The day that your Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control franchise opens will likely be, career wise, one of the most exciting days of your life. But what will your days be like from that point on?
To find out, we asked Andrew Wheelock, owner of Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control Halifax, to give us glimpse into a day in the life of a Skedaddle franchise operator.
The first thing Andrew does every weekday is spend time with his family, helping his children get ready for school. Some days he even has the flexibility to drive them to school.
“One of the best things about being a franchise owner is being able to have a flexible schedule,” he said. “I like that I am able to spend time with my family, while still running and maintaining a business.”
Once the kids are off to school, Andrew checks the schedule for the day, making sure everything is organized. A great initial benefit of a Skedaddle franchise is it can be a home based business. This affords tremendous flexibility, in terms of both time and finances. Andrew starts the day by doing follow up calls to customers who have just had work completed, to make sure they were happy and satisfied with the work. Exceptional customer service is a key component of Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control.
Andrew’s first appointment of the day is a Property Assessment, for a homeowner experiencing a raccoon problem.
“One of my favorite parts of the business is getting outdoors and meeting our clients, face to face. This really helps build relationships with customers, which leads to referrals for additional revenue. We are the local heroes to homeowners whose wildlife problems we solve. They are usually very stressed and overwhelmed when they call us, so it’s nice to be able to help them and relieve their stress and worry. Once we animal proof the home, our lifetime guarantee definitely gives the homeowner great peace of mind.”
After finishing up the Property Assessment, and providing a full written quote to the homeowner, Andrew stops by his technician’s job sites to make sure everything is going well and on schedule and the customer is happy.
The afternoon is spent going through paperwork from the day before, reviewing and reconciling bills and invoices. This is a critical function of any small business, and it is essential to hitting sales targets and remaining financially successful.
Andrew has two service vehicles. If the volume of orders are high, or if one of his drivers is unavailable, then he will take the wheel and go on site himself.
The goal of all franchises is to get to the point where you can work on the business and not in the business. As Andrew’s franchise has grown, he has been able to delegate the work to his fully trained wildlife technicians and focus on the business end more.
On the way back home, Andrew stops, usually once a week, to wash his service vehicle. As a Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control franchisee, your service vehicle is a moving billboard for your company, easily recognizable and memorable.It is important to have it looking its best at all times.
Networking can play a critical role in the success of a small business or franchise. That’s why, several times a month, Andrew attends networking events with local business groups, chambers of commerce and other organizations, such as SPCAs.
These sometimes take place in the evening, but some events are also held during the day.
Andrew winds down every day by gearing up for the next one. At night, he reviews voicemail’s and email messages, takes stock of inventory and makes sure the schedule is set for the day ahead.
“One of the greatest things about being a Skedaddle franchisee is the flexibility to set your own priorities and your own schedule. No two days are the same, every customer is different and even the animals and the situations are different each day,” said Andrew.
Corporate head office does an amazing job on training and provides immediate support for any issue that arises. After all, Skedaddle has been the leader in urban wildlife control since 1989. There isn’t a situation they haven’t seen.
As a result, every day is different and unique, which makes work a lot more exciting and a lot less monotonous. Besides, who wouldn’t want to to work with baby animals! “
What will your day be like? Can you picture yourself in Andrew’s shoes? Then start taking the steps to becoming a Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control franchise operator today. Call 877-662-2877 today.