Pest Controller As A Career Advice

[Kemperz21 65]

hi all I am looking to start my own pest control busness I am keen to learn and open to ideas I have a full time job with lots of time off that I will keep going until its viable to give it up what I would like to know is what qualifications do I need if any and what do I need in the way of cirtifications to buy pesticides and the poisons I will need to forfill my job I am in no rush to get going I have given myself a year or two to get up and running and any advice would be greatly appreciated even if it is don't bother its not worth it as long as you can explain why many thanks

[mole trapper 1,693]

Someone ought to do a sticky for this as it's probably asked at least once a week, closely followed by what do you charge for ......

 

Generally considered as the minimum standard of qualification for a professional pest controller is rsph2, costs around a grand and is generally done through killgerm or barretine.

 

Yes there's plenty of money in it if your good in the business acumen department and a good operative.

 

Tonnes start up each year but a very high proportion go under in less than a year.

[Kemperz21 65]

Thankyou for your reply I thought that's what I needed but wanted to hear it from someone who's actually doing the job any particlar reason so many go under ?

[StephenWalsh 73]

Contact Killgerm or SX and they will give you all the pointers you need.

 

Now then, wait for the ladder shakers lol.

Edited June 13, 2014 by StephenWalsh

[mole trapper 1,693]

Many go under because they do not know how to run a business, ie, effective advertising, they're not customer facing, can get the leads but can't close the deal etc.

Being good at being an operative doesn't necessarily follow that their a good business man/woman.

Possibly one of the biggest hurdles is the level of commitment needed, if you have a family they will have to be 100% behind you as you won't switch off, you won't be around much and you're going to be constantly focused on what needs to be done.

In my case that went on the first five or six years, my only time out I would hit the bottle, my Mrs put up with a lot of sh it!

Now sixteen years in and it's a doddle, turn away loads of work, dump slow payers and whiners.

It's great.

Edited June 13, 2014 by mole trapper

[Matt 160]

Being good at being an operative doesn't necessarily follow that their a good business man/woman.

 

That's a very good point J.

 

Some very good pest controllers have gone to the wall over the years, simply because they were no good at the customer facing stuff.

 

People tend to call out pest controllers when they've got something serious going on, and they are usually emotional about it. You have to be able to deal with all sorts of situations, and the other major skill needed is the ability to sell.

 

I've often said that pest control is usually more about dealing with people than pests.

 

The industry has also got seriously cut throat in recent years. There are far more pesties trying to get far less work, and the result is that I've seen guys who are so desperate for work that they charge less than £10 per visit.

 

The regulatory burden also increases every year, and while you try and do everything by the book, the farmers and amateur users carry on misusing products and getting away with it.

 

Happily for me (sadly not for my bank manager), I only do moles these days and I'm not shackled by the burden of masses of paperwork.

 

The work comes to me, and I usually get paid when I'm done. I did have one slow payer this year, but I've already told him to find someone else next year.

 

Whatever you end up doing I wish you luck with it.

[Kemperz21 65]

hi thanks for the replies I am guessing this venture may not be as easy as first thought but this is what I want to do even if I end up working for a company I think I will be happy but self employed is the goal though anything is better than factory work well payed I am but not truly happy one question is is the rsph2 the only ticket I need to operate ie buy the substances I need to complete my jobs

[Matt 160]

You don't need the RSPH to buy products.

 

Most suppliers will give you one day courses.

 

The RSPH is the recognised entry level qualification. Getting insurance may be difficult without it, and some customers insist on it.

 

If you've no experience then working for someone else is the way forward.

[J Darcy 5,871]

I can't believe no one has mentioned savings.....

 

You'll be in a much better position if you have enough in the bank to survive a year without work, 'cos you'll probably be struggling to cover the mortgage and bills for the first couple of years.

[Kemperz21 65]

Hi yes I have thought about savings I am planning on dealing with this by way of keeping my permante job going as long as poss untill work picks up enough for me to survive on pest control earnings my job at the moment gives a lot of time off it works out I only work about 100 days a year so have plenty of time off

[Rowan 308]

I must admit i'm in exactly the same position , ( not work in a factory though), sorry one and all to trouble you with yet another wannabe pest controller, but I am about to pay for the BPCA level 2 online course any feed back would be great , many thanks.

[Paterdaleterry 1]

I don't know about the online but I did mine in March,Cambridgeshire. The one big bit of advice I can give if you are doing the week course is not to go on the piss at night with the other lads because it makes you're life bloody hard when it comes to taking the exam!.

Trust me ,i found out the hard way.

[Rowan 308]

I don't know about the online but I did mine in March,Cambridgeshire. The one big bit of advice I can give if you are doing the week course is not to go on the piss at night with the other lads because it makes you're life bloody hard when it comes to taking the exam!.

Trust me ,i found out the hard way.

Good advice , who did you do the course with? , didn't know the BPCA , ran a course in this part of the country , whoever it was with that would be closer for me .

[Matt 160]

Seriously, my advice would be to find something else

 

There are too many people doing it, too many wanting to do it, and not enough work.

 

If you want a life of uncertainty and penury, then crack on, but in hindsight, I wish I'd done something different with my life and I've seen the best of it

 

If you do decide to go ahead, bear in mind that all the qualifications in the world won't make you a pest controller.

 

What can seem like a fun way to spend your spare time looses it's gloss when you are trying to pay the bills, and everyone and their uncle is setting up in competition to you.

 

Sorry to sound negative, but I think it's only right to be honest about the situation.

[nod 285]

The place in march was datas. They have shut now as they passed away