From Termites to Tenacity: Alex Bagenal's Business Journey

In this episode of Fraser Coast Property Brief, Glen Winney speaks with Alexandra “Alex” Bagenal from Action Termite Solutions about business, resilience, regional growth and the hidden risks termites create for property owners.

Alex shares how she went from chef, to real estate, to running a termite and pest control business, and what it has taken to build credibility as a young female operator in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

The conversation also covers her move from the Sunshine Coast into Hervey Bay, the role of networking and referrals in business growth, and why customer service has become one of her strongest points of difference.

For homeowners, investors, builders, agents and property managers, Alex shares practical advice on termite inspections, new build protection, building and pest reports, pre-sale checks, moisture issues, garden beds, compliance, and the simple mistakes that can lead to costly damage.

This episode is part business story, part property education, and a must-listen for anyone buying, selling, building or managing property on the Fraser Coast.

Transcript

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Welcome to the Fraser Coast Property Brief, the podcast where property, development, and business leaders share what's really happening across the Fraser Coast. Each episode brings you insights into local projects, market trends, and the people helping shape the future of our region. Welcome to another Fraser Coast Property Brief. Today's episode is going to be a little bit different. We are talking to about property building and the hidden risks that affect homes and the investment. But we're going to talk about business, resilience, and a journey behind the person as well today. So my guest today is Alexandra Bagnell from Action Turnite Solutions. Alex is a young business owner, a mum, an active networker, and someone who's built a growing pest control business and brought it up from the Sunshunk Coast to the Harvey Bay. Today I want to talk to Alex and the insight into the industry and what's it like being a female business owner in a new area. So welcome, Alex. Thank you for having me, Glenn. Yeah, so we might jump into it. I think you've got a really interesting story. We don't know each other very well. We were at a young professionals networking recently, and um I was hearing you talking to the people, I was quite impressed. So I I want to delve a little bit more into your story, and we will delve into what you actually do with the termites, but uh I'm more interested in you at the moment. So, Alex, um, give us a little bit of your personal story and how does a young mum end up running a pest control business? It's strange, isn't it? Uh so not my first choice, I'd say. It wasn't my first choice either. So I've definitely had a bit of a mixed background. Yep. Uh, you know, I started my career in as a chef uh chef through school and then uh kind of pivoted into real estate, so a bit of sales there, and then into property management, kind of with in mind I wanted to start a family. Uh sales work, obviously weekends and stuff like that. It's not so flexible. And then um that kind of you know had had a baby, and then I went back into the chefing game, and it was kind of it was great. I do enjoy chefing and I do miss it a little bit, but then uh kind of was working for large-scale manufacturer basically, so kind of heading up operations, it was a real full-time role, and then I just needed a change. So went into sales again, back with Arnett's Biscuits, kind of was kind of not really enjoying my job. Yeah, uh, and I was really at the start of that that I was presented with an opportunity, or my husband was to open a business with all of the guidance kind of just handed to us. There was a man named Brad, he wanted to, you know, share his idea and he wanted to be back in the market. He'd had a couple of health scares and was running a really successful business. And my husband's like, you know, it was a good opportunity. The numbers were adding up, everything looked really great, and we're like, we'll do it. So we kind of put our hands up, committed to do it together, and then um we did the training, and it was like about a month in, and he goes, This just isn't for me. And it was like kind of by that stage, I was already like, What are you talking about? I'm like, termites are awesome. Um, and I was kind of hooked, like it was hook, line, and sinker. I was in, I'm like, I'll do it then. If you're not gonna, I'm going to. So you're in, your husband's out. My I'm in, my husband's out. Right. So it it it obviously wasn't a childhood dream to be a uh pest inspector. Um, so you sort of fell in it by accident by your husband initially wanting to do it, then you taking over the business. Um and how long you've been in it for now? So uh been operating for eight years now. Eight years, so yeah. So you must like it. I do, I do. You still get the same adrenaline rush. Every time you find live termites, it's exactly the same. I actually text my husband sometimes, like, just treating live termites. He's like, stop. All right. Um, all right, so let's go back a little bit. So describe you describe yourself as an entrepreneur, um, and I think you've written somewhere part chaos coordinator and part termite whisperer. Yes. Uh so what's the reality of running your