043:Pest Control vs Electrical Trades: Training, DIY Risk & Social Media | Steve Spoor

0:02 Hello and welcome to Past Perspectives, the second time this week for episode 43. This might have shocked people because I literally just put the podcast up today. There's not been a lot of advertising. The thumbnail was done today and it's very different to what I normally do. I have got another local business personnel obviously I'm from Rutland Oakland pest control and tonight we have on Steve sport from multi electrical services. How are you doing? I'm. Doing good. Thanks for having me on Sean.

0:40 Hopefully I won't be too boring for your pest control world with my industry, but sometimes it does go hand in hand, don't it? Some of it, some of it does, Yeah, some of it does. But I thought it, I thought it was something different. Yeah, so I tend to just constantly pester you with advice with chewed cables and. Oh yeah, problems in life. Oh yeah, I don't mind it, but but. So how did you get into the industry you're in? Did you start, did you start off working for other people, apprenticeships or when did you get into it?

1:25 But we're an electrician. So I was actually a career changer. So I changed careers as an adult, which was a whole new world to what I was used to in some respects. And in the industry it's kind of frowned upon a bit of the way I entered. So the best routine that everyone looks at is obviously an apprenticeship.

1:49 But yeah, I did the adult training which was 8 month course to get my Level 3 diploma and then another further sort of 18 months of doing my MVQ. So yeah. Could I ask you how much, out of interest, that kind of costs you? In total, it was probably around about 7 and a half 1000 lbs. Right people, pest control of this and for this you all moan about how much our courses cost £350 for the day course and the level 2 that we have, the RSPH Level 2 awarding pest management, it's about seven, £800, right, 7 1/2 thousand.

2:30 Listen people, it's cheap. Wow, there you go. But it's worth it. I don't regret it. So it's all gone really well, that's. Good. But obviously that's just the, that was just me retraining to become an electrician. And once I retrained, I started off. So I did my retraining. I tried to get a job with local electricians. No one would take me on. I even offered to work for free just to get the experience whilst I was doing my training. Yeah. So it was difficult to get any experience. So, so at the start I didn't really ever have, I mean, I think everyone has these aspirations to go self-employed work themselves, but that wasn't my plan at the start.

3:20 But I just really struggled to get experience and get a job basically. I just, so I ended up doing some labouring and subcontracting for a builder, doing all sorts of manual labour work, digging trenches, pulling walls down. But it really gave me an insight into domestic properties, which was invaluable really, because you don't teach that in a college course. Do they not? No, it's all it's all on a nice fresh wooden board stapling, clipping cables to you know, you do learn a lot, but it's looking like the real world of being in a house and working with plaster board and.

4:04 Exactly the same it is when you when you go on the courses, it's like it's same for us. When you, when you, when you if you were to just go straight in doing qualifications, no experience and then be sent out, you'd struggle you. Ain't got a clue, have you? You just don't know. You don't know it's. A lot, a lot of the things on the course, as a teacher, everyone's got a different way of doing it. Obviously you've got to follow the label, you've got to follow the rules, but a lot of people have their own way of thinking and do it on different route.

4:35 None of them methods a taught on the course and just teach your textbook they do. So how long of course for pest control then is that, is it an apprenticeship as well? You can do an apprenticeship in it. Is that like a three-year apprenticeship?

4:52 Well, OK, so, so I'll show you how low the barrier to entry is. If you wanted to start as a pest controller and to set up your own, get your own work, you could literally do a one day course on how to how to use rudenticide. And then you can buy rudenticide when it comes to insects legally. But as a professional, there's a one day insect course too. So there's probably yeah, days course, but if you there's obviously the the RSPH level 2 awarding pest management and that is usually it depends who you go with.

5:45 There's some places that do a week at uni and you stay there and you do it all week. And or the what the method I went through, I went through a company called Rat Pack Engineering at Lincoln where I buy a lot of them are back basically all of our bait boxes. And they did it through a lady called Debbie Wilson, an absolute amazing trainer. She is. And that was two days. So basically it was 2 days for what 1 unit rats, sorry, vertebrates, 2 days for invertebrates, which is insects. And then I think it was 2 days for the health and safety, but included in that the end of the second day was the exam.

6:32 That's how that's how much. So as you can tell, it's not a lot in comparison, right? Yeah, I. Mean it was. There isn't an apprenticeship scheme as such. Yeah, there is companies that do trainee positions much larger than us obviously and they put them through, you know, if they could put them through their basics, then eventually they put them through the higher ones spend time because you can go work, you can go all the way up to like be a field biologist and things like that. That's like to explain to you what that is that's like.

7:09 So you've got a food auditing site where there's very high standards by just some of these sites are audited that it's serious. If something happens, a field biologist goes in to examine the site. The pest control company deals of it, but they give it once over first to check if there's any issues they found to try and help them for their actual audit. So it's it's stuff like that, having a BDI and theme things that they may have missed because sadly in a lot of press when you get to the bigger stages, a lot of them get overran with work.

7:48 They just get too much work and you haven't got time. I'm not this isn't the same for everyone, but it just can happen. It can. So yeah, we haven't currently got an apprenticeship scheme. However the MPTA, which I'm part of is doing, it's called A5 under 25 scheme. So it's a partnership between the National Pest Technicians Association and the Syngenta Global, which they're a massive company, I mean massive where they get 5 young candidates. You have to be under 25 though. They get interviewed through teams.

8:30 They've obviously got to say why they'd like to is to do the RSPH Level 2 award in pest management. They put you through it, they give you all the support, they give you mentorship. And it's not just through just to get you to pass your qualification. It's it's there for years to come. Mentorship is if you need it, they give you a number, you can ring them. So that's, that's a scheme the MPTA has, but you've got to be an MPTA member company to access that. And obviously you've got to qualify. So you've got to show a passion for the industry, not just go, I just want more level 2 also mate, you know, you've got to show an actual interest.

9:14 You have to do it. And it's been very successful, very successful to the point that Stingent are looking at looking at trial in there around the world in different countries they are. So it's been very popular. The first rounds done the, the, the, the second round of started learning. Now see with them, it's different with their courses. They get the courses to go to, but they also get in between sessions with more technical trainers online. So extra, extra training than you'd normally get. So it's to support them.

9:50 But no, we haven't got an apprenticeship scheme as such. But but. There is, they're working on a future framework. The 22 bodies are NPTA and BPCA. It's where there's like a, you know, like a framework where you work upwards. So it's like level 1, level 2, Level 3, level 4, level 5, and they're working on that. I don't know the insurance and outs of what everything will be, but the current qualification I've got under the new framework will be a Level 3 because it's always been brought up. The electricians, gas etcetera.

