In this episode of Local Marketing Secrets, Danny Leibrandt speaks with Bill Dowd, founder of Skedaddle, a wildlife and pest control company that has grown into one of North America's leading franchises in the industry. The conversation dives deep into Bill’s journey from his early years as a professional hockey player to becoming a successful entrepreneur, running Skedaddle for over 35 years.

Bill's Hockey Career: Bill shares his background as a former professional hockey player, drafted by the New York Islanders in the early 80s. After spending time in the minor leagues, Bill transitioned into wildlife control when he realized there was a need for specialized services.

Starting Skedaddle: Bill founded Skedaddle after identifying a gap in the market for professional wildlife control. Over the years, Skedaddle expanded from its wildlife control roots into pest control, and more recently, Christmas decorating services. The company has grown to become one of the most recognized names in the industry, especially in Canada.

The Skedaddle Brand: One of the standout aspects of Skedaddle is its memorable name. Bill explained how a local marketing agency helped them create the brand after discarding several less memorable options, such as “Chubby Raccoon.” The name "Skedaddle" resonated with customers and helped the company become easily recognizable.

Wildlife Control vs. Pest Control: Bill highlighted the differences between wildlife and pest control. Wildlife control often involves larger, more expensive jobs, focusing on permanent exclusion of animals, while pest control is more about routine treatments. Wildlife control can sometimes bring in high-ticket jobs, with Bill mentioning projects that have reached up to $70,000.

SEO and Marketing: Bill credits much of Skedaddle’s success to a strong investment in SEO and online marketing. After moving away from Yellow Pages ads, Skedaddle now relies on a combination of SEO, local pages, Google Business Profiles, and Google Ads to acquire customers. Bill shared that their website now receives over 100,000 hits a month, with a large portion of traffic coming from the U.S.

Franchising and Scaling: Skedaddle’s franchise model helps smaller pest control operators scale by offering comprehensive support, branding, and operational systems. Bill emphasized the importance of hiring good people, treating employees well, and building a strong team. Franchisees benefit from Skedaddle’s proven model, which includes wildlife control, pest control, Christmas decorating, mosquito control, and attic restoration services.

Bill Dowd, Founder of Skedaddle:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdowd/

Skedaddle Franchise: https://skedaddlefranchise.com/

Skedaddle Wildlife: https://www.skedaddlewildlife.com/

Danny Leibrandt, Founder of Pest Control SEO:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DannyLeibrandt  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dannyleibrandt/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DannyLeibrandt   

Website: https://dannyleibrandt.com 

Pest Control SEO: https://pestcontrolseo.com/ 

Local Marketing Secrets Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LocalMarketingSecrets 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1TCL0LhZbsJS6mzanqnnT1?si=224075c9fbda42f5  

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/local-marketing-secrets/id1741176782 

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0bb5254-5d6c-4940-8211-085157cc1239/local-marketing-secrets 

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Background

04:54 The Birth of Skedaddle

11:31 All About Wildlife Control

19:04 The Power of SEO

28:06 SEO Agency vs. In-House

39:44 The Future of Skedaddle

42:17 Building a Personal Brand

51:24 Hiring Good People

56:58 The Power of Customer Service

#localmarketing #localbusiness #localseo #seo #marketing #pestcontrol #pestcontrolseo #pestcontrolmarketing