Running a pest control business can be highly rewarding and stressful. Sometimes, both at the same time. Whether you’ve been running your own pest control business for years or are thinking about starting one, we have a few tips and ideas for you.
1. Don’t Charge Too Little
Carefully determine your pricing strategy. Charging too little can be just as bad as charging too much.
Many pest control operators make the mistake of undervaluing their service by charging too little. When you sell your service on the price you are renting the business, when you sell your service on value, you own the business.
By charging more for your service, your company narrative shifts to more of a quality proposition. Over time, this process helps guide your company toward providing even better service. This approach leads to better customer retention and higher margins.
Have a bidding strategy for commercial pest control contracts and residential pest control jobs. Each will be completely different, and you want to be confident in your pricing for each.
2. Improve Your Training
Make sure that you have solid ongoing training for your technicians and other staff.
One of the most important factors in customer retention is well-trained technicians. Thirty-two percent of loyal customers will choose another provider after just one negative experience. Consistency in service is paramount. Each technician should be as professional as the last. They should also all be capable of the same level of service.
Each of your employees should be a part of regular training meetings that are well prepared and well presented. These meetings should be engaging and informative. They should empower your employees with knowledge to help them continue to improve and provide better service to your customers.
3. Go Digital & Generate New Leads
The advertising landscape is shifting. Developing new channels to market your business is important.
Customers are changing their buying habits. People are shopping online more and more. You’ll be left behind if you aren’t making digital and social advertising a major part of your marketing strategy.
Your website is one of the central components of a sound digital advertising strategy. A good website highlights the services you offer. It should also showcase customer testimonials, if possible. And make sure your contact information is visible and easy to use.
It’s a good idea to recruit competent help in getting your website right. The central purpose is to create action or drive leads.
A few important rules to remember for your website are the following:
- Start content on all pages before the fold line.
- Create an easily navigated top menu.
- Do not create tabs or pop-ups with content. Each page of content needs to be its own landing page.
- Make sure your site is mobile and SEO-friendly.
Contact local contractors, home builders, property management companies, and all other local businesses in your area that can help you build strategic partnerships and generate new leads. Persistence and creativity is the key to building these relationships.
Be willing to experiment with new advertising options. Stay current on available options. There are always new ways to add to a solid digital advertising strategy.
4. Cover Your Assets… You Know, CYA
If you haven’t already, make sure that you have all the right state and industry-specific licensing to provide the services you offer. It’s also wise to make sure you have redundancy where possible with industry-specific licensing. Overkill is underrated.
Meeting with a few different commercial insurance agents regularly is a good idea. Thoroughly explain your services and how you operate. This process will help uncover any insurance gaps. You’ll sleep a little better at night knowing that you are properly insured.
RELATED ARTICLE: A Crash Course on Pest Control Liability Insurance
You should also periodically talk to different accountants and attorneys. See what they could do to help your business. A quick conversation ensures that your contracts and taxes are handled correctly.
Too often, business owners don’t pay enough attention to these issues. When something big goes wrong, it’s too late. Make it an annual event on your calendar to review these critical areas of your business. Then, you know your assets are covered.
5. Automate More
All business owners understand their time is valuable. Automating tasks can help create new efficiencies and save time.
It can be easy to make the mistake of losing money because you were trying to save money. In other words, the old business adage of stepping over dollars to get to dimes. Spending money on the right software can be a great way to grow your business.
Automation is changing the way business is done. It’s elevating customer expectations. With the right software solutions, you can automate communication tasks, invoicing, payments, marketing, and more. Automation can improve your margins and help keep your employees and customers happy.
Studies show that millennials would rather not be called. They prefer digital communication.
This is an emerging and very large purchasing group in our economy. You want to keep these customers happy. Incorporate software that gives them access to their account. Your software solution should also make it easy to communicate with you.
Choose integrated software that allows you to set up automated SMS, email, and pre-recorded phone calls for reminders, collections, marketing, surveys, and follow-ups.
If you’re still using paper for invoices, service records, renewals, or reminders–stop. There is a huge opportunity for you to cut costs and improve the image of your company. Find and leverage software that can help you automate these processes. Get out of the dinosaur-era of using paper.
FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: What Is Field Service Automation?
6. Offer Greener Options and Service
The trends are continuing to move the industry towards greener solutions.
The desire for environmentally safer options, like Integrated Pest Management (IPM), is on the rise. IPM accounted for over $17 billion in revenue in 2021. That number is expected to increase to $34 billion by 2031.
We recommend that all PCOs work with the NPMA become both QualityPro Certified and GreenPro Certified. Earnestly working through the process to gain these two certifications is a great way to refine your processes and services.
Additionally, having these certifications can give you extra credibility. Include them on your website and in your marketing efforts.
RELATED ARTICLE: The 9 Latest Trends in Pest Control Technology
7. Consider New Software Options
Using the right tools is essential to getting work done right. Software should be intuitive and easy to use. It should provide end-to-end solutions that can help your company work smarter and more efficiently.
Briostack pest control software was designed by Top 100 pest control owners specifically for the pest control industry. It offers an entire suite of tools designed to help pest control businesses. You’ll be able to add more customers and increase margins. But most of all, you’ll keep customers and employees happy.
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