[View Point] Rock ’n’ Roll, the Rolling Stones and the pest control industry

One of the great Rock ’n’ Roll anthems of all time is “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the song was recorded in 1969 at a time of great social unrest in the United States and Europe. Although our current problems are largely economic in nature rather than societal, the opening lyrics of this classic rock song remain as relevant today as they were nearly four decades ago:

“Yeah, a storm is threatening
My very life today.
If I don’t get some shelter
Lord, I’m going to fade away.”

Given the current state of the economy, many small business people are looking wherever they can to “find shelter” from the gathering economic storm — cutting expenses, freezing wages, delaying vehicle purchases, and reducing or eliminating employee benefits. Yet it could be worse — much, much worse, in fact — as we point out in this month’s cover story, a series of special reports designed to provide much-needed perspective on this important topic, which has very real economic implications for all of our readers.

In “Lessons from Chicken Little,” former PCT Managing Editor Lisa McKenna takes a look back at what can be learned from times of economic uncertainty in our nation’s past, providing valuable insights about how the current global financial crisis compares to previous recessions. “Even during the Great Depression, the pest control industry was able to hold its own and grow, as it was often viewed as an essential service industry that was critical to protecting structures as well as public health,” McKenna writes. “Furthermore, rising unemployment, while far from ideal, has actually proved beneficial for the industry, providing a steady stream of high-quality employees, a perennial problem for PCOs.”

And while the housing market is in decline and foreclosures are on the rise, savvy PCOs are positioning themselves for growth when the economy inevitably rebounds. In fact, Jamie Ogle, president of Lloyd Pest Control, San Diego, isn’t retrenching, but instead investing in his business, underwriting the cost of an Integrity Selling program designed to drive sales. When the real estate market was booming it was easy to close sales, he told PCT contributing writer Anne Nagro. Now leads are gold and “we do the best we can to present ourselves well to get the business,” a key element of his company’s training initiative. “I remain bullish on bugs,” Ogle added. “While times are tough, our businesses for the most part are in pretty good shape and able to hold their own.”

It’s yet another reason I feel so fortunate to make my living in the structural pest control industry, a business as recession-proof as any in the U.S. economy. Gimme shelter? We’ll be fine. I remain bullish on the business acumen of PCOs.

To assist our readers in getting through this rough patch in the economy, PCT is excited to announce the upcoming “Growing Your Business Summit: Successful Growth Strategies in Challenging Economic Times,” scheduled for Feb. 11–13, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. A speaker lineup of noted industry professionals such as Pat Hottel, John Wilson, Bobby Jenkins, Anthony Massey, Steve Good, Phil Cooper, Cindy Mannes and others will share their insights about how to grow your business by investing in rapidly expanding niche markets, including wildlife management, mosquito control, lawn care and bed bug management. For more information or to register visit www.pctgrowingyourbusinesssummit.com, call 800/456-0707 or e-mail conference@gie.net.

The author is publisher of PCT magazine.