How to Grow a Pest Control Business: From £0 to National Contracts | Mark Porter - Pest Perspectives

Hello and welcome to PES perspectives episode 1919 episodes. It's technically it's technically 18 with guests. First one was me telling people I was doing a podcast because I kept talking about it and I'm approved for all CPD bodies now the podcast is so that's good. This podcast is basically to entertain and educate at the same time, people within the pest management industry generally or anyone that's within the pest control field because it's a wide, it's a very wide space. It is. And this week we have on Mark Porter from Porter's Pest Control, which he's just celebrated his eighth company, 8th year in business.

How you doing Mark? Very well, Sean, thank you. It's nice to nice to make an appearance on it. A bit nervous but I'll give it my best shot. I'm the little podcast compared to the beauties and beasties. You weren't nervous on that? Well, what can I say? Them, them boys are legends, but they're doing, they're doing really well. But as, as are you, you're starting to pick up momentum now, which is good, and people are following and sharing. So yeah, I thought I'd come on and give the platform a bit of support as well, you know?

Yeah, cheers for that. Yeah, it's, it's been good. Oh, I've got 1 already. Good night. We used Mark Porter from PPC Best in South London, his team to go to for sure. Wow, you really have put the word out there. Thank you for for watching on YouTube. Oh wow. Well yeah, I did. I've offered big payments for people to make nice comments. So yeah, people starting to cash in already. Well, that's on YouTube that one. So let's obviously go back before you actually got into making your own company. So how did you actually end up in pest management?

Was it? Was it like you fell into it or like everyone else? Or how was it? Completely that so before I got into the pest management world, I was actually in retail a complete a complete different Galaxy and but I was becoming a bit bored with that. And yeah, pest, pest control found me and I found pest control. Really, that's how I look at it is we found each other and it's been the perfect marriage ever since, 21 years later. Oh very nice that is 21 years later. I'm such a noob compared to you.

I'm such a new you must be. You must be paying someone else's commented in chat. This is your best tech. Yeah, so that that young man, he's he's been with, he's been with me since day one, David and he's still got, he's he's still going strong. I won't, I won't mention how young he is, but yeah, he is. He's he's one of my favourites, if not the favourite. So how did you actually like, what was your first role within pest control? What was it like a technician job or what kind of? So yeah, I mean, I think it's worth shouting out the company that I learnt my skill set from.

Really. So it all started it it all started at what what is no longer unfortunately, but it was under the Pro Kill brand. So I used to work for Pro Kill, Pro Kill Limited and I, I, I basically, I managed to blag an interview with the then owner, Dean Spires because I phoned up and they weren't actually looking for anyone with without experience and they weren't coming to London until the week after. But I managed to get through to him and basically say, well, look, what have you got to lose by me coming down to have a chat with you.

So I went bowling down to Bournemouth, sat in front of him and basically said, well, at the very least now you owe me a little bit of a trial. And he took a punt on me. And yeah, it was the first time in my life actually being a school dropout with no, no qualifications in any capacity that I'd found something that really got me and really made my brain tick and really made me want to learn more. And, you know, Pro kill was purchased by rent to kill one of their one of their big acquisitions. And at that time that was a huge acquisition because Pro Kill were they will make, you know, they was one of the one of the first that made the big impact on the franchise side of things.

And yeah, you know, essentially I've, I've my business model today as it stands is it's got a lot of formulas that Pro Kill had, you know, in the sense of the service, the approach and the customer service. So there's a lot of what I learnt at Pro Kill, but with my own twister in between that as well. Oh. Nice. I mean it is funny in a way. Friend to kill buys another company without killing it. Pro kill. Yeah, exactly. And it was, it was it caused massive ripples, to be honest, because I think, I think Dean, who's now retired, he won't mind me saying, you know, Rent a Kill was a dirty word at Pro Kill, you know, we wanted to do everything that, you know, we didn't want to be like Rent a Kill.

We we pride that we prided ourselves on good customer service and that, and that's how the Pro Kill brand grew and still grows. You know, there are still franchises out there. So I left. I left immediately. I, I put my notice in and I wasn't hanging around. That's no disrespect to rent to kill. You know, I've got no personal beef with rent to kill, but I just, I had my own vision and my own ways of doing things and it wasn't the rent to kill way. That's fair enough because they reckon I don't know.

When I read and hear podcasters they reckon statistically when a company is acquired you will lose 50% of the staff because they'll just leave. And not in the staff, it's also the portfolio because a lot of the a large proportion of that portfolio is more more often than not joined from that, you know some of the big that some of the big providers out there. Yeah, yeah, that's that's interesting. That is welcome, Jasmine. Thanks for popping in my green screen messed up my ways there.

But yeah, was it was it was pro kill. The only place you worked for before you went to went to make your own company was. It no. So the the journey behind that to sort of finish that, that direct question off is so when I let, when I left parochial, I went to what was what's now known as OCS is they was formerly known as servest. Oh, OK, yeah. So I, I went there, I went there for 18 months because on paper it, it ticked every single box. You know, the pest control division was interlinked with the cleaning division, the catering division and everything else.

But it, it was a complete mess. And for the first time in my working life, I actually had a massive personality clash with one of my colleagues who we just had a massive falling out. He didn't like me and I actually ended up not liking him as well. So it become quite personal, which was probably the first, was probably the first time I've encountered something like that. But I think ironically, he's not no longer in the industry. I do keep my eye open. Oh yeah, you do. You do. You didn't keep your eyes on everyone, he said to me.

I keep my eyes on you. I've been seeing what you've been doing. Exactly. So I was at, I was at service for a little while. I then the guys at Lodi who I've got to give a massive shout out to, they let me come and do a few months with them. Tony Knight gave me an opportunity and a bit of a window to sort of see if I could find my feet on the, the supplier side of things. But then after that, I kind of felt, you know, pest control was my home really. That's where my, that's where my passion lied. I mean, it was great talking to other pest controllers trying to sell them products and whatnot, but that really wasn't what that wasn't really where my passion lied.

So it was January 2017 that me and my wife decided that we was going to launch Porter's Pest Control Limited and the rest, they say is history. Oh, nice. So obviously, obviously your previous experience, would you say pro quick pro kill helped helped you build your company or the the policies or the way you did business helped you what what you learned there helped you build this company, this family business you run now? Would you say a lot of that came from there? Did you always want to run one or was it just did it come about?

Was it in your back of your mind for a long time thinking? So, so when it started, I loved the service side of thing because I, I, I started off as a service consultant, had a really good portfolio in London, really liked being ahead of my round and having that rapport. And I, I, I was, I was sort of persuaded to do a couple of days a week in sales and within the first couple of months I was competing with the full time surveyors. So the sales manager at the time, Mr Dave Morris, big shout out to Dave.

He, he asked me to give it a crack full time. And I wasn't really a salesy kind of person. You know, I just, I love pest control. But what I, what I realised is that I wasn't selling pest control. What I was doing is going to the clients properties and telling them what their problem was and how it can be solved and just being truthful and saying, look, my office says to solve that, that's what the cost is going to be. So quite quickly I was picking up the sales techniques and you know, I was getting reasonable figures and you know, everyone was happy really.

So I had the real great experience of learning and mastering the the technical side of things and then going into the sales side of it and having some real good salespeople beside me to sort of nurture the person that I become. And then I think from from there, it really kind of I went into sales full time and then I think it was a few years after, that's when the acquisition happened. So yeah, I think it was a massive part of what we've become now because it taught me the absolute fundamentals of business.

I've got a mentor, massive shout out to Richard Cole. He's, he's probably been the biggest part of my professional life in pest control, you know, and he's, he's still guides me today, you know, and having people like that beside you and sort of pumping you up all the time and sort of having that giving you that fear factor when they're phoning you to ask you what you're doing on the month in terms of your figures. You know, that the, the respect is still so massive. So, yeah, I think even even to this day, eight, 8 1/2 years trading now, you know, I think the momentum that we have and the way that we've grown, I think that comes down to what the way I've been taught at Prakial, which you never become complacent.

That's nice. I mean, I'll be honest, the mentorship theme comes up a lot on this podcast. It does and it seems to because I've been asking for a lot more help recently. I mean, the websites, the main thing has got to be done. I keep getting told the website, so I'm looking at doing the website, but mental because I've asked you for some tips in the past. I asked I I did try some of them, but I didn't go full throttle into them. I didn't. Yeah, but. I'm trying to do. I'm trying to go upwards now.

I am. And that's the only way you got to, that's it, you know, whether it's small little steps or you'd, you'd be a little bit aggressive. I mean, look, I don't, I don't portray that I'm perfect, but there's loads of people that I do give bits of advice to. And, and I enjoy doing that because at the same time, I like to think I was in that position before and I still take feedback and criticism and, and everything else that comes from people in the industry. So yeah, I think I think our industry should be more like that.

