Your best chances for clientele is in and around the big cities. Put some flyers up in the suburbs. You'll not get much business from the rural areas. People in the country have been dealing with wild critters all their lives and know what to do when they get a squirrel in the attic.
Learn all you can about ALL the wild animals in your area. You'll have to deal with all of them. Yes, that will included snakes, too. If you turn down one client because you don't do bats, then they won't call you when they have a squirrel problem either. The slogan I like to use in my business is, "From snakes to squirrels, bats to beaver, coons to coyotes,..." Well, I didn't want to give you my entire slogan, but you get the point.
A LOT of what you do is simple education. You must be the teacher. You are the one who is supposed to be the expert on wild animals. Learn about them! A good example of this would be snakes. I know about snakes because I have to. I've researched every snake found in my state and learned as much as possible so that when I get a call, I can ask a few simple questions and know exactly what I'm dealing with. And, I can answer the clients questions and many times relieve their fears. I've received a lot of business from folks who called, got some good free information and then remembered me when they had a problem they couldn't deal with. So, yeah, you may loose a little business with giving them information, but they will remember how helpful you were and it will come back to you.
One of the biggest things to remember is to charge accordingly! If you are too cheap, then you'll not make a living at it and your clients will think you unprofessional. Base your fees on other service providers. What's the average service call for a plumber in your area? How about an electrician? What do the HVAC guys charge to come out? You've got to remember that once you've been trained and certified, you are ever much as a professional as they are. Your service fees should be in the same neighborhood as theirs. Example: I also do plumbing repair. I charge the same service fees and hourly rates for my ADC business as I do for a plumbing job. After all, I'm just as much a professional at one as I am the other.
One last thing that will help you greatly. Uniform shirts. Yeah, it may sound cheesy but I have some Dickies work shirts with my name embroidered over the right pocket and my company name over the left pocket. I also have some ball caps with my company name and phone number on them. I have generated a lot of business from this. Folks see the company name and get curious and ask "What do you do?" and then I give them a card as I explain.
Web sites, Facebook page and all that online crap? I've been told that you NEED all this stuff for a successful business. I've had a web site for two years, now, a Facebook page for just as long, I'm listed on Craig's list and Angie's list, PLUS I have a Google business site. From all these online places, to date I have received "0" calls from any of them! The only way you can get business from online is to pay a monthly fee to have your add or site listed on the first page of a web search engine.
Concentrate on local advertising. Cards, flyers, brochures, word of mouth, uniform clothing, ball caps and a good sign or muriel on the side of your truck. These are your best bet, unless you've just got thousands of dollars to blow on radio and TV.
These are just a few of the things you need to keep in mind.
