As a pest or lawn business owner, it can be exciting to get your first call from a private equity firm. But it also raises many questions. Why are they contacting you now? How should you handle the call? Should you even take it? On this episode, Dan and Donnie answer these questions and other things to consider about partnering with private equity. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
Aug 08, 2024•39 min•Ep 188•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Dan and Donnie explore the impact of AI-powered search engines on pest and lawn businesses. They discuss the shift from optimizing for search engines to focusing on user intent, emphasizing the importance of natural language processing and conversational AI integration. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services
Aug 01, 2024•39 min•Ep 187•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Dan and Donnie dive into Donnie's efforts to boil down team members' effectiveness to a single metric. Inspired by his experience as a pilot, Donnie shares how he is evaluating critical results to communicate clearly and ensure quality and excellence at Triangle Home Services. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services
Jul 25, 2024•29 min•Ep 186•Transcript available on Metacast Description: On this episode, Dan and Donnie share eight factors that can help you create a sustainable, thriving pest or lawn business and achieve a healthy bottom line. Dan details a list of useful operational ratios and gives an accountant's view on them, while Donnie gives an operator's perspective. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
Jul 18, 2024•42 min•Ep 185•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Dan and Donnie review GPT-4o — OpenAI's latest artificial intelligence model. They cover how the algorithm is different from previous models, why that matters and how you can use it in your pest or lawn business. Donnie also demonstrates how to use it for data analysis, so be sure to check out the video version of this episode at youtube.com/@pmpindustryinsiders . Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
Jul 11, 2024•30 min•Ep 184•Transcript available on Metacast Coalmarch's Christin Nein joins the podcast to share her expertise on the always important topic of generating customer reviews. She covers why reviews matter, how to generate more reviews, how to make sure you get the right reviews and what to do if you get a negative review. Guest: Christin Nein, Sr. Director, Product Development, Coalmarch by Workwave Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
Jun 27, 2024•41 min•Ep 183•Transcript available on Metacast David Billingsly, president and founder of The Billingsly Group, gives the inside scoop about what he's hearing as the facilitator of the PMP Industry Insiders Peer Groups, including insights on the economy, pricing, routing and AI. David also discusses how the groups are going so far and goals for the future. Guest: David Billingsly, President & Founder, The Billingsly Group Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
Jun 20, 2024•46 min•Ep 182•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Dan and Donnie welcome Dr. Cassie Krejci Ph.D., Head of Science & Innovation, North America, for Rentokil Initial — better known as the Bug Doc. She updates us on Rentokil's new North American Innovation Center, details her six points of customer innovation and shares four ways she leverages social media to raise the profile of the pest control industry. Guest: Dr. Cassie Krejci, Ph.D., BCE, Head of Science & Innovation, North America, Rentokil Initial Hosts: Dan Gordon,...
Jun 13, 2024•40 min•Ep 181•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Dan and Donnie break down Google's new AI-powered tool, formerly known as Google SGE. They cover why the search giant is rolling it out, how it works and what you need to know about it to market your pest control or lawn care company more effectively. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services
Jun 06, 2024•41 min•Ep 180•Transcript available on Metacast HR expert Jean Seawright is back to discuss the latest federal regulations that affect employers, including pest control and lawn care companies. Tune in to hear what you need to know about three new rules that pertain to independent contractors, overtime pay and noncompete agreements. Guest: Jean Seawright, President, Seawright & Associates Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
May 30, 2024•55 min•Ep 179•Transcript available on Metacast JD Darr, Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for the National Pest Management Association, joins Dan and Donnie on this episode to share the legislative and regulatory issues on NPMA members’ minds. He also covers the importance of using your voice to influence public policy and what you can expect when you attend a Legislative Day event. Guests: JD Darr, Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, National Pest Management Association Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A...
May 23, 2024•43 min•Ep 178•Transcript available on Metacast Distracted driving is on the rise, driving up auto insurance claims and increasing exposure for pest control companies. PestSure's Director of Safety Linda Midyett joins Dan and Donnie to discuss the problem and the most important things PMPs can do to fix it and control costs. Guests: Linda Midyett, Director of Safety, PestSure Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
May 16, 2024•41 min•Ep 177•Transcript available on Metacast On the heels of tax season, Dan Gordon & Donnie Shelton review common questions pest control company owners have about optimizing their taxes. They discuss filing extensions, avoiding penalties, tracking expenses and claiming tax credits, among other FAQs. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services
May 09, 2024•41 min•Ep 176•Transcript available on Metacast Join Dan and Donnie as they welcome Rentokil's John Myers and Brad Paulsen to the podcast. John shares the leadership lessons he's learned during Rentokil's period of explosive growth, Brad discusses the firm's The Right Way 2 Growth Plan, plus they cover the Terminix integration, M&A prospects, and much more. Guests: John Myers, CEO of U.S. Pest Control, & Brad Paulsen, CEO of North America, Rentokil Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle H...
