Sky's the limit for Stephen

Stephen Mulholland is ‘flying without wings’ as his business NBC Bird and Pest Control has gone from strength to strength since he set up the Northern Ireland branch of the franchise in May last year. The company is an independent business unit which also benefits from the support of a UK-wide parent firm.

38-year-old Stephen, who has a lifelong interest in ornithology, seized the opportunity to work with birds professionally. He accessed support via Invest Northern Ireland’s Go for it programme to start his business which uses birds of prey to tackle every pest problem imaginable from rodent infestations to bed bugs.

Stephen uses the innovative falconry method to control feral pigeons, seagulls and other unwanted birds. He trains birds of prey such as hawks, to scare the birds away from areas like land fill sites, council buildings, public amenity sites and shopping centres province-wide.

“The birds of prey are trained from birth to scare but not attack. They’re like the playground bully coming in to show all the other birds who is boss,” Stephen explained.

“A lot of it is to do with psychology. The other birds sense a predator and they quickly disperse.”

Stephen had worked as an engineer for 18 years before going it alone.

“Going from full time employment to running my own business was daunting,” he said

“But I just thought that if I am willing to work so hard for an employer, why not work just as hard for myself and reap the benefits?

“In the past six months I have learned more about business than in my whole 18 years of working life. Invest NI and the Go For It programme provided me with a mentor to discuss my business plan and areas which needed improvement, such as marketing. We are in the process of developing a website and business is growing steadily.”

He continued: “While there is no substitute for hard work, it really helps to be pointed in the right direction and that’s where Invest NI came in. As I was starting out in business for the first time I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes and Invest NI was there to help me every step of the way.

“It isn’t a job for the faint-hearted but in my opinion, it’s rewarding because I am providing a service to people,” he said. “Pigeon and bird droppings pose a public health risk and can cause all sorts of diseases. People are genuinely relieved when you have got rid of whatever pest has been plaguing them.”

Stephen said the support he received from Invest NI has proved invaluable in developing his business and he would urge others to consider taking the same route.