PPC117 | Meet the member
In this PPC117 article, Ben Hunt, owner of Derbyshire-based Rhino Pest Management, talks about the pros and cons of running a pest control business.
This article contains details of a traumatic childbirth.
I’m Ben Hunt, or as my rugby friends used to call me: Rhino. It’s a nickname that has stuck with me since I was a teenager, so it seemed fitting to use it for my company.
I’m based in Swadlincote, Derbyshire and have been running Rhino Pest Management since August 2019. Owning a pest control business suits me down to the ground.
I can be quite introverted and like doing things by myself, so lone-working doesn’t bother me. I started out as a third generation plastic recycler, following in the footsteps of my granddad and my dad.
Unfortunately the family business closed down before he could pass the torch to me, so I had to look for other options. For around 18 months I ran a cob shop and café, but that didn’t work out so I took a job driving a forklift, but as most pesties will understand, I got bored!
In Feb 2019 I paid to do my RSPH Level 2 Award in Pest Management with BPCA. I did it all at online, spending hours and hours each day going through all the learning materials. I would even take the learning to work with me and do it on breaks and between loading lorries.
In July 2019 I did all three units and passed. A month later, Rhino Pest Management started trading. It’s been hard work, but three years later the business is thriving and I’m now RSPH Level 3 qualified, something I’m really proud of.
Having always worked for family or myself I didn’t like the restraints of working for a company. Working for myself meant I could be home when I need to be for my boys and hopefully create a really successful company so my family can have everything they need.
Family is important to me. I have three sons and two step-daughters, and I’m supported by my partner Emma. I had my eldest son, also named Ben, two days after I turned 22.
It was a traumatic labour for my then-partner, where my son became stuck for around 15-20 minutes and wasn’t breathing when he was finally delivered.
He was resuscitated, but it’s not known how long he was without oxygen for. About a year later, he was taken for a brain scan and we found out he had severe brain damage.
The condition is called Spastic Diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy. There are many symptoms and conditions that come along with this, but crucially we were told he would never walk unaided, if at all, and he probably wouldn’t talk or go to mainstream school.
Into his first year, Ben began to walk and talk. He went to pre-school and started to develop quite fast. It was difficult seeing him have his operations, having long needles in his muscles to help with the tightness, seeing him hobble around with his legs in casts and people staring at him whenever he was out.
But we brought him up knowing he was different and that it didn’t matter. Nearly 18 years later, he has completed school, is in his second year of college and is living his best life, with lots of friends.
As you can imagine, having children with extra needs is a big commitment. It takes more time and energy than you might think, and it can be very emotional.
Working a day job for someone else made it harder for me to be with him when I wanted to be, without having to use holidays or miss pay. A big bonus about running Rhino Pest Management means that I have more freedom and flexibility to choose my hours to suit my life and my family.
The challenges are plentiful. Working with the general public can be hard, it is something I haven't had to do before. As a huge sufferer of anxiety and other issues it has forced me to push myself to do things I hadn’t done previously in my life.
After five years of this my confidence is really good. Dealing with people and managing expectations has been a rollercoaster of a skill to master, and I have just about done that.
Other challenges are managing time efficiently; I am the secretary, the planner, the technician, the face of the company, the media department, the dad, the partner, the purchaser. The list of tasks is endless! But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Knowing there are really good people willing to share their knowledge helps. For example, Avril from Killgerm has a wealth of knowledge and has helped me more than she probably realises.
Asking for help is definitely a skill and is how I have learned so much of what I know. My passion for my work helps me push myself all the time.
The day I can't keep pushing further is the day I will look at other things to do. I've not had companies invest in me before so I invest in myself with plenty of training.
This is a fantastic industry. I’m hoping to be doing this job for as long as my body will let me.
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