10:29 Most of their qualifications say a Level 3 diploma, I'll say level 2. It's a standard. Right. It mixes people up later with level 2 in pest control because it's why I always define it as to RSPH level 2 awarding pest management because sadly they stupidly named a one day course RSPH level 2, which is just enough for you to be able to use bait. So you get a lot of people running around. Yeah, I'm fully qualified. I've got my level 2. Well, they're not they're not actually that, but it's caused a lot of controversy and problems over the years.

11:09 This is this is to try and correct it, but I think we're a few years away from that. I'm not involved in them meetings. It's the got committees and everything but they are working on it like a frameworks and it's to try and attract young people into the industry as well as what it's not something they know about. They don't mention you could be a pest controller. They definitely mention you could be an electrician at school. It's not. Even though we are a trade, we don't get trapped the same way unfortunately when it comes to schools.

11:46 But we've now got like a, a careers hub with the Royal Society of Public Health, which is RSPH got a page on their site. So there's loads of content on there and schools can look at it. So we're hoping that we're getting more into schools. It will. But yeah, there wasn't an official apprenticeship as such, but hopefully within the future that will be a thing because that would really help when you've got the cat train too, ain't you? You're under 30 and they've got the van issue. Yeah, I think the insurance, the NPTA is trying to work on a company that will give give a cheaper price, but we've not come to agreements or anything yet.

12:32 They really are. Aren't they? Yeah, they are, but that's one of the problems because if you're going to go to the van, as you experienced it yourself, it's very expensive to actually get them done it the proper way, rather than not everyone could do what you did for your situation. You know, because you've got young apprentice, haven't you? I have, yeah. I've got Harvey on board and he's been with me coming up to three years now, so he's coming to the end of his time as an apprentice.

13:06 It's been a challenge at times, but yeah. It's something you like having an apprentice, like have you seen him? Have you seen him grow from when he first came on board to like now like? Yeah, it's like. Confidence. Wise, confidence. Wise has grown. Ability has grown, like pretty much every area is grown. And when he first came, it's quite difficult. He'd already done his level 2 at college, but he had no experience in the real world again. So everything as it should do was just taking so long for him to do.

13:42 Like, we did one job. I think we had 12 downlights to do. And I think I did 11. And the time he did one, I kept saying to him, it's his, you know, it's his first, like, proper job doing that. And I was like. Was he, was he worrying he was taking too long then? No, no, because I kept sort of telling you it doesn't matter how long it takes, it's just going to be right. Exactly. That's all I care about. Yeah, that's what it was. But for the first year, it kind of slows you down. But it's an it's an investment.

14:18 And now he's going out doing jobs on his own. So it's, yeah, it's been a, it's been an experience. So obviously, have you got any other apprentices or not? Is it just just just Harvey? It's just Harvey. I did have AT level student last year, so he came on a Thursday, so he's just one day a week. Oh. OK. He just had to get, I think it's like 350 hours for the year of family experience, but it's completely different to an apprenticeship. But the apprenticeship is is with me all the time apart from one day a week when it gets to college T level.

15:00 They're in college full time and then one day a week on site. OK. But at the end of it they get AT level which is can either help them get an apprenticeship or help them get into uni depending on what they want to do. OK. Hello, Kirk Graham, thanks for popping in. Someone's watching on LinkedIn. It's a mate of mine. But now that's good to hear that is with the so with obviously I don't want to put you on the spot. Once he finishes apprenticeship, is he still going to work with you? Fingers crossed.

15:41 Yeah. Such a word. Yeah. Yeah, I don't. Know I don't know how it works, you know? So in theory the contracts for the length of the the apprenticeship and then obviously he's yeah, just a full time employee. Then if if we take him on or if he wants to stay on, I'll have. To say you know, but you, you, you both get on. Well, you seem to anyway. Yeah, yeah, we do. That's the main thing really. We we get on well. He doesn't just hold. I listen to him when he, when he's got issues and we work as a team, you know, it's, it's gone really well.

16:23 That's good. I wish more people could do it. But the difficulty is, is that there's quite a lot of loop hoops to jump through. And we get £500 a year to have an apprentice, which doesn't really go, that's all. I get £500 a year. It's, it's, it doesn't even cover like it's why, you know, a week's away or a month's wage or whatever. And it's just. So that's not a thing. Do you obviously apprentices get paid, Do you pay, do you pay apprentices? Is there a set? Is there a set fee you pay them or? Yeah.

17:03 So apprentices are, I think it's all the first year it's quite low, but after the first year it goes up and it depends on their age as well, OK. It's like an apprenticeship, minimum wage. Yeah, OK. But by the third year, it's not much under the National. I wasn't asking for actual figures, but yeah, this helps explain it. It does. It does. T level is you don't. You don't pay AT level student unless you're. Only they're only there one day a week. I know it's. Not worth, you know, Yeah. It's like, wow, do they know much when they come on one day a week, I suppose.

17:46 Do they take it in more just once one day a week or? It's difficult. I, I, I they obviously don't learn as much as what they would do full time.

17:58 But yeah, I mean, they obviously pick up some bits and pieces. But yeah, you're right. It's not, it's not a huge amount of time over a year really to pick up the hands on side of things. But it's, yeah, I'm, I'm a bit on the fence for T levels, I'll be honest. Yeah, you have mentioned. So, yeah, the, so the apprenticeship is the student gets an apprenticeship, goes with his employer, goes to college, etcetera, etcetera, T level, they get the T level course, then it's up to them to find someone to take them on.

18:34 And then it's my understanding that very few people find employers to go to. So they're on this course. If they don't get the hours in, they fail the course. And it's like, surely they shouldn't be taken on a course unless they've got that sorted, but. No, you are right. You shouldn't be doing that because someone's thinking there and effectively if they would say, I think you mentioned a situation on something a while ago where we may not have been you. I see it online there are lower T levels.

19:08 All these they had loads of T levels. This company went pop and a lot of them, it wasn't you. Then a lot of them couldn't find over alternative routes and they had to chat. They got kicked off the goals, basically. Yeah, yeah. It's terrible, really. Well, it is. It's, you'd think they'd look at that and they were trying to push that kind of thing. I don't, I don't know if they are trying to push that or not. The government, I don't know. But that seems silly to me that say something happened to the firm you were working for or something like that, then you can't find an alternative, you're off.

19:45 Yeah, well, yeah, I mean, it's kind of understandable if a firm disappears, but when when they start their course and they can't get, it's like they've done 12 months and they just found it because they haven't managed to find anyone to take the month to give them experiences. But there's no incentive for an employer to because like for me, you know, I did it just to help the lad out. But at the end of the T level, he's not going to be my employer. He's not going to join my company and make me money.

20:15 Where with an apprenticeship at least I'm putting investment into Harvey and fingers crossed there'll be full time employee working for the business. You know, it's sort of light at the end of the tunnel in that sense where T level comes along. You spend all that time training them and then they're like cheers. And they're off to go. Oh. OK. It's. It's an interesting perspective on past perspectives, but no, it is because our industry wants to learn things like this. Because I know there is a bit of a push.

