PCOC Member Value Program Superstar Spotlight

CHEMTREC  All transporters of hazardous materials are required by State and Federal regulations to have an emergency response telephone number on their shipping papers. This telephone number must be answered by a person knowledgeable about the transported materials whenever a vehicle is on the road.
CHEMTREC usually offers this service for $1000 for your main location and $285 for any additional locations. But, as a member of PCOC, you can get this service for only $125 for the 1st location and $75 for each additional location. This is protection and peace of mind for you and your customers at a discounted price! Please contact Sarah Conrad at sarah@pcoc.org if you would like to sign up. Click here for the registration form 

Did you know that PCOC Safety Committee has a website?

We do! It is a great resource for those looking for answers in regards to Cal/OSHA requirements. Take a look! http://pestmanagementsafety.com

PCOC Fundraising Committee has a new look!

Check out the new page HERE. You can check out our swag that we have for sale and to make donations to our association.

Other Committees that have webpages:

Professtional Women in Pest Management (PWIPM) - New pins for sale!!

PCOC C.A.R.E.S.

PCOC Scholarship

Wanted to thank all those who attended our PCOC Legislative Days and Board of Directors! While it wasn’t our usual capitol visits, it allowed us virtually to visit with key legislative staff and talk with State Senator Susan Rubio as well. We also wanted to thank DPR Director Val Dolcini and Assemblyman Heath Flora for taking time to talk with us about key issues affecting us in the coming year. Very pleased with our turnout and participation and hope you found it worthwhile! Another topic I want to put on your radar is an upcoming leadership forum for our current and future district leaders in the last week in May! We will be sending something out shortly but plan on blocking out a few hours in the morning!  

Chris Reardon
PCOC Executive Vice President
chris@pcoc.org
(916) 372-4363

Pest Coast Workshop — Virtual
May 17, 2021 — Virtual Class with CE Units

The Pest Coast Workshop Committee, in partnership with Pest Control Operators of California, presents
Pest Coast Workshop: School IPM

The workshop is a short course designated to attract School IPM Coordinators and Pest Management Professionals interested in current pest management topics related to facility management. School IPM Workshop will focus on cockroach baiting techniques, smart rodent monitoring technology, facility sanitation and implementing outstanding IPM programs in school buildings. The course is open to all PMPs.

CE Hours have been applied for the following states and departments:

California SPCB & DPR hours have been applied for
Structural Pest Credit for Washington, Oregon, New Mexico and Arizona have been applied for

Register HERE

PCOC 101 — District Leadership — SAVE THE DATE

PCOC will host our PCOC 101 (our District Leadership training) on either May 25th or 27th and will take place in the morning. If you are a District Chair or Vice, or a recently voted in Chair or Vice Chair, you are encouraged to attend this virtual event. We will discuss how to run a PCOC District, how to communicate meeting times, how to conduct a virtual meeting, the ins and outs of Robert's Rules of Order, and more. We ask that all those that are in current district leadership roles, especially those that have recently been voted in, register for this event. THERE IS NO COST for this event, we just ask you to register for tracking purposes. Our registration page will open on May 3 and will be emailed out to the district chairs and will be posted to our website.

Board of Directors Meeting — Virtual

PCOC will host our 4th Quarter Board of Directors Meeting on June 23, 2021 and the time is TBD. Information on this meeting will be sent out in May.

How to Improve Mental Health in the Workplace

Studies show accident prone workers often suffer from physical or emotional problems that are usually temporary conditions.

The pandemic has made some managers focus greater attention on mental health in the workplace, according to panelists attending the virtual 2021 National Safety Council Safety Congress & Expo. Some mental health issues may be specific to the pandemic currently, but the issue is not going away after the pandemic.

“One of the things that’s really concerned me lately is mental health and the relationship between incidents and accidents in the workplace,” said Laurence Pearlman, Raleigh, North Carolina-based senior vice president at Marsh Risk Consulting. 

According to Mr. Pearlman, studies have found that 3% of workers account for about 22% of workplace accidents, and of those accident-prone workers 50% of them are more likely to suffer from a serious accident. Even though employers may consider simply terminating such workers, studies have shown that being accident prone is typically a temporary condition, usually lasting only six to 12 months and caused by serious problems at work or home, he said.

These issues may include physical or emotional conditions, a social or financial crisis, or distractions caused by pressures such as the pandemic, he said.

“We need to recognize the stresses our employees are under and how we’re going to manage it,” he said. “Having a mental health strategy is critical. There are a lot of … mental health conditions that are driving some outcomes at work that aren’t good for the employee, and not good for the company either.”

Here are some things you can do to improve mental health in your workplace:

• Make sure the workspace has good natural light. Make sure there are plenty of windows or skylights; focus on spaces that offer these features when searching for or building a new workplace.

