Hot take: My 2 years in a business degree program versus just starting my own pest control company

The degree kept telling me to write a 50-page plan, but I learned more in 3 months by actually getting a truck and going door-to-door in my neighborhood. Anyone else find that real-world mess taught them way more than a classroom ever did?

3 comments

3 Comments

gibson.seth1mo agoMost Upvoted

Skip the 50-page plan and write a one-page checklist instead. Get your truck, your basic gear, and a simple price list. The real business plan gets written in your truck at the end of the day, based on what customers actually asked for and what went wrong.

evangarcia20d ago

How do you even price a job before you've done a few? My first price list was a total guess. I charged a flat rate for a driveway and it had years of deep oil stains I didn't see in the quote picture. Took me three times as long. Now my list just has a clear minimum fee and an hourly rate for problems. That simple change saved me from losing money on the next few weird jobs.

victorw951mo ago

My first year trying to launch a pressure washing side gig, I spent weeks on a fancy plan. The real lesson came when my $300 used machine broke down on the second job. Figuring out how to fix it fast and still finish the work taught me more about problem solving than any textbook. Now I keep a basic tool kit and a short list of services, and I adjust based on what people ask me for while I'm there. That flexibility is something you only learn by doing the work.