Skedaddle Flashcards
Do I need to be an animal expert or animal enthusiast to be a successful Franchise Owner?
100 percent NO! Enjoying animals is a plus. We are the wildlife experts – so you don’t have to be one. Our support team has vast experience in dealing with all types of animal behaviors and issues you may encounter. The franchise operator is meeting business and homeowners, animal proofing and engaged in business or people management. However, you will have fun and have a new adventure every day.
Will I need to be the person removing the wildlife from the home or business?
It is prudent for you to understand the basics of the business operation. It is common to work in the field for the first three months or so. However, to grow a multiple van operation you should work on the business, not in the business.
What prevents the animals from returning to the home or business if you don’t trap and relocate them?
Trapping and relocating animals does not work. The reason trapping and relocating does not work is the rebound effect. While the relocated wildlife die, other wildlife species simply move into the vacated area. If the home is not properly secured new wildlife simply move in. Studies have found that seventy percent of relocated animals do not survive. It’s not humane. In fact, studies indicate that in urban areas there are 15-50 raccoons per square mile, and they move in once a den site is vacated. It is impossible to get rid of all raccoons, squirrels, skunks, birds, bats and mice in an urban setting – the animals will repopulate. The compromised or weak entry points on the building are the areas we will secure. Our system finds where the animals are entering and animal proofs the residence or commercial property. For a detailed explanation
I don’t live in a metropolitan area. Are there enough wildlife incursions in my area for me to have a viable and steady business?
After 32 years in business servicing over 150 municipalities we have found that every city, town, and suburb has wildlife issues. Part of your franchise investigation is a market evaluation where we help you validate the nature of the current nuisance wildlife problem.
Since Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control offers a lifetime guarantee, doesn’t that put a financial burden on the Franchise Owner to honor it?
Our training, our experience and our thoroughness allow us to offer a lifetime guarantee. We have over 20 founder locations ourselves, warranty work usually is due to a new species or it produces new work and income. Care is always taken upfront to do the prevention work by the following motto – “do it once, do it right.”
Is recruiting, training and retaining employees difficult for such a niche business?
We find people who like the outdoors, wildlife, hunting, or fishing who makes great employees. As a mature business operation and franchisor we have a proven training method. It works. Ask our current franchises or review the wildlife technician videos. We hire for attitude, and train for skills. There are no schools that provide a pool of possible employees for our industry. This work is a cut above. We offer competitive wages to retain employees and offer opportunities to grow as your franchsie grows. It is unique, challenging and we hear over and over again from our own employees that each day presents a new adventure. No burger-flipping, low morale or boring work environment.
Is it really possible to run a Skedaddle operation as a home-based business? When would I need an office location?
Yes, we do encourage you to start out in a home office. For your expanding fleet of vehicles, you may want to consider a storage facility. Employees do not have to come to a central office. The vehicles are moving billboards, so having your employees drive them to and from their home is a bonus for your advertising. The executive investor or empire builder may want to start out in an industrial warehouse.
Your website says this business is scalable. What does that mean and how big can the operation grow?
Skedaddle is a vehicle-based service business. Your Skedaddle wrapped vehicle is your office. Unlike brick and mortar retail locations, we do not need to take on expensive building leases. The key to increasing or scaling your Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control franchise is capacity. This means how much gross sale revenue can each service vehicle produce. A great question to ask existing Skedaddle franchise operators is how much does one of your trucks and wildlife technicians generate. How big or how many territories do I need to have a multiple truck operation. See Question 10 as to why we have not answered that question directly here.
Is the business seasonal? If so, what does that look like?
No, we do not have a slow or dormant time of the year. Yes, you can operate 12 months or 365 days of the year – if you so choose. Peak season is from March to November. They are actively seeking and using multiple den sites, which translates to more home or business incursions. When the cold weather sets in, mice, rats and other animals seek warm winter den sites such as warm attics and chimneys. We historically do more attic insulation remediation and attic repair work in the fall and winter. Why? The insulation damage that the animals caused in attics become obvious as the heating bills mount. A decision to put off the repair when the animals were removed now becomes an urgent need.
I’ve searched yours and other franchise websites, but they never tell me how much money I can make if I become a Franchise Owner. Why is that?
The Federal and State government agencies that regulate franchising forbid it. The Franchise Disclosure Document, FDD for short, outlines in detail what information is permitted to be disclosed. If the franchise organization has detailed historical income and provable data, it is published in section 19 of the FDD. It is called an earnings claim. In reality, the best source of how much money one can make is gathered from existing franchise operators during validation phone calls. Further, if you obtain the information and make your own projections, you are more likely to trust those numbers.