business on a day-to-day basis, you know? Yeah, so there's a lot of juggling involved, obviously. You know, as a entrepreneur or a mumpreneur, you could say, you know, you have the j like the juggles of having to be wearing a hat for a business owner, but then also managing the family at home. Um I suppose the average, I suppose the average day is like, you know, my kids are always first, so I'll get up in the morning, prioritize them, get them out the door, and then you really get into running the business. So I am like I'm on the ground as a technician. You'll still find me out there doing pest controls, you'll find me in people's roofs, in subfloors. I'm doing every aspect of my business, and then I have some admin support in the background, and then I'm currently on the hunt for another technician to join us on the Sunshine Coast. So, what takes up the biggest or challenge? Is it the technical knowledge and actually you know treating termites or is it the customer service and picking up new customers? Where's the balance in those two? I think the customer service definitely takes a a lot of time, right? We your business is only the effort that you put into it. So, and I'm a really big person, like I'm very into making sure that customers are satisfied. So it's a really big part. You know, when someone calls our business, I'm still the face of my business, they're still getting me on the phone. I'm all about building those relationships. So I do spend a lot of time really focusing on that customer-driven service, but at the same time, the technical knowledge and stuff like that, it's stuff that I have to share with my employees, make sure that they're sharing the same knowledge and passion with our customers as they're learning themselves. How many staff do you have running around TMOTS? Uh currently I have as a staff member, none. So I'm uh in the transition. I did have two, um, but we've, you know, we've let them go. We're just finding the new one. Um, I have an admin support person in the background, like I said, but it's just me right now. As a business owner for over 25 years, I can understand staffing's the number one issue and uh owning business. It's it's good and it's bad, but it's always a challenge. Absolutely. So you operate around builders, um, inspectors, you deal with agents, property managers, owners. Uh what's it been like building a business as a younger woman in that environment? You know, like the building game, like I've been in it for 45 years now. Um it was definitely an old man's world back in this day. Uh hopefully things are changing. So, what's it like for you being in this game? It still definitely is an old man's game, if you ask me. Yep. Uh look, it's one of those things, like you always come up with challenges, like challenges are put in front of you. Um, I suppose when I rock on site in my pink overalls, people kind of look at me and go, Oh, we're expecting a male technician. Um, but you know, it's one of those things getting out there and having conversations. I think sometimes it's great to show that I do have the same knowledge as every other person doing it, if not a little bit more, because I take the attention to focus on the finer things. Um, but yeah, I definitely hear it all the time, like, oh, I was expecting your husband or I was expecting a male technician. So how do you do you do you connect with the clients easily? Is it you know, where's the difficult side? Is it the old crusty builder or is or is it the mum and dad? You probably connect with them a bit easier? I definitely think I have an unfair advantage because I talk about children all the time. Yeah, uh, it's that different level of connection, you know. When you walk into a home and you meet the mum that's got the chaos in the household, they find themselves apologizing, like you know, excuse and mess. It's like it's okay. I'm a mum too, I understand. You know, we all have those challenges getting kids ready for school in the morning. Um, with builders, it's different. It's nice to have a refreshing personality on site, you know. You're not dealing with a cranky concrete, you have someone that's willing to walk through with the client exactly what they need to do, uh, which is like I said, it's refreshing because you know, when you do have a termite inspector, typically a male come into site, they just come in, get the job done, there's not really a lot of explanation. People are sometimes left asking, oh, what am I paying for? Whereas I'm happy to go that extra mile. I'm happy to have those conversations. I find those relatable topics, I suppose. I suppose related to small children and termites, they're very similar to the damage they do in the household. People do ask me sometimes are children classified as pests? Well, it's questionable. Do you have a special spray for those ones in there? No. All right. Um, your business seems to be growing on your reputation, uh, referral systems. So the habits and decisions, um, how how do you get that momentum in a business? Because you know, you've moved up here as well. So, what what's the habits you do that are giving your building um the momentum to grow? So I suppose I'm a real planner, right? So we discussed moving up here probably about 12 to 18 months before we actually made the move. And as soon as we made the decision that we were going to do it, I put foundations in place. So, you know, I started advertising