• Encourage employees to take walk breaks. For many workers, walking at work may be their primary activity during the day, making it even more important. These daily steps can have a significant impact on morale.

• If possible, add plants to the workspace. Having greenery around can make a space seem more inviting and comforting, even if it’s subtle.

• Offer opportunities to be social but make them optional.

• Give employees enough autonomy with their work so they feel trusted.

• Train managers not to micromanage.

• Cultivate a culture that values respect for others.

• Discipline employees who cause problems before the problems become worse.

• Take complaints seriously and investigate them appropriately.

• Implement an employee wellness program to help improve overall wellness levels for everyone.

• Host seminars or workshops that address depression and stress management techniques, like mindfulness, breathing exercises, and meditation, to help employees reduce anxiety and stress and improve focus and motivation.

• Provide other benefits that can improve mental health, like free gym memberships. (Physical activity can improve mental health, too.)

• Include mental health benefits along with other healthcare benefits and let workers know.

• Talk openly about mental health to help reduce the stigma associated with it. Just the simple idea of making it OK to talk about mental health can allow employees to feel more comfortable coming to management when they need help. This can go a long way toward helping employees get what they need to improve their mental health daily.

• Ensure employees have options to keep a good work/life balance. This might mean allowing appointments to be taken in the middle of the workday or providing flexibility in working hours, for example. It could even be as simple as not requiring too much overtime or taking active steps to ensure employees take their allotted vacation time (and offering an appropriate amount of paid vacation time in the first place).

• Avoid employee burnout by routinely assessing employee workload and taking steps to keep it in balance.

• Provide managers with training to help them recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and depression in team members and encourage them to seek help from qualified mental health professionals.

• Consider offering an employee assistance program (EAP) if you don’t already have one. If you do have one, ensure it’s communicated clearly, and employees are aware of their options.

• Pay employees a fair amount to reduce the likelihood of financial stressors.

• Consider offering financial wellness services to help address financial stressors.

• Encourage employees to take their breaks throughout the day.

• Offer healthy snack alternatives whenever food is offered. Staying physically healthy can impact mental health.

• Recognize employees’ hard work; and show them they’re appreciated.

[adapted from a list by HR Daily Advisor] 

For more information or help, contact the Insurance professionals of the PCOC Insurance Program. Call us at: 877.860.7378. 

Paul Lindsay
Senior Vice President, Principal, Programs
EPIC Program Solutions
10877 White Rock Rd. Suite 300 Rancho Cordova, Ca 95670
paul.lindsay@epicbrokers.com
916.576.1545 direct  |  877.222.0000 |  916.952.1609 cell
epicbrokers.com  | ca license 0B29370

Do you have a favorite recipe that you would like to share with PCOC and their members?

For our next fundraising endeavor, we will be putting together a one-of-a-kind cookbook that will be available to purchase. What a great gift for family members and clients!

Please send your recipe, with all instructions, and a picture (if you would like to include) to Karen at karen@pcoc.org or you can mail it to the PCOC office at 3031 Beacon Blvd, West Sacramento, CA 95691.

We are looking for the following categories:

1.       Appetizers

2.       Side dishes

3.       Breakfast

4.       Main entrées

5.       Desserts

6.       Cocktails

7.       Cleaning tips

Please feel free to contact Karen with any questions.

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Step Three: Verify

For any number of reasons, Google will ask you to verify that your information is correct and that your business really is what you say it is. The most common verification method is a Google Postcard. Google will have you email a postcard to your company’s physical address with a 5-digit numerical code. If you are a Service Area Business, Google will ask for your home address – which they will not publish – to send a card to. Once you receive it, you just redeem the code on GMB and you’ll be all set!

If you’ve already verified your listing this way before, it’s possible that Google will have you re-verify (again, for a number of reasons that are never made clear) via an automated phone call or email.

Step Four: Maintain

While it may not seem like much will change with your business’ information once you publish it to Google My Business, there is still some maintenance to be done. For starters, Google launched a whole batch of COVID-19-related prompts to further inform your customers of how you perform your pest control services. You can let the world know about whether you require masks, what your social distance protocol is while on property, and more.

Another thing you’ll need to maintain is the information itself. Google will alert you when users have contributed new information to your listing via the ‘Suggest an edit’ link that exists on all listings. Google may even try to force your hand and ask that you “Accept all changes for this location.” If you leave the suggestions alone for too long, Google may update your pest control listing without your approval. This reason is why you must check your GMB listing continuously; accepting and denying changes as they come.

