My question stems from recent discussions of inspection fees and other aspects of pricing.

So for those who didn't come from within the industry but started from actual scratch and had
to figure out how to bump along from jump, did you do things different than you do now that your
company is 5-10 years old or more?

I know folks adjust their pricing and thought process, that I understand entirely, just wondering if
like myself when you were just opening your doors you were looking for low hanging fruit and trying
to edge out folks by charging less or in other ways.

I charge more than my competition, so in reality I'm the opposite of what I've heard a lot of posters
suggest, but I do offer free bat inspections within a set area, while all other wildlife, birds, etc...I charge
a fee to look at it and assess.

Maybe I should call this post, what has changed the most after you've been open for business 3+ years?

Justin

I use to charge just about what everyone else was charging. Now I charge more then them, and make just as much if not more with less hours. So I guess thats what has changed for me. I am still busy, burried at times. But I am getting picky on the calls I take and filter them mostly through pricing. The biggest mistake someone can make in this biz is not charging what your worth... Everyone was gulty of it at some point, those that figured it out are still around, those that havent wont be for long.

When I first started, I was on disability with a cast up to my hip. My neighbor was a morning DJ. and had raccoons that nobody could get rid of.... except me. So I did my first one for half a pizza and a good bottle of wine. She put my name on the air and the ball was rolling the next day. I was doing free set ups and $50.00 pick ups in 2001. All I wanted to do was raccoons, and only part time. Then I caught my first skunk in a cage.........

and the rest is history.....

I started out doing nothing but beaver,,,,then one day i got a call for a raccoon,,,,,,

Captured the raccoon and she was wet,,,,
No attic access,,,,
I was fortunate,,,,the young kits that did not have there eyes open move close to an air gap in the bird block because of the heat,,,

I cut the blocking out and grabbed them,,,
LUCKY!
Pricing is about the same for capture,,,,,repairs are more,.......

We (my wife and I) started our business from scratch 19 yrs. ago in Oct. of '93. We are in a rather small market area so we where the first to actually go "full time" being a wco. We had to figure out everything we did from scratch including pricing. It took a while but we finally figured out how much I had to make to stay in business and make a decent living at the same time. The best part is I'am still as passionate about it now as I was those many years ago. The real truth is I know I would never have "made it" in this business if it had not been for the total support of my beautiful wife.

Very nice Bob!

Ditto the beautiful wife part. NWCOA should have a "best wife spouse" award.

Isn't that the truth!

Seems to me it was $59 for a service call and $20 to $30 per animal. Of course, as soon the Obama administration took over, we had to knock it down to $39 and $10.95 per animal.

Do you accept food stamps?

I know a concrete guy that was asked that question

I have been asked for a welfare discount.

why would obama make you drop your price... i know your trying to be funny, but just wondering why you said that.

I started in 1990 , and remember getting a whopping 35.00 per Coon. We were having so much fun that we were scared to raise the prices, because we knew there was just no way anyone would pay anymore than that. Boy, were we uninformed back then.

I remember thinking that I should be paying the customer. I couldnt believe I was making money doing this!

Come on wiggler. With all the complaining Pesky has been doing about the people with no money in Michigan, you of all people ask that question. There are more people who can't afford our services than ever before!

x 2

i know... lets keep dropping the wages.. outsource more jobs.. cut peoples pay.. come on robb.. think about it... ive had more work this summer than ive ever had.. he may not have people in his zone.. i dont have that problem here. i know i know... Obama did it...

I'd love to be able to answer the original question, but I'm still trying to figure it out myself.

I get one customer who ask, "Are you sure that's enough?" and then the next one screams, "You want how much?!"

I just did a snake job where I didn't even catch the snake and the lady tipped me an extra 20 bucks! Then there was the two coons, a possum and a tabby cat that I caught for another lady yesterday and she asked if she owed me anything. Duh!

What I can't figure out is those people who are loosing hundreds or even thousands of dollars due to damage or predation but think that 500 bucks for a 10 day coyote line is too much.

I love the work, just hate dealing with the public. Ultimately, I would LOVE to do this for the state or county on a salary basis. Then I could do my thing and not worry about the money. I wouldn't even have to deal directly with people.

I think that's it in a nut shell. The more I learn about people, the more I like dealing with critters!