Eric Meyers quit his job to buy an old truck—and now, he has a junk hauling service that is beginning to franchise beyond his local Massachusetts community.
Meyers founded the Junk Junk Baby! brand in 2010 after quitting his job in tech. While he began by offering his services to family and friends, he then advertised online and saw his growth skyrocket. The company grew 39% in 2020 and 47% in 2021—it's also expanded to ten employees, and last year, it had more than $500,000 in revenue. While Junk Junk Baby! is currently only in North Shore, Massachusetts, Meyers is looking to expand to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Meyers told 1851 Franchise that his strategy is to grow outward in concentric circles to create a network of franchisees that don't feel isolated.
For Meyers, this company is more than just a hustle. He says that as he began moving junk for others, he found that many times, this process was about more than just clearing out items.
"People who are moving or need junk removed from their homes are going through a transition," he says. "And transitions are, at best, uncomfortable. At worst, they are among the most difficult periods of people's lives."
As a result, Meyers made care and support a part of his business model. In many ways, he says, he sees himself as "more of a therapist than a trash man."
While Meyers adds that he has plenty of clients clearing out their homes after a departure from the corporate world, he also sees many entrepreneurs who want to start up their own ventures doing meaningful work that helps people. He identifies with this goal and notes that it's important to balance a lucrative business model with benefits such as interpersonal connection and positive impacts.
