I started this year with a single goal, ambition, resolution in mind. That was to begin into the world of PROFESSIONAL wildlife control. A good amount of last year I spent doing my homework. Market research, competition, plausability, pricing, gear and tool acuisition and wish listing. For some background, I have been in the building trades for close to 25 years, 19 of which have been with the same employer. I have risen as high as I will most likely go with the company without a buy out, and more likely nepatism will winout in this case. I have also been enthrawled with the practice of trapping since I was young but more comercially so since 2009. I dont feel I know near what the pages of this or any other forum contain. However, I am as confident and passionate about problem solving, wildlife and working with my hands as anyone I have ever meet. I began this decade, "my decade" as I have dubbed it ,with paperwork... Not the fast start I had hoped for but I am willing and loving the stench of the process and even the mistakes I have made in the first week of the new year. I do not want to throw traps in the back of the truck and take off into the sunrise to make a head count check. I have always been a proponent of wildlife professionals charging what they are worth, for a particular task and the knowledge they hold. With that said, I only wish to do business as a professional, so I am currently awaiting all the t's to be dotted until my eyes are crossed. I am currently still holding position at work until things begin to pick up. I have attempted to leave this job in the past. Everytime I make that attempt another carrot is dangled in front of me to keep me on the tread mill. Recently my world has been evolving to the point I can no longer be bought. I need something else. I know sooner rather than later I'll need to burn some bridges, to force my comfortable nature.

In james Allans book 'as a man thinketh' this quote comes to mind.
"“In the beautiful words of Staton Kirkham Davis, 'You may be keeping accounts, and presently you shall walk out of the door that for so long has seemed to you the barrier of your ideals, and shall find yourself before an audience — the pen still behind your ear, the ink-stains on you fingers — and then and there shall pour out the torrent of your inspiration. You may be driving sheep, and you shall wander to the city — bucolic and open-mouthed; shall wander under the intrepid guidance of a spirit into the studio of the master, and after a time he shall say, 'I have nothing more to teach you.' And now you have become the master, who did so recently dream of great things while driving sheep. You shall lay down the saw and the plane to take upon yourself the regeneration of the world.”
You are the audience I have been looking for and THIS is the torrent.
I dont have a desire to be the best. I have a desire to help people in need of a particular set of skills. Also to treat those people much, much greater than I have seen my own employers do. I have a desire to provide a much better quality of work than I have ever been allowed to grant. I have a desire to be the best employer, based on my life time of employers who refused to slow down enough to listen to and care for the people carying them to hieghts they dreamed they would reach. I have a desire to learn as much about this profession as is humanly possible and teach as equally.



While investigating this potential career, I found some competition. Normally this would get me discouraged, for some reason it has not. I feel more competitive than ever, and have seen enough cracks in the competitions business ideals and operation to seat myself into a niche. I was out today posting flyers, business cards, kissing babies etc etc, and I discovered that all the research I had been doing only led me to a portion of the competition in the area. Cork boards of like business' littered my route. Everywhere I noticed a business card, I would put three, taking note of their presentations and verbage. I come to realize that of course its trapping season and a good portion of these may be attempts to secure ground. Very few offered a professional feel. As I was leaving one location I noticed a vehicle identical to mine. Then it dawned on me, have you ever bought a new car, and then after a day or two realized how many are actually on the road? Kind of funny how that seems to work, at least for me. No matter, becasue its really the driver thats the difference. The water may have been stirred to become murky, just so others dont realize how deep it is.
Thanks for reading.

At some time in one's life, many feel the urge to work for themselves at something they enjoy and feel that they are good at. I don't do urban wildlife control, too many restrictions to suit me, but have and still work for a good many people that have done well in life. A number of them are still urban dwellers who have a place in the country. Others are just common folks like the rest of us. All of the rural properties I work are subject to have recurring wildlife problems. One very important thing that I have learned is that your people skills are nearly as important as the trapping skills you have. Certainly, you have to produce results, but building
relationships is very important also. That is what builds trust among your customers, produces repeat calls, and brings new referrals. Making yourself available as a resource to Conservation Officers, County Agricultural Extension Agents and others who are likely to receive nuisance wildlife complaints can get you a lot of business. Be honest, punctual, friendly, forthcoming in the methods and equipment you use and any concerns you may have about their application to the particular situation at hand. Listen to the questions and concerns of potential new customers and address them as best you can. Don't bad-mouth the competition. Beware of those that think they know more about what you need to do than you do or want to place more restrictions than you are comfortable with. Don't make a lot of promises or guarantees until you've been to the site, looked it over, and talked to the owner/manager. After assessing the situation, declining those opportunities that, for whatever reason, leave your success in doubt is probably to your advantage in the long run. I wouldn't leave your current job until you give your plan a try as a sideline. However, at some point, you will have to decide to take the step of faith that you can make it. In the meantime, try to reduce personal debt as much possible because this is not something you will get rich doing. You have a good plan, the desire to make it work, and hopefully, the skills you will need to be successful. I have been able to provide a much needed service to many customers in the 20+ years since I "retired", met many good people, made a lot of lasting friendships, and enjoyed the work I do. Good luck!!!

As far as getting rich in the Wildlife/Pest Control business; That's entirely up to you! You can work hard and make more money than ever before, or you can relax a little and still make an excellent living! Because I enjoy this type of work more than anything else I've ever done, I just naturally make more money. I'm reasonably sure that I would not have kept working like this for 12 years after I turned 65 if I didn't still love what I was doing!