Arvind Nanda speaks about her venture, Eco Pest Klean and how BNI has helped her business grow
Arvind Nanda is a first generation entrepreneur in her family with an experience of twelve years in the field of sales and marketing. She has worked with banks, the retail sector, education and has always loved a challenge. Her business Eco Pest Klean, is a reliable name in pest management services.
Arvind speaks on her business. “What started as a search for a good pest control for me became the push I needed to enter this segment and make it a brand that it is now developing into. We are highly trained and skilful at creating an environment free of bugs and diseases for our customers. We specialize in reducing or eliminating pest infestation using our high-quality tools, pro-active focus and specialised workforce.”
Eco Pest Klean’s solutions are preferred amongst various sectors of the industry. Their control solutions cover residential, educational and commercial properties. Residential properties include homes, residential buildings, garden areas, bungalow’s pest infestation; whereas commercial properties include restaurants, schools, colleges, offices, commercial buildings or plots and other commercial spaces. When it comes to dealing with pests, Eco Pest Klean adopts latest in technology and concentrated materials to deal with certain category of pests which are otherwise immune to regular pest control methods.
Starting Her Enterprise: Arvind started her business with a vision to provide the best organic, eco-friendly solutions for pest control with a structured customer service. This is the core benefit of organic pest control. Organic pesticides are typically effective for a longer period of time than chemical sprays, as most organic pesticides use both biological controls (scents, tastes, natural oils, etc.) combined with safer, green chemicals to prevent pests.
“We all know the harm that harsh pesticides cause on our health. Whereas chemical sprays may be effective, they often have harmful effects on the surrounding environment (including animals, soil, and water when it runs off). Organic pest control products are typically much safer and more beneficial for the environment, overall.”
Like all other businesses, Arvind too faced her fair share of challenges. “When it comes to challenges the biggest one was creating awareness about organic pest control solutions to clients. There is an entirely different shift in the mindsets of people and educating them how organic is the way to go was quite a task. It was a slow start 3 years, back but now it has given us a foothold in the market and we can proudly say that we have successfully created a niche for ourselves here.” Eco Pest Klean provides timely service and customer satisfaction post treatment, with a dedicated team of professionals.
The BNI Edge: Arvind then elaborates on her association with BNI. “It started 3 years back when I visited a BNI Chapter here in Goa as an observer from Gurgaon. I was floored by the energy, support and enthusiasm that the members had for each other; and above all the potential women entrepreneurs have to develop themselves, is immense. After joining BNI Goa, we started with 7 clients and now are serving more than 250+ clients. This three-year journey has been an evolution for me, having a family of more than 500+ members who are my extended family now. We have worked with clients from various segments – corporate, villas, builders, construction sites (pre & post), hotels, and restaurants, all thanks to BNI. This shift to Goa has been a life changer for me and the confidence to do it came from BNI. Rajkumar Kamat, our ED had a vision to bring the business owners in Goa on an international stage and I can proudly say that he has not only given a platform to them but also to women entrepreneurs to move ahead boldly and strongly and make a mark in the business world.”
The COVID-19 Challenge: Arvind mentions the hurdles faced by her in her business due to COVID 19. “Initially when Covid 19 hit, we were closed for a month. That period gave us an insight as to how we would want to approach our work going forward.
A few of our staff members had left for their hometown and we didn’t stop them, knowing that they want to be with their family. There was no salary deduction and we provided them food rations for themselves and their families.”
From here on they diversified into sanitisation treatments. It gave them a complete turnaround and the much-needed direction that was the need of the hour. This step helped them completely change the way they were looking to do business. As of now they are back working at full strength, doing pest treatments along with the much-needed sanitisation work as well.
Arvind is also involved in bringing to Goa another venture called PAB (Pick-a-Book) which gives a chance to explore the world of books through the eyes of other readers. It was started in Sri Lanka and now has made way to Goa giving people a way to learn and explore their imagination. ‘Pick A Book’ encourages the reading habit by getting all participants to select a book, read and research on it thoroughly and present a summary which also helps to hone their public-speaking and presentation skills. By doing this, ‘Pick-a-Book’ not only inculcates the habit of reading but also helps to impart a wealth of knowledge.
The Future of Business: “This is the future we envision for Goa, bringing the talents of our children, passion for reading from our mothers/ parents / wives and path to success of our entrepreneurs, to a common platform.” Arvind says, “It’s no secret that owning a business can be an incredibly enriching experience… but it is not as glamorous as some may think. There remains one constant ingredient to success: motivation. You already have everything that you need to be successful in this new world and you have to make it for yourselves. It doesn’t matter what your business is, success will be what you make it to be. Stay strong, stay optimistic and let’s make it big”
