...Hey this is Ben,and I was just wondering what every one did to get that first job?????! I'm bustin my but to find different ways to get my first job!!! I have a nwco lisence, and on Monday I'm getting my DBA, then a tax number...I wanna be 100 % legit,,,I have a Facebook page, and was thinking of an add in some papers, maybe online adds. Too ???? The main reason for this post, I wanna know how all you seasoned veterans, and any one else that's living a little easier from ADC got started,and the many ways you got yer names out there???? Thanks...

Referels from bug companies and Police/Sheriffs depts. Just make sure you are able to handle the job. Bad news gets around faster than good.

There is no silver bullet when it comes to advertising. Develop a marketing program that implements multiple methods with a combination very cheap to a higher investment. Start with putting 3 x 5 index card ads on bulletin boards throughout your planned service area, look for opportunities and leave door hangers when you find them, do presentations for community clubs, go to local community events like fairs and gardening shows, and consider running a couple ad campaigns in the newspaper (newspapers take multiple runs as they are read then disposed of so plan on a minimum run of 6 weeks with a simple ad and stay out of the classifieds or you probably won't be found). Look at building a simple website and do some Goggle Ads. Finally, call your phone book companies. Now is the time to get in the book for next year and they generally have excellent rates for "new" clients. Of course, if you've got the funds to start with an SEO company, go that route right out of the gate.

Most importantly look at your monthly advertising budget (and if you don't have one yet make one) and figure out different methods to maximize that amount. Don't over exert yourself out of the gate as you need to see what avenues work best in your market but as the saying goes, you've got to spend money in order to make money.

If you can only afford $500 a month for advertising then invest that $500 where it will do the most good. Review your advertising to see how it is working for you. Ask every prospect how they heard of you, write it down, and review it at bill time. If you see that 80% of your work is coming from newspaper ads, consider doing more of them if they are profitable jobs. Don't look at how many calls you get, look at how many jobs you get. If you're not getting any calls from the newspaper, look at investing that amount in a different manner like Facebook Ads.

For example, I did some Internet advertising years ago where my site was getting "looked" at 50,000 times a month by search engines, yet I was only getting 10 - 15 emails/phone calls (mostly for services I didn't even offer like ground bees, ants, dogs, etc.) and only 1 - 2 sales each month. I dropped this method as I was getting just enough sales to pay for the advertising and job expenses.

A good target to shoot for is 10 times gross for your investment. So if you spend $100 a month, then you should be getting $1000 in return. If you're only getting $300 for that $100 investment, look at investing it elsewhere.

I did the "advertising solutions" from yp (yellow pages). Focused on the mobile and internet ads. Will also have a business ad in the phone book come next print.
90% of calls come from this. Not a lot but I am just starting full time. I do get a lot for dogs so I needed to update stating " No domestic animal calls, please". It cost me $95.00 a month.
The physical phone book hardly ever gets used anymore so I elected for a "pay per call" option.
I also put business cards everywhere I can and hand out as many as possible.
Flyers are always good if you can find places to put them.
I talked to area trustees, police, fire dept. and others who get calls for critters.
Let all know you do charge! People seem to think I'm PETA. Ummm..no! Lol!

First legit job came from Craigslist. Was the only job craigslist ever produced.

Try contacting several realators. Nothing kills a deal like skunk

My first job came, two days after I lettered my truck. The lady came running out and flagged me down.

My first job was done with a shattered knee in a cast. Raccoons in my neighbors house in San Diego. She was a disk jockey on the morning show, and she put my info out there the next day. My phone went nutts! I never knew San Diego had so many raccoons.

Read the book Guerilla Marketing.

What You Don't Know: Bethell's an ex-cop and has probably got more referrals in his first year than I've got in a lifetime.

Eric Arnold's advice was excellent. ( But I would have to say that anyway because I write for his magazine.)

Coonwacka definitely has the right idea and Nathan Krause did too. A plus and a minus.

What Throwback said about California could also pertain to New York. How's the reality market in your area?

Cannonx4 needs to include more information; including what Cannonx4 means and the dimensions and availability of the lady.

Mike Flick needs to include if the Cannonx4 customer is the one who shattered his leg.

What about marketing to Gorillas? That would describe a lot of customers.

My first job or my first paying job?

I started out doing this work for free. It didn't dawn on me that people got paid for this.

I lived next to a horse ranch that closed. My bird feeders became over run with Norway rats. I started trapping them and a neighbor asked me to help her out with the rats also. Once they were under control she asked me if I would help her sister out who had squirrels in her trailer, which I did.

A neighbor of hers asked me if I would catch her squirrels too, so I did.

Another neighbor was having problems with skunks so I helped him out too.

Eventually, the park management got involved and told me to help out as many folks as I wanted.

After a few years I was trapping for two mobile home parks and an apartment complex. It was fun and I felt good helping the people out.

One day a game warden showed up and explained I really needed a license to do what I was doing.

Who knew? Not me.

So I got licensed.

Then I met a pretty young lawyer who asked me to trap a skunk under her porch and said a company had told her it would be $250. She said she'd give me $150.

The rest is history.

sqs, you and I share something interesting. The first ADC animal that I ever got paid for were also Norway rats. I used Conibears in trails with great success. The ADC Gods must smile on dumb kids.

What works for me is sticking my business cards in EVERY feed & hardware store I can find plus restaurants, Tractor Supply, Southern States, Lowes, Ace, etc, etc.
Plus, the magnetic signs on the truck have had many folks ask me in a pkg lot, like Walmart or Grocery store.

Got my first call and paid job from the
Local feed mill. Skunk under a house.
80 dollars!!

Actually Paul, I didn't get paid for the Norway rats, or anything else until I ran into that sassy, young lawyer.

I did this work for four years before I ever realized anyone was charging for it.

Paul, Cannon is my last name, the 4 is how many in our family. That is before the last one came along. As far as the woman, let's just say plus size with a minor squirrel problem. All taken care of now...

I knew I had good idea to start a wildlife business here, while shopping for insurance locally one of the other insurance agents saw my agents note on her desk. She says my mother has rabbit problems, before I have cards, invoices or insurance this elderly lady calls and asks for my help. My wife's jaw dropped when I got that call, she knew I was right again, as usual. I had to stall my first client a couple weeks until I got all the legalities lined up. I caught my first rabbit Easter Sunday 2002. And you wonder why the Easter bunny doesn't exist anymore. He lives in my freezer now.

My first job was my stepson calling me up at 2am. that he had a bat in the house. Went over with a fishing net and leather gloves and grabbed it out of the house. Then I went home to bed. Saw on line that there was a class to take for nwco and that you could get paid to get up at that hour. Last free job I DID. Like SGS, if we took care of our own animal problems, we wouldn't know about our business.