on Google, started making sure that I was building my network here already, so that when I did come here, I wasn't just sitting here twiddling my thumbs. Um, but also from like a bigger business perspective to keep momentum going, it comes down to motivation. So, you know, whether you have the motivation or not, you have to be consistent. So some days we get out of bed, we don't feel excited to go to work. It's just one of those things. You've got to get out of bed, you've got to do it regardless, because sometimes you don't have a well, personally, I never have a plan B. It's always plan A. That is the only way. Yep. Yeah, I've had that philosophy burn the bridge behind you, you can't go back. That's right. Yep. Um, so you started very strongly in the Sunshine Coast Well, you're down there about six years or something like that. Yep. So, what made you come to Harvey Bay and expand up into this area? What was that driving force? I think it's really exciting what's going on in Harvey Bay. So, you know, watching property, because I do like watching property, you can see prices going up, and then you just look at the infrastructure and development that's coming to the area. I think from a business, it's really exciting. Yep. Uh, there's lots that I can contribute in an area like Harvey Bay. Uh, and then also just the change of lifestyle. You know, the Sunshine Coast is amazing, but it's busy, and it's nice to just step back into a quieter lifestyle again and really enjoy the time with the kids. Uh, I found that on the Sunshine Coast we just weren't getting that. So Sunshine Coast is obviously a more sophisticated, bigger market. So, what's the main difference as you see in a smaller regional market? Is there anything on your day-to-day business or how other people treat business differently here? I think that um there's definitely something that could be called Harvey Bay time. So people aren't used to like that service that comes fast. So, you know, they call someone and they're expecting maybe you might get out there in a month. There's definitely a lack of trades in the area. Um, so I've the biggest transition for me is found like you know, customer service has also been something that's been lacking in the area. So when you deliver that good customer service, people are kind of taken back a bit by it. Like, you know, they're expecting a bit of a lower standard. Yep. I remember in the 80s, if uh you look out in the water, if weather is calm, half your trades would be missing because they all be out fishing. Yes, um, or a Thursday afternoon they'd go to golf or something like that. So yeah, they're getting better, but they're still not quite there. Um, let's talk about your networking side. Um, you're very active in BI and referral networks. So can you explain what BI is and and how that works for you in your business? Yeah, absolutely. Uh you're right, I am very invested in BI. So BI is a national marketing network, basically. Um, as a BI member, you join a group of like-minded individuals that want to have quality business referrals. So businesses are built on referrals, right? And a word of mouth referral is more likely to convert into business straight away than just here's my business card, give me a call if you're interested. Um, so as a BI member, I have been a member of the BI in the Sunshine Coast for three years. Um we attend a meeting every week. There's a lot of accountability involved, but then further to that, I actually support the uh Sunshine Coast region as a director consultant. So we've recently launched a network in Harvey Bay, BI Harvey Bay Networkers, and that's also going really well. We're in the process of developing a second chapter. I think people often look at networking as something that you do in addition to your business. The reality is it is part of your business. So your business is only as strong as the network that you have around you, and that's really been fundamental to building my business. I don't think without it it would be so you can see some direct correlation between growth for your like business here then and being part of BI. 100%. It's kind of like when you you asked before how many employees do I have? If I was looking at it from a networking perspective, there's 34 members in my BI chapter. I have 34 employees working for me because every single person in my BI network is out there talking about me, singing my praises. They're listening for cues, you know, that can help build my business or active referrals. Alright. Um, so let's talk about the actual little critters that you actually work on, termites. So let's get in some practical advice. What's the biggest mistakes um homeowners make with termites? Uh let's let's break it into you know two sections. You've got new homes and you've got the established stuff. So tell me, first of all, in new homes, what do they have actually have to do while building a new home? So to meet Australian standards, you have to have a termite management system in place. Now there's uh a lot of products available on the market, but more niche, like a more niche industry is the specific like films and meshes that you put in place when you're building. Now, for you to get certification on your final build, you have to have that in place. So it's very rare that you would find someone that's kind of organizing that themselves. It's builder's responsibility to have a termite technician come