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March 2021
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Chief Executive Officer's Notes
Chris Reardon 
Upcoming Events
Board of Directors Meeting — Virtual
PCOC will host our 3rd Quarter Board of Directors Meeting on April 14, 2021 at 1:00 pm. The link for Committee Meetings and the BOD can be found here: https://mailchi.mp/4a950459fb31/important-june-bod-meeting-committee-meeting-information-8102704 Legislative Day — VirtualJoin Pest Control Operators of California, Inc. (PCOC) for our Virtual Legislative Days on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and Thursday, April 15, 2021 from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm. PCOC will host 30-minute meetings with Senators and Assemblymembers and end it with a Luncheon with some select Legislators and a representative from the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). Meetings with Legislators: Wednesday, April 14, 2021 — 8:00 am to 12:00 pm Luncheon with Legislators, Thursday, April 15, 2021: 12:00 pm — Assemblymember Heath Flora (R) represents the 12th Assembly District located in the Central Valley. Heath is the Vice Chair of the Assembly Business and Professions Committee.
PCOC Expo 2021 — VirtualOur annual expo will be a virtual event and our schedule will be released at a later date. 
Affiliate Corner
WINDSOR, WI, USA — Bell Laboratories, Inc. is committed to providing the most rodent control tools possible for pest management professionals, regardless of the regulatory challenges our industry may face. In keeping with that promise, Bell is pleased to announce the launch of its newly registered rodenticide: Contrac California Bromethalin Blox. As the name suggests, Contrac California Bromethalin Blox are made with the single feed acute active ingredient bromethalin. Its 28g all-weather blocks are expected to provide PMP’s the confidence and results they have been accustomed to when using Bell’s other industry leading Contrac products. Registered only for use in the state of California, Contrac California Bromethalin Blox specifically meets all state regulatory requirements for structural rodenticide use. Available for shipment now, EPA Registration No. 12455-151, is packaged in an 18lb pail with a blue lid for easy differentiation. For more information on Bell’s newest rodenticide please visit www.belllabs.com or contact your California pest control distributor, Nick Branca at nbraca@belllabs.com or Ashley Freeman at afreeman@belllabs.com
Comings & Goings
Do you have a favorite recipe that you would like to share with PCOC and their members?For our next fundraising endeavor, we will be putting together a one-of-a-kind cookbook that will be available to purchase. What a great gift for family members and clients! Please send your recipe, with all instructions, and a picture (if you would like to include) to Karen at karen@pcoc.org or you can mail it to the PCOC office at 3031 Beacon Blvd, West Sacramento, CA 95691. We are looking for the following categories: 1. Appetizers 2. Side dishes 3. Breakfast 4. Main entrées 5. Desserts 6. Cocktails 7. Cleaning tips Please feel free to contact Karen with any questions. PCOC Monthly Insurance/Safety Tip
Workers’ Comp Basics: Are WC benefits taxable?
Also, employees who receive workers’ compensation will not get a W-2 statement, so it’s not necessary for them to include this information when filing taxes. The IRS does not consider workers’ compensation payments “earned income.” Not taxing these payments makes up somewhat for the fact that wage loss payments are substantially less than what an employee’s earned income would be in most cases. Two Exceptions One exception, where taxes play a part, is if the recipient simultaneously receives Social Security Disability and Workers’ Compensation. This may trigger a tax notification on the Social Security Disability income. The website at Disability Benefits Center advises workers who receive both that “the one effect which collecting Workers’ Compensation does have on SSDI is that the total income you receive from Workers’ Compensation and SSDI cannot be more than 80% of your previous income. “If the money you are receiving from Workers’ Compensation and the money you are entitled to through SSDI are greater than 80% of your prior income, the SSA will deduct enough money from your SSDI entitlement to bring your total under 80%. If your Workers’ Compensation runs out while you are still collecting SSDI, notify the SSA and they will adjust your SSDI benefits appropriately.” This can get complicated so workers in this situation should consult a qualified tax expert. The other exception is when wages are received while working in a modified role during recovery. Those wages will be taxed, but the wage loss benefits being received during this time will not be. For more information or help, contact the Insurance professionals of the PCOC Insurance Program. Call us at: 877.860.7378.
Paul Lindsay
Member News
PCOC Member Value Program Superstar SpotlightCHEMTREC All transporters of hazardous materials are required by State and Federal regulations to have an emergency response telephone number on their shipping papers. This telephone number must be answered by a person knowledgeable about the transported materials whenever a vehicle is on the road. Did you know that PCOC Safety Committee has a website?We do! It is a great resource for those looking for answers in regards to Cal/OSHA requirements. Take a look! http://pestmanagementsafety.com PCOC Fundraising Committee has a new look!Check out the new page HERE. You can check out our swag that we have for sale and to make donations to our association. Other Committees that have webpages:Professtional Women in Pest Management (PWIPM) - New pins for sale!!
