Bedbugs Equal Money for Some

Remember the old saying, “sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite”? For most of our lives bedbugs have largely been thought of as a thing of the past but just like some illnesses that are making a comeback, so are bedbugs and recently, the stakes got a little bigger. Canadian researchers found that some bedbugs are carrying two types of medication resistant bacteria, MRSA and VRE. Both of these bacteria are resistant to the most powerful of antibiotics. What used to be a nuisance now has the potential for spreading serious illness as they bite unknowing humans.

While this news is scary for some, it has the potential to great increase business for some. Companies like Cadence Keen Innovations used to fear bedbugs. Some of their biggest clients which included cruise ships, hospitals, and retail stores, were reporting major infestations and urged the company to develop a product that resisted bedbugs. As a result, they were able to develop and manufacture a line of encasements which were made of tightly packed microfibers. Bedbugs couldn’t get through the encasements. In the event of an infestation, the encasements would only need washed or discarded. The underlying, more expensive structures were not damaged.

Pureheat, another small business startup, developed a way to take on an infestation of bedbugs at a larger level. Using large propane heaters, Pureheat mitigates an infestation by heating a home or business to 140 degrees which kills all bedbugs. When a bedbug story appears in newspapers and websites, Pureheat and other businesses dedicated to fighting bedbugs sees an increase in revenue.

When Jeffrey Stitt purchased a moving company two years ago, he went green. All of his trucks run on bio fuel and his offices are ran off of alternative energy like wind power. He is the only EPA certified green power partner in the moving industry.

In addition to his focus on the environment, Stitt found a way to increase business and keep his green approach in tact. Before every move, he heats his moving trucks to 120 degrees for 45-60 minutes to ward off any potential bedbugs from the previous client. This has caught on and Stitt sees proof in his financials that addressing the bedbug issue has increased his bookings.

Bottom Line

Entrepreneurs are successful because they see a problem and solve it before others know that the problem exists. What will be the next bedbug-style problem that needs solved and will you be the one who opens the next successful business based on that?