You know we pass on help and tips and advice and support to each other as and where we can. Well, honestly, I believe, I don't know if I'm right or wrong because I wasn't very vocal until a couple of years, a couple of years ago. I've heard out of nowhere, but kind of I didn't say anything because it used to be that a lot of the pest control groups, in my opinion, you know, when you ask voice, you get laughed at. You get, oh, you should know this, you're a pest controller. But now it seems to be everyone's willing to give it voice without mocking people, which which is great.

I mean, I can give a bit of an insight to that because I'm, I'm actually one of the admin moderators on the British pest control Group One, one of a few of us on there. And I think we often, we spend a lot of time as moderators speaking to one another, observing posts and observing questions. And you know, we do discard and we do keep a close eye on that because at the end of the day, everyone, myself included, but you know, we're not experts in every single field of our industry. So I think there is that level of understanding that, you know, if someone's genuinely asking a question that they need help with and support and they're being torn a new one, which I've I've had it happen to me.

I think really it's just a case of just reminding people, look, come on guys, we've all, we've all been here before. So yeah, I'd like to think as well there's been a bit of a turn around, particularly on some of the more established groups now that are regularly being used for sort of tips and advice really. Yeah, I've noticed a big changes. I'm going back a few years. It used to be like, say you'd show your boxes and you hadn't labelled them up yet. Oh, well, you've not labelled them up. Well, they're not out.

That still happens. But yeah, I, I think the aggression, the aggression side of that is definitely, I think a lot more people are a bit more aware now. It's like, I'll come and mate, like you don't know the full story and how do you know that? You know, there's always these factors into it. And I think people are getting a little bit more savvy themselves before posting that kind of thing. They're probably just being a little bit more aware of that. You know, they they could, it could actually turn, turn on them.

Yeah, because I I, I speak to a lot of people. But what bugs me is when I see company, I'm not saying names of companies, but I see them on LinkedIn and all over the place taking photographs on site surveys of they don't name the companies. But you never know the full story. Do you say that say that client probably hasn't or hasn't paid the bill or the pest control not had it in eight months or a long time and they're saying, oh, this had this pest control company and not very good. We don't always know the full story, do you?

And that's a lot of the problem. I don't think it does oranges do any good to put them pictures online as an advert for your business. I don't know. That's my opinion, that is. Not 100%. But it's something I post online and every so often I get I get fed up with it and I pack a post. Politically correct post, obviously, but my opinion. Thanks Jason McAfee for joining Ask Press Control and Jason says you help me power with a bed bug advice. You're my go to bed bug man Jason. Jason McPhee. That's it.

Thank you, Jason. Yeah, we've, we're, I'd like to think we're quite renowned now for our bed bug work. We've we've done, we've done some huge projects. We've gone viral with a lot of the jobs that we've done. I'd love your members. I would she went proper viral. Yeah, I mean that that kind of kit, you know, that kind of escalated and off the back of that we've we've had some fantastic projects. You know, we've we've, we've ended up working for local authorities outside of London. We've had jobs passed.

We've got a lovely company, Atlas Environmental up in Manchester. I believe they are, they've been really good. So shout out to Jacob and his team. They've been really supportive. They've they've put us on to a very large project in London. And it all stems from really trying to portray yourself as understanding the enemy that you're dealing with and actually having fun whilst you're dealing with it. Because then people can see where your passion lies. And I do. I do like it when people come to me because I always say, look, I'm not saying this is the way to do it, but we have great success in doing it this way.

What you seem to You're also quite good at making content you. Are, yeah, I mean. You, you, you understand how to make it because in pest control a lot of people don't understand how to make good content. And you do. Because I, I watch, I do. It, it has come with making mistakes along the way, Sean, if I'm being honest, because you know, again, I think you've got, you've got to take on board the constructive criticism. I've had people private, private message me about certain things or even publicly sometimes pull me up on something.

And I think sometimes you actually have to think, well, if that person took the time to make a comment about it, rather than me being down about it, actually Draw Something from it and think, all right, maybe next time I'll do it in a different way. So there's been a lot of a lot of deep thinking on my part, which has really allowed me to to really push my content out there with me and my team when when we're out there having fun. Because that's the key thing, we're having fun. It does it. It does look that way.

There was that one where you may, it's like, it's like there was one of your videos. I loved it. It was bed bugs. In east London. Catastrophic. And it was the way it was done. It was like a film. It was like on the crime scene I loved. That one, yeah, I mean, and that one I mean, I had I had all but two of the whole team on that. And that was that was monstrous. You know, that that was probably up there with infested, which if you go on YouTube, you'll see it bed bug infestation. We went viral over that.

We was we was all over the states. We had an invitation to go to America, but unfortunately that didn't materialise but for. A bed bug job or was it just? Just to do, just to do a seminar on it and just to do a lot of speaking because we, we do have quite a unique approach to our bed bug work. So, but yeah, like I say it, it's nice, you know, it's nice to have an established name in the industry and not everyone likes us and of course not everyone is going to like you. But I'd like to think that we've, we're, we're held in in pretty much good regard amongst our, our fellow peers up and down the country.

Well I feel you are, but as you say there is obviously pest controllers that are a bit old school and they don't like anyone doing better themselves so they see it as that way. But industry is changing. I think it's really nice your mum's watching. Cheers. Oh, your mum? Sorry, I'm just talking. Oh, your mum? It might be my mother-in-law. Hold on. I'm just looking at my wife as if to say who's watching? Is it Dawn? Yeah, still she's. Always. Oh yeah, yeah, that's my mother-in-law. Big shout out to my mother-in-law.

That's really nice, that fortune, that is. Yeah, and I think, I think really that that's the USP about Porter's Pest Control is that we're a genuine family run company. You know, it's myself and my wife over here, Holly, it's Jamie, my son Amy, my sister-in-law Dawn, my mother-in-law Siobhan, my PA who's been with, who's known me since I was 8 years old, Dave's, you know, so we are very, very, very close knit and they all know what my visions and expectations are. And I think that's what makes it work, really.

It will do because if you've obviously got a vision and you know what you want to achieve, then everyone else is on the same page because obviously they want to. They want to achieve it as well. They do. I've never had so many people at my chat mate, I'm telling you. Honestly it's so cool. Thanks for watching everyone. Yeah. Thank you guys. What? So what was what would you say was is the origin story of Porter's Pest Control then if you go back to when you first started it because about the early days, but it was just yourself, wasn't it when you first started?

Yeah, so I I started it where I was out on my own. I went out and bought a little black Ford Fiesta, which is still with us. That's got that's got the that's got the registration number pest mad because for those of you that know me, I've, I've got a, a quite an array of private plates for the vehicles as well, which I'm quite proud of. And that one was pest mad And I sort of set it up from there and I went out on my merry way and I, I just didn't take no for an answer. You know, I promised my wife that I was going to make something of myself And you know, I did it, you know, because I didn't want to let her down.

I didn't want to let myself down and people that were supporting me. So I think that was the real driving force. And within that first year, actually, that's when we picked up the massive bed bug job that, that really sort of put us out there, you know, because it was, it was the biggest job that I'd ever sold as trading as porters. It was, it wasn't hard selling it because I knew what I knew how to solve it, you know, really. And, and the client snapped, the client snapped my hand off. And I'll never forget because we sent the quote at the end of November.

So it that that was probably the best Christmas for us because it not only was it nice financially, but it was just nice to sort of think that, right, we can sell work like this and actually give people the confidence that the the small companies can actually deliver. Exactly, because obviously you think if your national companies are the ones that get the big jobs, but for a small business, family business to get a job, like obviously that was quite a big job. It's quite good, isn't it? Because normally a small companies only get little jobs, yeah.

Exactly. And I've always been a believer and I've always been taught from my very early days, it doesn't matter what you're selling. If people don't believe in you or they don't take to you, it doesn't matter people by people. And that's something I always tell my team now is regardless whether we're going to do a service inspection or a call out or a survey, that person has to invest in you as a person. They have to see that you're genuinely interested and that you genuinely care. And I think that's really what makes us sort of deliver each time because we take the time and the effort to to make sure that our clients are happy.

Yeah, no, that's, that's, that's really good, though. Is he with how was it when you first took on? Because I hear a lot of story. How was it when you took on your first member of staff? Because I hear about all the stress and you, you have to like a lot of people feel like there's weight on their shoulders because now they've got to support someone else's family. What did that feel like when you first took someone on? I'll be honest, I mean, I, I loved it because I mean, we just just this month, we went up to 10 staff members now, which was, you know, that, that, that was quite an emotional time for me and my wife.