out and complete that. And you've got to have a qualified person. That's right, it's got to be qualified. You know, none of this labourer stuff, you have to be a qualified technician to be installing it. Um I think when a new build, I probably one of the biggest misconceptions is that when you do have someone come and install something on a new build, what you find is that you get locked into these contracts, right? And the way it's sold to you is that you have this product that's been installed by this company, and to maintain your warranty, you must have a termite inspection done by this person every single year. I think where it becomes really grey is that's actually not what is required. So, yes, you do have to have an inspection every 12 months, without a doubt. And there's nothing taking that away. However, it just must be done by a licensed and accredited technician. So when you hold the accreditations for things like cordon, green zone, term seal, as long as you're licensed and accredited, you can carry out the inspection on a new build. And I think this is really important because people sometimes feel that when they're locked into these contracts, it means that they have to stick with someone that's providing subpar service. Yep. And that's you know, car industry have been doing that for years. You think you buy the car, you've got to get service every here there, but you know, as long as you get a legal service from somebody, it it works. Absolutely. So, yeah, one of the biggest little marketing tricks that termite people have done is put the sticker in the meter box and telling, and they've got the brand of who's done the termite inspection and which is which is important, right? So it tells you dates, but it's it's good marketing as well. Very much so. So let's get across to the established houses. Um you know, there's people just own the houses. Sometimes they own it for 30, 40 years, and you know, it's not a thing they think about every year to get a termite inspection or whatever. So, what's some of the biggest things you see in established houses that are problems or what people can actually do to mitigate you know pest control? I think it's once again like one of those misconceptions. I think people are under the impression that if they haven't had termites in 20 years, I'm not gonna get them. Yeah, right? Um, so but that's not true. You know, sometimes in older homes, like we're coming into a real, like a real time frame now where the hard chemicals that were used 30 years ago are starting to disintegrate in the soil. So whilst they might have been active for the last 25-30 years, they're really dying off. And as a home ages, you know, mortar starts to crumble, you start to incorporate new wood with renovations. It means that your home's probably not as termite resistant as it was previously. And then if that is the case, then we need to be doing termite inspections regularly. And there's a myriad of options out there to protect your home. It could be chemical-based, you've got monitoring stations, which are low toxicity these days. There's just a whole heap of options to kind of implement. Because the old days, I remember, you know, in the 80s, things like that, most sorts of spray. I forget the type of spray, but it's illegal now that they should put under there. Absolutely. Um, yeah, and there wasn't the mesh barriers and all that, it was just purely spray, and the concrete is used to walk around in bare feet. Um but with that, like you're saying, 30, 40 years later, it's broken down. Yeah. Um, and and the other big mistake people used to make and they still make is they love to put a garden bed right up against a house. Absolutely. It's like termite heaven, isn't it? It is. Especially with some nice timber sleepers they can eat. Yep, straight up against the bricks, we see it all the time. So, what's some of the tips you can advise, you know, what not to do as an established house? I suppose what not to do as an established house is like we know that termites are a big issue in Southeast Queensland. So, you know, like you said, garden beds up against house. I don't have issues with garden beds up against the house, but it's about making sure that you know you've got good clear visual below your wee poles. Right. Uh, if you don't have a termite management system in place, you know, popping reticulation in or monitoring stations, uh, choosing mulches that are termite resistant. So you have cypress pine, which is a more termite-resistant material if you wanted to mulch against the house. Uh, and then it's the little things, you know, we have electric um electrical, so air conditioners, for instance, you have the off-pipe that drips the water onto the ground, making sure that that's plumbed into a down pipe. Right. It's one of the biggest things I see. I think I mark it on almost every inspection report. If it's converted away from the house, then it's not dropping. Where it's dropping, you're basically advertising for termites. So termites love the moisture. They love moisture, they love timber. So, and you've got both of those things up against a house. So wet timber is like stream food. It is right. Yep. Um, so somebody owns a established house, haven't really thought about termites. Uh, what should they do? Just you go out and do inspections and just give advice or as as a business owner, I think look, I could charge for my time over and over