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Start-Up Diaries: Helping Techs Advance Their Education
Help educate your techs by developing a vocabulary test for them to take during the slow months. Photo: ©istock.com/mattjeacock I love to play Scrabble. Growing up on a farm in Nebraska, our winter...
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Start-Up Diaries: Making the Switch to Hourly Pay
At Schopen Pest Solutions, employees are now paid by the hour. Photo: ©istock.com/courtneyk For as long as I can remember, I’ve been working. When I was 14 years old, I’d mow the grass of five clients...
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Start-Up Diaries: Cover All Your Bases Every Day
Photo: ©istock.com/IPGGutenbergUKLtd Recently, within the span of a few days, three of my pest management brethren (in California, Wisconsin and Michigan, respectively) called and asked how I’ve been...
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Humor in Uniform: The Crawlspace Redemption
When inspecting crawlspaces, ever feel like Tim Robbins in “The Shawshank Redemption” when he crawled his way through the prison sewer line? Photo: ©istock.com/wildcat78 Years ago in Chicago, I...
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Start-Up Diaries: Get Up, Get Out, Give Back
Are you or your company involved in volunteering or charity work? What has it done for your business? Photo: ©istock.com/Kirby Hamilton Have you noticed that hardly anyone volunteers anymore? It used...
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5 Questions with Pete Schopen
Pete Schopen This month, my back-page column features a question- and -answer (Q&A) session with Pete Schopen, a regular Pest Management Professional (PMP) columnist and owner of McHenry,...
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Humor in Uniform: A Pregnant Pause
Photo: ©istock.com/jean frooms When I was 19, I spent the summer as an outdoor technician for my dad’s company. I did all of the power sprays, wasp jobs and ant treatments. I had just finished spraying...
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Start-Up Diaries: No Free Lunch or Termite Inspections
If you want to run a successful business, there’s no free lunch. Photo: ©istock.com/Devonyu Many moons ago, when I was a waiter at an exclusive country club in the Chicago suburbs, I worked with Luis,...
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Humor in Uniform: Under Observation
Yellow Jacket working a camelia blossom When I pulled up to Mrs. Brown’s home that long-ago summer, I noticed she had two adorable preschool-age kids, one boy and one girl. I stepped out of my vehicle...
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This is Yellowjacket Season and I Love It
Indulge my poetic side for a moment, won’t you? Ahem: Yellow Jacket working a camelia blossom Ode to the Yellow jacket September, for most, is the best month of the year. Octoberfest looms close....
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Making Winter Downtime Productive
Photo: ©istock.com/Chiyacat I grew up on a farm in Western Nebraska, way up in the high plains of the Sand Hills, just south of the Badlands. My family didn’t farm our property; we were renters. But we...
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How to Decide on the Name of Your Company
Trey Schopen’s name was carefully chosen after much debate, just like the name of his father’s pest management company. Photo: Pete schopen Before my oldest son was born, my wife and I had an epic...
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5 steps to bring your business from good to great
Photo: ©iStock.com/BaMiNi Baseball players play 162 games per year. The average player gets approximately 155 hits per season, or one hit per game. The really good baseball players get about 185 hits...
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Schopen and his wife are partners in work and life
“To have and to hold, and perhaps to also do my company billing one day?” Photo courtesy: Pete Schopen I must admit I’m a sucker for a good love story. “Jerry Maguire” and “The Princess Bride” are both...
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Start-Up Diaries: No Free Lunch or Termite Inspections
If you want to run a successful business, there’s no free lunch. Photo: ©istock.com/Devonyu Many moons ago, when I was a waiter at an exclusive country club in the Chicago suburbs, I worked with Luis,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Humor in Uniform: Under Observation
Yellow Jacket working a camelia blossom When I pulled up to Mrs. Brown’s home that long-ago summer, I noticed she had two adorable preschool-age kids, one boy and one girl. I stepped out of my vehicle...
View ArticleClik here to view.
This is Yellowjacket Season and I Love It
Indulge my poetic side for a moment, won’t you? Ahem: Yellow Jacket working a camelia blossom Ode to the Yellow jacket September, for most, is the best month of the year. Octoberfest looms close....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Making Winter Downtime Productive
Photo: ©istock.com/Chiyacat I grew up on a farm in Western Nebraska, way up in the high plains of the Sand Hills, just south of the Badlands. My family didn’t farm our property; we were renters. But we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to decide on the name of your company
Trey Schopen’s name was carefully chosen after much debate, just like the name of his father’s pest management company. Photo: Pete schopen Before my oldest son was born, my wife and I had an epic...
View ArticleClik here to view.
5 steps to bring your business from good to great
Photo: ©iStock.com/BaMiNi Baseball players play 162 games per year. The average player gets approximately 155 hits per season, or one hit per game. The really good baseball players get about 185 hits...
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