Should I buy a grease trap cleaning business or start one?

Grease trap pumping rewards steady routes, and the choice between buying and starting is mostly a choice about how you want to get a route. One path hands you a working set of accounts and equipment along with its history. The other hands you a blank page and a lot of knocking on doors. Neither is right for everyone, and the honest answer depends on you.

What buying gives you

A running business may bring restaurant accounts, trucks, drivers and a disposal arrangement; verify each in diligence. You also take on the owner’s habits, any weak accounts and any equipment near the end of its life. Check what actually transfers, since service agreements and permits may need consent or approval. A lawyer should review that before you commit.

What starting asks of you

Starting means choosing and buying equipment, finding a place to take the waste, learning the permits that apply and then winning kitchens one at a time. You may avoid paying for another owner’s mistakes, and you can build the routes you want. The cost is time. Income arrives slowly while the truck, insurance and your own wages carry on.

Questions to ask yourself

• Can I operate and drive a vacuum truck myself, or will I hire someone who can?
• How long can I fund the business before accounts cover its costs?
• Do I know restaurant owners and chefs who would try a new service?
• Would I rather inherit a system or design my own?

Weighing it up

Many people find it helps to talk to an owner who bought and an owner who started. Ask each what surprised them. A similar choice in a nearby trade is covered in should I buy a portable toilet rental business or start one. Ask your accountant how each path would be financed.