Because like you say, at the start of every morning, I know that I've got 99 families and dependants and different, you know, different demands that I need to make sure that I can support my team. And I've, I've always said there's no, there's no better drive about not wanting to fail than the fear of failing, you know, so I'm very philosophical with things like that. I always listen to sort of motivational podcasts and stuff like that. So I'm, I'm, I'm forever pushing myself and wanting to involve myself as a person and, and as a boss, you know, because I never really saw myself as a, a boss, which I, my team will tell you, I don't.

I never tell anyone that I'm a boss because for me, I'm only as good as my team. And so we, we genuinely do work as a team. No one works for me. We all work together. And that, I think that's one of the key points with my company is that we are genuinely A-Team. We succeed and we fail together.

That's, that's good because that's how that's how you learn and you learn and grow as as technicians, as people. It's what's it called when, So you you are still on the tools, aren't you? I pick and choose. So my, my, my main role on a daily basis now is I, I'm sort of spearhead the survey side of things. I also look after our key account clients. So we, we've got quite a, quite a vast size portfolio in the sense of what we look after. We, we. We. Do roughly how many? You don't have to say the exact amount.

How? Many 100. We're probably north of 300 at the minute of of. Sort of. Contracted clients each month. Well done, Well done. That's good. And it's, and it's a nice array, you know, we look after golf clubs, we do leisure centres. We specialised in block management, that's my Forte. So we look after blocks, skyscrapers and large, large developments all across London. And we we've own, we've recently won a massive regional contract as well where we're looking after 24 garden centres up and down the country.

Congratulations. Thank you. So that was our that was our latest scoop. Yeah. Well, well done. Yeah, you probably took it off so some national. I did, actually. I did, yeah. But well done, that's that's a massive feat for a small family business. Well done. Thank you. And it it does it, it does make me proud, you know, because from where we've from, where we've come from, and it all started with a dream and sort of I've never ever forgotten who I am and where I've started. And I think that's where a lot of people, they can become a little bit cock sure of themselves.

And people that have known me for as long as they have, they know that I love I'll, I'll never, ever lose the passion that I've got for what I do. And I'll never forget the the people that have helped me get to where I've got, you know, and that that's where I've I will always stay, stay grounded. The people that know me really well will probably be screaming at the screen saying, yeah, but he he likes to hire Lamborghinis every weekend and stuff like that. But we all need a release, you know, and that that is the end game.

To get the green Lamborghini with the van would be an absolute pleasure. But bringing it back to more seriousness, it's, you know, it's, it's never forgetting who I am and, and how I've got to where I've got to. It's good. It's good because you've you've you've worked hard to get where you are and add mentors. Just just put well done, well deserved, mate. Thanks for watching, Adam. Yeah, I like, he's good. He's a good pal. Adam. We always talk to each other about different bits and pieces. And again, you know, Adam, someone that reaches out to me and vice versa.

And it, and it's nice, you know, I, I, it's nice to be able to sort of try and give people your perspective on things and angles and ideas and suggestions. They're not always bound to be right, but at least you give people food for thought. Exactly. I speak to Adam quite regularly. Nearly daily I do so I didn't know you talked to Mark as well, but cheating on me? I was just going to say the same thing. But yeah, no, that's, I'll tell you, I'm really impressed with you. A national chain. Have you got any doubt in mind that near Leicester?

No, so at the minute how high up do we go? Just sort of just talked about Harrow. So the furthest we go up is Harrow for the garden centres and as far down we go down to Winnersh near Bournemouth. I've got to say, if you ever there in my everyone dialled me up. Yeah, if you would not. Listen, I'm sure, I'm sure, I'm sure. We'll be going up that way soon enough, buddy. Well, well, if you're going past tech this year, I'll definitely be. There. Yeah, I'll be there. Me and me and the team will be there.

We we always take an entourage with us down. I'll be there all day because as you know, I'm on, I'm on the board. I'm on the board and on the pest tech committee, so. I'm yeah, well done on that. We're there for two days. I will. Yeah, we'll be, we'll, we'll definitely be there. We like we again, we like to network with different people. I think, I think personally you're one of two people in this industry. You're either all about yourself and what you do and you don't give a damn about anyone else.

Or like what you've just said, we both speak to Adam. We both speak to Kieran Sampler. You know, you, we, you make contacts with people that you know one day, you never know, you know, just whether you might need that person or more importantly, just just to have that friendship group. And I think that's what I've liked doing is establishing a wide network of fellow people that have the same passion and enthusiasm as me. And I think it just makes that the, the job a bit easier. I pass referrals up and down all the time and you know, we're getting referrals passed to us.

And I think that's how it should be, especially amongst us smaller companies. That's nice, that is, yeah, He's helped you. He's saying help me loads from a business sense and it's greatly appreciated mate. It's all good. It's all good. So obviously I'm guessing that you bought, you built this portfolio because you're, is it you going out and seeing clients and talking to them? Do you? Yeah. How did you go about that? Is it all in person? Is it e-mail? Is it face to face? So how did? You it's all in person, but when I going back to the pro kill thing, when I, when I left, when I, when I was leaving pro kill, as you can appreciate going back to the very point about people buying people, it was pretty quickly getting out there that pro kill had been purchased by rent to kill when I made it clear that I was leaving.

So I quite cheekily, I stayed in touch with a lot of these people. I had their contact details and once my once I knew my non compete clause was up, I utilised it. You know, I stayed in touch with people when because I was solving problems quite successfully when I was at Pro Kill without being big headed, it was a no brainer for those people to come across to me. When I started my own company. I knew what they was paying and I knew what what they was expecting. So it would be a lie for me to say that I didn't have a massive helping hand with my past life at Pro Kill.

But you every you know, it's not some I read a thingy before about. It's not about having good luck. It's how you use that good luck that really matters. And and that's what we did. We maximised on that. I mean, one of my block management clients that we do a lot of work with. I think we're up to north of 150 sites for these guys now them alone. Wow. It's kind of and that and that's, and we still continue to get work from them because it's all based on trust. It's like we've got this site, this is the problem.

Can you please go and sort it out and invoice us? And trust is the biggest element for me. So with these box you do, is it not a monthly service or is it like it? Is that OK? Yeah, so we do all the common parts. So essentially it's the car parks service rooms, boiler rooms, plant rooms, lift motor rooms, tank rooms. And then what where we bought on a lot of added services is we we can do some bin store cleaning as well. You know, we do fly maintenance. I mean, my, my fly maintenance service has gone through the absolute roof in the past 18 months.

Big shout out to Dave Haskins at Bower products on that because he came to our he come to our office and did some training on fly units and selling fly units. And you know, we did an internal competition with the team about who could upsell the most fly. So it's just keeping things relative and relevant. Relative and relevant. No, no, that's nice. That is, I mean, yeah, you, yeah, you're small business, but you sound big time to me. I want to, I want to be big time, yeah. And I think that's, that I always revert it back to the sense that I'm on PayPal, I'm uninvestable, I'm, I'm, I'm unemployable.

And it, it's funny because I saw a company that I actually applied for an operations management role before, years ago, absolutely years ago. And they turned me down and they, they practically laughed at me. And quite recently, they actually commented in one of my posts like saying congratulations and whatnot. And I thought, God, you know, they, I'm kind of hoping that they feel that they missed a big opportunity there with me. So it's almost a little bit like a almost like a bit, yeah, full circle, you know, but yeah, it's, I think it's just a drive.

I've got, I've, I've, I've come from absolutely nothing. I've built, I've built this company with just pure determination. I've had, no, we've got no external investors in our companies, myself and my wife that own it fully. So we've had multiple offerings in the early years, which we, I'm glad now that we declined that opportunity because we never really needed them. We never really needed the financial backing. It was really just people with the business acumen that we felt we might have needed.

But we've just sort of found, we found our way along. You know, we've just, we've done everything together and she's sitting here with me now. I'm hoping to get her on in a second just so she can at least be acknowledged because, you know, she's been a massive, massive part of our growth. It's really, it's really good to hear because on the on the my message to work in our business eventually when I take over the reins. So yeah, it's, it's really nice. It is. If anyone's got any, any questions in chat they want to ask as well.

I can always mention them, but I love to see it. It's a successful family business. And you say the early days of acquisitions about recently you've had people try to buy you again? Yeah. Well, fun. I bumped into Colin Harrison, who I love Colin, Colin, I'm, I go, I go way back with Colin and you know, and I know he's got his eye out there now on, on companies, but it, you know, he gave me some really sound advice actually. And he said, he sort of said we've had an eye on you. But we both agreed I'm only 40 years old.

I only turned 40 recently. So I'd like to think I've got another 10-15 years before I can sit down with a wife and say, look, do you want me home a little bit more? Because we've had a really good offer on the table. Well, depends if you want to pass it down to your son or or anything. Yeah, exactly. I'd like, I'd like, I mean, you know what? I'd I'd be a liar if I sat here and said that I wouldn't turn down like a a really, really appealing offer. But I think at the minute we're having so much fun and without sounding big headed, you know, we're we're we're really sort of turning heads where we need to be.

