A Woman Who Worked 13 Years at a Pharmacy, Quit... Earns Over 300 Million Won Annually Cleaning Dog Poop

Erica Krupin in Northville, Michigan
Operating a Dog Waste Collection Business

An American woman gave up a stable job and started a dog poop cleaning business, earning over 300 million won annually.

Recently, foreign media such as CNBC in the United States reported the story of Erika Krupin (37), who lives in Northville, Michigan. Krupin is the CEO of 'Kroopin's Poopin Scoopin,' a dog waste removal business.

After graduating from high school without attending college, she worked various jobs including golf course bartender, beautician, restaurant staff, and pharmacy employee. In 2005, upon a relative's recommendation, Krupin started working as a pharmacy employee and continued this job for 13 years. Krupin said, "Being a pharmacy employee was a stable and good job, but something inside me ignited," adding, "I wanted to take risks, try something different, and do creative work." One morning, while watching her dog defecate in the backyard, she came up with a business idea. At that time, Krupin thought, 'If someone cleaned up dog waste, they would pay a lot of money.'

Dog poop cleaning company 'Crupins Pupin Scupin' CEO Erika Crupin. 'Crupins Pupin Scupin' website

Krupin established the company in August 2018 and started the dog waste cleaning business as a side job. As her customers increased, she eventually quit her pharmacy job in February 2020 to focus fully on the business. As a result, the company's sales this year are expected to reach about $250,000 (approximately 360 million won). CNBC introduced the secret behind Krupin's ability to earn such high income without a bachelor's degree.

At the beginning of the business, she first printed a map showing local pet-related businesses such as animal hospitals and pet grooming salons, then visited these places carrying her business cards and a box of donuts. Using this method, she secured 15 customers within just a few weeks. Krupin explained that a major advantage of the dog waste cleaning business is "the low initial investment, which makes the entry barrier low."

The initial investment amount she specifically disclosed includes gardening rakes, trash bags, gloves, disinfectants, business insurance, website domain, and a cargo trailer, totaling about $1,000 (approximately 1.45 million won). She added, "Since the waste is double-bagged and disposed of in the dog owner's outdoor trash bin, no additional waste disposal tools are needed."

Krupin works from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and handles meetings and contracts with new customers in the evenings and on weekends. She charges $50 (about 70,000 won) for cleaning dog waste once, and $156 (about 230,000 won) per month for twice-weekly cleaning. She said, "Some may think cleaning dog poop is disgusting or insignificant work, but I believe this job is much more successful than office work," adding, "The personal and professional growth I have achieved since starting this business is tremendous." She also added, "Beyond cleaning poop, working outdoors while the sun is shining and birds are chirping is healing."