20:48 They would like apprenticeships to be offered for pest industry, but you just can't convince, I don't know, people in government, I don't know how it works, but there is people, there is people within trade bodies trying to push for this kind of stuff. And I think that's what part of the future framework is, is to push younger people today can have a say. This is how you actually get into the industry and more of a structured way of getting people in because it's not really structured. If you, if you want, yeah, I could say you could just do the day courses and you're good to go.

21:25 But obviously it depends on the firm though as well, because some firms require you be the proper level 2 they do before they take you on. But it all, it all depends. It does. Surprised there was an apprenticeship because there's quite a lot to it in there. From our conversations we've had, just having a chat, it's like things were involved in the, you know, just health and safety for one side of it and. Yeah, so it says me that's broke his knee. Broke his knee twice. One of them was actually on a job.

21:58 It was the first time in the garden. But it wasn't the lady's fault. No, I just fell over and twisted me ankle and somehow it broke, broke. I broke my tibia, amphibia. But she felt so bad because she was out all day. She's when I was in. I could have because because they had to stretch for me. She could have opened the garage and I could have gone straight through. I've never been allowed to. We, we went back to her house this year. My dad did not let me get out of the van. It's like he's not getting out of the van.

22:31 He's got bad memories of this. So I'm not risking me growing in the garden. So is that your worst injury? Doing the job, I take it. I was walking back to, we were walking through the garden, so I wasn't really doing anything, but I was carrying a lot of heavier box. I don't carry heavy box anymore, but I don't know what that was to do with it. But I just failed. But that would be, yeah, health and safety, wouldn't it? Because it was like, yeah, that was the worst. That was the worst time. Three months I couldn't walk for you.

23:04 You laughed. But literally I started from my dad in September because I I think go back to Beavers where I used to work, which is no more. It's been liquidated. They, they shut down before, you know, they all retired. I think it wasn't due to them not doing right. I think they shut down. So I think eventually it would go that way and they wanted me to go on on off furlough, but it lasted a few more years down the business to be fair. And I just said, no, I'm not. It's a very moment. I was like, I'm not coming back.

23:42 I, I gave my notice. So I never actually worked my notice for them because I used it because, you know, it was the time of the virus. And. I said, well, I said it's too high risk, my missus is high risk, I can't come. And then they were fine about it, but none of them ever believed I was going to leave, you see, But I did. But it was clearing. I never thought, I never knew if it's going to work out, you see. Would you go back to there it? Was terrible. You talk about old school. I learned what toxicity is.

24:19 It's toxic work environment. That's what it was, you know, You know, where your bosses shout at you and stuff. Yeah, I used to hate working there, but I know I never want. I never tried to really leave stupidly. It's weird though, because like, the boss could be, you know, could be be a muppet to you and then the next minute he's fine. But he saved my job all the time. It's too vital. He saved my job loads. And you know when they make cuts. Yeah, it. Did so it's weird in that way. But yeah, from 19 to, I can't remember what from 19 to 2020.

25:01 So I don't know how long a 16 plus something years. But yeah, being a dead end job. But you know, nothing wrong with people having jobs like that though, so I wish I didn't waste my time doing it. I never used to have ambition, you see, or anything like that. I didn't care really. Later in life, once I got into pest control, I started to care about it more and I really enjoy pest control and gave me that spark. Same. Now I do, I do a podcast, I'm on the board of directors for the MPTI do I do tonnes of stuff now?

25:37 You're everywhere. I can't not find you anywhere. Wherever I go. I see you on LinkedIn, Facebook. I'm amazed. That's off to you mate. You've done so well, doing really well. Tonight you're, you're doing well. No. Anyway, you you do content as well, don't you? Yeah, I've got a small YouTube channel which has been. It's been fun, I've enjoyed doing it, but it's so time consuming. It is because I noticed recently you have made some really good videos, but I've noticed recently you've made a lot of short form.

26:15 Which is the easiest easiest content to make? Yeah, purely on time constraints. I've been hitting TikTok of the Shorts which I've seen to get a lot more views and a lot more interaction on. You do Tik. T.O.K is different, yes. Yes. I don't know if I don't want to say it's easy because. It's not. It's not easy, but yeah. The making of. YouTube yeah, but shorts are just like I can knock a short, I can record it and get it out there within 15 minutes. Records, just put it out on the Internet in 15 minutes where YouTube was losing weekends.

26:54 It's it's but I'm still going to do the YouTube videos, but it's just having the time. But I'm creating like a Bank of videos which I'm going to edit all in one hit and then set them to release on certain dates. Yeah, that's the way to do it. It is. Do you think of any of the shorts or videos you've made, you think you've got any work out of it yet? YouTube, yes, I've got some. Did you, did they tell you that? Yeah. And. I actually got some some support from suppliers and got some freebies and got sponsorship for an Evie install I did which is good.

27:35 So I got like £900 worth of kit. To sort of. To install that, which was good nice. Is that is that what's on your house then? Yes, I know. I've seen that electric power, that electric point I've noticed. So I actually bought that for the job. Oh. Did you? That was for the job I was doing and then the manufacturer contacted me and said they were going to send me this kit out. So yeah, I did have a spare 1 and I used because they rebranded to Sync EV. Oh. OK. Sync Energy, sorry. So I used their brand new stuff for the videos that all the latest marketing and all the new boxes and all that sort of stuff.

28:23 Yeah, I remember. I remember that video. I do. But anyway, all right, people, 43 Podcasting. Where's my stuff? To be fair, I have got bits and bobs. I got given a pest tech. I got given their new baratines new technicians guidebook, which I will give them a proper shout out when they actually tell me the price of it. It's really good. It tells you like on the fly, like what to do if you forgot or some books. What to do is quite good. It is. But yeah, I got, yeah, I got that. And they never like, you weren't one of the only people in the UK to have this.

29:05 I was like, get in. It was like you saved it for me. Yeah. Well, yeah, but now, and I've been asked, I did a, I can't say yet, but I've done a review for something that's going to be released soon, so I'll be in the credits, not a physical book. Right, OK. Or maybe one day I'll be in someone's book. Or might write my own book. Who knows? You never know. Well, send me a copy and I'll have a read. I'm not, I'm not. I'm not working on one at the minute. I'm not. I'll tell you what though, with all the YouTube, TikTok for anything you do increases your SEO on Google's.

29:49 I'd say. I'd say that was the biggest game for me with YouTube. So again, because I've got a Google My Business page. Yeah, we have to. Yeah. And it, I'm not sure how the insurance and outs of Google works, but as soon as I saw the releasing videos, I was getting a lot more calls because it tracks all the calls. So it's, it's, yeah, it's definitely increasing the SEO. I suppose yours multi electrical seat this isn't technically linked to oak and pest control be like technically so it's not the same but I suppose I could do that.