Holly is the real boss. Had to seen that comment, Siobhan.

So yeah, I think you know, and I I keep reverting back to it. We are having so much fun. I mean, we're running the business. A lot of people didn't think we was going to get past the year, let alone eight years. So I think the fact is we're building momentum. We're getting huge clients on board and, you know, we're making really good solid connections with, with fellow pest controllers up and down the country. So, you know, we're, we're someone now that people can turn to in London with an established reputation.

And, you know, they know that they, they, they can get us to do what's needed. They know that we ain't going to fail. We're going to get the job done. I swear you've done that. That's exactly what you want. It's it's good to hear and and Adam saying the same. I wouldn't be wearing my messages. Same with me the way I the way I am now. I used to work in the factory. I used to be shy and everything, and I turn my life around and look at me now. Yeah, it's changed for the I think my kids like it more because I used to be very quiet or used to work in a factory and that was it.

And now they're quite proud of me now. Yeah, so they should be. For what I've done. I mean, I've always been bloody loud. I can't, I don't have an off button. And but again, I think that's what's created the personality, you know, people, people really like my passion and enthusiasm. And I think that's the best advice that I can give to anyone that sort of really thinking about what they can do to scale their business. I think it's, it's be, it's be real. You know, you're not, don't go out there wanting to try and sell someone something.

You've got to have that passion in wanting to solve a problem. Because if they see that passion that you're actually wanting them to solve a problem, then they see that, you know, I mean, we've, we've been, we, we've sort of been on the, the bandwagon from the very early stages of using motion cameras for remote monitoring. Yeah, I love that. How does that come about? But with the radio links. It that come about by a really good friend of mine, Robert Stannard of Kent Pest Services, who I actually got to meet through when I was the sales Rep at Lodi UK.

So I only met him when I was trying to sell him products and we've been really close friends ever since. You know, we've we've been really close and he told me about Rio Lincoln. I sort of really jumped on it and I used it as a bit of an experiment with some of my clientele and I and I'm, I was maximising an opportunity with it. And you know, we, we sell it at an absolute premium, you know, because in London especially you can get away with that. But it's not, it's not, it's not, it's not trying to do 1 without the other with, yes, we're selling it at premium, but we're offering a premium service as well, which a lot, a lot of my local competitors.

It's about knowing what your competitors around you aren't doing. I know what they are doing and it is that's where I've always been quite switched on in keep my keeping my eye on the game around me and knowing how I can keep, you know, how I can keep evolving our business. I mean, we've got drones, we do drone surveys and things like that as well. I've seen that. So you know, we're we're constantly investing. We've got 2 mopeds on the road now. So I'm never becoming complacent and letting anyone try and get in my mind.

I'm not letting anyone try and get near me because no sooner they try and do what we've done, we're then moving on to the next Fingers ready is. That well, yeah, you're very, very fast. Fast thinking you are forward. Thinking yes, I try and it don't always work, you know I don't. Again, I'm not sitting here saying that I'm a, I'm an absolute legend in the game, but you know, I'd like to think that we are built. We are building a name for ourselves. And and that's what drives me. If, if we fell flat on our face, at least my attitude would be that we tried.

But we're out there and we're and we're, we're picking up pace. Yeah, you know, with the mopeds, how does he what do they do on the mopeds? Because you can't fit much on a moped to do with pest control. What do they do? Just like surveys and like monitoring, No. So again. So generally speaking, we we use the mopeds for emergency call outs where we're able to offer them a unique call out time because some of our clients you know we deal with Michelin star restaurants, we deal with leisure centres, we deal with theatres etcetera.

So we the the Slas that we have on some of our portfolios makes us quite unique where we can guarantee a same day attendance. OK. Well, that's good. That is OK. And I've, and within London, anyone that's been to London and operates in London, it's sometimes it's just a lot easier. But to answer your question directly, where what they're carrying is concerned, we, we try to be quite strategic because the guys do carry a fat Max bag as well. So they're able to get the the snap traps in there, the Redemptor sides and bits, bits that will perhaps at least get a hold in treatment in place.

If it holding treatments needed or we need to just get some tracking dust down or some tracking gel down or some remote cameras. We're at least able to do that and sort of give that client Peace of Mind. And again, it's almost it's almost being able to give that Peace of Mind immediately before we get the decision makers sort of purchase order. It's just given that, again, it's just trying to stay ahead of the game. It's good, it's good. Anyone realise what I keep doing? I'm sweating. I've got a towel.

It's really hot. We've just took five fans down from our loft and they're all in the kids rooms and me and my wife are sitting here. We're both sweating thinking where's I think you might need to go and get the actual fan in a minute, Holly. So what's it like working with your son? Do you argue? Well, that's what I want to know. Do you argue at times? We do. And I think I mean, the good thing with me is that everyone knows and can see that mine and Jamie's relationship is super special because he's my eldest son and he's been coming out to work with me since the age of on and off, sort of like 10 years old, you know, coming out with me at weekends and seeing what I'm up to.

And he has the highest pressure on him because he is my son. It goes one of two ways. I've worked in businesses where the sun gets away with absolutely everything. The sun is absolutely useless, but you can't say nothing to that son because he's the he's the boss's son. Whereas I've been the complete opposite with Jamie. Jamie's almost like the flagship of the levels that I expect, but he's thrived on that because Jamie runs his own business outside of our work with his boxing. He runs a boxing school, he teaches children with special needs and he works with sort of children that have sort perhaps fallen down the wrong path in life and are looking for some sort of escape.

So he does that on the side and he's a successful boxer himself. So yeah, I think that I think that works, you know, because we bounce off of each other personality wise and he's very driven like me. So and he's very, he's very passionate about pest control as well. So it I think it's easy. Because that's what I wanted to ask you is I'm sure when I listen to the beauties and besties, he wasn't sure if he was going to stay in pest control. Is he going to stay in pest control for the time being? Yeah, definitely for now I think because, you know, we're able to offer him a stable income and in the sense that it's in full time employment.

So you know, he's 21 now and he's soon enough going to want to be leaving home and getting a property for himself. So at the minute he's been working from a young age and full time employment. He's doing his boxing on the side. So I'm just giving him a platform. I mean, it's always in the back of my mind that we might be sitting down one day to have that chat where he might want to exit the business. And, you know, I'll do nothing but support him. I'll be heartbroken. But you know, for what he's given me in the time that he's been with me and the memories that we've made and the parts and partnerships that we've built, I can't be nothing but prouder really.

But I think it's been a big key. I think it's been a big key is that we work together all the time. He's with me today actually, because I think he knew that lunch was on. Lunch was on the horizon.

What you were paying, Yeah. Yeah, we have this whole, we have this, we, we, we have this mental note. We know who's round it is. Oh, fair enough, fair enough. But now it's now it's it's nice to hear you like, I mean, I like working with my dad, but yeah, at times you can argue I sometimes win, but I'm right. Not all the time, but but so where are we? So, so like with with the business. Do you obviously, you obviously wait, wait, do you do any of this? Because I'm doing a trial with Sygenta at the minute with 24 hour monitoring.

Now I know you do the REO links, do you do any of them boxes where they you get all if you get activations they get sent straight to your phone or tablet. Do you do, do you use any of those systems? So bar we are the real links, bar the real. Links, so everything's directly with real link. OK. And. That's generally we, we do real link on our squirrel treatments and our rat treatments essentially I'm talking domestically we can offer that for some of our commercial clients. We've got some clients commercially that pay us for a number of cameras in there premises constantly and it's the same emphasis of what you're saying with the IT allows, it monitors and it alerts you.

But we we just primarily use a real link. I mean, yeah, because although it, although it's good demand it there. Here we go. That's my boy. I see him, but no, that's, that's it's good to hear me. I'm obviously doing this, this, this, this Sygenta trial because I shouted my mouth off on LinkedIn saying, yeah, they're saying for small businesses next week their MPTA is asking me if I want to do a trial with Syngenta. So that's how we got it. I think it goes back to the point that you said earlier you it is having that confidence.

If you grow in confidence and you're able to sort of put your head above the parapet, whether it's good or bad, you know, people will get people are going to notice you. And I think, I think that's where businesses that fell, I think they fell because they're, they don't take that leap of faith. I speak to people all the time that, you know, they're absolutely frightened out their life to take on their first employee or to take on the second employee. I never, I never in I never imagined that we'd get up to the, the size that we are, But I always looked at it.

My whole attitude was, do you know what? At least I can look put my head up high and say, do you know what? We bloody tried? And that that's, that's what drives me. Is this thinking? Well, I'm at least going to try because what? What's the point if you don't try, what is the point?

Is that like that your son's just said something incredible?