Step Five: Post

Our last tip is one of the newer functions of GMB. With ‘Posts,’ you can add eye-grabbing updates near the bottom of your listing to share what your business has going on. You can add regular updates (or COVID-19 updates) like you would on Facebook. You can even go a step further and add the types of pest control products you use or highlight a current promotion. Making a bold offer is a great way to break through the search engine traffic and send local Californians to your pest control site.

Updating and maintaining your business information on Google My Business is yet another way to clearly paint an online picture of your pest control company and methods for customers to see. We hope this guide helps you and your pest control services get noticed by Google’s search algorithm. If you have any questions about how to show up better organically or about any of our GMB tips, call the Web Marketing experts at Market Hardware. Market Hardware is happy to offer Web Marketing consultations – give us a call to learn more! Contact us today if you’re interested and want more information! You can email PCOC@markethardware.com or call (888) 381-6925.

Frequently Asked For Websites

Department of Fish & Game
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/

Department of Food & Agriculture
www.cdfa.ca.gov

California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)
www.cdpr.ca.gov

DPR on Facebook
www.facebook.com/capesticideregulation

DPR on YouTube (see "playlists" for videos pertaining to new surface water regulations)
www.youtube.com/user/californiapesticides

DPR on Twitter
twitter.com/ca_pesticides

DPR LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/company/california-department-of-pesticide-regulation

Healthy Schools Act
http://apps.cdpr.ca.gov/schoolipm/

Structural Pest Control Board
www.pestboard.ca.gov

Find Your Legislator
www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

NPMA's QualityPro Accrediation Application
www.npmaqualitypro.org/apply

2021 Guide to Optimizing Your Google My Business Profile

When Californians need to solve a pest problem, they find a local pest control company’s information in a variety of ways. According to SEO Tribunal, 97% of people get more info about a local company online than anywhere else. This is why so many pest control companies run marketing campaigns to show up higher in organic search engine results (through SEO) or run ads on popular Websites (with Display Ad Retargeting).

There’s one place that prospects often look for information, however, that doesn’t cost you a penny.

Modern businesses keep their details updated on their Google My Business listing. This area of Google shows up when you search for a company by name, or when you search for pest control services in the Maps (it’ll show you a list of nearby companies).

Regardless of how customers make their way to a pest removal or pest prevention listing, it’s essential that you are keeping yours up-to-date and optimizing it by 2021 standards. Here is our guide to staying on top of GMB so that you’re putting your company’s best foot forward in ‘local pest control’ search results.

Step One: Claim What’s Yours

Before you go to Google My Business to set up your listing, it’s important to check if your listing already exists. Even if no one at your company has ever set this up, it’s possible that Google already created a location based on a variety of data they have (it is Google, after all!). What you want to avoid is creating an additional listing and clogging up your local area with multiple listings for the same pest control company.

Sign into Google My Business with a Google account that your team will know to use. Then, when it prompts you to ‘Find and manage your business,’ search for your company. If yours shows up, you can claim it there.

Note that it’s possible that someone else is managing your pest control listing. Before you assume the worst, it may just be that it was in another account of yours or a past marketing company of yours managed it. Either way, you can always ‘Request Access’ to the listing. Google will send a request to whomever is managing your listing, and if that person doesn’t respond in a week (they often don’t!) – the listing is yours!

Step Two: Update Your Info

One of the most important steps to optimizing your profile is to add accurate info to the listing. While this process can seem simple, we want to outline some important bits to get right:

• Address: If your pest control company does business at a specific location (meaning you have an office) add the address where people can find you. If your business works within a Service Area, you can choose not to add an address, and instead add a list of under 20 cities/counties. Google will create a map of your Service Area to give prospects an idea of where you serve.
  
  Strategy tip: Are you interested in showing up high in Google Maps results? Note that Google will give preference to companies that are physically close to the searcher or the search term area. Having an address may give you preference over a Service Area business.
  
• Special Hours: This area lets you adjust hours for specific dates (holidays, professional days) so that you don't have to sign in to GMB every time your business is closed. Be proactive and let Google know which holidays you will be closed for. This will minimize surprises when a prospect wonders whether to drive to your location or give you a call.
  
  
• Shortname: This field lets you create an easy-to-remember link for when you want to direct customers to your listing so that they can find your location or leave you a review. Google even suggests options for you based on your company name.
  
  Market Hardware has a shortname, which makes it easier to ask our clients to leave reviews! Example: https://g.page/markethardware/review?gm
  
  
• URL and Appointment Links: Considering that all online marketing strategies should be leading prospects to your Website, it’s key that you get this one right. Make sure you add the correct link to your homepage when submitting your URL; there shouldn’t be an ‘https’ or a ‘www’ out of place!
  
  Your appointment link is a great opportunity to send customers to a place where they can easily contact you. Even if you don’t set appointments over the Web, at least link them to a page where you have a contact form – or even just a page with your phone number prominent.
  
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