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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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Schopen’s 2018 year in review
Pete Schopen hangs with AzPPO folks. PHOTO: PETE SCHOPEN My wife still puts together the daily deposits for our company. Recently, she was filling out the deposit slips for Nov. 5, and it took her four...
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The old man and the (digital) sea
IMAGE: ISTOCK.COM/CHOKKICX I’m getting old. I mean seriously old. Next month, I’m going to write about the pluses and minuses of turning the big 5-0 on May 30. But this month, I’m feeling very...
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5 decades of being Pete Schopen
The author (pictured in back, left) is thankful for sons Caleb and Trey (in front from left to right), and wife, Tami (in back, right), this milestone year. PHOTO: PETE SCHOPEN Happy birthing day to my...
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If you offer it, they will come
Pete Schopen, circa 1998. PHOTO: PETE SCHOPEN Twenty-five years ago, when I was a young sports broadcaster, I got a job in Cleveland, Miss., at Delta State University. I was the play-by-play man for...
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The importance of continuing education
PHOTO: PETE SCHOPEN Hello! My name is Pete, and I’m mechanically challenged. Need proof? Read on: My dad used to buy me fancy car models to put together so I would learn how to build things. It didn’t...
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Review your online review responses
PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/JUSTSTOCK Few things in a pest control operator’s life will ruin his or her day as much as a one-star review. To be completely honest, one of my weaknesses is having thin skin, so a...
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How to address poor reviews
ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCK.COM/INFADEL With poor reviews, it’s not a matter of if it will happen, but when will it happen. A one-star review doesn’t need to define our company, but not responding to it in a...
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Insurance audits: This will only hurt a little
The office insurance binder: Learn it, live it, love it, even if you don’t really want to. PHOTO: PETE SCHOPEN I hate needles. I know I need shots for certain situations. It doesn’t change the fact...
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I called my insurance agent, Steve Quist, who is with Mangold Insurance out of Burlington, Wis. for some advice about insurance audits. Steve said, “You should like your agent.” Your agent should be an...
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Reflections from a start-up spouse
Photo: Tami Schopen Editor’s Note: This month’s “Diaries” column has been hijacked. It is written by none other than Pete Schopen’s wife, Tami (or as Pete calls her, “The Queen”). I should have known...
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Could 2019 just be forgot and never brought to mind?
One bright spot in 2019 was the author attending the PMP Hall of Fame the night before PestWorld got underwayin San Diego, Calif., in October. PHOTO: DIANE SOFRANEC Goodbye, 2019. Good riddance, 2019....
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Make the pay-per-lead model work for you
PHOTO: DESIGNER491/ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS/GETTY IMAGES I’ve got something important to tell you. It’s earth-shattering, mind-blowing, volcano-erupting, box-office smashing, Independence Day huge....
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Cultivate a positive company culture
Chris Baumann, left, earned the Schopen Pest Solutions Al Star Award for 2019. PHOTO: PETE SCHOPEN People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how...
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Retain employees with benefits befitting them
PHOTO: ANDREAASTES/ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS/GETTY IMAGES When I started Schopen Pest Solutions in 2006, it was not uncommon for me to work a 16-hour day. By my fourth year in business, it was the...
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Pondering the prevalence of profanity
PHOTO: SADEUGRA/ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS/GETTY IMAGES I’m by no means a prude, but I was recently visiting one of the many pest control Facebook groups I frequent, and I couldn’t believe the...
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Investment in formal training pays dividends
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” — Benjamin Franklin Step-by-step photos like this one help convey expectations. PHOTO: PETE SCHOPEN Without question, the most important...
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One small step toward delegation
The author, right, with newly minted branch manager Chris Baumann. PHOTO: PETE SCHOPEN When I was at PestWorld in San Diego, Calif., last October, I was sitting with some pest control friends, talking...
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RV drives next business phase
Like all good RVers, we named our baby: “C’mon in! It’s Schopen!” PHOTO: PETE SCHOPEN I bought a recreational vehicle (RV) this summer. No, I didn’t use my Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. That...
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Where are you in the business owner life cycle?
Setting up office cubicles at Schopen Pest Solutions this summer are, from left, Leeza Trainor, Jason Chaples and George Cochran. PHOTO: PETE SCHOPEN Like most owners of small to midsized pest control...
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