BY JOE REILLY, NATIONAL DRUG SCREENING, INC.
This article is in follow-up to a previous DATIA focus article entitled: "Getting into the Business—Drug & Alcohol Testing”
Most of the requests I get from people wanting to start a drug and alcohol testing business are related to mobile collection. This is a tough business. It’s typically a one- person business in a specific geographic area. I say it is tough because, as a one-person operation, effective marketing can be challenging. Typically, to be successful in this type of business you have to operate 24/7, as there is a constant demand for emergency services that often goes unmet. So, just as if you called a plumber to your house for a busted pipe emergency at two o’clock in the morning, the revenue stream for after-hours services is generous.
O
ne way to get started with a mobile collection business is through a franchise system, or a business
opportunity model. With a franchise opportunity, you get turnkey systems and marketing assistance so you can hit the ground running. Visit the DATIA web site and search in the member database under Franchise & Business Opportunities in order to find some fanchise systems and business opportunities that are DATIA members. Another way to start up the mobile
collection business is to hire a consultant to help you get your company up and running—to teach you how to market your services so that revenue starts coming in the door. However, you must be careful about this. You must check the references and credentials of the consultant. Is the consultant an expert in the drug testing industry? How did this person become an industry expert? And is this person actively involved in the drug testing industry trade associations—Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry Association
www.datia.org
(DATIA) and the Substance Abuse Program Administrators Association (SAPAA)? When you consider hiring a consultant, talk to at least two them, compare their services, and verify their reputation and pricing. So, you may be thinking, “What do I
need to do to get this mobile drug testing collection business up and running?” First, geting trained and qualified to perform Department of Transportation (DOT) urine specimen collections is going to be essential. In addition, you will need an evidential breath testing device (EBT) for breath alcohol testing. You cannot be successful in this business without also offering the breath alcohol testing that is required for most DOT emergency calls, and also for many of the DOT-required random tests. For both the urine specimen collection training qualification and the breath alcohol testing qualification, you will need to perform proficiency demonstrations which are commonly called “mock collections.” Te investment
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