That's amazing mate. You could carry on and graft it that it's amazing that it's. Yeah, I mean, and then and that's something that I've not publicly, I've not really spoken about too much, but yeah, I mean he's, he has raised the point there. I, I lost two key people in my life six months apart, my brother and then my dad went six months, four days before my 21st birthday. So I think when I do dig down deep and people that are really, really close to me, they, they will say that that that was probably the biggest driving force to me being the person I am today.

And it is, but I, without Jamie, meant raising it, which I'm not. I don't have a problem with it. It's just something that I don't really sort of delve into. But yeah, fundamentally that that's that. That's why I am the person I am today, because I was dealt so many 22 massive cards that really could have crushed a lot of people, but it actually did the opposite to me. That's no, it's I honestly love it that you've managed to keep on track in hard times and it's you've you've been driving forward.

It's Yeah, I think it's amazing that is. Yeah. Thank you. It truly is, but I'll have to try and get Jamie on at some point by himself when he's free, so if he'll come and have a little chat. It's obviously he's out of the gym now, but no, I think and Jamie's great to speak to. He's got such, he's got such a way for someone of such a young age on paper 21, he's so mature and beyond his years. So I think it'd be great to get him on and you can talk to me independently from a young person's perspective in the industry and, and how he, because I think, I think really, I look at our company and statistically, you know, I've got a lot of young, young people that work with us.

I've got a 19 year old, I've got a 21 year old, 22 year old, so 28 year old. So you know, we've got them. We've got the, the, the maturer generation such as lovely Dave who who commented earlier. But I think, I think that's what our industry screaming out for is the young blood coming through and taking it seriously and actually looking at public health, which is the sector that we actually represent as something to consider. And I think that's what we've been lacking. And I've just been really a big advocate of trying to get youngsters in, even on work experience of doing that, and that's something I've really pushed for.

It's something that again, we're at MPTA, we are trying to push forward like we've had our MPTA where we fund and sites engendered deal where they fund 5 young people's RSPH Level 2 and pass management award. And that went well. And then just launched another one. So we're always looking for ways to try and it's, it's ways of how do you get into the colleges? Things like how do you get into there? Because you need them, you need them to recommend, oh, pest management is a career. Did you know that?

And they're currently as far as I know. They don't do it. No, there's nothing. But I think second, secondly to that, Sean, is that I've with every, with everyone that I've taken on, I've always said, I've always said this, I've always said, look, I can teach you about pest management. There's just one thing that you need to have that I can't teach. And that is to have the right attitude. And I've said that to all of them. I can't teach you to want to get up in the morning and want to go out there win rain or shine and actually have the attitude to sort of look at our clients and say, we've got you.

But I'm genuinely so lucky that my guys, they know that our customers happiness is the absolute utmost. Is that what matters? And I think the fact that they get the time and the resources and the materials and everything that they need to do that, I think that's why we've we've done well because they know that I'll support them in making sure that we get the job done. And that's not a sales pitch. It's just that's what's allowed our growth. That's the secret to our success is we have we've, we've just put whatever we need into place to get those results.

That's good to hear that is that is Sean Mooney's Just Come and chat.

Evening, Sean. Thanks Kimberly for popping on. Oh, wow, I'm from the US. Thank you, Kimberly. USI missed one earlier thing. I'm on the podcast. Go on. Sorry, no listen. I've had to turn my camera around because just over there is my step. I've had two daughters come down already and my mum's up to shoo them away. So yeah, I know the feeling. Go on.

OK, get something. Where you going? Where? Whose tablet? Get it in right. Sorry about that. No, it's the first time it's ever happened in. Fact. Well, look, there's the first time for everything. I'm not, I'm a I'm a family man. So we've all my, all my children are tied up or sedated now. Thanks for tuning in, Kieran Casper as well. Yeah, big shout out to Kieran. Yeah, Beauties and beasties. Beauties and beasties beat me to getting him on. I didn't think they were going to beat me, but they've beat me to a bit.

I've got him on Friday. I'll be tuning in for that as well, but then I think you've got him as well though, haven't you? I haven't booked him in yet. I'm going to, it's going to be like a special one week. I'm going to do one on Thursday. Yeah, because I, because I'm, I'm booked up till mid-october, believe it or not. No. Well, I know, I know. I was doing a bit of negotiating, wasn't we? Before I went away on holiday in the summer. Yeah, because you said it depends if if football stood on and during the league or the cup, was it?

Yeah, I was. I was a bit super. I was just thinking that Arsenal might have won the Champions League. That's a whole different. That's a whole different story.

DP, New Mexico, thanks for popping in. What's going on? Our group is getting pushed. Mark Porter's on. That's everyone's coming on. Thanks. Yeah, I'm great and I'm grateful for that. That's nice. So how so say you were to give any anyone star in like a business, a pest control, any voice to like growing or trying or put yourself out there, What would you what would you say to them? What would be a good idea? Don't, don't sell your soul. What we offer is a specialised service. If you don't have, if you can't believe in yourself that what you're going to do is going to make a difference, then now is the client going to believe in that?

We you'd be stunned. How many projects we walk away from because at the end of the day, people are paying for my expertise and know how, not my time. It's amazing how many people ask how much would you charge for this? It's not about that. It's about what that value is worth. And I that I think people out there need to really research into what is what is value and what is value worth to someone. Value is more than money. It's not what you're willing to pay. It's what that what, what is it valued to you out.

So I, or if, if anyone's a bit sort of twisted by that, I think at the end, if you can't convince your client that what you're offering is going to be the best value for them, then that's where these struggles are going to start. If you're selling value without selling value, then you're going to be on your merry way. That's great advice because I've obviously trying to expand more to get more commercial and I've got to offer the value and do it the proper way because I scenario you've got to learn to be honest, it really is.

And I think you just need to keep your ears and your eyes open. I mean, I've, I'm, I've always been known as being quite vocal. And you know, that's why I'm one of the admin moderators on the British pest control group as well. But at the same time, I'm never afraid to say, hey, guys, like, can I have some advice on this? And I think don't be, don't be frightened to ask questions because it's better to ask 10 questions and to than to not ask and get something badly wrong because you can fall quicker than you build in this industry and get a really bad name for yourself.

So, you know, make friends, get to know who your local. I've got, I'm surrounded by competitors, but most of them I get on with. We don't, we don't interfere with each other. We all know what our we all know what our selling points are. And I don't slag off my local competition with the exception of maybe a couple, but that's, you know, that's due due to the fact that they just don't like what we do because we're doing all right. But on the whole, I've got a I've got a lot of the respect for my competitors and we help a lot of them out where we can as well.

So I think it's don't make yourself an enemy by by those around you because at the end of the day, it's better to be like than loathed. Exactly that. I mean, I have, I know all the I know pretty much all of the pest controllers in my area and we get an all right if we see each other out on the road be. Yeah, you wave. Pull over by sometimes, sometimes pull over and have a chat sometimes. Yeah, exactly. And I think that's how it should be. You know, there's enough work out there for everyone. And I think, like I said, I think it's just it's creating an image of yourself for yourself.

Oh, I've definitely done that in recent times. Yeah, and. That's. And that's what's important. So yeah, that's, that's the only advice I can give really is just, you know, you've got to have faith in what you're doing and you've got to believe in what you're doing. Because at the end of the day, if you're, if you're going in really cheap, you know that that's not believing in yourself. That's, that's you. You're disbelieving in yourself. You've got to be able to. I've had people that fall over with us, some of the prices that we charge our clients.

But at the end of the day, we get the results. And a lot of the time, if it's getting the results, then it's worth it's money well spent for our clients. Oh, it definitely is. But sadly a lot of what gets me is when like I've done work really, they show you around, they're fine. And a couple of businesses I've tried to get, obviously I'm not saying a name, but they have a national and I thought we offered more value in that one then and then they didn't. What gets me is they never actually give you feedback or anything if you get nothing.

Unless you get it. Yeah, but it's never going to change, is it? Well, it's not, I mean, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not going to preach to you. I mean, you're, you're doing the right, you're building. So I'm not preaching to you how to do it. But I think that's where the, the real, the the selling techniques really evolves around what their needs are. Really understanding that the client needs. Because I've been around people where they go on site. Yeah, we can do these metal boxes. Yeah, we can do this.

Yeah, we can. Whereas it's a case of what your concerns What, what is it you're looking for? What do you need? Do you want someone that's purely dedicated to your site or do you want it 2 free? I've won massive contracts because the one problem that that facilities managers got is he's fed up of someone different every time turning up at his site and he's getting pulled away. So I've won a contract before purely on the basis of saying so if I gave you one dedicated technician and we've won in reserve that knew your site inside out, he said I'd give you the contract.

