Pumper & Cleaner Profit Series Adds Punch to A & C Septic Marketing

Taking advantage of networking opportunities helped a New Jersey couple get their company up and running.
Pumper & Cleaner Profit Series Adds Punch to A & C Septic Marketing
Jon and Cheri Errico stand in front of one of the two pumper trucks Jon uses for pumping septic tanks.

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Before Jon and Cheri Errico became sole owners of A & C Septic Services in 2011, Jon had five years of experience as a partner in the business and Cheri had years of experience helping run the business office of the general contracting business operated by her family. But they say they are still learning what it takes to be successful.

Operating in southern Cape May County, New Jersey, the Erricos are the only employees for A & C Septic, each wearing a variety of hats to get the job done.

For Cheri, that means learning how to price jobs, handling all the marketing and answering questions from existing and prospective customers. Jon must pump tanks all day long, diagnose septic system problems and even locate tanks that in some instances have been long forgotten and long neglected.

One way the Erricos say they have expanded their business skills was attending the Pumper & Cleaner Profit Series this year, a small-business education event sponsored by COLE Publishing. Cheri says the three-day seminar in Orlando, Florida, was valuable because speakers offered classes on everything from pricing services to making the most of social networking to effectively marketing a septic service business.

Social media rules
“One of the things I got out of it is search engine optimization,” Cheri says. She has moved away from spending a lot of money on phone book advertising and focuses more on spreading the company’s name online via Facebook and other social networking services. “That part of the business can keep me busy an hour a day.”

The Erricos agree the slate of seminars was a good place to network with business owners facing similar challenges. Of course, that was a lesson Jon says they had already learned while attending the annual Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show.

To explain the value of networking at the trade show, Jon tells a story about a fellow business owner he met at the 2013 show when he decided to add portable restrooms to the company’s offerings.

“I met a fellow from Ohio, and he gave me a whole lot of advice about the equipment and the operation,” Jon recalls. “Then, the first winter we had the units, it was the worst winter we ever had and all of our units were freezing. I was just banging my head against the wall over the problem, so I called him since he works in a pretty cold area.” The new friend shared his procedure for creating a brine to keep the contents of the holding tank liquid. 

A networking opportunity
Talking about the shows, Jon says, “It’s just a great network of people we can call.”

Cheri says she has also broadened her network via social media. She met Laura Taylor Camhi from Danny’s Septic Service in Lake Worth, Florida, on Facebook and although they have never met in person they have formed a strong bond online.

“She and I just connected,” Cheri explains. “There’ve been times I’ve reached out to her on how to price some jobs. And we’ve talked about online marketing.”

For more information on attending the next Pumper & Cleaner Profit Series, April 4-6, 2016, in Orlando, Florida, visit www.pumperprofit.com. This educational networking experience is tailored specifically to help pumpers and septic professionals make their business better. Register now.

Early registration for the WWETT Show runs through Nov. 15. Register now at www.wwettshow.com.



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