30:22 Yeah, just trying to link it some way, somehow I'm. Scared, I scared. I get scared of opening Google My Business. You don't want to get anything wrong with say, it's just you don't want to come off there. I've worked so hard, 85 I've got up to, I was down to 40 or yeah, 40 something this year, up to 85. That's amazing, isn't it? It's hard. People just don't give you reviews, even if they're happy. Sometimes you just don't want to do it, you know? The biggest thing I'll hear is that I ask customers to say I'll do it, I'll do it.

30:56 And then I sort of follow it up a little bit politely and they say, oh, I haven't got a Google account. I wanted to set up a Google account, but there is a way of doing it without a Google account. It's quite long winded I believe. So it's just one of those. I feel that I've done all right getting into 85. That's really good because a lot of heat is well into it so. Yeah, it's I think the minute I think I am the in Rutland, I think I am the highest on Google. But obviously there is companies that have got more than me, but they're not technically a Rutland, a Rutland business.

31:34 But I could get overtaken again. It's so it's so you never know. This is the thing, but it's just hard to get. You obviously only ask them if you think that they're can do Google reviews because I have my customers saying I'll give you Google without even asking. I have. I always leave one of these I've got. I've printed out some Google review cards so. I have tried that before, it didn't never worked, but not it wasn't that good. It wasn't as good as that, but I have tried that and it didn't. Yeah, it didn't never work.

32:12 But I have seen your leaflets in a lot of places, in people's houses, through my own door. Yeah, sorry about that. You're right. Does that work? Do you? Do you find that that kind of advertising works like we're with them books because you're not in the book, though you've got a leaflet with the book, ain't you? Or you're. In the book, it gets delivered with the local Yeah Trader magazine, which is, I suppose it's like, the way to describe is like a tiny little yellow page, isn't it? For like businesses?

32:45 So it gets delivered with that every other month or every three months, depending on the area. But yeah. I've seen a few places people got stuck up on the notice board in their houses. I've seen it. Yeah, it does work. It does work. It pays for itself anyway. Yeah, definitely. Well, that's the main thing. Yeah, it is. It pays for itself. Did you do Google? Guaranteed or or not? I suppose your service isn't that way inclined is it's because a lot of the time if someone's ringing you like in an emergency, it's an emergency and it's not the same.

33:21 Is it because a lot of people getting their electrics rewired? It's not AI. Suppose you do get emergency job, don't you as well you do. Yeah, yeah, we get a few, get a few reactive jobs, but I'd say 90% of our work planned work. Yeah, well, that's. Good, so that's how you want it? Yeah, it's, it's difficult because people ring you up and with an emergency and it's like you can't just let the customer down that's been waiting 4 weeks for you. So it's difficult. But we always sort of, we do get quite a lot of repeat as well, to be fair.

33:54 And they always take priority over everyone really. But yeah, it's you just got to put yourself everywhere, wherever you can, leaflets, magazines. Yeah, you've got to try. It's like when you I made a massive push for Next door, right? I've got more, I've got more babes than you. More babes than anyone in the area on there. Right. You won the Next door neighbour business of the Year. Didn't you want? Yeah, right. So I get all these faves. They don't do it anymore. I even go on Next Door because Next Door post up about the American version and I've been asking for two years.

34:35 I was like next door. Is it in the UK? I was so sorry because I've messaged him asking because Next Door is popular. I said I'd love to win one. I didn't. I was like, surely 46 faves should get you an award. You know, it was like, you know, I was like, but they haven't done it in two years. They haven't done it in two years. They reckon they're going to look like next year, but they probably won't do it again. A lot of people use Next door. You'll be surprised a lot of people recommend you as well.

35:07 Yeah. I usually do always tag you on Facebook. Yeah, I'm neglecting next door a little bit. It's it's so hard to keep up with inquiries from all the different revenues. It's it's hard to keep up. I just got too much time or it looks like I have but I'm doing multiple different things. Everyone goes. I don't know how you got the time, but. I do. It's tricky. I know, but so obviously we recommend each other within the area quite often about wasp nests and so I wanted to get your view on chewy wires.

35:48 What's your view on when you get calls for chewed wires? Then what's your perspective from looking at it from your side, not our side? Have you got a point of view on it or not? So the first we'll get the call that someone's electrics are tripping. That's the usual. We've put our test equipment on it and we'll find that there's a short on the wiring somewhere.

36:12 So yeah, we always, it's almost a given in most properties it's going to be in the loft if it's on a lighting circuit. So we go there and it's like basically trying to find the the damage, but 9 times out of 10, the client, if you ask them if you had any rodents, they're like, Oh yeah, we have. They sort of know they've had a problem. OK. Because I've heard the the scurrying and the gnawing and during the night. Ron just left it. Sometimes, yeah, sometimes they just leave it. You meet all sorts of people.

36:51 I know. I mean, sometimes it's, you know, not everyone can afford to obviously, but they're now, now they've got to call out you. It still cost them, isn't it, you know? Yeah, I think a lot of people think, oh, they're not doing any harm, but really they're destroying their homes, but. And the worst ones can be squirrels. Squirrels can call. Squirrels are really bad for like causing damage. They are. I had one a couple of months ago. Squirrel one, Yeah. Were the squirrels in there when you were actually in there?

37:24 They'd already had someone out to deal with it the year before, so the the cables have been absolutely chewed through because they weren't touching, they weren't tripping the electrics. But over time, like damp, then the cables get hot and cold, hot and cold in the summer and winter, etcetera, and just in general use and they're just finally giving way and just started touching each other. Yeah, it was really, really well. That's interesting to hear from you, because I didn't, I didn't know. I don't know how it works if a cable gets chewed, but now I do so it can hang on for its dear life a year later.

38:03 If they're not touching, they can't. In there. You wouldn't even know anything's happened to them. But eventually they weren't there together. But yeah, no, they can be. They can be, yeah, they can cause the biggest thing. They can cause fires. People don't Have you ever been to many places that have had a fire or many fire due to electrical wires being tampered with or you know, rodent biting it or anything burned out? I've I've been to a couple but I couldn't 100% say it as rodents. But yeah, we've had a few.

38:41 If you go on my Facebook you'll see a few examples of it, pictures and stuff. I put one on TikTok recently. We all know a little bit I need to go back on. I did see on my emails that you've been posting content. Yeah, I'll send you the link to my I'll. Have to have a look. But yeah, we had one last week where the a junction box and an LED transformer for lights has just all melted and it's just like, I don't even know how this has happened. But yeah, if it's amazing what you actually see in people's homes and you think, you know, people are living in these homes and they're I. Knew you send me pictures of pose and stuff.

