Monthly Archive for July, 2010

Junk King Lends a Helping Hand

Published on July 30, 2010 in Flooding, Junk King San Antonio, Laredo, junk hauling, junk hauling business and junk removal. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Alex Ortiz on the road to Laredo with a truck full of food and supplies

The owners of Junk King San Antonio, Mike and Carol Hasselbalch, were watching early morning TV in their home, when the local news came on.  The news station was covering the recent flooding events on the border of Mexico in the towns of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, about 200 miles from San Antonio.  The scene on the television screen was grim: the flooding caused by hurricane Alex was displacing families, destroying hospitals, spreading illness and making basic necessities hard to come by.

The TV station mentioned that the aid group People Helping People was organizing a drive to the border town to bring rations to those in need. Mike and Carol immediately knew that they needed to offer their services to the cause.  They called up the TV station and asked how they could help, offering the aid of one of their Junk trucks to haul resources.

One of Junk King’s drivers, Alex Ortiz, donated his time to haul the rations down to Laredo.  Within a week, Alex was on the road.  His truck was filled with food and basic necessities like water, rice, beans, canned goods, bleach, toiler paper and diapers.

After he dropped those rations off, the Junk King San Antonio team decided one trip wasn’t enough.  The towns along the Rio Grande were still facing incredible hardships because of the flooding and still lacked basic necessities. Apparently the conditions were so bad that people were killing each other for food.  Mike Hasselbalch decided to make another trip himself, this time hauling the goods to the Salvation Army in Laredo, who then shipped the goods over the border to Nuevo Laredo.

Mike Hasselbalch described why he felt need to help out: “There’s a lot of hardship in Mexico – it’s hard for us to understand how bad it is.  I went through two hurricanes.  It would have been impossible for us without the help of people who literally drove their trailers hundreds of miles from places like Tennessee, Florida, and Baltimore. They just came out of the woodwork to help us. And here you have this situation in Mexico where the government isn’t even helping.  These people just need the bare necessities and we wanted to help bring some of it to them.”

Junk King San Antonio, and all of the Junk King franchises around the country, have always made an effort to help out the communities around them.  Sometimes, like in the case of the town of Laredo, a community in need is a bit ‘off the regular route.’  This distance didn’t deter Alex and Mike from making the trip.  Like them, many of Junk King’s other hard working professionals are also glad to lend a helping hand.

Loading supplies into a Junk King truck

Ian Hasselbalch presented with a certificate of appreciation from the Mayor of Laredo

Summer Junk Removal

Published on July 27, 2010 in Residential Junk Removal and junk removal. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

We’ve hit that time of year – right smack dab in the middle of our summer, as July gives way to August.   For many people, this time of year means a change of pace. Whether it is going away on vacation, having the kids at summer camp, or simply relaxing a bit in the summer breeze, a change of pace can be healthy for any individual.

Summer is also great time of year for getting rid of the unwanted clutter around your house.  Although people often refer to ’spring cleaning’ – summer cleaning is actually a more realistic goal.  During the rest of the year things can get a bit hectic.  During the summer things slow down a bit, which makes it the perfect opportunity to gather all that junk and toss it.  Here are a few good reasons for you to take advantage of the summer months to get rid of your clutter:

