EnTrends

Brian Scudamore's story is literally one that
turned "rags" into riches. In 1989, at the age
of 19, Scudamore was parked behind a truck
that was overflowing with garbage while
waiting in line at a fast food drive-through.
This gave the recent high school graduate
an idea to start his own trash removal
service. With $700, Scudamore bought an
old pick-up truck and started on the road to
success. He called his new business "The
Rubbish Boys."

Scudamore took to alleys and streets
looking for people in need of his trash
removal services. The need for his service
became very apparent. Scudamore told
EnTrends that as a student in college, he
would sometimes get paged and have to
leave class in order to book new clients.
Two years after Scudamore started his trash
removal service, he reached the point where
he needed to invest in new equipment and
hire helpers.

A year later, Scudamore's business was so
successful that his opportunity costs were
weighing heavily on him. He decided not to
finish his last year of college. This was to
the dismay of his father, a respected liver
transplant surgeon who had wished for his
son to become a doctor too. Now days,
Scudamore says that his father fully
supports his endeavor.

Scudamore's company, now called

1-800-GOT-JUNK?, is thriving on what other
people consider trash. The company, based
in Vancouver, BC, continues to provide a
pick-up and removal service for junk that
local waste management services may not
take. Many times, this includes over-sized
items like refrigerators, sofas, construction
waste, and sometimes even yard waste. The
company's slogan is "We'll Stash Your
Trash In A Flash!"

Scudamore says that his company has been
successful because junk is a universal
problem. "Not everyone has a truck or the
time to remove their own trash. It can be a
difficult task to find someone who will haul
off all your unwanted junk."

1-800-GOT-JUNK? sets a new standard
for trash removal services. Scudamore's
company guarantees:

-On time service

-Up-front rates

-Friendly uniformed drivers

-Clean and shiny trucks

Scudamore's drivers call their customers
15-30 minutes before a scheduled pick-
up to confirm their appointments. Then,
to ensure consistent, continued service,
Scudamore's company calls their clients
to follow-up after each job. This has
amazed some customers who are used to
uninterested waste removal companies
who do the job, take the money, and
leave.

Scudamore's vision is to become the
"FedEx" of junk removal. Currently,

1-800-GOT-JUNK? has built a network of
22 franchise partners across North
America. Scudamore's goal is to have 36
by the end of this year, and his ultimate
vision is to have 118.

Scudamore hasn't let his success go to
his head. He says that he doesn't even
have his own car. His wife, who has an
S.U.V., sometimes drives him to work or
he gets a ride from others. Scudamore
says that he prefers to put his profits
right back into his company. Watching
his company grow provides enough
excitement for him.

Scudamore's typical daily tasks vary. He
spends much of his time on the phone
talking with employees and the media.
He also has meetings with current and
potential franchise owners.

While his company is his main passion,
Scudamore also enjoys snowboarding
and spending time with his family and
friends. Once a year, he takes a break
from his executive tasks and gets his
hands dirty by riding along on the
trucks with his employees for fun.

Scudamore says that he tries to always
remain positive and look at challenges
as opportunities for growth. He often
seeks out mentors like Fred Delucca, the
founder of Subway. The two met in San
Diego at an international franchise
conference.

Scudamore has received much
recognition for his achievements. He
has been nominated for both The
Business Development Bank's "Young
Entrepreneur of the Year Award," as
well as the "Entrepreneur of the Year"
award presented by the international
accounting firm Ernst & Young. Four
years ago, Scudamore was recognized
in Business In Vancouver magazine for
having one of British Columbia's fastest
growing companies.