So you’re looking to grow your portable sanitation business and you need some more customers fast? Then look no further than your nearest municipality. Municipalities consist of your local government bodies, everything from small towns up to statewide departments.

The best part about contracted work through municipalities is that everyone is on a level playing field. So if you are new to the portable restroom business, this is a really great opportunity to get more experience. Nine out of ten contracts are won solely off of price. So you are the equal of much larger companies when it comes to this contracted work.

But before you get all excited, you actually have to find the jobs coming up for bid in the near future. And the best place to do that is online. Make a list of all the towns you would be interested in providing service for, then add the counties you work in and the states you service.  

With that list, you want to look for each municipality’s purchasing or procurement webpage. This will take some time. Each town or city calls this department something different. I have cultivated my list over the years and it is ever evolving. A county that used to publish bids on its own website will sometimes move to a statewide website. Or a town that never had formal bids will decide to finally go out to bid this year.

So get your list of websites together and start checking. I recommend going through those websites weekly, especially during bid season. For the Northeast that is generally December through March. That is when the majority of towns and states go out to bid for restroom and pumping services.

I won’t sugarcoat this for you though. Contracted work can be hard to get and takes a lot of effort to keep. Prices obviously vary all over the country, but from my experience contracted work will be some of the lowest prices you ever charge. I recently was at a bid opening where the winning bidder offered toilets for $22 per month. It is crazy to work for that little money!

Municipalities are a great way to fill out routes and keep your drivers busy. Nothing makes me happier than picking up a new contract that consists of 80-plus seasonal toilets. This work is a great way to get your foot in the door and it is also great advertising. Once the local parks are filled with your toilets, potential customers will see you everywhere. So get on the Internet and start searching.

About the Author: Alexandra Townsend is co-owner of A Royal Flush, based in Philadelphia.