Recent research from Pest, the independent UK pest management magazine, has identified an optimistic mood within the pest industry.

76% of the pest control professionals surveyed expect the next five years to be good or very good and only 2% cited a gloomier outlook, the lowest in the eight years of running the survey. That can only be good news for those seeking a sustainable franchise model or new business opportunity.

A positive five year outlook reflects the confidence of the sector and is a great foundation for a very successful business. It’s something that Jim Mills, The Pest Company MD, has already seen with his existing franchisees.

“A buoyant sector has certainly been welcomed by our franchisees and they have definitely benefited from it” he said. “However, providing a great service remains just as important in a growing market as high marketing costs are simply unsustainable for a small business. We find that a great service is always appreciated and rewarded with many of our franchisees seeing new clients as a result of referrals and testimonials”.

So what is keeping our franchisees busy?

“It’s been a very good wasp season so far. I think our top call out was for 16 wasps nests in one residence,” said Jim. However, rodent control remains the primary focus for our domestic and commercial customers, which is consistent with the Pest magazine survey.

Results showed that 55% of time spent by pest control professionals was on rodents with 8% on other mammals such as squirrels, rabbits and moles. Insect work accounted for around a third of time spent encompassing wasps (13%), bed bugs (5%) ants (5%) and cockroaches (4%) amongst others. Bird management took up 6% of time.

Flexibility and innovation in pest control

The survey also reflected the scope for expansion, with many respondents considering branching out into new areas of pests such as birds and mosquitos. Others were considering new treatments such as heat treatment for bed bugs and non-toxic methods.

The Pest Company has been receiving enquiries from prospective franchisees keen to work with specific pests or specialise in particular markets like the farming community.

“A franchise with The Pest Company is flexible enough to allow specialisation, it’s just whether there is enough demand in the territory they want”, says Jim. “We would help evaluate this as they work on their business plan. And of course, if the specialism is relevant across the business and could provide mutual benefit between franchisees, we would help facilitate the opportunity.”

A franchise with The Pest Company can be a rewarding and profitable business opportunity. And, with a positive outlook for the next five years, why not find out more?