Women of Skedaddle: How the Franchise Encourages Females to Join the Industry

When homeowners have an issue with wildlife infiltrating their property, they often need a professional’s help. Most people assume this professional will be a man — but Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, a North American wildlife control franchise, aims to change that assumption. The brand, experts in prevention and humane removal, is a female-friendly company that values having women on staff.

Tisha Hicks, General Manager of Skedaddle’s Toronto and Durham Region locations, is proud to be a strong female asset in a largely male-dominated field. Her operations were one of the first in the system to hire female technicians and salespeople, and she sees a significant benefit to having “girl power” on the team.

“There are a few things that women offer in terms of opportunities with our customers,” Hicks said. “Homeowners may feel a lot more comfortable with a female coming to the house and offering a friendly, trusting face for the job. They are great at communicating with customers and talking them through everything, putting them at ease during the stressful situation of an animal breaking into their home.”

Customers are often impressed with Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control when a female technician shows up to pest-proof their home and handle a rodent or wildlife problem.

“We receive comments from homeowners about how it’s exciting that we have women on staff, and I think that’s empowering for them,” Hicks added.

Skedaddle is eager to add more experienced females into the franchise’s system, especially as it grows and the brand focuses on expanding in the United States. All the company requires from candidates is ambition and the willingness to get out in the community and offer excellent customer service.

“We hire here based on talent and personality. Male and female, we can teach anyone to do the job,” she said. “Our goal is to hire nice people, and the rest can be taught.”

Entering her sixth year with the franchise, Hicks is focused on continuing to grow, expecting to hit $5.5 million in revenue next year. She has been busy building up a team of 28 employees now and is happy to hire more women.

“I've been really working with our supervisors to aid their teams and continue to grow into an even larger organization. We’ve been doing a lot of the hiring and training,” Hicks said. “The business offers a great opportunity for women that want to get into a hands-on industry, where they can learn a lot.”

The initial investment to franchise with Skedaddle Homane Wildlife Removal ranges from $89,100–$232,600, including a $49,500 franchise fee. For more information, please visit *