Author Topic: How this for a business card? (Read 11054 times)

David McLeod · « **on:** December 09, 2010, 10:57:21 pm »

I'm working on a couple different designs for spring, this one is for bee removal.

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David McLeod · « **Reply #1 on:** December 09, 2010, 11:08:08 pm »

This is my standard card.

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David McLeod · « **Reply #2 on:** December 09, 2010, 11:12:39 pm »

And here's another for spring with some additional services I will be offering.

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David McLeod · « **Reply #3 on:** December 09, 2010, 11:13:52 pm »

I welcome all suggestions and comments.

Burnsy · « **Reply #4 on:** December 09, 2010, 11:16:44 pm »

I like the first one on the first post, the second one's images do not really relate to the bee angle that your card seems to be pushing and it comes over a little wishy washy. Use the back of the card wisely to add the deatils of the services offered. I think the no chemicals used is a good angle as well.

David McLeod · « **Reply #5 on:** December 09, 2010, 11:23:00 pm »

Yep, that's my opinion as well. I was staring at a blank page and decided to plug in the company logo. If I use it at all I will downsize it and stick it at the bottom or something. I just wasn't sure how to fill in the blank.
I really do need to start pushing my logo for brand ID. Maybe when I get around to lettering the truck. LOL

David McLeod · « **Reply #6 on:** December 09, 2010, 11:24:23 pm »

Crap, I spotted a typo on the bottom card. My going green card.

iddee · « **Reply #7 on:** December 09, 2010, 11:42:41 pm »

Typo?? I thought you had discovered a new species, the bam owl. :-D

I would NOT use the "no chemicals" line. That could stop you from using something like Bee-quick, or some may even call smoke "airborne chemicals".
It would leave too much for interpretation, and possibly by a judge. You don't want to give some idiot that chance.

David McLeod · « **Reply #8 on:** December 10, 2010, 12:35:44 am »

Here's the new and improved back of the card. The no chemicals tag is a marketing thing that is VERY important to many in my market. Back in the day when I did apply registered products I had some customers who would read the labels on everything I used. To be literally correct I should stipulate NO EPA REGISTERED PESTICIDES USED but that is a little to correct. I'm not sure if the lettering comes through well I played with different colors.

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BTW, there is an interesting story behind that exposed comb.

Bee Happy · « **Reply #9 on:** December 10, 2010, 01:22:58 am »

Quote from: David McLeod on December 09, 2010, 10:57:21 pm

I'm working on a couple different designs for spring, this one is for bee removal.

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sorry to repost the cards, just making sure I'm being clear - I think if it were me I'd switch these two cards - the words on the first card seem to go better with the second card & the other way around. I was kind creative with my business cards and business name, I know I got the message across, but it was a rare person who caught on quickly - I think I was a little too clever with the name and logo.

wd · « **Reply #10 on:** December 10, 2010, 02:15:28 am »

Personally, I agree with discarding the "no chemicals ever used" statement - it could open the door for sticklers. If you don't already have them you might consider adding linkedin and a facebook commuinty page on your website, each have the option of closed groups for professional discussions. I like your first two images the best.

Tommyt · « **Reply #11 on:** December 10, 2010, 12:50:53 pm »

Quote

no chemicals ever used

Could be Changed to

Quote

No Harmful Chemicals every used

No Harmful Environmental Chemicals used

Complete ECO Safe removal

JP · « **Reply #12 on:** December 10, 2010, 01:29:22 pm »

Live Honey Bee Removal says it all.

...JP

bigbearomaha · « **Reply #13 on:** December 10, 2010, 03:42:22 pm »

to bee honest, I would bee careful about the "guaranteed" live removal thing too.

Sad to say, but out of the many removals I have done, there have been a couple where the bees got themselves into a place they could not bee gotten out of and the remaining bees had to bee "put to sleep" so the job of making the client's house bee free could bee finished.

It does happen. hopefully it;s a rare thing.

if you do have or get a LinkdIn and/or Facebook page, look me up. we can talk bee stuff.

doug494 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 10, 2010, 04:41:03 pm »

As an alternative, you might consider hitting the customer's needs a little more directly.

I assume your customer's want the "pest" out of their house. Humanely is preferred, but out is necessary.

So something like "Out of your home, back to the hive. Guaranteed". Yes technically it is a hive in their house, but most non-beeks won't think of it that way.

And "Pesticide Free" might say everything you need as far as chemical usage.