So again. That's going back. That's going back to rather than turning up on the site and doing anything. What, what's your biggest problem? What, what your, what are you looking for? What do, what do you need from a service provider? And that client was a, a huge customer. What, what is now a huge customer because he couldn't believe that my opening question was what are you looking for? What, what do you want? What do you want? And he actually said, he said, he said, I want someone that can turn up every month that knows where the site is, that knows where the boxes are.

I said, what if I gave you two people? I'll give you 1 dedicated tech and I'll bring in another one in reserve on the same day that we set up. So God forbid anything happens, they'll know the site.

That's great. I'll be honest, that's great advice for myself. I'm going to try that next time. So again. I'll I'll try that I. Will it's, it's just, it's just trying to sound like you say, if you don't get feedback at times, I'm not saying you on a personal level, but sometimes it might be because we've not asked the right questions. It might be that we've gone in and trying to do XY and Z, whereas what they've wanted us to establish is what their needs actually are. We might we might want someone that's able to come at weekends.

We might want someone that comes with me if we ain't asking those questions specifically, what are you looking for? What? What is going to what is going to make me Max maximum appeal to you? OK. That. It gives food for four, doesn't. It it does, it definitely does. It is. It is food for thought. And I've been there. I've. Been right now I will, yeah. I've I've been there where I've gone in and I and I've walked away and I'm thinking, Ouch, like I've really overdone that because I'm telling them how good, you know, not as much how good we are, but we can do this and we do that.

But over, over recent years, you know, my opening, my opening questions have been, look what you look, what, what do you need? What, what is it that you're looking for? What, what's making you want to change? What aren't, what aren't you getting? What, what you needed or what's being failed and what you agreed. And people will open up and tell you that because we're all quick to sort of want to open up and say what's making us unhappy at times, especially as a as a potential client. Well, they turn up at 3:00 in the afternoon or, well, you know, I normally get John, but I've not been having John turn up.

So by listening to those needs and homing in on those needs, you're able to give clear and precise answers to those problems straight away that they've, you know, you're at the forefront of their mindset. Yeah, No thanks. That's, that's really good. That's really good advice because we've got one site where they they, they'd love us to turn up at like 9:30 because the basically the guard guard people work on the gardens and that they have to meet at 9:30 and that's when I turn up. And he says because they're not bothered.

They're not bothered way in the month, but as long as I turn up in time for their meeting. Exactly. And that's what you said, that's what you said, he said. I want someone to turn up off half 9, roughly when you're having this team break, basically, yeah. And that's what I do every time with that one I do. So, yeah, I think, I think, I think really that's it. It's, it's just understanding and and doing a bit of research on your customers, you know, doing you ain't got to go too crazy. But just going in and sort of saying, oh, I see, you know, you've recently opened up a new branch in Bayswater.

How's that going? You know, just taking a general interest in that brand and knowing a little bit about them, doing a little bit of research sometimes. Sometimes it's really good. Even when I've done cold calling before, I've managed to bypass the receptionist because I'm saying it's John in this morning. Oh, is he expecting you as well? He said for me to pop in. You know, you blog it a little bit, but you're bypassing someone who would otherwise show you the door because you've got a name. Yeah, Linkedin's quite powerful as well.

You can get names off there usually. Oh, I've, I've, I've, I've, I mean, I, I don't use LinkedIn as, as nowhere near as much as I do my social other socials. But I tell you this, I've managed to find out who's who through LinkedIn and I've I've managed to break down doors that would otherwise have been firmly shut in my face because you're, I'm going direct to these people. That's that's that's also I. Do feel, I do feel Linkedin's become very Facebooky unfortunately, but at the same time it is there is a good tool to find out who's who within the organisations.

It's true because it has. It has made LinkedIn bigger by being more Facebook because I post my gym pictures and all sorts on there. Yeah, I've seen, I've seen, but people like people like it. But you are right, it has changed. It's changed, but I think it's made LinkedIn bigger because it's not just a job site or where you get business. It's a little bit more than that. But I spent too much time on it, I really do. That's the problem. Yeah, but but again, I think you get, you report you. So if you put the hours in and you put the research in, I mean, we, I'm not afraid to say who, you know, we, we've recently acquired a relationship with the Marriott Hotel Group.

You know, we're, we're now doing 2 of their hotels. You know, they're, they're, they're an international brand. So we, we, by no means are we going to be managing hundreds of site up and down the country, but we're now an established service provider where we're in two key parts of London, Canary Wharf and in Mayfair, where we're really starting to make an impact. And we're tidying those sites up. And we've got the GMs now that are going to, they're going to be networking for me. That's that's really good because I see, I didn't think you'd be able.

I thought brands like that would literally just say no. We'll have one company that covers the entire country. So that's that's. Different times are changing, Sean. I think a lot of these companies now are starting to see, and it's the word that I used earlier, where is the value lying? And a lot of our, a lot of our smaller companies, these bigger organisations are seeing what, what we're able to offer. And it's, it's what's starting as a ripple with start is is starting to cause a bit of a stir now, you know, because I think people are seeing the value of local companies.

That's it's good to hear that. It's because obviously you, you know more than you have more relationships for these kind of bigger brands and and they can see the value in more of a smaller family business that they can probably be relied on more than calling out another say big company who probably won't come till next day. Well, it's, you know, again, it's, and it's asking the questions, you know, in certain instances I've had we've, we've won a big restaurant trade because we was able to go in 2:00 in the morning until 7:00 the next morning.

And we had that window where we had six of us proofing through the night. We had everything. We had all the chairs taken out, was able to RIP out all the expanding foam that the previous company put in. And we was using metal plates and mouse stops. So it's being able to adapt to the, to the needs of that business. We're not disrupting that business. We're working through the night, we're charging accordingly. But it, you know, it's a, it's been like a chameleon. You've got you've got to adapt and understand what those clients problems are.

Yeah, it's, I tell you, it's been really I I have been talking to you because them questions I've never asked before. And I'm still learning, like you say, you know, I, I really hope that people aren't looking and thinking. He's very cock sure of himself. It's not. I'm very confident in what I do, but like I say, it's you're forever learning and I'm always, I'm the no one is a bigger critic of myself than myself. You know, I push myself all the time and you know, we are doing really well, but I still, I still scrutinise my month every month.

I at the end, last day of the month, I get home and I'm like, right, what more could we have done? Why haven't we done this? Why haven't we got that? You know, and it comes down to having that drive and hunger and a mentor, like I said, that always cheques in on me. Yeah, it's really good to hear that even every year I mentor. So it is good to hear. Thank you for that. I appreciate that. I've got, I've got a new listener in Mexico.

There's loads more episodes to catch up on if you want to just loads loads on the channel. Appreciate, appreciate the comments. Thank you. And it's this is it just goes to show, you know, you can reach to a wide audience and someone can relate to what you're saying, you know, more so. And I think I really hit home on the point that, you know, I'm not I'm not the only person. There's so many people like me that's come from absolutely nothing and has made something of themselves. And I don't I think there's no better feeling than that.

You know, you've been given those silver spoon. Everything that you've got has been through blood, sweat and tears, you know, set being away from your wife for months because you want an opportunity to try and build a business. And I think that's what makes you more humble when when you've built it from nothing, I think that's what makes you realise that you know what, you'd never forget the people that's helped you get to where you've got. And that, that's one thing I can say with pride that I've never, I've never forgotten the people that are around me and have, but have been around me.

Yeah, hello. It's it's really good because

some people do, don't they, when some people get some level. I've had people. And that's it. I don't want you to know you. I'm too big time now. I, I see it, I've got people around me that I won't name, but I've got people that we no longer talk and we went separate ways. And, you know, it's, it's, it's the shame. But they, they forgot where they come from. But you know, you, you, you can't please everybody. That's true. That is so would you say that within within a business pest control business that are very good but looking website it's a big it's a big part of trying to grow the business as well as well.

It's a great question because we as recently as 10 days ago updated our website. We've gone a little bit more interactive. We had a professional photographer round because we celebrated our 10th team member we had. Professionals. Thank you. Yeah, you know, I actually put it on LinkedIn as well and it, well, you know, you, you talk about that. I mean, I've never, in all the years I've been on LinkedIn, I've never had more than 5 or 6 likes on things. I've we're up to over 110 likes, I think so far on LinkedIn of my post of the pictures and stuff like that.

So I think, I think, I think that really, that really answers your question because we paid a photographer to come and get a nice consistency in the, in the photos, which is now on our website on the meet the team section. So absolutely, I think invest and I'm not talking thousands, but by putting in an idea into your brand and using your colouration and your interactiveness. We've, we've, we've been quite pleased with the changes to the website that we've. Just made it's looking nice, especially about me or we can see all the photos.

It's really good, yes. Yeah, and again, you know, it's, it's trial and error, but you just, you just want to get you what you want people to understand your brand. I think that's the thing. If you if you try and muddle it up or people look and they can't really relate to your brand. And you know, people, I remember when I first got the green vans, people was like, Oh my God, what are you doing? And people that haven't seen our vehicles, you know, do check them out because we've got the probably the loudest colour wise vehicles out there.

