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Are you grappling with the question of whether to go local and family-owned over a nationally-owned pest control company?
Struggle no more.
The following blog explores the waning presence and priorities of family-owned companies, and provides 5 key reasons why more and more Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvanians are opting for our local, family-backed services over the often-perfunctory approach of larger pest management chains.
Why Choose Family-Owned Pest Control Over National Chains?
1) With a national pest control company you’re just a number.
2) With family-owned, if we lose you, we’re going to care about it. National, not so much.
3) Our reputation matters more.
4) You can always talk to someone in charge with a local, family-owned pest control company, whereas with a National account, you’re speaking with someone 5 states over who likely doesn’t care as much.
5) With local, customers mean EVERYTHING; our service area is where we live and you live.
The Waning Presence Of Family-Owned Pest Control Companies
Ironically, family businesses in many industries have declined in the United States over the course of the last few years despite the fact that more than half of all publicly traded corporations are family run.
The reasons are manifold and can concern friction arising from rivalries between parents, siblings and children, wealth that is generated more from business operations than stock investments and an inability to compete with larger encroaching companies that glean more revenue and can offer more of a range of services.
And in the case of pest control companies, recent trends shows a surge in larger national pest control brands gobbling up smaller competition.
While this effort may be beneficial to the bottom lines of these larger conglomerates (and the investment companies that own them), it often means the service they provide to the end customer (you) suffers, as it’s not as meticulous, efficient or as personal than the services you receive from local family-owned companies, like ours.
We are a five-star company that has been in continuous operation since the 1940s, and we continue to stem the course of the tide of diminishing family owned pest-control businesses throughout Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania with the most personalized, effective and reliable pest management strategies — (412) 252-5200.
A Few Relevant Statistics On Pest Control Companies
According to data acquired from U.S. Small Business Administration, small enterprises account for 48 percent of employment in the United States.
A recent Forbes report established that 8 out of every 10 small businesses start ups fail within the first 18 months.
Pest-control and pest-management professionals interviewed in a recent survey indicated that they believed the decrease is the result of today’s more stringent regulatory environment.
Pest-control and pest-management grows more challenging with every passing year.
The use of dangerous chemicals has largely fallen out of favor, and those that may be applied are not toxic to humans or animals and are only considered as a last resort.
Environmentalists backed by careful research have forced an awareness of the need to protect the legacy of Mother Earth for future generations.
Modern home-owners as well are demanding eco-friendly treatments and solutions, which we, with more than seventy years of continuous and successful operation, are always able and willing to provide.
We have withstood industry fluctuations by strict adherence to government stipulations and a customer service policy that is renowned for its focus on home-owner concerns, integrated pest management solutions, new products and strategies and the need to bond with and please our clients.
Smaller Businesses Are At A Shrinking Disadvantage
Smaller, privately owned pest-control and pest-management businesses are at a disadvantage because they cannot compete in today’s marketplace.
According to Thomas Pollard, president of Best Control Pest Control: “Realistically, I think you’re going to be seeing more and more big companies gobbling up little ones. One reason for this is that owners stand to earn a pretty penny for selling their businesses. Furthermore, larger companies with deeper pockets can make it increasingly difficult for smaller businesses to thrive. However, there will always be some room for small companies.”
While this fact may be hopefully so, success lies with understanding what needs to be done in order for a particular family run business to shine above and through all others of their ilk.
Easy to say, this is, of course, not so easy to do, but we do this by always standing behind our services, products and customers.
Located on Alpha Drive RIDC Industrial Park, the nearby Pittsburgh community has always been at the center of our lives and operations, even though our services extend throughout Western Pennsylvania and other environs.
The Priorities of Every Family Owned Businesses
While there is no tried and true formula for family-owned and operated business stability and/or success, there are aspects that can be very appealing to the modern consumer especially when it comes to pest-control and pest-management.
They are as follows:
Establishing Trust and Authenticity
While certainly essential to all types of commerce at every level, establishing a thread of trust between consumers and a family-run company is vital to establishing customer loyalty.
