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Jose Rodriguez wished to observe 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 begin Pest Brothers. Their robust bond set the tone for a thriving enterprise targeted on constructing lasting relationships with clients.
“I do not suppose there are a number of choices the place you get to work along with your greatest good friend and your largest cheerleader,” Michael says. “For me, that was actually crucial factor.”
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It seems, going into enterprise along with your greatest good friend could be your key differentiator. The 2 exhibit wonderful teamwork, which is mirrored of their buyer interactions and lots of five-star critiques — securing their spot on Yelp’s Prime 100 Native Companies of 2025.
“[Customers] discover us well-tempered, well-mannered,” Michael says. “And the explanation for it’s we’re having fun with what we do and who we do it with. I feel that is actually the idea 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 completely different to the desk, together with recruiting, advertising and marketing and business expertise.
Previous-school relationship-building was key to their early development. The workforce 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 had been sponsors on the golf match for [my son’s] highschool, the place we get a number 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 possibility 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 — virtually like we flipped a light-weight change, and [leads] tremendously began flowing in,” Michael says.
They obtained such an inflow of consideration from owners that they determined to cease sending out snail mail ads, which might have a low success charge.
“Every time we obtain a lead on Yelp, it is about pace to steer,” 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 residential service business, a brand new buyer would not all the time 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 case you do a superb job, they’re gonna reward you for a protracted time period,” Michael says. “When it comes to 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 discuss 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, equivalent to how lengthy a therapy will take or when the client will see outcomes. It is one of these transparency that builds credibility, prevents confusion and earns five-star critiques.
When errors inevitably occur, the brothers acknowledge them with grace, reaching out personally to clients to make issues proper. “If someone calls you, you possibly can positively rectify their difficulty as quickly as you possibly can,” Jose says. “That is actually the entire level of being a small enterprise, [being] in a position to do 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 residence service business:
Lead with belief. Clients prolong belief once they allow you to into their houses and workplaces. Be dependable, present up once 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. Be taught folks’s names, bear in mind their considerations and deal with each job as a possibility to strengthen the connection.Use instruments to work smarter. From routing software program to on-line critiques, expertise can save time, enhance effectivity and provide help to higher serve clients. Leverage completely different platforms and instruments to remain organized, reply quicker and construct your fame.Keep adaptable. Each job is completely different. Be prepared to regulate your method and continue learning new strategies to remain aggressive and environment friendly.Construct a fame that lasts. House companies are about greater than fixing a particular drawback. They’re about creating peace of thoughts. When folks know you genuinely care about their residence or enterprise, they will belief you for years to return.
Watch the episode above to listen to instantly from Michael and Jose Rodriguez, and subscribe to Behind the Assessment for extra from new enterprise homeowners and reviewers each Wednesday.
Editorial contributions by Jiah Choe and Kristi Lindahl
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