments, take payments online, and send appointment reminders. Discussing the perks of using the app, Kiera tells us, “Online scheduling allows people to book and pay online, and that saves us a lot of time.”

Breaking Even

The Backyards at Canby are slowly turning poop-free, all thanks to Keaton and Kiera. But what do they do with any new-found revenue? 

Keaton: “We save up for games and toys.”

Kiera: “It feels pretty good!”

Keaton: “…You’re just happy that you got money.”

Kiera: “Instead of using our parent’s money.”

If starting a business at the age of 10 wasn’t ambitious enough, the Turd Herder team has a well-laid plan for the future. “Eventually, we’re going to raise the prices and we’re going to expand our business to landscaping,” reveals Keaton.

The kids are responsible for the work, the clients, budgeting, and managing their expenses. Wardle enthuses that Keaton and Kiera have their own checking and savings accounts. The first 15% of their earnings go into savings, with which they pay for their bags and gloves. Outside of these expenses, every penny earned is Keaton and Kiera’s to spend.

A little bit of work and a little bit of fun

However, it’s not all work with these kids. Keaton says, “If the dogs are outside, we get to pet them or throw a ball. But we can’t pet them too much because we need to move on to the next house!”

Speaking of more time with their canine chums, the Turd Herder owners were invited to pick up after pets at a pet expo. Kiera says that one of the vendors rewarded them with free candy. Sweet benefits!

Keaton and Kiera are regular kids running a successful business. When they’re not picking up after dogs, they’re reading books or playing games. Team Setmore is delighted that Turd Herder chooses our app to automate appointment booking. Keaton and Kiera have more time to be kids and turn into experts when they have a visit scheduled.

As we wrap up the interview, we couldn’t help but ask one last question. How do their friends feel about the business? 

Keaton: “Well, they are very confused.”

And about generating revenue by picking up after dogs?
 

Kiera: “They are like, Wow! You get paid very well.”

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Know a local business that uses Setmore and has an inspiring story to share? Nominate them and give their story a platform to shine. 

by Srilakshmi

Content writer and scheduling expert at Setmore Appointments.

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