The Language War of Professional Certification

As a foreigner traveling in Latvia and Estonia this week, I am enjoying the opportunity to revive my university acquired Russian skills some 35 years ago. I can enjoy also the game of picking up a few words in Estonian and finding elements of Russian grammar in the Latinized Latvian shop signs. It’s a game one enjoys as a lover of foriegn language study. Like any puzzle, the more linguistic pieces you pick up the more complete the puzzle, until it forms a complete picture, a beautiful mosaic of human development and civiization.

Hearts Consulting Group, LLC Hot Blogging

Some of you may be wondering, why all the blogging? It’s unusual for a pest control company, although you see this more and more frequently as a means of communicating a company message. Pest Management Professional Magazine reported this trend toward blogging in the pest control industry. Accompanying all web media is an increased flow of “push media” email to convey the message. Genma Holmes, owner of Holmes Pest Control in Memphis, Tenn. prefers Twitter. You will need a Twitter account to see how she has developed a following with Twitter. (I haven’t figured out Twitter yet, but I’m trying). Of course, Facebook is the latest craze of everyone and every company that wants friends, with approximately one-half billion subscribers!

Go to Jail, Do Not Collect $200

Pest control is like a fun game of Monopoly. To win, I formed alliances to gain strategic leverage. We rarely finished the Monopoly game, but we had lots of fun and profit working together. Green pest control is analogous. It’s all about alliances: with employees, customers and environmental groups. The winners are always good partners and partners are always good winners.

The Safe Haven of Diversification

Please comment on my February 2009 contribution to Pest Management Professional on page 22. The termite industry is really in serious trouble. I hope this article encouraging diversification away from the termite industry will help even one PMP to think differently about the problem.

Here is a highlight from the artice: “The termite industry is in the eye of a Tsunami of technological, natural, economic and perceptual changes and it’s up to us to adjust. If we don’t we are going to be swept away by the ever-rising tides.”

Shake Up the Game

The January 2009 print issue of Pest Management Professional magazine highlighted my first contribution. See the bottom of page 17

Driven by Love for People and Planet

Pest Control Company Branding

Well, it’s here!  Our new tag line – “Driven by Love for People and Planet.”

No one should be surprised that pests are not mentioned.  Yes, that is our business, but in order to get it right, I have always felt that we need to have an understanding of our employees and what it takes to mold them as professionals and as a team, directed to the goals of the corporation.