Being a successful business owner requires a special skill set that goes beyond expert knowledge of a subject. As a franchisor, we’ve had potential candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience levels, with some having owned their own pool cleaning business prior to becoming a Pool Scouts franchisee, to some having never owned or even cleaned a pool. Pool care experience is not required to get into the pool service franchise industry. What Pool Scouts looks for in franchisee candidates goes beyond technical knowledge. We have a checklist of qualities that can usually give us a good idea on if someone will be a great fit for Pool Scouts. We have real life examples to share of franchisees living out each of our six ideal candidate qualities.
As a data-driven company, having franchisees who are of the mindset, “what does the data tell us?” is important. Rather than franchisees operate off of what their gut tells them, we want look at what the data says is working or needs improvement. Our multi-brand franchisee in North Atlanta has done an excellent job of setting benchmarks and seeing where areas can be improved based on what the numbers indicate.
Being a great communicator is a large part of having a successful business. One crucial skill for each Pool Scouts location is having someone who can effectively communicate with potential customers on the phone. Pool Scouts of the Lowcountry franchisee, Ray Marinaccio, has done an incredible job with this. Having a background as a prosecutor in New York, Ray’s ability to treat people with respect and kindness has gone a long way. He handles each customer with patience and clear communication skills, getting them excited to work with Pool Scouts. He also does a great job of communicating with customers before, during, and after service, as well as communicating effectively with employees internally.
With owning any business, having the ability to multitask is extremely important. It’s especially vital in the beginning stages of a company where you might not be able to hire a bunch of employees right away. Joe Golio in Lehigh Acres has proven to be a strong multitasker. He’s able to wear a variety of different hats, from office management, to budgeting and marketing, to getting out and cleaning pools. He’s been so successful at managing all the aspects of his Lehigh Acres business, that he recently acquired Pool Scouts of Sarasota, adding twice the workload. His strong skill set has helped him to manage both locations, while giving each the attention and care they each need to grow and be successful.
Our very first franchisee, Tiffiny, is our go-to example of what a passionate Pool Scouts candidate looks like. Prior to working for Pool Scouts, Tiffiny did not have background experience in pool service. However, when discovered the Pool Scouts franchise opportunity and saw that the vision aligned with what she was looking for, she made the leap of faith. She is now not only dedicated to the success of her own business, but frequently collaborates with other franchisees to share knowledge to lean on each other for support. She’s also always willing to share her experience with potential franchisees who want to hear from current owners about what it’s like to own a Pool Scouts.
Being able to adapt to whatever is thrown at you is an extremely important skill to have as a franchise owner. While you always have the support of the corporate team behind you, sometimes unexpected challenges can come up (COVID for instance), and you must be able to pivot your strategy accordingly. A recent example of an adaptable franchisee is our Pensacola owner, Amy. She was a Pool Scouts customer, and when she found out the business was for sale, she decided to dive into the opportunity without hesitation. Similar to how she handled buying the business, she’s handled every curveball thrown her way with unwavering confidence, from COVID, to hurricanes, to all the other day to day challenges that come with business ownership.
Even if you have all of the characteristics above, you must be driven in order to follow through and create success. Our Pool Scouts of McKinney and Northeast DFW owner John demonstrates an unwavering drive on a daily basis. He has grown his business quickly due to his consistent devotion to growing and improving. He regularly networks in his community, building partnerships and then maintaining those partnerships by staying involved and collaborating on different projects. He is constantly thinking of new and unique ways to get involved in new partnerships and new ways to gain customers.
These are just a few of our franchisees and the ways they’ve demonstrated the ideal candidate qualities, but all of our Pool Scouts franchisees fit the ideal candidate mold. We’re happy to have such a strong crew, and can’t wait to continue adding great people to the Pool Scouts family!
