Michael Wagner
An emerging pool cleaning and servicing franchise is looking to make waves in Nevada.
Pool Scouts, a subsidiary of the Virginia Beach, Va. headquartered Buzz Franchise Brands, launched in January 2016. The company is now looking to expand its presence across the nation including in the metro markets of Reno and Las Vegas.
“We certainly see Nevada as a target market,” Michael Wagner, president of Pool Scouts, said in a phone interview with NNBW.
He explained that the franchise works to target single-family residents who have pools and an average income of $75,000. The economic growth in Nevada, particularly in Reno, is one of the aspects attracting the franchise to the region.
There are currently five Pool Scouts located in Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia. While markets with warmer climates such as Florida and Las Vegas are beneficial for Pool Scouts franchises because they can clean and service pools year round, Wagner said that seasonal markets like northern Nevada also provide business opportunities for the franchise.
“Seasonality affords opportunity,” Wagner said.
He explained that they earn a lot of revenue from getting residential pools ready for the summer season as well as closing pools for the winter months.
Their franchisees are “mostly people who have worked in business in the past and want to be their own boss and run their own business,” Wagner said.
The Pool Scout franchises are designed to be initially run from one’s home since pool maintenance is done at the customers’ home.
“That is one of the things that is attractive about running this business,” Wagner said.
As the franchise location grows and scales, the franchisee may need a physical location to store pool supplies and as a headquarters for their employees.
Wagner explained that a typical initial investment to own a Pool Scouts franchise ranges from $74,000 to $85,000. Franchisees receive initial and continuing training, marketing materials for the franchise, business management tools and operation support.
“We are excellent at the marketing support and operation support for our franchises,” he said.
In addition to Pool Scouts, Buzz Franchises Brands also owns and operates the national mosquito control franchise Mosquito Joe. According to Wagner, there are currently 134 Mosquito Joe franchises in 32 states; however, there are not currently any locations in Nevada.
“So far, Denver is the furthest west,” he said.
Wagner said that having multiple home service brands under the Buzz Franchises Brand provides synergy for their franchises as many of the customers who use Pool Scouts’ services also have needs for the services of the Mosquito Joe franchise. He anticipates that Buzz Franchises Brands will add additional home service franchises in the future as well as continue to expand the number of Pool Scouts and Mosquito Joe locations.
“We certainly aspire to be and now are a multi-brand franchisor,” Wagner said.
For more information about Pool Scouts and franchise opportunities, visit http://poolscoutsfranchise.com/.
