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Have you just set up your pest management business and wondered if you should join your trade association? Are you concerned it might be too soon to join BPCA, or are you unsure if the benefits will be worth it?
Curious about BPCA membership? We’ve put together a concise guide to help you determine if it's the right fit for your new pest control business. This guide is tailored for businesses in their early trading years.
Is BPCA only for larger businesses?
98.7% of all BPCA member companies are considered microbusinesses or SMEs, meaning that even if you’re a sole trader, you’ll be in good company at BPCA.
Many of our member benefits are designed to help businesses grow. In fact, BPCA members tend to grow year-on-year, so if you have ambitious plans for your company, membership could be perfect for you.
Our membership is designed to get all pest management companies passionate about pest management to the same standard, meaning small and larger companies can compete on an even playing field.
Being a small business owner can be lonely. However, as a BPCA member, you have direct access to BPCA’s technical pest control, health and safety, HR, marketing, finance, tax, and legal teams at the end of the phone.
You’ll also meet like-minded members and start to build relationships where you can share work and help each other. Some members even band together to take on larger contracts collaboratively.
You’ll be surprised how quickly your company can grow if you fully utilise your membership!
What benefits will likely be the most useful for new pest control businesses?
BPCA member benefits are designed to make or save you money. If you use every last benefit available, you’ll more than make back what you invested in membership fees.
BPCA Quest
BPCA Quest is a free HR, Health and Safety, Tax, and Legal advice service for members. You’ll have access to hundreds of template documents and expert consultants.
Find a pest controller
Get client referrals directly via the nation’s favourite Find a Pest Controller tool. Potential clients can search for trusted member companies via our website or 24/7 phone line.
Templates and documents
Access hundreds of member-only documents and resources for pest management companies. The documents include fact sheets and templates. Whether you’re looking for treatment report templates or guidance on dealing with tricky pest problems, you’ll save yourself time and energy by accessing our member library.
CQMS SSIP Health and Safety Certification
As a BPCA member, you can get an SSIP health and safety certification included with your membership. A health and safety certification can be a prerequisite for many larger jobs.
TrustMark registered
All BPCA members are automatically enrolled on the government endorsed qualify scheme “TrustMark”. You can display the “government endorses quality” logo on your van and paperwork just like your member’s logo. Plus, you’ll be on the TrustMark web directory, meaning even more potential leads are waiting for you!
Pest control and marketing support
Do you need help with a tricky job or just want to call a pest expert for a second opinion? BPCA offers impartial technical pest control support for all member companies. Is your phone not ringing, and do you want some marketing and promotional support? BPCA’s marketing team offers consultations on websites, social media, SEO, paid advertising, and more.
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
Everyone will eventually get a complaint. As a small business, you might find it all a bit overwhelming when things go wrong. BPCA was approved by the government under the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015. If you or your customer needs an impartial second opinion, we can help mediate it and avoid it going to trading standards.
How does the assessment process work, and will I be accepted?
Our assessment process is similar to a gap analysis, assessing whether certain standards are met and what can be improved. You start with an initial assessment over a video call, and we examine your documents and policies.
If anything vital is missing or needs improving, we’ll provide templates and expert advice to bring you up to the BPCA standard.
For smaller businesses, the assessment process is actually the most valuable benefit.
You get the experience of our technical and membership team, who have met with hundreds of other professionals. The guidance and templates available are created by experts and included in your membership fee.
By the time you get to your full assessment, we’re confident you’ll comply with the BS EN 16636 Standard in Pest Management. That means your company will be at the same level as other members, large and small.
This can be a huge benefit when speaking with potential customers who aren’t sure about using a smaller company. You would believe how many doors open when you can say, “We’re assessed to the same Standard as the big boys and have the full backing of the British Pest Control Association”.
Training requirements
The only obstacle you might face is that you (and all your pest control staff) must be qualified with the BPCA/RSPH Level 2 Award in Pest Management or equivalent.
New staff can be designated as trainees for up to 18 months to study for their qualification.
If you don't have your qualifications already, we have the Route to Membership scheme, designed specifically for smaller businesses just starting out in pest management. You get all the training and support you need and transition into membership once you pass your qualifications.
All members need to have their technical staff on an approved CPD scheme, too. However, we offer our own CPD scheme, BPCA Registered.
With a phone app and hundreds of hours worth of free CPD resources, you’ll never have a problem hitting your 20 points.
If you’re geeky about pest management, BPCA is the right place to learn, share and grow as a business and a technician!
Be part of something bigger
Trade associations attract the most passionate people and companies.
By joining BPCA, you’ll help protect the professional toolkit and improve the sector's profile.
Once you’re settled into membership, you might even choose to volunteer your time on one of BPCA’s member-run committees or working groups. BPCA is run by members, and their work informs best practices and improves the entire sector.
Curious about membership?
Want to learn more, or are you ready to apply for membership? Great! We can't wait to welcome you into membership so you can join the community.
Apply now
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