  1. Vacation Therapy: There’s nothing worse than going on a long, relaxing vacation and coming back to a home full of clutter.  After logging those hours of relaxation on the beach, your stress levels have certainly fallen.  It would be quite a waste if that stress came back instantly when you walk into your door and realize how much STUFF you have.  Bypass this calamity by getting rid of all unnecessary junk before you getaway on your tropical vacation.
  2. Warm weather cleaning: Warm weather provides a great atmosphere for cleaning out the clutter.  Open your windows and let the dust that’s settled on unused items float away, instead of clogging your lungs.  A warm summer breeze will also make you feel less claustrophobic when digging around those old boxes.
  3. Time is on our side: Things are slower during the summer.  During the rest of the year, the hectic pace of life can simply prevent anyone from having the time to decide what’s junk and what isn’t, let alone trying to haul the stuff out of the house.  Summer is the perfect time to clean out your house at a pace that is efficient, but not over the top.  In addition, those long summer days will ensure you won’t be caught in the pitch black trying to haul off an old lawnmower.
  4. Kids are out of the house: The kids may be away during large chunks of the days at summer camp, or even gone for weeks at a time at overnight camp.  This is the perfect opportunity to get rid of the junk in your home.  Children can often get in the way of junk removal simply by taking up your time with a variety of tasks (doctor’s appointments, sports, friends coming over, nagging, etc.).  Take advantage of an empty nest by emptying out that clutter.
  5. Junk Hauling is in full throttle: Many businesses seem to go with the slower pace of the summer and take it easy.  This is not true with the junk hauling industry.  Junk haulers are in full throttle during the summer months -  making a high volume of stops at residences and businesses to take care of all that accumulated clutter.  Junk King is particularly vigilant during the summer and can efficiently and affordably handle any junk removal jobs that come their way.  If you’ve decided to make one of your summer days a house cleanout day, call 1-800-995 JUNK to let the real professionals whisk away your clutter.

History of the Franchise

Published on July 23, 2010 in Junk Removal Franchise, junk franchise and junk removal. 0 Comments Tags: , , .


Why are franchise businesses so popular in America and across the globe?  What is it about those familiar storefronts and services that keep customers coming back?  For years, customers have flocked to franchise businesses and have made them a powerhouse across a variety of industries, from restaurant chains to household services.  To analyze why the franchising model has come so far, I’d like to take a brief look at the history of the franchise.

Some attribute the formal start of the franchise to Albert Singer, who was the founder of the Singer Sewing Machine popularized during the World War I era.  However, the concept of franchising began long before Singer, in the mid 1800s when several German brewers licensed the rights to market their ales to specific taverns across the country.  This was a turning point towards the modern franchise business model: utilizing the centralized resources of an organization to market and expand independent satellite organizations.

In the U.S., Singer Sewing Machine Company began a movement towards the modern form of franchising with its unique business model.  Singer realized that spreading his technology across the United States, a huge landmass, would require a unique business perspective.  Trying to create one massive company across the U.S. wouldn’t work as far as distribution, chain of command and marketing.  However, creating individual ‘satellite’ franchises would allow each company to draw on the power of a centralized organization, but also act independently in their specific geographic region.

This model proved successful and spread to other industries, including street car manufacturers, oil refineries, auto companies and restaurants.  By the mid-twentieth century, several well known franchises had emerged, including McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. Post World War II franchises continued to expand, and eventually came to be regulated by the International Franchise Association.

In today’s modern economy, many businesses have re-evaluated their organizations to ‘run lean.’  This means cutting unnecessary expenses and concentrating on a core business model. Running lean not only is a creed that has spread across businesses, but also a motto for individuals.  People are very aware of their possessions: what items are ‘necessary’ and what items are simply junk.

For this reason, one of the most cutting-edge franchise sectors is in Junk Removal.  Junk Removal Franchises are able to efficiently haul away the unnecessary clutter in people’s lives, so they can truly ‘run lean.’   In addition, some Junk Removal Franchises have latched onto today’s green movement – realizing the importance of conserving our planet’s valuable resources.

Junk King is a leader in the Junk Removal franchise sector – taking the best attributes of today’s successful organizations and applying them to a streamlined business model.  Junk King provides franchisees the potential to become involved in their community by helping them get rid of their waste and clutter, while also providing them a blueprint to start a successful business. Junk King is rapidly expanding across the US with it’s new perspective on business, just as the first franchises did years before. For more information on becoming a Junk King franchisee visit our franchise webpage.

Unclutterer – Thing a Day Challenge

Published on July 20, 2010 in junk hauling and junk removal. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

One of our favorite forums, Unclutterer, has started a very interesting thread recently.  The ‘Thing a Day Challenge‘ encourages participants to unclutter their lives by getting rid of a piece of junk every day.

From unclutterer.com:
“The challenge is about getting rid of one object a day, for … a month? A year? It’s up to you how long you want your challenge to last. Whether you give away, trash or donate the object is immaterial, but it must be gone from your life and space. Putting it into storage doesn’t count; though you are allowed to, say, collect the things in a box to donate them at the end of the month.”