39:22 I think, I can't remember what, like someone else there was this. I couldn't work out what it was. I think someone said it was some kind of bird. Yeah, what? Was I didn't know it was something else, that I didn't know what it was because it looked nearly like someone reckoned it was owl poo. I've. Never heard of I've never heard of owls getting into lofts, but maybe they can. Possibly, yeah. It's Stranger Things have happened. Have you? Ever been you ever have you ever been into lofts with bats in?

40:04 I've been told you've been bats, but I've never actually seen them. That's good. Yeah, there's a role in pest control if like I had if you, if there's, if there's poo, because it you can't do anything such. So when you when you touch the poo, you rub it like, you know, mouse poo, you rub it and it comes away and your fingers like dust. That's bat poo. Right. OK, so. If you ever see any of that stuff, that's bat poo. So I'll send you a picture. Yeah, you probably wouldn't last day. Give it a rub.

40:42 Yeah, yeah, you're right. But yeah, so I've had a few jobs where I went to this place where I wasn't in the I wasn't in the loft on I think it was a historic place. I can't remember what it was, but like, she left this cardboard out and she said to me, what? What is it? So I was doing the finger thing, I says. And the other room, she says, it's, it's bats in it. I said, yeah, which is why we've got this big restoration project. And that happens as well. That this might put your plans on hold. It was like a stoic place that it's going to cost a lot of money, but when you've got bats, you've got to get the bat people in and there's all sorts of red tape involved if you were to do a restoration, but.

41:35 The relocate. Do you just have to leave them? I don't actually know. I don't know the answer to that, so I don't want to say on the podcast, but I believe that they can relocate them the proper the proper bat people can the bat society. They can, but there's that many rules and Rexford bats I So if you were to kill a bat, it's 5 grand fine. At least 5 grand a fine. Well. It's quite serious really. But. But yeah. Well to be fair my point of view they don't really damage cables so they're not doing.

42:09 Anything. They don't, they don't. They don't damage cables. They don't.

42:15 What else? But you don't go on what's the biggest thing I've come across in lofts and garages where we're working? Do you? Yeah, always finding a a wasp nest. On that note, my wife wants to ask about my wasp nest. Does she? Is will they come back? Do I need to knock this thing down? No, they don't. They use an S They don't. They do not. No, once it's dead, it's dead. So you can knock it down if you want if you can get in there. It sounds like it's a quite bit of roof space, but it won't be reused.

43:00 It can't damage the beams either, right? OK, it doesn't look like a massive 1 you you might think it is, but they get much bigger than that. You'll definitely be dead by now because it's been you've had some cold snaps. Yeah, there's no buzzing coming from it, so. That's normal. How you can tell normally, but yeah, you don't. They can't be with each queen. When they build nests, they rebuild new ones. So don't go into an old Queen's nest or they don't they don't do anything any of that. It's a new nest every time and it's nothing to nothing to worry about.

43:38 You can't just leave it if it's bugging you, you can knock it down, get a broom or something if you want, but. Yeah. It's up to you what you do. If it's annoying you, then do it. I've got a hole about that big where I can see it through the ceiling into the. Oh, it's a you've got a hole. I can pull that a down light. I pull the light down. Oh, you can see. It or I can crawl down the the loft space which. Is. Oh, see. An apprentice job, really. Wow. Yeah, yeah. It's a life experience before it finishes.

44:16 It is. But have you ever, ever experienced a short view on when you A friend of a friend asked me whether he's had to do like a kitchen application that's had chewed wires chewed in say cocoa or something like that. And he's had to prove it to keep the rodent out because it was still, you know, the, the, the trapping programme was still in progress. But he wondered about the dangers of the live cables. He did well, what should you do if you're in that situation as a pest controller with that, turn the power off or what would you do if you're trying to proof it the back of so nothing else can get in in future?

45:04 What's the protocol? Because obviously your live cable. He got shocked, he told me. You didn't. Go flowing across the room it was just a tiny one, but it was interested to know what what the ports were on that when when you're trying to prove something so that future rodents can't get in.

45:27 Well, I mean, yeah, there's not really much you can do from your sort of side of things, isn't with turning off the power, I guess, But I mean, you can put cables in like a metal conduit, but it's almost impossible to do that completely, just be impractical. And the best things is to stop them, stop the rodents coming in and then replace the cable for new. Really. Yeah, it's pretty much for I thought you'd say because it's not a thing, it's just a job he had when he, you know, he says when I first started I wasn't in it long and he had that and he just wanted to know because he think that he thought it was such a good idea getting you wrong.

46:11 He said that's so out-of-the-box because he says certain things will over overlay. You know, like we were comparing the training which yours is vastly more expensive, but you have vastly much more training you do as well. So that the barrier to entry in your industry is far higher than ours. It is obviously because you've got, you've got your qualifications, you've got the costs. If once you're setting up on your own, you've obviously got the qualifications and you have to have all the qualifications, you have to join the governing body called NRC or NAEPIT.

46:50 Is that expensive so. Off the top of my head it's around £750 a year. OK, which means So what do they, what do they do then what does that? What do they do? Do they come and audit you or anything on that? So every year we have to have a audit we go through, so now we have to have so many hours of CPD. How many? Don't ask, I don't know. I can't remember. Is it more than 20? It's more than 20, yeah. OK. That, that, that that's our industry standard. 20, I've got 71. I'm pretty sure it's around. 20.

47:27 I've got 71 currently. Wow. They check you got all the insurances, public liability,

47:36 there's there's a lot of the stamp. They go through all your paperwork. Basically the cheques are with certificates. Make sure you've made errors and certificates. OK, we. Have to have the complaints policy. So if you get the complaints, they need to see those. So the first sort of hour or so, two hours is an office audit going through the paperwork and the rest of the audit, another sort of two hours we're on site and he's actually visually inspecting the work that I've done. So do you have to ask a customer is it OK if someone comes to inspect the work I've done?

48:09 Yeah. So in some ways it's a good thing because you're saying to the customer, I'm so proud of the work I've done. Can I use it as an example for my my assessment in that sense? So, but in the other sense, the customers like, I mean all, all my customers are great and friendly, but it must be a bit of a pain for them having someone turned up when there's nothing for a couple of hours turning their power off and all that sort of stuff. So, and then they look at the work that we've done and then they test, they check our test results on our certificates to the the test what we're testing on the the equipment to make sure it all tallies up basically.

48:52 OK. Just yeah, I would have thought the fee for that would have been higher and as people have got come out and actually audit you each year for, I'd have thought it'd be much higher than that. Don't give them any ideas. I won't. They won't be watching this anyway. They won't. I'd be shocked if they were. But now, is that a trade body? No. Is that the trade body? No. Trade. Association. Yes, it's it's part yeah. It's called the competent person scheme, but it's yeah, government sort of backed. So it's.