You know it's bright green and blue, but it it works. It does. It does work. It's in because my my son was looking at the pictures who's found today. So do you work for you daddy? I said no, no, no, it's a different company, he says. That's that's a nice fan. Thank you. Yeah. And, and and they, they stand out. And, you know, we got the private plates on there as well. Because again, you know, we, we, we like to, we want, we're, we're, we're proud about what we do. And it has become a bit of an obsession now really where the, we've even got private plates on the mopeds now on the two mopeds.

So you know, it's just, it's just again, it's a continuation because going back to the whole thing about if we do potentially sell in a number of years, you know, it all adds value because it's, it's building a brand that is recognisable and established. That's so true and that's why I asked a few people about how to grow and the main thing was website because if you look at my post I make on social with the wasp on and the green and look at ever see our vans, then you jump to our website, you'll think that's completely different.

And that's why I've obviously looking around. I've been asking different companies, but the website is on the cards. We just got to get sorted out but so I wanted so it's all one. Brand, there's a marry, yeah. Massive disconnect if you go on our website. No, apparently, and that's something that we've really tried to sort of do with with especially with TikTok as well, you know, and I think Tik Tok's been a Tik Tok's been a massive selling point for us as well, because the amount of prospective clients that I'm able to say look so well and good, me telling you what we do.

But jump on our TikTok, look at the people that we've helped, look at the projects that we've undertaken at your own leisure, and you'll see why. You'll see why I'm knocking on your door. Because this is how we can help you. Exactly. You can show them, you can't say or you need to put more stuff on your YouTube. You don't really put much on there now, do you? You don't put that much on there. I've posted a little bit, but yeah, it's probably my weakest point on YouTube because I'm really. Tiktok is is is the how to pull it.

A lot of young people go on Tiktok and but they use it like Google. That's how they use it. So no, they do. They say they want a plumber. They kind of type their area in and they all say they want a pest control and a lot, I'm not saying all they all do, but a lot of young people would like to look on TikTok as if they like their videos and they get then they then they go, oh, I'll get them in then. But that's what they say. The experts use it like Google. Yeah, exactly. And I think it's just trying to stay relevant, you know?

I mean, I have people mess. I've, I've had loads of work through TikTok where I've had people messaging me, you know, little domestic jobs and little shops and stuff like that. So you know, and again, it's just making yourself relevant, you know, you want, if people are thinking about pest control in London, what I want them to be doing is thinking about the green machines, you know, because that's what we refer them to. So it's just trying to be, it's just trying to be relevant at the time into people really.

And having that, like I say, I've said it multiple times in this podcast, is, is people saying that we're having fun along the way as well. No, that's true. And you can see that whenever whenever you film videos, it's all it's all apparent. It's not it's not fake. You can you can see it's real. You can. But yeah, you make that. I still, I still think about how can you go and watch that one after where you go? Catastrophic, I think. Yeah, that. That, that was a cool video. Actually, that was a very cool video.

And we enjoy making them, you know, we, we enjoy putting them together and, and putting them out there for people to see. No, that's that's really good. But but you know what you're binsted. How does it like do you have like office stuff where you know, if someone's got a domestic, they ring the office and they book, they book through that. And then do you have like tablets with all your texts, what jobs they're doing each day? Exactly that. So, so we, we've, we've got a really good set up behind the scenes.

So Dawn, who's my mother-in-law, She, she looks after the my team, my service consultants. I've got, I've got APA called Siobhan. She she commented earlier who called Holly the boss. So she's probably going to be unemployed tomorrow. And then we've and, and it and it works. And then we've got Holly that kind of, she overviews everything. She overviews everything that's sort of like the back of house. So it allows me to sort of, it allows me to propel the business in the sense of getting in front of, you know, potential new clients, but going to see my existing clients and doing the surveys and stuff.

So it's a really good balance. We, we use a reporting app. So all the guys have got their jobs because we've got 2 field based female operatives. This worth adding. That's also what makes us quite unique. From a, from a sorry, from a client's perspective, if you've got say a mosque, like does that when you like, even in domestic situations when they're going to a female, does that make them feel better because they know they've got that coming? Massively, I mean, we, we actually do a lot of work for local councils and in those areas we we deal with a lot of mother and baby units.

So what what makes it quite unique at times is that we're able to offer a female operative. You know, there's certain circumstances that allow us to really push the the emphasis that we've got female operatives that makes it a little bit more comfortable. So, yeah, and, and, and again, I think from, from the business that the, our business is, is predominantly dominated by women. You know, with the exception of myself in my position, you know, there's Holly, there's Holly, there's Siobhan, there's Dawn, there's Amy and there's Cynthia.

So we're, I think, I think that's what really strikes a good balance in the sense that, you know, the, the females, they, they have fun, but they can see the seriousness of what we're doing. And it's a good balance, you know, because there's, there's always good banter. I don't think I've ever actually get involved where there's been sort of outspoken remarks about anything. And I think it's what I think it's what keeps us in check. I'll say tongue in tongue in cheek. That's that's really it's really good because I have heard all novels.

I listen to a lot of other podcasts and with females on they've said that the customers I felt feel much better sometimes when there's technician coming out. It does it does happen, you know, and it could be it could be religious reasons, it could be, you know, it could be mental health issues where you know, they've had bad. But again, I think that's where going back to your original question about having that comfort, having that that person in Siobhan or Dawn or Holly that answers the phone is having that is having that kind of that personalised relationship with them straight away and establishing the needs.

What, what is it you're looking for? I understand that you're calling us because you've got a problem. What, what, what are your requirements? You know, you we're able to say, look, are you, do you have a preference on whether it's male or female? Would you like a branded vehicle turning up? Would you like an unbranded vehicle turning up? So I think it's by by having that choice to offer our clients. It's, we call it, it's an alternative close because rather than saying, yeah, we'll have one of the vans and one of the guys with you, we're able to would say, well look, would you like male or female?

Would you like a vehicle? Would you like a moped? We're able to offer choices that gives an, an alternative close in the selling world, it's an alternative close. So that's where we're able to to hang on and convert a lot of our inquiries. That's good to hear. And I'll say, how do you, how do you say an I'm sorry. Siobhan. Siobhan has been out with you on survey, so that's good because they get to see a perspective of how surveys is done of the old, but now on her routine visits to see how it's done on the ground.

Oh yeah, I mean, I'm probably, I'm probably one of the most OCD people where whether you agree or not, I believe that your external bait stations are the first representation of your business. And my team know that my metal bait stations have to be absolutely on point. They need to look shiny. I've had people and this, this is the gospel truth. I've had people that have been visiting London and I've had them private message me. There was 1 gentleman, I can't remember his name off the top of my head that he was visiting Harrods and we do a little site opposite Harrods.

And he said to me of all bait boxes that I see when I venture into London Porter, it's yours. And my God, are they looking on point? Because, you know, my guys know that there's no, again, I'll go back to the thing about people agreeing that sometimes boxes should be a little bit dirty or whatnot, but externally the lids of our bait boxes, they have to look pristine because for me, that's a representation of our brand. Was he from America, This guy? No, no, he was from up north. He was, he was down in London.

He was, he was literally away and he messaged me with a picture of the bait boxes and he literally was of all the companies that I see when I'm visiting London and up near Harrods, I bloody see yours and your boxes are on point. And I showed that to the my teammate that actually looked off that site. And I said to him, This is why I said This is why I'm so OCD, because whether it's a competitor or someone, people are always looking. Yeah, they are, they are always looking. But you know, that's that's a pretty cool thing for feedback that is it's.

A good Oh yeah, it's a good, you know, it's nice because people are always looking. So it's a good point, proven it is. But yeah, there's been loads of talk in a chat. Most it's the most popular chat ever. Mark, well done. Well, I like, I like to, I like to set a bar, you know, So hopefully whoever's next on they can, they can be the same. Fresh is on. It is. I can't remember who's on next. I have to look on my phone, at my phone. I never. Remember, I've enjoyed it, I've enjoyed it being on and thanks for having me.

Yes, yes, thanks for coming on. I know you're a busy guy. Yeah, I drive your Lamborghini at night time. I know. But you, you've come on the podcaster. Now and hopefully, you know, hopefully people can take a bit of positive from it. And if, if I, if I can help someone else out there with any of the bits that I've done, then it's been, it's been worth the time coming on, you know, and like I say, I don't pretend to be the best, but I'll strive to be the best. There's no doubt about that. It's definitely I don't.

I've definitely learned something because I've taken notes because next time I go around somewhere I'll be asking them questions. And let me know, message me and let me know. All right, let me know because you will be flabbergasted to actually see someone on the spot. They almost look at you and think what what you want to know what you want to know? I want, I bloody want someone that can do this or I want. And then you can say, yeah, that's fine. I can do that. I can come on a Saturday morning.

