How Sean Rains Grew from Tech to Owner with Scoop Soldiers Franchise

Scoop Soldiers, the 40-plus-unit pet waste removal franchise, has proven to be a bit of an unconventional — or at least unexpected — way for entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams. Notably, Sean Rains, who has now purchased the Oklahoma City territory where he used to work as a technician, has a similarly unexpected path to ownership.

“I’ve always done outdoor work, and I’ve worked around animals before, too,” said Rains. “When I found this job about four years ago, I tried my best to get it. The plan was to just see how far I could go with this job, but I never thought I’d take over.”

Over the course of four years with the company, Rains became a familiar face throughout the territory, connecting with the dogs and families he served and learning the ins and outs of the daily business. More recently, Rains was managing the market when he learned that the previous owner had plans to sell the territory.

Though he had considered entrepreneurship before, Rains hadn’t specifically planned to take this step with Scoop Soldiers. But the decision was in front of him, and simply put, he knew he had to take the leap.

“If I didn’t take the opportunity, I knew someone else would,” he explained. “I’ve spent four years living Scoop Soldiers, and it would’ve been heartbreaking for me to see the business shaken up. I’ve watched clients’ dogs grow old, I’ve built that rapport… I love what I do, I love dogs and I love helping people.”

With this, Rains began the due diligence process with plans to carry on the Scoop Soldiers name and legacy in the community.

While he spoke with other franchisees and communicated with the corporate team, Rains said one of the most impactful aspects of his discovery process was his own experience as a technician.

“I’ve never had a job or worked for a company that has shown as much appreciation for its employees as Scoop Soldiers has,” explained Rains. “That’s what has kept me here for so long. I like how we do things; I like the operations side. I like everything about the company, so it was a no-brainer for me.”

Rains is slated to take over operations of the Oklahoma City territory on January 1st and already has big plans to continue the success of the business while building something meaningful for himself and his family.

“The benefits of a franchise, rather than starting my own business, are great. The policies, procedures and operations are already established. That made this a lot easier because I already have a lot of support from the company itself,” said Rains. “My goal is to make Scoop Soldiers the go-to for pet waste removal in and around the Oklahoma City metro.”