Am I keeping up with my competition? You may not think your pest control company needs additional online marketing, like Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-per-Click, or Display Ads; however, you will gain valuable insight by stepping into the role of a potential customer and experiencing what they see during their online searches. Start by searching for your services online along with the names of cities you serve. Do your competitors show up before you in the search results? SEO will help you rank higher. Are your competitors bidding on the sponsored results on the top of the search results? PPC will help place you there. When you visit other sites, do you see advertisements for your competitors? Display Ad campaigns will help you compete. These are just a few online marketing tactics that will place you in front of the next “pest removal” search or “pest problem” search Google receives. Your company’s marketing needs will vary based on the size of your operation and the area you service. Keeping your competitors in mind can be a good motivator to stay on top of your marketing strategies, so that your business is taking a piece of the online pie, too. After the way 2020 has gone, many are looking at 2021 as a chance to bounce back and thrive. Your pest control company should be no different! Take some time now, if you haven’t already, to assess your Web Marketing presence and identify areas for improvement. Market Hardware is happy to offer Web Marketing consultations – give us a call to learn more! Contact us today if you’re interested and want more information! You can email PCOC@markethardware.com or call (888) 381-6925.
Frequently Requested Information
Frequently Asked For WebsitesDepartment of Fish & Game Department of Food & Agriculture California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) DPR on Facebook DPR on YouTube (see "playlists" for videos pertaining to new surface water regulations) DPR on Twitter DPR LinkedIn Healthy Schools Act Structural Pest Control Board Find Your Legislator NPMA's QualityPro Accrediation Application 
One Thing in Web Marketing
Answer These Questions to Guide Your Pest Control Company’s 2021 Web Marketing StrategyAs we all hunker down this winter to keep safe, it’s important to look forward and figure out your 2021 marketing strategy. Pandemic aside, more and more customers are flocking to the Web to find the pest control solutions they need. If you haven’t already, ask yourself about what you have done to show up online where it benefits your business. Whether you’re stuck indoors or it happens to be your company’s slow season, take a look at the following questions to find areas for growth in your marketing plan.
Is my pest control company’s information up-to-date on Google? When customers look for pest prevention, removal, or extermination service, they’ll likely turn to Google. After all, the term “Google” is synonymous with “looking something up online.” Whether they search for services and look at the maps results or type in your company name, many potential customers will end up seeing your Google My Business listing. By 2021, you should be 100% in control of your GMB listing. This is the only way to ensure that the correct phone number, address, hours of operation, Website URL & more are all correct. Fail to do this, and you risk calls being directed somewhere else – leaving prospects confused, discouraged, or possibly in the hands of another company. During the pandemic, GMB will also periodically ask if your company is still open, if you have any pandemic safety measures in place, and if you have specific updates you’d like to share. Posting that you’re still open, that you offer contactless services, etc., can go a long way for customers. Be sure to sort out your GMB management by 2021!
Does my Website look like it’s from 2021? Or 2020? Potential customers use everything they can find online to decide whether they can trust you. Your Website is undoubtedly a significant tiebreaker for a client determining if they should give your company a chance. Beyond looking modern and professional, sites that have been built within the last 4 years are constructed to load faster while making it easier for search engines to figure out what the site is offering. Newer Websites are also responsive, meaning phone and tablet users will be able to navigate your site just as well as desktop users. In 2021, don’t expect a user to wait for more than a couple seconds on a slow site to load or continuously resign a desktop-size site to fit their iPhone display.
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It’s that time of year again! PCOC will be hosting it’s virtual Legislative Days on April 14 and 15 so stay tuned for further information. Right now we will be hosting the committee meetings on the days leading up to our BOD on April 14 at 1:00pm. We are scheduling meetings with Legislators during the mornings of the 14th and 15th. The afternoon of the 15th, we are finishing with a couple of key Legislative members talking to us around lunch time, so put a hold on your calendar now! While we won’t be meeting in person, it’s important that we continue to reach out and tell our story as an essential industry in this state. Our meeting information and links for registration can be found below under the Events section..png)
According to the IRS, no matter how workers’ compensation wage loss payments are paid out — weekly or in a lump sum settlement — workers’ compensation is not taxable. The same applies to lump sum payments to survivors. There are only two minor exceptions to this, which we will cover shortly.