49:28 What you call the trade association like a non for profit no. Yes, non profit. So, so it's like that, OK. It's actually a charity, believe it or not. Yeah, they like the like all our trade bodies operate the same way. Yeah. Can make money, but it's all going to go back in if you're running. Yeah, yeah. So you make it, but it goes back in used on everything else. So you don't, you make a profit, but you don't make a profit. It's not-for-profit, but it goes straight back in to pay for all the other stuff as well.

50:06 You'll speak to a lot of electricians that have that sort of hate them and begrudge having to pay that amount every year. And they're like, I've been an electrician for 40 years, why do I have to pay these? You know what I mean? That sort of thing. Oh. You get them comments in our industry big time, yeah. I'm all for it. It keeps the standards up. I know it's an expense, but who else is going to check it? Who else is going to police it? If, if these guys don't, you know, anyone could be out there, couldn't they?

50:33 Oh no, you are right. Just got to think about your the customers put in your, their house and safety and your their family's safety in your hands hoping you are the you are you are competent and you know what you're doing because you could make mistakes and their house could burn down. Exactly, Yeah. I think that's why they're doing that, I guess because it's a serious thing. The building Reg centre is it is it like we don't have people as such? We, you're, I'd imagine in certain you have people coming out and if there was an issue with your work that was reported to somewhere else, you'd have someone else come out.

51:14 Would you like a build? Like all I'm saying is you've got it's more of an official people having a BDI of your work than what would be in the pest control industry. Yeah. So I mean. With audits etcetera for accreditation, but it's, it's a bit more serious if you, if you ask me in your industry. So if something went wrong then it would be not good, would it? You know? No, I mean, yeah, when you look at things like Grenfell and and faulty appliance, what's that? Yeah, I believe so, yeah. And then but there's such AI mean I won't go into that too much because I don't know enough about it.

52:00 But there's a host of problems with the cladding and all that, sort of, I mean, but again, someone needs to monitor it. All these things need to be policed, so to speak. So I'm for it. I do get people's niggles, but you know, I'm a proud member. How you know, And they provide, they do the CPD training as well. They do weekly. Oh so all the so they provide week week? Is it all Like? Are the webinars stored online so you can do them whenever you want as well is? That the movie live and then they do.

52:32 You can go on the website and watch them at any time. So how? Many how many like like each year? How many webinars do they put out? Or you know, content? Is it a lot? It's a lot, yeah. I'm guessing it equates to probably one a week I should imagine. OK, that's that's, that's good. Yeah. There's lots, but at least you fit your CPD training included in your membership fee, which is great, yeah.

53:00 They've got a technical helpline, so if you've got any problems with anything, you need a bit of technical help because I'm guessing you see it in your industry. There's lots of great. Yeah you do get technical where complicated. I'm having problems and they will tell you different methods to try as well. You know, like different approach because sometimes you have to approach it differently. I don't know if that will be the case in your industry. It's pretty, I don't know really. I'd imagine it's all pretty textbook.

53:33 Or is it not it? Is yeah, I mean, we've, it is pretty much textbook. There's, there's always something that it's like anything that you can go on on any forum and say, ask a question, they'll be half people say this and then the other half will say that. And then you've got to try and decide for what's right and what's wrong. But to give you, I mean, that's our, that's our regulations. But that's, yeah, that's 80 lbs right there. Honest. Yeah, we haven't got many regulations in comparison people.

54:12 So stop. Yeah, it just, it just points out when people watch this, how different our industry is because we've got a lot of people. Oh, why do I have to do this? And I spoke to obviously now, now, no, you pay a lot more than we do. But it also depends. There's different trade bodies that charge different amounts of money. There is some that charge more in the area of what you pay. There's some that charge less. It all depends on how big the business is ETC. But in general as of all you've paid 7 and a half £1000 for training to get to get to be a qualified technician engineer, sorry and we pay nowhere near that.

54:58 We don't. So the closest you get to is nearly a grand. It is. But then there is there is other stuff. You can go high and high and high if you want to but most people stick with the standard they do. But you can go higher. But like the point the podcast was a chat for you about your views on its control and stuff like that and making comparisons from electricians point of view or industry to ours because I'm hoping it will make people realise to get good value for money is our industry. The training alone knocks it out.

55:39 It does 7 1/2 grand. Did you pass first time? Is it like 1 logging camel? Is it modules you have to complete? Loads loads of modules, Yeah. I mean, I mean, there is cheaper, there is cheaper ways in, but as a general rule it's it's going to be around that sort of price, yeah. Yeah, no, just forward. So what is your view on on pest control as a whole? Have you got a view on pest control? Pest management? When when I need you. I think you're gods.

56:13 I'm running out of lots of Wasps. No, I think it's an important trade massively. Like you say, before I sort of met you and got to know you. It's like something I completely overlooked. It was just, Yeah, I think I. Think it was one that you texted. Me that. You. You. Yeah. I think you texted my dad, didn't you? On WhatsApp or something about trading, giving out each other's cards and stuff, didn't you? Yeah. That's right. Yeah. And then I got hold of him on my WhatsApp because he's useless as stuff like that.

56:47 Don't do stuff like that. That's why I take over and things like that. And then we've had chats here and there, but we haven't actually met up for anything yet, have we? No, no. Live in the same town? Do you remember that you remember? That time I walked past your van and I was like, need to send that to you. Yeah. Or did you send that back to me? Because I was like, I was cutting the promo about you and Harvey, the electricians and stuff on my phone. I have to see if I still got it. I was waving at your camera as.

57:17 Well, yeah, you sent something to me and then I've got the footage from the cameras and sent it back to you. I think I was tempted to put it on socials but I didn't know if you'd want it on there. Don't. Mind mate, Yeah, come from me. I'm. Probably a lot smaller now than I was then, but yeah. But no, it's all good. It's about it's good to have someone from the local business community on. Yeah, I hope I'm not bored your your listeners with my mind. I think a lot of it's a lot of it's probably hammered home how much value they get for their money in our industry because there is a lot of, I'm not saying it's wrong to complain because everyone else, everyone's entitled to complain about what they want to, but just understand that we get a lot more for our money than say, you know, you kind of ask because it's like 7 1/2 grand just to become an electrician.

58:11 It's nowhere near that in our industry. And yeah, hopefully it helps a lot of people, but there'll be a lot of stuff in there that's helped people as well. It's like I've just started to like, like, do you understand like the business? Are you good on the business side? Because a lot of our industry, they're good at pest control and you'll own businesses, but not everyone's an expert on what's my sales forecast and all this and that. I do need, I do need to my game. I think everyone does. I think you could always improve.

