Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter & Holly O’Malley.
Hi Peter & Holly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My husband and I were not entrepreneurs before starting this venture. Before our new business, we both enjoyed our separate careers, I’m an optometrist and my husband has a background in customer service and medical device sales. But we got the itch to research mosquito control as a business opportunity when our daughter was born. We would try to take our baby outside during the “witching hour” to calm her down and would have to retreat inside due to all the bites we were getting!
We already knew Memphis had bad mosquitos, but this was even after being sprayed by our pest control company. Mosquito Shield of Memphis was then born. Mosquito Shield as a franchise though, has been around for 20+ years and boasts a 90% customer retention rate. The experience the company has after much research on service and delivery, along with its exceptional proprietary blend of products, is what drew us to this company.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We knew we wanted to start this new adventure into becoming the owners of Mosquito Shield of Memphis, but all the details that go into the implementation and start-up are another story! I had to take several courses and examinations to get licensure to be able to operate. We also had to learn all the details of the business world we weren’t as familiar with in our professions, such as digital advertising, insurance, etc.
Once the details of the start-up were taken care of, then we could focus on the fun part, which is spreading the word about mosquito control and that we are the people to call for help! As Memphians ourselves, we know how bad mosquitos can be here in our town and are happy to provide a solution to this problem. A challenge we’ve come across is that some people do not even know that mosquito control is possible. Much of our initial phone calls with clients are explaining our process and products that help us get the job done.
As you know, we’re big fans of Mosquito Shield of Memphis. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Mosquito Shield of Memphis is a locally owned residential mosquito control company. Our three-method approach kills mosquitoes, masks your CO2 (which attracts mosquitoes), and repels them away from your property. We use a proprietary blend of products, that is mostly natural, like herbs and essential oils (lots of garlic) – and we offer an entirely natural product if desired as well!
Our spray coats where it is applied and creates a vertical barrier that strengthens with each visit. Our technicians pay special attention to your common areas like pools, decks, patios, and swing sets. We differentiate our business from other competitors by our specific product and our application schedule that revolves around mosquito biology and the weather. We will treat your yard every 10-17 days responding to both mosquito populations and weather conditions. The yard is free to use by the family, kids, and pets after the application dries in about 15-20 minutes. By rotating control products, leveraging proactive scheduling, and using resistance management strategies, we can deliver superior results and satisfaction.
We also offer TICK SHIELD to help keep your family and pets protected from ticks in your area. We are noticing a bigger need for this product the further east you go or larger wooded areas. We can help our community out for your special events with our EVENT SHIELD, which would be a one-time spray to help keep your guests happy on a special day. It is great for events such as weddings, kids’ parties, graduations, family reunions, and sporting events.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
We expect to see a steady expansion of mosquito control, especially in the southern humid states. Residential spraying treatments seem to be more of the future as opposed to chemicals you have to spray directly on yourself or expensive misting systems that are hard to control and require maintenance.
We hope to continue to expand and are thankful to our current customers for supporting a local family-owned business. We look forward to showing you just how great life can be when it is mosquito free!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://moshield.com/memphis-tn/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mosquitoshieldmemphis/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091034739329&mibextid=LQQJ4d