The cornerstone of any strong brand lies in genuine relationships that are built upon and maintained by transparency and authenticity.
These qualities are reinforced by both business and family bonds, which are often marked by a greater element of trust than is found among bigger business colleagues.
This aspect has exploded today because the power of the consumer has dramatically shifted, and brands must tell a story that coincides with any and all information espoused by a particular company’s mission and past.
Ultimately, customers crave an emotional connection with the humans behind the brands they buy.
In the case of pest-control and and pest-management, our success is clearly defined by the quality of the people who work there.
The fact that our technicians are highly trained to address any pest control emergency, our transparency in all business matters and assurance to all customers that we stand behind all of our products and services are major selling points.
Many of our clients have been with us for years. Trust is not easily earned, and for us, our reputation is as solid today as it was more than seven decades ago when we were first established.
Trust is the source of long-term perspectives. According to researchers, Golembiewski and McConkie: “There is no single variable which so thoroughly influences interpersonal and group behavior as does trust.”
Reinforcing Commitment And Unified Leadership
At the heart of any family business lies a shared business vision and identity.
This commitment results in a more unified leadership and promotes solidarity in and among all family members involved in the firm’s daily operations.
In the words of American economist, Milton Friedman: “No one spends someone else’s money as carefully as one spends one’s own.”
Our technicians live and breathe their commitment to their clientele every day.
Our superior customer service shines with a star far brighter than our competitors.
Our pest-control and pest-management professionals are backed by a caring family with many years of solid, hands-on experience in dealing with the trials and tribulations of any kind of pest infestation.
Our unified leadership has been carefully passed down, like a family heirloom, from one generation to another.
Ensuring Customer Needs Take Precedence Over Family Matters
Any and every family owned pest-control and pest-maintenance company must place the needs of their clientele above their own.
Conflicts with family members and bringing those issues to work can greatly affect that all-important bottom line every business must first reach and then surpass in order to thrive.
In this case, we are there to meet both the industrial and residential needs of those living in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas.
Our loyal customers know that they are a priority when it comes to delivering their superior services and products.
Maintaining A Solid Online Reputation
Today, a pristine online reputation is essential to the success of any family-run exterminating company.
This is determined by several factors which include: online reviews by Google, Yelp and social media; a company’s response to these reviews, whether positive or negative; engagement with customer feedback on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter and an active online presence.
We are a trusted pest-control and pest-management company that understands both the fragility of online reputations and their importance to long term success.
Statistics indicate that 90% of people will choose to avoid purchasing from or using the services of a company if it has a bad online reputation.
We establish bonds with our customers and this intangible aspect is vital to the establishment of a company’s positive online reputation.
Ensuring An Enduring Stability
A family run company must have established roots in the community it serves.
According to a 2011 American Family Business Survey conducted by the Mass Mutual Financial Group, this connection is believed to increase the likelihood of a company’s decision-making that will be based on ethical and morally acceptable grounds.
This is not just altruistic behavior, as negative issues concerning how a company treats its fellow community members become highly visible very quickly and can permanently stain a company’s stability and hard-earned reputation.
Pittsburgh’s Family-Owned Pest Control Company
In 1948, we began our long and arduous climb to prominence throughout Greater Pittsburgh, Western PA counties and the surrounding tristate areas.
Our unwavering mission over the course of the years has remained the same; namely, to provide experienced, responsive and uncompromising pest-control and pest-management services to all of our loyal customers.
We are the only commercial service firm of our kind in the United States in that we actually manufacture a number of the products we use.
Most of our pest-control solutions, air fresheners, odor control products, ambient scent systems, fragrances, washroom and hygiene products are made locally in our 85,000 square foot North Pittsburgh facility.
Call our teams today! (412) 252-5200 — As a home or business owner, you can trust to effectively solve all your pest-control and pest-maintenance problems.
Final thought on family business: Behind every small business success, there’s a family. ~ Facebook.com-Shopkeepers MBA
Photo Credits: Pixabay