58:45 You can. You can. It's an element of our industry that we need more business focused seminars or to help people. Yeah, absolutely. Again, because it's something else that isn't taught as part of your training. Sort of, no? It's not. Sales is not taught either. No. Unless you work for a national, they're big on sales, but apart from that, generally unless you've got the gift of the Gap, it's not something you know it's not. Yeah, it's tricky. Like you say. People have told me I should be doing sales forecasts, I should know what's going on.

59:21 It's funny time. I just don't know where people get the time to. It's also set itself an office day, like every other day in the office. And then it's like, I don't know how I'm going to do that, But perhaps when all of his out full time on his own, then that'll buy me a day in the office. Perhaps. But yeah. Good day because it's like this thing I signed it for think Rutland and I thought I knew loads about marketing. So I spoke to this chap. I was like, well my contents really good. But then the things he was saying to me like, so what's your unique selling point on that job?

59:53 And I was struggling. I guaranteed the boss Ness. I said, I said in the marketing, but on the phone I mentioned it, but not in any of the marketing. And it was things like you've got to get a unique selling point. Where do you want to be in five years? Where do you want to be in 12 months? What new services? You say commercial. What do you mean by commercial? Do you mean pubs? Do you mean restaurants? Do you mean? Audit inside and he they break it down into minute pieces. Yeah. They do. He's got me basically homework to do for next meeting.

1:00:26 I've got a book book on with him but he helped me loads because I didn't think of any of that. It's good that I exist, isn't it? Because I mean, I've been self, I say self-employed. I'm a limited company, but I've been doing it for five years and I, I had a plan for everything, my training. I want to get my training done within a set time or set up a business or join the Nic then. And I've kind of almost achieved all my goals. And like now it's just the business is running and I've kind of lost track a little bit of like you said, where where I'm going to be in the next five years.

1:01:03 Because apparently everyone's supposed to know, but no, not many people do. You're supposed to do it like a plan and stuff. And but these are all the He's given me a big long list of stuff. This is where we'll go dive deeper on some of these stuff species. The list will change over time. It will and it's exploring things like potential grant and stuff. So you never know, might get might add a new service or he said it can even go to marketing somebody to do a marketing account as well. So it just makes you think like because in general that I'll be asked by a lot of people to try and get somebody on more business related to give practical advice people.

1:01:44 Because a lot of people are fine with the pest control, but they struggle with the kinds of business elements that they should need and should have because they're so busy running their own business obviously. But it is stuff that can help you and save you money even though you don't think it. When you work things out, it can save you money or make you realise you need to put this price up, but you've got to package it up that way as well. They were in pest control. The prices are like so in your industry because of what you are, you actually cast.

1:02:16 We are a trade and I think we're a trade, but not how everyone else sees us such like because they can, electricians, plumbers, etcetera can demand a higher fee than we can straight away. They can because I I once did a job for a lady and I couldn't believe how much it was to replace a pipe. Plastic pipe £400. A plastic pipe on the back of a washer. But that's obviously a call out isn't it? I thought, that's incredible. Yeah, it's. If we did that just for one of them, I think I'll get they'd shop around.

1:02:59 But you know, obviously there's there's different price levels though there is firms that can get stuff. It depends on what you offer, what level, Ted, you know, it depends what area you live in. Obviously Rutland is quite a rich area, but not everyone's got that kind of money. Do you find people? Tried their own thing because obviously with the electrical world, some of the worst things I see out there is people have done DIY and done it really badly. And do you think that's the same for pest controls?

1:03:27 I think people go, I was going to say Wilkos, but they've gone now. But people pop out and get a mousetrap from Wilkos and then try and deal with it themselves. And then there's.

1:03:39 So try, try to fix their own problems and then just give up. Yeah, is that? True. You can buy radenticide. The public can. They can buy in it's a lower form than what we've got. Like they can buy it in smaller doses. But yeah, they can buy pretty much what we can buy, but weaker, a lot weaker. And they can buy traps, but a lot of times it's more that they can do it, but if they don't know what they're doing, they've not had that practical experience to know what they're actually doing. So yeah, they can't do it.

1:04:13 They set it in lower doses. You've got to buy more and more bags. It's very weak. Or you've got your traps and not set them right or not put the right thing on the trap. But people do do that. I get calls when someone go. I've been trying and trying. It's nothing's working. But you do get that. But I suppose, I suppose you can't really. Please tell me you've never had anyone try to fix their own electrics. Oh yeah, all the time. I didn't think people be really. Some of the worst, worst jobs we go to is people, I thought.

1:04:50 It was illegal to do that, like under codes, building codes and stuff. I thought it'd be something. It's not. Insurance could be not involved surely? If you could prove that person messed about with their electrics. I suppose House will be gone then, wouldn't it? Well, you'd you'd think so, but it's not like so we've certainly gas engineers or plumbers. It is illegal to touch gas. So. Oh, OK, we I can't even open a boiler up and check the wiring in a boiler because I'm not a gas engineer. So anything gas is illegal, electrics isn't.

1:05:28 It's not a strict in that sense. Yeah, it's you don't advise it though, do you? Obviously I don't advise it. I'm not even in the trade. I don't advise it. You'll be crazy to do that. You'll be amazed how many people have a go and we have to go and sort it out. Goodness, I have. I've never heard of that. I didn't think that would be a thing that people did in the when it comes to electrics because yeah, that that's, that's eye opening to hear that people actually do that, that is. It's worrying and sometimes it's people with a tiny bit of knowledge of the worst ones because they think but.

1:06:03 Google said. But Google said said on Google. You see in my my eyes you shouldn't be allowed to go to Screwfix and buy electrical stuff unless you're an electrician. That's but you. Anyone can go to Screwfix and buy a fuse box, another guy fitting it themselves if they want to. I've never. Thought of that. Yeah, not to pick on screw fix, but any wholesale at all station being key, you can buy a roll of electrical cable. Guarantee you can go into screw fix and buy some rat bait. Yeah, it's it's weaker, weaker stuff though, but you can buy it.

1:06:42 And it's it's one of the biggest bugbears of our industry, the biggest. But there's nothing you can do about it because it's to help, believe it or not, that who has the role in over who can buy the public stuff is the ruling of the HSE. They actually control it. And like people have asked and they've got no, they say that they'll keep it on the market because not everyone can afford to hire a pest controller. So it's a cheaper way of doing it. So because we've had all these changes as of next year, you have to have at least a new certificate that's a qualifying certificate.

1:07:25 That's if you're not in a trade body or you have to, or you have to be in a trade body or CPD scheme and you have to have 20 points a year with three of them being these new crew courses. It's just like best practises in how to use your rodent being being more wary environment. And it's like this three hours of it and you do that and you get your certificate for that. Then you can buy bait, but then everyone's going well, the public can just go online and buy what they like or you know, but it's the way it is.

