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Adc business question. #5722075
12/05/16 11:52 AM
12/05/16 11:52 AM
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 743
Ontario Canada
M
Mac86 Offline OP
trapper
Mac86  Offline OP
trapper
M

Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 743
Ontario Canada
When I took my trapping course we were told it's hardly possible to make a living doing adc. I'm close enough to two big cities. Does anyone here have any success stories or tips about the business? I'm getting a couple hundred business cards made now. Just wondering if I'm wasting time ?

Re: Adc business question. [Re: Mac86] #5722111
12/05/16 12:58 PM
12/05/16 12:58 PM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,050
Mass
TDHP Offline
trapper
TDHP  Offline
trapper

Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,050
Mass
Good money to be made in adc work, like anything in life, you need to be proactive and want it,and from time to time make the sacrifices needed to get established. March to October I'm pretty consistent and comfortable with the workload I recieve. Clientel is big,low income, money towns which alot of the clientel who can hire biggger companies tend to do so because they offer other services as well, or are recommended from landscape companies etc.. The biggest problem I've noticed is that every year there seems to be more and more diysr's in my area who will attemp to remove the problem themselves or call a friend to do it. Believe it or not some will just live with the problem until it becomes unbearable. Either way in my case I enjoy adc work, but do have another source of income. I'm still working on making adc a full time career, and loving every minute of it. Goodluck with your business!

Last edited by TDHP; 12/05/16 01:01 PM.

Smile, you're an expert!
http://tdhpwildlifecontrol.webs.com/
Re: Adc business question. [Re: Mac86] #5722134
12/05/16 01:33 PM
12/05/16 01:33 PM
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 743
Ontario Canada
M
Mac86 Offline OP
trapper
Mac86  Offline OP
trapper
M

Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 743
Ontario Canada
Thanks for the reply! I always wanted to have my own business so I guess I'll give it a whirl! Nothing to lose at the moment..

Re: Adc business question. [Re: Mac86] #5722143
12/05/16 01:36 PM
12/05/16 01:36 PM
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 188
California
T
Throw Back Offline
trapper
Throw Back  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 188
California
Whoever told you that doesnt understand the full scope of ADC or doesnt understand that its a business. Its not just trapping $50 raccoons. It is deck barriers, ridge gaurd installs, bat exclusions, bird control, rat control, insulation, attic restoration, waste cleanup, moles, gophers, odor mitigation, dam removals, and more. There are many many guys out there pocketing 6 figures doing this.

Re: Adc business question. [Re: Mac86] #5722193
12/05/16 02:22 PM
12/05/16 02:22 PM
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 743
Ontario Canada
M
Mac86 Offline OP
trapper
Mac86  Offline OP
trapper
M

Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 743
Ontario Canada
Throwback. Good advice. Do you make a living doing it? Do you guys have any dos or donts for a rookie? Thanks in advance.

Re: Adc business question. [Re: Mac86] #5722252
12/05/16 03:23 PM
12/05/16 03:23 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,476
Central IA
TRapper Offline
trapper
TRapper  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,476
Central IA
One thing to remember about and adc business..(been at it full time for 10 full years out of 13) it is marketing, advertising, customer service, exclusions, dealing with animals you wont normally deal with on a fur trapping season...dealing with groundhogs in 100 plus temps, working in public eye all the time, trapping itself for most animals is about 20-40% of your time. Have to learn to be a salesman. Best thing i can recommend is the wct seminar coming up on jan 12 & 13 in erlanger ky. 100 plus wildlife control operators in one place for 2 days and 3 nights and u will shorten your learning curve in this industry by a ton. www.wctmagazine.com

Last edited by TRapper; 12/05/16 03:23 PM.
Re: Adc business question. [Re: Mac86] #5722455
12/05/16 06:38 PM
12/05/16 06:38 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,514
Woodhull, Illinois 77
J
Jim Bethell Offline
trapper
Jim Bethell  Offline
trapper
J

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,514
Woodhull, Illinois 77
Just remember, there is a big difference between the states and Canada.

Re: Adc business question. [Re: Mac86] #5722547
12/05/16 07:56 PM
12/05/16 07:56 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,361
mequon, wisconsin
P
Paul Winkelmann Offline
trapper
Paul Winkelmann  Offline
trapper
P

Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,361
mequon, wisconsin
There are guys in Canada that make a heck of a living doing ADC work. They write regularly on Facebook. Check the advertising and Internet in your area and see if some of these guys will talk to you. I don't know about Canada but our guys make a pretty darn good paycheck working in the ADC field.

Re: Adc business question. [Re: Mac86] #5732016
12/13/16 11:35 AM
12/13/16 11:35 AM
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 129
Dudley NC
M
Muddawg Offline
trapper
Muddawg  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 129
Dudley NC
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.


Muddawg
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