The recent economic instability surrounding businesses has resulted in an increased interest in the franchise industry. People are craving the control and stability that comes with owning your own business but want to minimize risk by exploring options that have already been fully developed and proven. Pool Scouts has been a true witness to this over the past few months, with an increase in interest from people seeking information about the Pool Scouts franchise opportunity. As a result, Pool Scouts has had a vast number of virtual “Meet the Team” days to share more information and get “face time” with interested potential franchisees while accommodating the needs of social distancing.
Charlotte, North Carolina is one of many markets that has seen strong interest and growth in recent months and for good reason. It has built a reputation as a business-friendly city. In the latest WalletHub study of Best Large Cities to Start a Business, Charlotte ranked sixth, coming in as the highest ranked city in North Carolina. Some contributing factors include the growth in the number of small businesses, business environment, and access to resources, among others.
Over the past few years, Raleigh has proven to be a successful market for pool cleaning. Our flagship franchisee, Tiffiny Consoli, purchased three territories in the Greater Triangle Area in 2016, and has since built a great business in that area. Tiffiny has paved the way and has become a model of success for other franchisees. In the past year, she opened yet another Pool Scouts location in Wilmington, expanding to bring excellent pool service to a new market. Since there has been such great response in these key North Carolina cities, we knew that Charlotte would be the next great opportunity, but we just needed the right people to run the operation.
During April and May, we’ve officially welcomed not one, but two new franchise owners to launch Pool Scouts in the Charlotte area. Each has purchased two territories, leaving only one territory left for sale in the Charlotte market. We’re looking for the right person to fill in the final piece of the Charlotte puzzle. One of the best benefits to operating a franchise business is the collaboration between owners to build a powerful brand presence nationally and locally, in partnership with neighboring franchisees. Having another franchisee around the corner offers opportunities for co-marketing, operational support, potential to help or share staff, and more. We’re excited to watch this partnership between local franchisees take place over the next several years with our new additions in Charlotte.
We are thrilled to have Jeff Horn on board as our most recent Pool Scouts franchisee in the Lake Norman area of Charlotte! Prior to owning a Pool Scouts franchise, Jeff formed his own advisor COO company, with a corporate background in finance, sales and marketing. He ultimately decided that his dream was to build something with more substantial with recurring revenue, so he dove into business ownership with Pool Scouts! Jeff’s son, a recent college graduate from UNC Charlotte, will also be helping him run the business. We couldn’t be happier to have Jeff leading the way in pool care in the Lake Norman community as he opens up his business in the next few weeks. Pool Scouts president Michael Wagner said, “Charlotte has been a target market for Pool Scouts since our inception in 2016. We could not be more excited to partner with Jeff Horn to bring Perfect Pools to the Queen City.”
Our second Charlotte group will be bringing our professional pool cleaning and maintenance services to the South Charlotte area, launching in early 2021. They are a husband-wife team who is thrilled about scaling their business over time to serve their community and build a future for their family. We know they’ll make a great team!
So, what makes Charlotte so appealing for franchise ownership? Aside from being the most populous city in North Carolina, Charlotte is a large cultural, economic and transportation center to the overall Charlotte metro area, with a population of over 2.5 million people. Housing large companies such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo, Charlotte has also quickly become one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Several large universities and professional sports teams call Charlotte home, adding to the financial success, stability and growth of the area.
The hot and humid summers make pool ownership appealing, and with so many families moving to the Charlotte suburbs, there is a rising need for professional pool care. With only one territory left in the Charlotte area, Pool Scouts is excited to expand even further into the Charlotte metro area and provide excellent pool service to the entire Charlotte community. If you’re interested in learning more about the Pool Scouts franchise opportunity in your area, give us a call at 844-407-2688.
