Business Franchise June

54 Prokill
Investment level:
Minimum investment – £18,000;
total investment – £60,000
Website:
www.prokill.co.uk
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Email:
geoff@prokill.co.uk
Phone:
0870 770 4771
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Franchise classification:
Pest control
(ISO9001, SafeContractor, Chas, Exor,
Link-Up) in order to give the customer
the peace of mind that their supplier will
act in a responsible, accountable and
professional manner when on site.
Acquiring these qualifications can
be expensive and time consuming,
potentially forcing the smaller supplier
Geoff Whittle
out of this business. The market is wide
open for the fully trained and accredited
The Pest marketplace
operator, backed by a substantial core
business, where each individual has
autonomy but works within a tried-and-
in the country
tested system such as franchising.
Given a marketplace that is virtually
‘bomb proof’ yet presents a perfect niche
An industry overview by Geoff Whittle, head of
for the serious professional with a mind
to develop a profitable management
development of Prokill Professional Pest Prevention style business, it’s easy to see why pest
control offers a secure future for modern
E
VER SINCE the Pied Piper led more thorough service, often falls down
‘There has
day Pied Pipers. This is where Prokill is
Hamelin’s rats to the river... and because the business is being dealt with at
always been
admirably equipped to fill the vacuum
coincidentally reaped retribution arm’s length where diverse representation within the marketplace.
on the townsfolk for non payment... the across the country leads to variation in
a niche
Prokill franchisees are fully trained;
pest control industry has become one of quality of service offered.
open for a
accredited with national qualifications;
the most successful market sectors that There has always been a niche open
qualiﬁ ed
can rely on the constant support of a
anyone could be involved in. for a qualified team of operators, who highly experienced team; enjoy a diverse
The marketplace itself is probably the recognise the need to solve infestation
team of
variety of work, and are increasingly
most robust in the country; unaffected problems in a clean, professional and operators confident of weathering anything the
by the vagaries of the economy, and efficient manner. Most people will be
who
economy can throw at them.
increasingly bolstered by Health and familiar with the ‘popular’ pests such as Those with
Safety legislation, waste disposal issues, rats, mice, cockroaches and bed bugs,
recognise the
management
plus an exponential increase in new but when you add into the mix literally need to solve experience and
infestations year-on-year as a result of thousands of other infestations from a
infestation
committed
climate change (the Guardian quotes 350 multitude of moths, liberal droppings to the idea
new infestations a year ago compared of birds and infinite insects, it’s easy
problems in
of running
with 150 per year in the 90s). to appreciate what a massive problem a clean, their own
Historically the practitioners within the confronts the public and a massive
professional
business could
industry have fallen into two categories: opportunity presents itself to anyone who do far worse
the archetypal ‘rat catcher’ and the large can address the issue professionally.
and efﬁ cient
than consider
corporate ‘catch all’ company that has Ever expanding legislation, health manner…’ becoming their area’s ‘local
diversified into numerous and unrelated and safety standards and minimum hero’ with Prokill. ■
areas. Neither has been ideal, both have performance requirements dictate that
had drawbacks for the customer. the ‘man and van ratcatcher’ is being
The ‘ratcatcher’ has traditionally steadily elbowed out of the marketplace
been a ‘man and van’, sometimes due to an inability to comply with the
poorly trained and under qualified with numerous pre-qualifier accreditations
a personal agenda that means he’ll that many customers specify before a
work when he feels like it and even contractor can work on their premises.
supposing he works to capacity will Customers need to know that any
never make an impact on the potential third party supplier they appoint has
business surrounding him. The large been thoroughly trained, approved and
corporate, while potentially offering a accredited by numerous external bodies
June 2008 www.businessfranchise.com
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