May 02, 2024•49 min•Ep 175•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Dan and Donnie welcome back Andrew Bray, senior vice president of government relations & membership for the National Association of Landscape Professionals, to discuss top-of-mind issues on the lawn care side of the business. They cover the Farm Bill's significance, state preemption of local pesticide laws, election year scenarios, overtime pay and other regulatory concerns. Guest: Andrew Bray, Senior Vice President, Government Relations & Membership, National Associatio...
Apr 25, 2024•45 min•Ep 174•Transcript available on Metacast Join Dan and Donnie for an energizing episode with best-selling author Patrick Lencioni, the mastermind behind "The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team" and "The Advantage." They dive into the dysfunctions, three three essential traits of exceptional team players and how to get more out of meetings. Patrick also shares details about his latest book and concept, "The 6 Types of Working Genius." Guest: Patrick Lencioni, best-selling author & founder of The Table Group Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers &...
Apr 18, 2024•51 min•Ep 173•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Dan and Donnie review some of their recent predictions about the economy and whether or not they were correct. They also cover economic positives and negatives, trends to consider in the near term, and tips for pest and lawn companies. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services
Apr 11, 2024•43 min•Ep 172•Transcript available on Metacast Jim Fredericks, Ph.D. is back on the podcast to share the latest Professional Pest Management Alliance initiatives and what's coming down the pike. They cover large-scale projects, media coverage, the benefits of investing in PPMA and other ways the organization is growing and protecting the industry. Guest: Jim Fredericks, Ph.D., Senior VP of Public Affairs of NPMA and Executive Director of PPMA Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
Apr 04, 2024•42 min•Ep 171•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Margaret Garcia, president of Grit PPO, joins Dan and Donnie to share her expertise in pest control customer service. She covers how to take control of a phone call, the importance of tone, words to avoid, what to say instead, why call scripts work and more. Guest: Margaret Garcia, President, Grit PPO Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
Mar 28, 2024•36 min•Ep 170•Transcript available on Metacast Hawx Pest Control Co-founder Matt Mehr walks Dan and Donnie through how he and his partners have built a nine-figure enterprise from scratch. He discusses how his door-to-door business has evolved using data and proprietary technology, what it's like to get a private equity infusion and key metrics they're focusing on to continue to scale up. Guest: Matt Mehr, Co-founder, Hawx Pest Control Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
Mar 21, 2024•46 min•Ep 169•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dan and Donnie cover why online reviews are so critical in the pest control and lawn care industry and what you can do to up your review game. They go into the psychology of consumer reviews, Google's policies, how to get more reviews and tactics to avoid. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services
Mar 14, 2024•42 min•Ep 168•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Dan and Donnie ask whether there is still a place for allowing some staff to work from home in the service industry. They discuss the effect on productivity, culture, communication and client relationships, and they brainstorm ways to mitigate the downsides of WFH. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services
Mar 07, 2024•39 min•Ep 167•Transcript available on Metacast Dan & Donnie quiz AI consultant Andrew Louder about implementing AI in your business. They cover writing effective prompts, AI tools to consider and potential opportunities for the pest management industry, including marketing, operations and beyond. Guest: Andrew Louder, Founder, Louder Co. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
Feb 29, 2024•42 min•Ep 166•Transcript available on Metacast In response to a social media post debating the importance of understanding industry averages, Dan and Donnie discuss the power of benchmarking. They delve into the concept of leadership capital, goal setting and using benchmarks as a starting point to become a better-than-average pest control or lawn care company. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
Feb 22, 2024•42 min•Ep 165•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Dan and Donnie delve into the importance of nailing your marketing messaging. They cover how to improve your positioning in the marketplace and why you must differentiate your company from the competition. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services
Feb 15, 2024•38 min•Ep 164•Transcript available on Metacast Sharon Roebuck-McBride, VP of Culture and Customer Experience for Triangle Home Services, is back on the podcast to discuss the people component of EOS and what pest control and lawn care professionals can learn from it. Guests: Sharon Roebuck-McBride, VP of Culture and Customer Experience, Triangle Home Services Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
Feb 08, 2024•42 min•Ep 163•Transcript available on Metacast Veteran sales consultant Patrick Quigley joins Dan and Donnie to discuss how to develop selling technicians. He covers different types of techs and salespeople, the concept of "drop-dead pests" and steps to take to cultivate technicians who sell in your company. Guests: Patrick Quigley, president of Sales Training by Design Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services...
Feb 01, 2024•40 min•Ep 162•Transcript available on Metacast What is company culture? How do you know if yours is effective or ineffective? On this episode, Dan and Donnie discuss how they think about culture in pest control and lawn care companies and how to approach a culture change if you need one. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services
Jan 25, 2024•48 min•Ep 161•Transcript available on Metacast Description: On this episode, Dan and Donnie reflect on 2023 from an economic and trend standpoint. They cover the Pest Index, the Rollins Q3 earnings call, marketing, M&A, and they look ahead to 2024 and beyond. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services
Jan 18, 2024•40 min•Ep 160•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Dan and Donnie discuss the status of private equity firms rolling up companies in the pest control, lawn care and home services industries. They cover why it's happening, how it's different from other roll ups in the past and the end game for these firms. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services
Jan 11, 2024•42 min•Ep 159•Transcript available on Metacast 