1:08:02 There's nothing you can do about it. I keep telling people it's no, it's HSE take it all them they won't you know, I have done some investigating. Apparently it is all controlled by them because they approve all our new products and take and but when something goes through a new pest control project can take 7 to 8 years to go through. Did you know that we've we've tests etcetera. It's got really slow six to seven years. So less, more is coming off the market that's coming, more comes off because it's some companies decide this product hasn't worked very well, not sold what we thought, is it really worth spending X amounts of thousands or millions or whatever it is to relicense it?

1:08:50 And a lot of them get pulled off the market. They do. But there's more being removed than there is being added. There is, but we are very strict lice when it when it comes to the match, the approving products. There's a very strict process. I don't know the process. We're trying to get someone come on to talk about it. But a lot of the big chemical companies don't like having their employees on a podcast. You know, it's difficult to get anyone on that that has that kind of knowledge. I've heard about it.

1:09:22 They can talk about it at seminars and in training days and stuff, but they won't let them on podcasts. But they'll have a strict script to follow, won't they say that sort of thing? Yeah, they will. They will. But yeah, it's you are right. A lot of people try DIY pest control. It's massive and I imagine it's a very lucrative industry. I would.

1:09:48 I think, yeah, I think people just like say you'd expect people with electrics think I won't touch it, but some, some do, some don't obviously, but I think it's probably some pest control in it, some people. Oh yeah, I'd say more people probably try it than they do try their electrics. I've had a guarantee. I'll be honest, there's not a lot of success. What pest control? Yeah, I'm your own house. We had a rat problem at one point. I did mention it to you, didn't I? So but I had some humane traps

1:10:22 and I caught a bloody hedgehog. So that's why they're, that's why they're humane, so you can let them out. Yeah, I mean, it's fine. I got him out, he was fine, but I was like, that was the last time I tried it. But look. Did did did this you go? Yeah, I found a nest under one of the sheds and I destroyed the nest. I might have done the wrong thing there, but. Was anything in it? No, no. Don't worry about it and. Yeah, it looked recently. It looked like it'd been recently used. I don't know how it worked for rats, but yeah, recently.

1:10:57 You got rid of it. So that's that's a bad news. There wasn't loads in it, so that's a good way to I'm not recommending that. But if you find it, there's nothing wrong with digging your mud up. You know, I wouldn't do that if you had the badger set. That's like illegal. You can't touch badges. They tell you No, no, they don't mess that big in there. I've never actually seen one actually, you know, in person walking around, but they reckon you know, there's loads in Oakham but I've seen. You always see him, don't you?

1:11:33 Dead on the. Road. One thing though did a job but I can't say where, but a commercial job in Oakham where we had a rear link camera up. Yeah and I've seen Mum after the show, I'll tell you where it was and I've seen boxes all sorts. So I couldn't believe badges. I've seen badges and then we had to end up in them. We're jobbing up in them. We also found loads of badges going through his garden. When I was there, I was like, how are they getting in? Well, you know, but we were there for squirrels.

1:12:07 We were because he had a squirrel issue and we sorted that out. Someone told me a job little what I told you guys. They reckon the badger stole a cat. They could, they could, they could. To be fair, they're very vicious and strong. Apparently this cat was like, I can't say 18 it's like on his last legs. Anyway, he's 18 and like poor old thing apparently jumped over a fence of four foot fence. I don't know if it's rubbish, I don't know, but apparently they ran off of this with a cat. To be fair, I can believe it.

1:12:40 I've been told they're very strong. They can be vicious, They can be because obviously I've never seen one in real life. I haven't. Apart from them on the cameras, I've never seen one. But it's hugely in the early hours, in the early hours of the morning. You see them, but nobody's out there really is they. You normally see them in a gutter on the road. You do, you do you do. So is there anything else you want? Actually, you're starting some scheme in your industry for new people want to get into the industry.

1:13:17 Yes, set up a community on school, which is a not a very well known platform, but yeah, it's for electricians or people that want to get into the the industry and are adult learners. Because it's such a difficult journey, I thought I'd tell for the community to help people is. It like, is it like videos or is it like just advice people ask for like a Facebook group or is it not like that? Yes. I think of it as a little bit like a forum, Facebook, and then it's going to have different sections with how to videos.

1:13:52 It's like I say, you don't get any experience in the classroom with things like lifting carpets, cutting floorboards, different types of walls. You wish you got that on camera. So that's the, that's the plan, yeah. Yeah. So it sounds good. It does. It's it's I've seen it on Facebook. You're the director on LinkedIn. You're the director of it, isn't you. Yeah, I'm just trying to advertise it on LinkedIn as well because I get so many emails showing about from people wanting apprenticeships and jobs.

1:14:27 And so I'm just trying to set something up where I can send people to learn a bit more about the industry and routes into the industry because there's so many different routes. I. Think it's great. I think it's great. You want to try and see if any when you get it going a little bit, you want to see if any magazines are interested in covering it. Yeah. How? Yeah. You might be able to get some more promotion through there. Yeah, I'm not saying they're more interested. They don't know, but it's good that shows passion for your industry if you're willing to help other people wanting to get in.

1:15:00 The way I say it, if I have one person, I've done a good job. If one person helps them into the industry and they learn something from it, then brilliant, I've done my job. That's. That's good then. But yeah, I've taken enough time. I think we've covered everything. I've. I think that was a great conversation. And he did. You did very well, Steve. Thank you very. Much You're the only person ever to come on the podcast. Is it in the press management industry? You are on my podcast. That's the. Last well I've got to find the right topics and stuff really to be fair, but I thought a lot of it married up with show the comparisons and how you know R is lower to entry, but they are working on a high entry, but it won't be anywhere near what but the entries are to yours like the seven hour grand figure alone is is a lot more.

1:15:56 But I think I think people would have learned something from this podcast. They would have done. They usually do. That's the idea of it. Learn something. You've you've probably taught people stuff up. A lot of people on other podcasts have mentioned, well, people won't touch their electrics. Yeah, well, we'll pest control. But now I can say, well they had an electrician on and people do try. It. I can't get over. That I don't want to see any rodent damage and bits and pieces. I said look at my YouTube channel and I'll keep posting pictures of damaged cables.

1:16:32 It does, yeah. Anything we'll find, yeah. Your legs short saying you've got a mate in the pest control industry that you like them puto and stuff videos. But yeah, thanks for giving up your time Steve. That's great. Thanks for having me. And do you want to? Do you want a perky business or no?

1:16:55 If well if anyone was following me on YouTube it's multi electrical services. I'll stick it in the description. Yeah are on TikTok depending. What's the retrain from the password? Become an electrician. You can have a look at my new community. Oh, there you go. There you go. You never know. But but yeah, thanks Steve. I'll end the stream now if you just stay on for a second, but I'll just end it. Thanks everyone and I'll see you next week.