AllenF · « **Reply #15 on:** December 10, 2010, 10:01:50 pm »

I didn't see a buy 9, get the 10th removal free on your card. :-D

David McLeod · « **Reply #16 on:** December 11, 2010, 07:23:29 pm »

Thanks for the input. I'm going with Pesticide-Free on the card.

Bigbear, for those situations it's either trap out, sub out or walk away. I'm going to let my applicator's license lapse and not picking up the DCO license. No reason to open my entire operation to the dept of AG when sting insects and honeybees make up less than ten percent of my operation. I am considering sulpher though as it is not a registered product.

AllenF, if I offered that it would be an admission of failure. Besides the real money is in the exclusion (structural seal) to prevent reentry. Seal it and put a warranty on it. Do that and any reentries are on the house.

I have another one I'm proud of but it isn't bee related but I'll share it anyway since it's my real money maker.

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annette · « **Reply #17 on:** December 12, 2010, 12:19:10 am »

Boy I can really use your help now, something is crawling around in our attic and making a racket at night. Constant scratching and sounds like it is rolling something along the attic floor.

annette · « **Reply #18 on:** December 12, 2010, 12:19:24 am »

Boy I can really use your help now, something is crawling around in our attic and making a racket at night. Constant scratching and sounds like it is rolling something along the attic floor.

hardwood · « **Reply #19 on:** December 12, 2010, 12:24:39 am »

Annette, that's probably Santa...should be gone by the 26th :-D

Scott

David McLeod · « **Reply #20 on:** December 12, 2010, 02:35:36 am »

Annette, not up on California wildlife but if it were here I would definitely say that you have flying squirrels. The tell tale is two part, nocturnal activity and the rolling sounds. That is them rolling acorns or other nuts as they store them in your attic for their winter cache.
If not fliers then another small rodent with a similar habit.
Standard victor rat snap traps with the large yellow pan beat all other traps hands down for fliers. For bait I use a mix of commercial nut oil based blends, pecans, black walnut oil in a peanut butter base. The exact recipe is a trade secret. ;) I do not recommend straight peanut butter as it is effective only for mice. Squirrels and rats will investigate it but do not find it all that attractive.
The trick to snagging fliers though is trap placement. They can be as bad as any trap shy coyote. You have to locate the exact areas the fliers are using and place accordingly. This often means the tightest spots in the attic along the outer edges in and adjacent to the soffits. Seriously, I had one job where the width of one 2"x4" was the difference. For two weeks I went without catching a single flier out of this attic. My traps were tight to the sill plate that the rafters rested on. Every night of those two weeks the client heard the little buggers running in the vinyl soffits. Finally out of frustration I got down on my fat belly and shifted the traps to the other side of the sill plate so they were down in the soffit. That very night I nailed three and closed the job three days later.
I've gotten a lot better since then. I've got a job open now with eight down in the first three days.
Once all the rodents are gone you are going to have to have an exclusion done on your home. An exclusion is trade lingo for a complete structural seal to prevent entry by wildlife. I can not stress it highly enough that this must be done. Once you have had a wildlife issue inside a structure that structure will continue to have a wildlife problem. It is the exact same concept as bees being att

David McLeod · « **Reply #21 on:** December 12, 2010, 10:45:27 am »

I need to expand on the above considering the fact that snap traps (lethal) may not be legal or your choice in California. Cage (live) trapping fliers is a very iffy proposition in my book as I have found only one consistent method for doing so. The standard open set of a baited cage is not productive. In all my years of doing this I have had fliers voluntarily enter a cage a grand total of two times. That said some of my colleagues claim regular success with open cages, either they are better trappers than I but I doubt it.
To make cage traps effective one must use a forced set where you leave no option but to enter the trap. You do this by first performing the exclusion on the structure while identifying the entry points that the fliers are using and leaving these points open. Once the structure is sealed, save for the entries, a modified cage trap is installed over the entries in such a way that the flier is captured as it exits. Some skip the cage and use just an excluder (one way door). I am not a fan of this method as that leaves squirrels on the outside that will attempt to chew back in. Capture and removal to a non returnable distance is the only way to stop that. Once all fliers are out of the structure then the cages are removed and the entries are sealed.
Please note my use of the term cage traps. I do not use nor like the term "live trap" as it is a misnomer, especially when applied to a high strung species like fliers. Mortality is extremely high in fliers caught in cages due to stress and exposure even with frequent trap checks. My suggestion would be to check the traps each morning shortly after sun up and remove captured fliers promptly but even then expect mortality. I understand that the same applies to red squirrels from colleagues that deal with them. I don't have them here so I don't know.