again, but it's not something that I do. I think that a lot of homeowners are often uneducated. And I enjoy I enjoy doing that. So uh we offer a free external property risk assessment. We'll basically go out, we'll have a look at the external of the home with the homeowner, and we'll go along and I'll talk them through things that are conducive, you know. So if I see an air conditioner pipe, I can let them know that that should be plumbed into a down pipe. Uh, if I see garden beds that are concerning or vines growing up the wall, those kinds of things, I'm happy to talk them through that. And I think that's the thing is like the more knowledge that they have, or the better educated they are as a homeowner, the better decisions that they can make. All right, so just get some advice to start with. So the big thing in in real estate game and property, um, you know, a lot of transaction housing up here, fast moving market. Um, normally, and it's always wise to do it, is put a building and pest inspection in your contracts with the builders. So uh you do a lot of that, so you're you're acting for the buyers. So, what's the main thing that derails contracts that you see in older properties? So, you know, what can landlords prepare before they put it on the market, and what advice can you give to buyers they should be looking at? So, for a buyer, I think it's really important to investigate how much experience a building and pest inspector has. So, I myself don't carry out the building inspection component of a building and pest inspection. I work closely with someone that has a great reputation in the area. Um, I think it's really important as a buyer to make sure that people are getting in the roof and they're aware of what termite management system is in place and they can provide the relevant information to what it takes to keep that system compliant. And I think that's the difference. Sometimes we have building and pest inspectors out there and they're a builder by trade. Whereas I'm personally dealing with termites day in, day out, and I'm aware of all the compliance that's required. So that's for a buyer, but I as a I as a technician personally recommend always and having a bit of real estate experience, going to market, having a pre-sale inspection done. And the reason I think this is a really good thing to do before you go to market is there's nothing worse than having a buyer come along and a homeowner that's agreed to a fantastic sale price to have a building and pest inspector come in and find termite damage when it's something that they could have gone to market with. Number one, they could have rectified it before they go on to market, or they can negotiate accordingly, knowing what is going to come up in a building and pest inspection. People find one little problem and then they suspect the whole house with everything else then. So yeah. That's right. Yep. So it is a major thing in in the home property market, and I think it's one of the least probably prepared people. You know, they just don't they think about oh yeah, I've got to make it look good. Yeah. They they change the curtains and do things, but they don't do the structural things. So um Um so any new home's got to have termite protections, it's automatically sorted. Um what should builders and buyers understand um, you know, in their new builds if you're buying something new, is there what's in the handover kit? Is there certificates from a termite um installation and and gives you the warranties, it gives you the the time frames that's got to be inspected? There technically should be a handover kit. And nine times out of ten that information's not getting relayed to a buyer. Right. So I think that when you do a building and pest inspection, the advice that should be given is you need to follow up and ask for those documents specifically if there is a termite management program in place and if there is a warranty requirement. However, if you've got like a a new home that's maybe been sold twice, you kind of lose that that line of thought, I suppose. Um so I suppose ask for that information, it's really important. Is there records kept somewhere? You could you could call the company that installed it. So, and that's why that sticker in the electrical meter box is really important because it connects you directly to the company that installed it in the first place. I mean, but if you're unsure, just call, ask the questions. So building certifiers or council don't hold the records of the original term inspection? They the building certifier will have information because a Form 43 is signed off on completion. So Form 43 is what they're chasing? Yep. Yep. Definitely. Okay, um, let's just talk about you. You're you know, you're still young, you're you know, you're a professional, you build a business, you're getting real momentum. So what advice would you do other young professionals, especially you know, a mother, juggling family, business, husband's left with the business and gone and done something else? Um, you know, what what advice do you give others if they want to build their own business? Because it's never easy, it looks all good and shiny on the outside, but the real grit is in the inside. So what advice to anybody starting a business, but especially I suppose younger mothers as well? I think I always give the advice like go for it, like you know, get to the behind. What's what's holding you