[View Point]

If you happen to drive through the Southwest Ohio town of Xenia (population 24,000), stop at any local establishment and ask a random person, "Who can I call about an ant problem?" There is a very good chance the response will be, "Call Milt." The Milt they are referring to is Robert (Milt) Phelps, the 85-year-old owner of MP Pest Control (formerly Milt’s Pest Control) who has been taking care of Xenia’s pest problems for the past 38 years (see feature on page 118).

After working many years as a truck driver for Xenia Panel Co. & Supply, at age 47 Phelps went to work for a local pest control company. Phelps grew to love the profession and, after having formulated a business plan, ventured out on his own, founding Milt’s Pest Control in 1978. As the business grew, he enlisted the assistance of wife Starrlene (for administrative and bookkeeping assistance) and sons Robert (Milt Jr.) and Tim.

In other words, Phelps: 1) entered a profession almost by accident; 2) recognized and acted on a business opportunity; and 3) built a successful family-owned and -operated business that provided income and served as a source of pride for him and his family. Does this story sound familiar? I know many of you who are reading this column have traveled a very similar path. What makes Phelps’ story unique is that at age 85 he remains an owner/operator. "I am 85. I like what I’m doing and I don’t intend to stop," said Phelps, who estimates he handles anywhere from 8 to 10 jobs per day.

It’s great for PCT to be able to shine the spotlight on someone like Phelps, whose company might not be the biggest, but has long been respected within its community. In fact, the majority of PCT’s readers are PCOs who run small to mid-sized businesses.

It’s encouraging to see every year that there are individuals like Phelps, who start up and succeed with new business ventures. The importance of small business to the U.S. economy is often cited in reports, but these statistics from the U.S. Small Business Administration really drive home this point. Small firms:

• Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms
• Employ half of all private sector employees
• Pay 44 percent of total U.S. private payroll
• Have generated 65 percent of net new jobs over the past 17 years
• Create more than half of the nonfarm private GDP (gross domestic product)

An important goal of PCT is to provide content that is relevant to companies of various size and makeup. We think this month’s cover story, "Pay Day" (page 78) is one such issue. The story examines the age-old question, "When you are the boss, how much do you pay yourself?" While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, PCOs interviewed for this article shared some of the factors they take into consideration and lessons they’ve learned when trying to figure out compensation.

Another issue on the minds of businesses owners is health care reform, a topic examined in the 2010 State of the Industry Report (page 43), sponsored by Bayer Environmental Science. The article, "Health Reform’s Impact on Small Business," takes a closer look at the landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and how it might impact pest control operators. While a lion’s share of the provisions won’t go into effect until 2014, meaning its full impact is still unclear, some things are known, including that the overall effect on a company will depend greatly upon the size of the company and the benefits currently offered by employers. The PCT article is a breakdown of the major components and what they could mean to pest management firms.

We hope these and other articles within this issue generate some "food for thought," and perhaps give you some ideas of how other PCOs are dealing with complex issues.

The author is managing editor of PCT and Internet editor of PCTOnline and can be reached at bharbison@giemedia.com.