Start Your Reading Journey in 2020

A popular resolution for some people is to spend more time reading.

There are numerous benefits from reading. It improves your focus and concentration, it reduces stress, and it improves your memory. Simply put, reading makes you smarter. As the pest control industry continues to evolve, it’s important that you’re tuned in to the latest technologies.

Whether it’s blogs, software reviews, magazine articles, Eguides, or good old-fashioned books, there’s a lot of reading material out there that you can learn from to help grow your business and keep it relevant. With so much material out there, you’re probably wondering where you should get started? Keep reading (wink, wink) for suggestions!

Blogs

In your busy world of fighting pests every day, you may not think you have a lot of time for reading. But this is what makes blogs so great – if I do say so myself. Blogs are typically short, digestible forms of information about any topic you can imagine. All you have to do is Google “pest control blogs” and you will find thousands of results. NPMA has guest contributors that blog about the industry. Maybe you could be one too.

Software Reviews 

Are you in the market for new pest control software but you don’t know where to start your research? As you know, it’s a significant purchase for your business so you want to get it right the first time. Reading software reviews is a great way to narrow your search. G2 is a popular site for all sorts of industry software, including pest control.

Magazines and Technical Journals

Magazines and technical journals are designed to keep you up to date on the latest information, help you solve business problems, and grow your company. The thing I love about magazines in particular, is that they do a great job of gaining valuable insights by interviewing our industry leaders. As I’m sure you’re aware, the magazines leading the way in the pest control industry are Pest Control Technology (PCT) and Pest Management Professional (PMP). But if you’re interested in general business magazines, I suggest the Inc. and Entrepreneur magazines. And for the techy geek in all of us, Wired magazine is the way to go!

Eguides

Just like blogs, software reviews, and magazines, there are Eguides for everything – from travel, to finance, and yes, of course, pest control. Eguides are more of a longer, in-depth version of a blog. At PestRoutes, we have a couple of great examples of these: Using Software for Effective Management in Pest Control and How to Attract and Retain Top Pest Control Technicians.

Download other Eguides here.

Books

Most of our reading these days is done online, but at the end of the day, don’t forget that a good book can be best way to go. NPMA has their “Bugstore” where they offer a variety of books for purchase. Another great suggestion is from our September guest blogger, Dan Gordon. You can purchase his book, From Technician To CEO: The Evolution of a High-Growth Pest Control and Lawn Care Company, here.

In the end, these are just a few of the many resources you can tap to begin your reading journey in 2020. Let us know – what’s on your reading list?