back from starting your own business? Because for me personally, it's been the most rewarding experience of my life. Yeah, and I think that I probably should have backed myself a little bit sooner. So, you know, you have those often seeds of doubt. You know, am I gonna succeed? Am I gonna fail? What about if this happens? I think you just need to put all of that on the back burner and not think about it because the the journey to owning a business is never perfect. I mean, I've literally spoken about how many different jobs I've had to get here today. Um, and then you don't have to ask permission, you know, whose permission do you need to ask? Just get out there and get into it. So, what's some of the key habits you do that makes it successful? Uh, key habits that I do is I'm a real like I'm constantly reviewing financial forecasting in my business. You know, I set my targets to make sure that I meet them, and I think that you should be reviewing those kinds of things every week when you start a business. Uh, the other thing that I do is I'm a vision board planner. So, you know, I've got my vision board, I know where I want to go, and then you kind of just reverse engineer your vision and figure out what you need to do. And then from a business operation perspective, I think that it's important to say no when you own a business sometimes. You can't say yes to every opportunity, and it takes a long time to learn this. It does. Um so what I kind of do is I have a time block that sits in my car next to me. And if someone doesn't fit into the time block, the answer's no. So I don't negotiate on time away from my family, I don't negotiate on not taking my kids to Muay Thai. It is if it doesn't fit in this, it doesn't fit in my business. So it's a lesson I learnt early in real estate. Um, you know, when people, especially in real estate, they think they can just walk into an office and say, take me for a drive and looks at the property. If somebody hasn't got an appointment, I don't usually see them. Yeah. And and one of my um pushbacks is saying, Do you just walk into your lawyer's office or your doctor and just say I want to see you now? Um so treat my time with the same professionalism as theirs. So and and that's the best thing to actually get on the same level with the with the customer to understand that yes, your time is important, so let's do it properly. Absolutely. What's one of the biggest lessons or one of the hardest lessons you've learnt running this business over the last eight years? Uh well, I think one of the hardest lessons that you learn when you do run a business is that sometimes it's you know, you come across customers and it just might not be the right fit. And when you take them on because you're in a position where you need to make that, you know, that finance you need to meet those financial goals, it's probably not the right thing to do. And like I said, it just takes a long time to learn to say no. That's definitely been one of the biggest lessons that I've learned is that saying no is important and not negotiating on your morals as well. So you know sometimes you have someone call you and they might say that this is what they want. If it doesn't align with your morals, trying to get a shortcut. Yeah, I'm just not all about that. Yeah, no, it's good. All right, we might close up in a sec. So to finish, if you're a homeowner or an investor or a property manager, um, you're listening this. So, what's the three things I can take away about turmoiles, uh termites and property protection? What's the what's the three key things you should walk away with from this session? Um, I think regardless of what your home is built with, you always need the termite inspection. Yeah. So, you know, not that common misconception. My home's made of hardwood, my home's made of besser blocks, I'm okay. Yep. Doesn't matter, you still need a termite inspection. Yep. I think for a landlord or a property manager, a really important piece of advice is there's a very big difference between a pest treatment and a termite inspection. So, you know, as a landlord, you need to make sure that your property manager is carrying out a regular termite inspection for you. Yep. Because when you're not living in your own property, termites get missed very easily. And then from a new build, I suppose, or anyone's perspective, if you're making changes to your house, it's really important that you consult with a termite technician first so that you don't go laying new concrete slabs down and then you have to drill through it because you've not thought about termites. All right. All right, we might wrap it up, there. Thanks, it's a great discussion. Learn a little bit more about you and your personal story. Um termites as well, and know more about termites. Um, very similar to children now have worked out. Um so um thanks for coming in. And um, just if you're buying, selling, or you know, even renting a house, you know, need to get it checked out because it's one of those hidden things that it's it's all a little bit too late once they've been in there. Absolutely. Tap on the wall and it sounds a little bit hollow, and so those guys probably been going there for two or three years. Definitely. Yep. All right, thank you very much, Alex, and uh thank you for joining in to Fred's Ghost Property Brief and check us out on Spotify, podcasts, YouTube, or on Facebook. Thanks. Thanks for having me.