Hustle culture teaches us that side hustles have to be both hard work and high tech, not to mention often overly complex. The hustlers also represent the hustle as mostly glamorous, even though we all know there’s nothing that sexy about hard work, most of the time.

So I was fascinated to hear about this potential side hustle that’s crazy simple, low tech, and doesn’t involve that much hard work. I have to warn you though, it’s also not very glamorous.

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For around four decades, Brian Winch has been earning a six figure annual income doing something that he describes as being similar to simply going for a nightly walk. It’s what he does on the walk that earns him the money. He cleans up as he goes. Winch basically offers a parking lot clean-up service, picking up litter in and around America’s parking lots. In true no-nonsense fashion, he calls his business Cleanlots.

This doesn’t surprise me. Earning good money by cleaning up is not an alien concept in my family. My father-in-law ran a successful six-figure contract cleaning company for decades too. And my grandfather used to tell me: “Where there’s muck, there’s brass”. An old English saying that I eventually worked out meant that when things get dirty there are always people willing to pay others to clean them up.

The Cleanlots founder is now sharing his wisdom and teaching others how to run this super simple side hustle. As he points out:

“The best thing about the business is its simplicity. People litter. Commercial properties need to be maintained. Property management companies contract this service out. You can become successful if you provide good work and exceptional customer service. The work really is almost as easy to do as going for a walk.”

Watch this brief video clip to see just how simple the work is.

There are a few reasons this can be the perfect opportunity for aspiring side hustlers.

There’s very little start-up money required

We’re not talking about mechanical, street cleaning equipment here. We’re talking simple litter picking in and around parking lots. You can start this business with a broom and a litter scoop. No expensive equipment needed. So no special vehicle needed to transport equipment either. This is an essential, recession-proof job that almost anyone can do.

You can fit it around a day job

Commercial property management companies need someone to provide this service at the end of each working day, after the stores close and the vehicles have left the lot. So it’s easy to do alongside a full-time day job. What’s more, you can decide how many lots you feel willing and able to take on. You can work for as long, or short, a time as you want to each night. It’s up to you.

No need for extensive education and training

Let’s face it. You probably already know how to pick up litter. Sure there’s a little more to it than that. You will, after all, be running your own business. That’s where Brian Winch, founder of Cleanlots and veteran litter-pick business owner, comes in. He offers a quick and simple training manual to help you get started, along with phone support to help you as you build up your litter picking service.

As Brian puts it:

“If you work your business, your business will work for you. May be overly simplistic but true. The business model has been successful for 40 years. I started with little money, education and skills and became successful because I brought passion, patience and persistence. If I can do it anyone can do it so long as they put in the work.”

Head over to the Cleanlots website to find out more about the business, see some testimonials, and order a copy of the training manual – Cleanlots – America’s Simplest Business. It will talk you through the basics of setting this business up and profiting from it as Brian has been doing for over 40 years.

You may or may not love the idea of owning a litter picking  business. It won’t be for everyone, but in a world where many business ideas involve a steep learning curve and acquiring a ton of technological knowhow, it’s easy to see why this really could be one of the simplest side hustles in America.

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