If that's really what ticks your if that's what's really going to help me win this business, then I'll then consider that done what else? And then before you know it, by the end of it, you'll say, look, I'll get everything over, I'll know what you need, we can deliver it. I'll have that quote with you. And I'm looking forward to you standing it off. Yeah, I'll be good. They want Holly to come on camera to say hello. OK, let me let me see if I can. Let me see if I can get her down. Holly, Holly quick, you need to come down.

She's coming down. Guys and girls, she's. Coming down. She's coming. I'm going to get her to come and sit next to me. Hold on. Who made that comment? That's brilliant. I. Was there, I'll leave it on. Anna. OK, Anna, I'm going to get the big boss here, right? Come and say hello. Come on, come and sit down. Anna. As basically said, they want to see the big boss. So this is Holly, everyone. Hello. Thanks for coming on. It's OK. So you enjoy the pest control industry again? I mean, it's all right. Yeah, yeah.

It's all right. It's all right. You don't have to say a lot. You're all I know you're a bit nervous about podcasts. It's all right. They wanted you to come on. They did. Yeah, look, one and Anna's asked the question. Get Holly to come on and say hello and introduce herself to the big boss. From PBC C powers upstairs doing work. Yeah, there you go. I was invoicing right now. That's fair. That's fair enough that. Is, but do you want to just, I know you're a bit shy, but do you just want to the people that's watching give your insight as to how it is for you, not only being a mum, an amazing mum, but from a business perspective of how it, how we operate really and what makes you know how it works.

Yeah, don't get me wrong, has it UPS, has it's ups and downs. It's hard. It is hard work, but teamwork is the most important thing, I think, not just from you, from our other eight employees. The real Bosslett.

Yeah, no, it's it's hard work, but it's worth it. That's good to hear that it's it's we need more opinions from women within the industry. We do I. I I mean, I work from behind the computer screen. I'm very compassionate with people that call and are actually. That's the kind of rodents. But that's what. I totally. 100% get it. I wouldn't never ever ever catch me anywhere near a mice, a mouse or a rat. Absolutely not, no. But again, I think that goes back to what we just said, Sean, about having someone at the end of the phone that is compassionate and understanding and not just asking for a Rep, you know, actually saying, Oh my God, look, we understand that you've got a problem and you know, this is how we can help.

We was talking about having female operatives out there as well. I mean, yeah, we've got my sister and I say to her all the time, you're better than I am because I I couldn't do it. She called me one day last week on FaceTime and was literally getting so excited at the fact that she was standing like a metre away from a rat and running here there ever. I was like, Oh no, I would scream and run. Right, Mark? What doesn't Mark? Try and drag him out on site then. No, it's not. It's not going to happen.

No, she's she's she's busy with the three kids that we've got. Who's that Anna behind a great businessman is every great Anna. I absolutely concur that with you. I think I definitely concur that. And as much as we laugh and joke, I wouldn't be where I would be today without Holly because we've we've had some real roller coasters. But she believed you believed in me ultimately, didn't you? And I think that that's what that's what it is, because without the belief of the most important person beside you, then there's nothing really you're doing right now.

It's now that you've come down. Yeah, listen to the customer if she's put someone's yeah. Yeah, I mean, Siobhan puts up with a lot of Siobhan's almost like the first port of call for people. So she's often at the at the the forefront, the forefront of it. Sorry my a bit of a brain freezer do. You ever get angry customers being nasty down the phone? Do you ever get that? Oh yeah. Absolutely, yeah. How do you deal with that? Do you Do you kill them with kindness? Holly will tell you. Holly will tell you a quick story.

This was years ago, yeah. Yes, I just had, I just had Luna. She was probably no more than a week old and I was back to work because obviously at the time it was just. It's just me and you. No, I think mum was on board as well. But anyways, I'm still trying to do as what I could where Mark's diary was concerned and stuff like that. So I was back quite quickly after I had her. And then this one guy called and he just, he happened to just say every time I speak to you, your kid is crying in the background.

And I was a bit like, hold on a second. I was like, I'm still helping you. I'm still trying to help you. And I remember calling Mark like in absolute sense, I was like, I can't do this. She's crying. I've got the phone ringing and I'm trying to help. And yeah, it's just sometimes you do get it. And I'm like, look, I'm here trying to answer you. I've not ignored your call. I've answered the call. I've come out of the room even because she is crying, you know, So that that is that is quite hard. And you have to in all of that, you have to remain professional.

It's obviously you killed him. A kindness, Yeah. You just really know. It No, I I ain't gonna lie. I told him to do one on that occasion because he overstepped. He overstepped the mark. It is it. Is really. Yeah, and you know, we're generally very professional because we do, we do get tenants and clients that are upset and you just got to we bite our tongue all the time. But he over, he oversteed the mark. That was my wife he was talking to and he made her, he made her cry. So I weren't going to have anyone No, no money compensates to talk to my wife like that.

So he he was politely told to to go and find somewhere else, to say the least. Yeah, I know it's you got a lie. Was was this obvious? Was this was this quite a few years ago? Or was this? Yes, Luna 6, Luna 6 now. So this was six years ago. I still don't see a problem really hearing a kid in the background. People have families, don't they? I don't. Yeah. And you know, we've always, we've always pronounced, you know, we've always said that, you know, we are, we are family. We're a family owned company.

We've got we've got kids and. Even half terms and stuff, if they're at home and I have to call someone, I'm look just to let you know I am working from home and I've got 3 kids. So you may hear a bit of screaming and shouting in the background. Most people are OK. They're like, look, it's absolutely fine. Yeah, everyone's used to it now aren't. They especially I think from COVID because a lot of people do work from home nowadays. They do. It's great. I think it's great. I do. They all work from home and they can let you know when they're going to be in.

Holly Holly works from the nail. Sharp, Sean. They're worth it though. My nails are worth it. OK. No, I'm glad. I'm glad that she's come on. It's because like, like, like Anna said, and it really is true, a successful business is built on really good relationships at home as well. And you know, I can sometimes be a real pain to live with because I am very driven. But Holly often has to look beyond that and think, you know, I'm doing it for my family and I'm doing it for our brand as well. It's true.

It's true you. Do don't speak for you. Yeah, sometimes I want to lock him in the cupboard, but it's OK.

Yeah, yeah, he's a good bloke you got there, Marcus. Keep guys going I. Was going to cut a promo on you. I can't, I can't think about to say actually. But yeah. Nice. It's been good to have you on. No, likewise, Thanks for thanks for having us and thanks to everyone who's tuned in and watched it. And like I say, I've already had a follow up my Instagram page, I think it was the gentleman from New Mexico. He's just given my Instagram page, like my business page. So it just goes to show, you know, you're making you're making an impression and friends with people through for having the courage to come on platforms like this.

So massive kudos to you, Shaw. And I think forgiving not, I mean I'm quite confident, but you know, for giving people a window to, to put themselves out there for, for others to look at as well. Oh no, don't get me wrong, people have, People have called me all sorts before online, but I've got used to it. It doesn't. It very rarely happens anymore. But yeah, we've had. Conversations about that, haven't we? Yeah, we have. We have. It's their own insecurities. Really it is. Who would you like to see on the podcast next, Mark, if you can, if you can get anyone on, any ideas?

I actually there's a there's, there's a name that I've forgot to mention and and he's done so well for himself since leaving procure was Timothy Peeling. We all know him as Tim Peeling. He works at ENVU now. Tim, Tim, Tim's rapidly grown through the industry since leaving Pro Kill. He's he's, he's really done well for himself. So I'd like to maybe hear from Tim actually to sort of talk about his growth of in the industry and the different roles that he's obtained and to give feedback, you know, because Tim's worked with a load of us and seen our developments and whatnot.

So it'd be good to get his perspective on things. So yeah. Timothy Peelin, I think I'd be shouting out if I was to call anyone out. Yeah, I'll, I will look him up. I will. I will look him up. Yeah, look him up. I will, but yeah, thanks for coming on, Mark, and thanks everyone for watching. And I don't know how anyone's going to top this chat. I really don't know. It's the most it's the most most watched podcast so far, I reckon. Lies, I've never had this chat. It's cool. Well, we appreciate it. We appreciate you.

And yeah, and thank you. Hey. Thanks for coming on. Thanks for letting Mark. You haven't come on the podcast because you've kept. Him out of my hair for an hour. And a half. Oh, fair enough. But yeah, thanks everyone and thank you. See you on the next podcast. But thanks, Mark. I'll just end the stream now. See you later, buddy. See you later mate, cheers.

How to Grow a Pest Control Business: From £0 to National Contracts | Mark Porter

Tonight's Episode

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