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Jose Rodriguez needed to comply with in his father’s footsteps and construct a profession within the pest management business, so it was a dream come true when his brother, Michael, teamed up with him to start out Pest Brothers. Their robust bond set the tone for a thriving enterprise centered on constructing lasting relationships with clients.
“I do not assume there are quite a lot of choices the place you get to work together with your finest buddy and your largest cheerleader,” Michael says. “For me, that was actually crucial factor.”
It seems, going into enterprise together with your finest buddy will be your key differentiator. The 2 exhibit glorious teamwork, which is mirrored of their buyer interactions and plenty of five-star evaluations — securing their spot on Yelp’s Prime 100 Native Companies of 2025.
“[Customers] discover us well-tempered, well-mannered,” Michael says. “And the rationale for it’s we’re having fun with what we do and who we do it with. I feel that is actually the premise for all of it. After which from there, good issues come.”
Joined by their brother-in-law, John, every member of the Pest Brothers brings one thing totally different to the desk, together with recruiting, advertising and marketing and business expertise.
Previous-school relationship-building was key to their early progress. The group sponsors golf tournaments for native faculties and attends group occasions to not solely create visibility for Pest Brothers but in addition to honor their roots.
“We have been sponsors on the golf event for [my son’s] highschool, the place we get quite a lot of leads,” Jose says. “We promote wherever we will as a result of these are the parents who’ve fed us after we weren’t essentially attending to Yelp’s Prime 100.”
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Nonetheless, the brothers knew there was extra they might do to spice up on-line visibility. They noticed Yelp as a chance to draw extra leads, and the funding paid off shortly. “We tried out the free trial [of Yelp Ads], and it was an absolute success — nearly like we flipped a light-weight change, and [leads] tremendously began flowing in,” Michael says.
They obtained such an inflow of consideration from householders that they determined to cease sending out snail mail ads, which may have a low success fee.
“At any time when we obtain a lead on Yelp, it is about pace to guide,” Michael says. “The extra shortly we will attain out, the extra shortly we will get to that home, service it and win that lead.”
Its Yelp presence does greater than lead era, nonetheless. It additionally builds belief and helps flip potential clients into loyal, long-term regulars. Particularly within the pest management and dwelling service business, a brand new buyer would not at all times imply one job. Each new lead is an opportunity to create a recurring buyer — and the alternatives are rolling in for Pest Brothers.
“These are people that in the event you do a great job, they’re gonna reward you for a protracted time frame,” Michael says. “By way of the Yelp leads I noticed on our dashboard, views on our web page have elevated by 576% over the previous 30 days [since winning Yelp’s Top 100]. You speak about market consciousness — that is great. That is viral if I’ve ever seen it, so it has been superior for us.”
After getting your viewers’s consideration, Jose emphasised how necessary it’s to set clear expectations, reminiscent of how lengthy a therapy will take or when the shopper will see outcomes. It is the sort of transparency that builds credibility, prevents confusion and earns five-star evaluations.
When errors inevitably occur, the brothers acknowledge them with grace, reaching out personally to clients to make issues proper. “If any individual calls you, you possibly can positively rectify their concern as quickly as you possibly can,” Jose says. “That is actually the entire level of being a small enterprise, [being] ready to try this.”
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After constructing Pest Brothers from a two-man operation into some of the trusted pest management firms within the Miami space, co-founders Michael and Jose share what’s helped them succeed within the aggressive dwelling service business:
- Lead with belief. Clients prolong belief once they allow you to into their houses and workplaces. Be dependable, present up if you say you’ll and deal with each house with respect.
- Put money into relationships. Repeat clients and referrals are the lifeblood of a service enterprise. Study folks’s names, bear in mind their considerations and deal with each job as a chance to strengthen the connection.
- Use instruments to work smarter. From routing software program to on-line evaluations, know-how can save time, enhance effectivity and aid you higher serve clients. Leverage totally different platforms and instruments to remain organized, reply sooner and construct your fame.
- Keep adaptable. Each job is totally different. Be prepared to regulate your strategy and continue to learn new strategies to remain aggressive and environment friendly.
- Construct a fame that lasts. Dwelling companies are about greater than fixing a selected downside. They’re about creating peace of thoughts. When folks know you genuinely care about their dwelling or enterprise, they will belief you for years to return.
Watch the episode above to listen to straight from Michael and Jose Rodriguez, and subscribe to Behind the Evaluation for extra from new enterprise house owners and reviewers each Wednesday.
Editorial contributions by Jiah Choe and Kristi Lindahl
