SCROLLING Instagram at work Kyle Newby couldn’t have imagined where it would take him.
Now ten-months on Kyle, 39, is a business owner earning thousands on top of his day job by picking up other people’s dog poo.
A professional builder, Kyle, from Littleover, Derby, was inspired to start his business after spotting the popularity of poo pickers in the US on social media.
He launched Pet Poo Pick last March and now has 35 customers who pay him £15-a-week to clear up their mutt’s mess from their garden, but hopes to expand the business this year.
Most of the Midlands-based business owner’s customers are old or have disabilities making it harder for them to clean up after their pets.
However, despite this he says he has faced criticism online from “trolls” who criticise his customers for being “lazy”.
Kyle said: “We’ve only seen a few people doing it in the UK so we went on Facebook and posted an advert and left it for a while.
“We were stunned, the customers just started rolling in. Since March we have built up a regular client base of 35 customers and 20 of them are disabled.
“A lot are on crutches so it’s hard for them to pick this poo up, we do this to help them.”
Realising there was more he could do to help, Kyle has expanded his offering to include lawn mowing for those who are unable to do it themselves.
“Not every owner picks it up. For those moaning, say if their mum was disabled and they can’t pick up the poo, I’d be ideal as they’d need our services then,” he adds.
“It’s about helping them keep their spaces clean. We have a waste carrier’s license so we’re all official.”
He charges new customers £30 for an initial visit and then £15-a-week after that. In total he makes around £2,000 a month from his side-hustle – £24,000 a year.
He says he can now earn more from a day picking up poo than he does working his full time job in construction and has had requests from as far as Durham for his services.
Kyle added: “I do 15 customers on a Wednesday, 20 on a Saturday. When you think about it, you’re roughly picking up 14 pieces of poo per garden. We use a scooper and a bag. It takes 10-15 mins per garden.”
One happy customer is Peter Fisk, 48, who first turned to Kyle after he broke his leg at the end of last year stopping him from cleaning up after his dog.
Peter, 48, said: “I’ve got a broken leg at the minute, and with the weather, I can’t get out to do it in case I slip. So Kyle’s great for that.
“With the way my leg is, I’ll be using him for the rest of the year at least. Seeing him get the hose out after and doing it properly just proves he does a great service.”
Do I need to pay tax on my side hustle income?
MANY people feeling strapped for cash are boosting their bank balance with a side hustle.
The good news is, there are plenty of simple ways to earn some additional income – but you need to know the rules.
When you’re employed the company you work for takes the tax from your earnings and pays HMRC so you don’t have to.
But anyone earning extra cash, for example from selling things online or dog walking, may have to do it themselves.
Stephen Moor, head of employment at law firm Ashfords, said: “Caution should be taken if you’re earning an additional income, as this is likely to be taxable.
“The side hustle could be treated as taxable trading income, which can include providing services or selling products.”
You can make a gross income of up to £1,000 a year tax-free via the trading allowance, but over this and you’ll usually need to pay tax.
Stephen added: “You need to register for a self-assessment at HMRC to ensure you are paying the correct amount of tax.
“The applicable tax bands and the amount of tax you need to pay will depend on your income.”
If you fail to file a tax return you could end up with a surprise bill from HMRC later on asking you to pay the tax you owe – plus extra fees on top.