The Junk King team is fully behind this sort of challenge.  Getting rid of junk, one piece at a time, can really end up uncluttering your life.  If you start out with this sort of challenge you’ll begin to look at your home in a new light.  Instead of simply seeing objects around the house, you’ll probably start to put things into two categories: junk and not junk.  This kind of challenge will make you think about what is important in your house, and what is simply lying around gathering dust.

What’s really great about the challenge is the social aspect.  The Unclutterer forum has recieved a lot of interest so far, and people are diving into the challenge.  Not only are individuals able to log their junk removal progress on the forum, but they also can view the types of junk other people are getting rid of.  If one person throws out an old lamp, it might ‘light a bulb’ in another person’s head about a lamp they also need to get rid of.  This is the type ’social networking’ that can allow for a collaborative junk removal effort.

Although ‘a thing a day’ is a great way to gradually get rid of our junk, some people like to do things in a ’scorched earth’ sort of way.  Meaning, you may want to spend one single weekend going through your home, deciding everything that is junk, and hauling it all out in one massive junk removal trip.  For these type of individuals, Junk King can provide an efficient and affordable service by hauling the junk out of your home.  Some heavier items can often make it difficult to take the job on by yourself. Junk King also has an environmentally friendly junk recycling policy to make sure your clutter stays out of landfills.

Feel free to call Junk King at 1-800-995 JUNK or book online to set up a free on site junk removal estimate.

Yard Waste Removal

Published on July 15, 2010 in Residential Junk Removal, Yard Waste Removal and junk removal. 0 Comments Tags: , .

With everything you have to take care of in your home, your yard can often go neglected.  Sure, you might mow the grass every so often, but are you really making the the most of your backyard?  If you live in a home with a yard, you already are pretty lucky to have a safe place for your kids to play, some extra space for your dog to run around, and a nice area to hold gatherings of family and friends.  However, with a bit of neglect many of the big advantages of having a yard can go to waste.

Ideally, you want to be able to let your kids out in the yard, keep an occasional eye on them, and not have to worry about them being in danger.  A yard waste free area is that type of safe environment.  As we all know, kids like to get their hands on things – no matter how old, disgusting, or dangerous these items might be.  Fallen tree branches and the remains of old construction projects can be dangerous for children. Getting rid of old and unused items in backyard will make room for fun actviities like slip’n’slide, sprinkler jumping, backyard camping or simply tossing around a ball. In addition, yard waste can prevent you from adding new additions to the yard, such as a brand new swing set.

For those of us that have a dog, we know that the yard is the perfect place for the animal to get some exercise.  Instead of having to take your dog to the park, you have the great option of letting them run free out behind the house.  Yard waste can make this option very problematic – posing a danger to the dog’s health.  A dog could easily end up nosing around some old paintbuckets near the fence or scrap wood beside the porch.  Not only is this a danger to the pet, but it could also be a very messy problem when he decides to come back inside.

Yard Waste can also prevent us from making use of the social aspects of the yard.  The porch and yard are the perfect places to hold parties, bbqs, outdoor get-togethers or any other type of social gathering. Instead of having people romping around your house, making a big mess, you can host them outside, where they can be as messy as they’d like.  During the summer, the yard is a great place for your party to enjoy the weather while grilling out.  Yard Waste will not only make your backyard an eyesore, but it also can physically get in the way of pulling off a great outdoor party.

The backyard is an extension of your home and life; its the one place where you can feel at home but also be outside and in nature.  Whether you want to have a place for your kids to play, throw a party, or simply relax and read book on your porch – getting rid of unnecessary yard waste is the first step to making the best use of your backyard.

Junk King provides expert and efficient Yard Waste Removal services for homes around the country.  Simply call 1-800-995 JUNK or book online and Junk King will have that yard waste hauled away in no time.

Junk Removal Means Change

Published on July 12, 2010 in junk hauling and junk removal. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .


There has been a recent string of popular shows, books and news articles on the effect that organization can have on someone’s life.  These segments and books focus on ways that people can organize their lives and homes to make themselves happier. There is alot of advice on ‘de-cluttering’ – from things you need to toss in the trash to ways to more effectively utilize available space.  Some of this advice gets down to extreme details, like implementing color schemes and mirrors to make rooms look larger,  or using tiny shelf drawers to stash tools and items.  Our policy is pretty simple – if you don’t need it, it’s probably junk.  If it’s junk, it can only complicate your life, and you should do your best to get rid of it.

Although it would seem simple to know exactly what’s junk and what isn’t, it can often be harder than you would think to make this distinction.  After living in a house for decades, everything can start to blend together.  An old chest sitting in the corner isn’t junk – it simply has ‘always been there.’  That ripped-up couch ‘adds character’ to your basement, and that wobbly coffee table reminds you of the old days.  Although sentimental value can be applied to many items in our lives, many times our minds are simply activating a defense mechanism.  This defense mechanism is fighting against any change in our lives.

Change is always a difficult process.  Think about your children going away to college.  This is a hard change to stomach.  After spending 18 years taking care of your little boy or girl, they now will be moving away and starting a new independent chapter in their life.  Although one part of your head wants them to stay at home, you know the best path for them is to head off to college.

Changes in your home can be just as difficult.  People like to keep things the way they are – moving items around or throwing things out can be difficult and scary. However, in the end, this type of change is also for the better.  Getting rid of old pieces of furniture, electronics, yard items, bikes in the garage, or whatever else will end up freeing up tons of space in your house.  That defense mechanism will probably fire, saying “I should keep that old bike, afterall, John might come home and use it during the summers.”  In reality, the bike doesn’t even work anymore and fixing it up would cost more than buying a new one.  Toss that old bike and think about moving forward.

Junk King can be your mechanism towards change.  Our professional junk haulers can pick up your old items and efficiently take them off your hands.  We are eco-friendly, so you can be sure they’ll end up in the right place.   After your items are hauled away and you see some empty space in your house, you might feel like you lost something.  This will only last a moment though.  Before you know it you’ll realize how much better your home looks without that old junk and the world of possibility that lies before you.

The Definition of Junk

Published on July 9, 2010 in junk, junk hauling and junk removal. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

“Junk” is a very commonplace term in the English language.  It can refer to any number of things, from literal items that are unwanted to a description of something (or someone) that isn’t useful or good anymore.  The word Junk can be combined with a number of other terms, from ‘Junk Yard’ to ‘Junk Removal’ to ‘Junk Food.’

Dictionary.com defines Junk as:

  1. any old or discarded material, as metal, paper, or rags.
  2. anything that is regarded as worthless, meaningless, or contemptible; trash.

All in all, one thing that remains is that nearly no matter how ‘Junk’ is used it has a negative connotation.  It’s pretty clear that Junk is not a good thing. Junk is something that isn’t good for us to eat (in the case of Junk Food). Junk also isn’t something we want around our house, in our yard, or in our place of business.  So why does ‘Junk’ get such a bad rap?  Here are a few reasons:

Junk is useless: Junk not only is bad, but it’s useless.  Our lives are complicated as is, there isn’t any need to add extra reasons to make it more complicated.  As they say, simpler is better, and in this case Junk definitely makes things less simple.

Junk is bad for you: Just like Junk Food is not good for your body, Junk Items are not good for your house.  Junk items clutter your home and prevent you from having some nice and open space.  In addition, they prevent you from adding fresh, new furniture to your house.

Junk is bad for the environment: When disposed of in an improper manner, Junk can end up in our country’s landfills and end up harming the environment around us.  Junk needs to be taken the the proper recycling facilities so that it can be re-used and re-purposed.

There is one exception of a good kind of Junk: Junk King.  Junk King is a company that specializes in REMOVING all the bad stuff from your home or business, so that you can move onto greener pastures.  Junk King also sends the junk they pick up to greener pastures by recycling up to 60% of all materials. Give Junk King a call at 1-800-995 JUNK or book online today.

Junk Removal vs. Cleaning Service

Published on July 6, 2010 in Professional Haulers, Residential Junk Removal, junk hauling business and junk removal. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .


Now that the Fourth of July festivities, gatherings and celebrations are over, the part that every homeowner dreads is looming:  cleanup.  The cleanup process after a big party is something that no one looks forward to. Some of the harrowing tasks of the cleanup involve scrubbing the filthy floors, washing dirty dishes, throwing out broken lawn chairs and filling massive bags of trash.

Many people hire a cleaning or maid service to lend a hand and get the cleanup process done in an efficient and professional manner.  Just as a cleaning service can help you with the smaller tasks at hand, a professional junk removal service can aid you with the big items. While your house is getting scrubbed down from head to toe you might as well consider freeing up some space and getting rid of all your unwanted clutter too.

In many ways utilizing a professional junk removal service is very similar to hiring a cleaning service on a regular basis. The major difference is junk removal professionals primarily remove large and hard to carry items that would be difficult to remove on your own.  While most people dont often think of Junk Removal as something that their home or office needs every so often, the advantages to getting rid of unwanted items are huge.  Here are several similarities between junk removal services and cleaning services.

Junk Removal makes your home CLEANER: Just like the main goal of using a maid service is to clean up around the house, one of the primary goals of junk removal is also to make your home cleaner. Getting rid of large unwanted furniture items clears up areas in your house that have built up dust and grime for years.  These open areas (and the new furniture) will be as clean as ever after the proper junk removal.

Junk Removal De-Stresses: Just as a clean house is a stress-free house, a clutter-less house is also a stress-free house.  Having unwanted junk and clutter around the house might not be an everyday issue, but sub-consciously junk can add to your stress level just as much as a sink of dishes or a pile of dirty laundry. Getting that junk outta-there will let you notice your home is significantly calmer.

Junk Removal is worth the price: Obviously, it is physically possible for you to get rid of your junk on your own, just as it is within the realm of possibility for you to clean your house.   Hiring a cleaning service means saving yourself the time of cleaning as well as getting the advantage of a thorough and professional service. It’s the same with junk removal: utilizing professionals means taking the heavy load off your back and providing an efficient service that is sure to provide great results.

If you are interested in some post-party junk removal services, be sure to check out Junk King by calling 1-800-995-JUNK.

Why get rid of Junk?

Published on July 2, 2010 in Business Junk Removal, get rid of junk, junk hauling and junk removal. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Throughout the lifetime of this blog, we’ve constantly reminded people to get rid of their junk.  You might ask, why should I get rid of my junk? Can’t you keep your junk around and just not worry about it?  Isn’t it more effort to try and get rid of junk than to simply leave it be and see what happens?

Although this mindset seems valid when phrasing it in this manner, it in fact leads to more effort, stress and problems.  Junk is like one of those problems you have in the back of your head, something you need to get over with, but keep pushing off.  It’s like holding off on paying your parking tickets – you know you should pay them, but you keep putting them aside for later.  Before you know it, those parking tickets are accruing fees.  And even though you didn’t realize it, they were stressing you out all the while.

The junk around your home or office might seem harmless in a certain light, but it is in fact a constantly nagging problem that will ‘accrue’ and get worse over time. Here are a few simple reasons to get rid of your junk as soon as possible.

  1. Junk Builds Up: Junk is not something that just goes away on its own.  Unused clutter and items will slowly but surely add up, taking up more of your valuable home space and continuing to be useless.
  2. Junk Takes Up Space: Junk can be big, heavy and take valuable space in your home or office.  This space could be used for a thousand other useful items – things that are completely necessary as well as things you’ve always wanted to be around.
  3. Junk Looks Bad: Junk is dusty, musty, broken, ripped, leaking, broken and simply ugly.  Whether you are trying to make your home presentable to guests or your office a more professional workspace, junk can only detract from your desired aesthetic.
  4. Junk is Stressful: Whether you realize it or not, junk around the house can be a constant nag on your mind.  Free and open space has proven to be relaxing, while clutter is a sure path to stress.
  5. Junk is Easy to Get Rid Of: Even if you realize Junk is bad, you might think big, heavy, and broken down items are difficult to remove from your home or office.  That’s where we come in.  Junk King will take the junk off of your hands in an efficient, affordable and eco-friendly manner.  Give us a call at 1-800-995-JUNK and we’ll help you with your junk problem right away.