David McLeod · « **Reply #22 on:** December 12, 2010, 11:45:22 am »

A couple other items of interest.
The flea that is specific to flying squirrels is a vector for the germ Rickesettia prowalski, the typhus germ. Five years ago I was called in by the CDC here in Atlanta to go trap out some in a pole yard office in East Point, GA. Two gentleman in that office contracted typhoid fever and nearly died from it. The risk is that typhoid rarely presents in the US and first world countries so it is often misdiagnosed, as it was in this case, and proper antibiotic treatment comes to late if at all.
The other item is that it is estimated that somewhere around forty percent of structure fires attributed to electrical causes are the result of rodent damage to wiring.

annette · « **Reply #23 on:** December 12, 2010, 02:26:24 pm »

Thanks David

We do not have flying squirrels out here, or least I never heard of them or have seen them. I plan on printing out all your good info though and passing it onto the pest control company that I plan on hiring to do the job.

Sincerely
Annette

annette · « **Reply #24 on:** December 12, 2010, 02:30:00 pm »

Quote from: hardwood on December 12, 2010, 12:24:39 am

Annette, that's probably Santa...should be gone by the 26th :-D

Scott

:-D :-D :-D

David McLeod · « **Reply #25 on:** December 12, 2010, 03:56:20 pm »

Annette, I did some looking and y'all do have the northern flying squirrel. http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/fall01%20projects/flyings.htm We have the southern, of course. As a matter of fact northern California looks to have the densest population of them, lucky you. It's okay that you have never seen them as I get that same comment here and they are as thick as fleas down here. The strictly nocturnal habit and limited movement of just after dark and just prior to dawn make these a very rarely seen animal. Heck, prior to my entering the field I had personally observed only one in my entire life and I grew up in the woods. They are even more uncommonly seen than bobcats.
Of course my call may be wrong but your complaint is textbook for fliers. I hear it at least thrice weekly exactly as described.
If you haven't hired a pro yet I would refer you to contact Steve Albano of Peninsula Animal Trapping. http://www.thegophinator.com/contact.html He is my go to on all things California and the west coast. He is on the governing board of NWCOA as the region 1 director and he would be able to refer you to a skilled operator in your area if he can't take the job (which I doubt due to distance and the fact that he is a mole and gopher specialst). I can't stress highly enough that the professional a person should hire should be a PROFESSIONAL MEMBER of NWCOA. No other organization has the standards of excellance as NWCOA.

annette · « **Reply #26 on:** December 14, 2010, 10:57:42 pm »

Thanks David, I will check him out

annette · « **Reply #27 on:** December 14, 2010, 11:00:30 pm »

OK just emailed him

David McLeod · « **Reply #28 on:** December 15, 2010, 01:15:48 am »

Your more than welcome. Like I said I wish I were closer. The best part of what I do is helping folks.

Gord · « **Reply #29 on:** March 01, 2011, 01:25:55 pm »

I like the first one the best !

JP · « **Reply #30 on:** March 01, 2011, 02:00:58 pm »

Here is my new card

Front:

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Back:

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...JP

hankdog1 · « **Reply #31 on:** March 01, 2011, 03:56:59 pm »

The only thing that you may want to consider is the Garanteed Live Honey Bee removel. Seems a bit misleading could be interperated that you have a 100% sucess rate at keeping them alive or that you will never have bees again after the removel. Just an idea you may want to choose a different word kinda just doesn't set well with me from having to blow up onion sacks over the years. Remember a picture with a clear message says it all. The less said the better is always my motto.

Tommyt · « **Reply #32 on:** March 02, 2011, 02:38:56 pm »

DON'T OPEN JP's Bus CARD IMAGE SHACK IS SHOWING UP AS VIRUS AGAIN MY PC WENT APE BUT I GOT IT WITH TASK MANAGER SHUT DOWN IT TRIES TO LOAD A MALE WARE I THINK

Kathyp · « **Reply #33 on:** March 02, 2011, 02:48:45 pm »

tommy disable your 3rd party cookies in your browser. it's windows defender thing.

AllenF · « **Reply #34 on:** March 02, 2011, 09:31:45 pm »

I got a virus from image shack 3 weeks or so ago.

buzzbee · « **Reply #35 on:** March 02, 2011, 09:44:38 pm »

I tend to agree with kathyP,it's probably third party cookies in windows seven.I don't think Imageshack is pumping malware.
I have downloaded and scanned some of the images and found no viruus. Pop up blockers may be getting hit with ads from imageshack though. I use firefox with adbloc plus,so I may not be seeing all this stuff happening.

Author Topic: How this for a business card? (Read 11054 times)

bigbearomaha