Considering a Seasonal Franchise? Now’s The Time to Sign Up

Unless you’re one of the lucky few who live in a city with year-round warm weather, you’re probably not thinking much about pool cleaning, mosquito control or summer camp these days. But in a few short months, consumers across the country are going to be itching to get outside, and they’ll be spending a lot of money to make the most of their pools, yards and summer vacations. There are no shortage of franchises designed to take advantage of that seasonal spike in spending, and if you are considering signing up for one, now is the time to do it.

Because most seasonal franchises do not require brick-and-mortar storefronts, lead-time between signing and opening is significantly reduced compared to traditional retail and foodservice options. New franchisees with service brands can often get up and running in as little as a month.

“With brick-and-mortar franchises, you have to find a location and either build or lease a storefront. That can be a time-consuming process. It may tack on an additional year and half of preparation before you open,” said Sean Fitzgerald, Chief Development Strategist for franchise PR firm No Limit Agency*. “But with a seasonal service, you really just need to go through training, which can often be done in less than a month.”

Toward the end of 2018, Brenda and Geoff McGregor signed on to become franchisees with Mosquito Hunters*, a mosquito and pest control franchise. Brenda says they were able to complete training in October and they are spending the winter preparing their operation for a strong start in the spring.

“We went through training in October, and we’re excited to get started in the spring,” she said. “Right now we’re working on the website and working through some things on our checklist, but we are ready to go as soon as the weather changes.”

Though many franchisees choose seasonal franchises as side-business or retirement venture, many see enough sales in the spring and summer months to live off year-round.

“Unlike our warm-weather markets where owners are out on the job year-round, our seasonal markets like Ohio provide a unique and appealing model for franchisees who want to own a business and spend more time with their family,” said Eric Martin, VP of Franchise Development for lawn-care franchise Lawn Doctor*. “Because demand for our services is so high in the spring, summer and fall months, our owners are able to earn a full living in that time and then spend the cold months doing the less intensive work of servicing their equipment and strategizing for the next season.”

If you’re not quite at the signing stage yet, it’s still a good time to start researching. Most seasonal franchises encourage winter signings by hosting discovery days, webinars and other recruitment efforts throughout the fall and winter.

“There’s still time to look at a few different brands, see what works for you, and get prepared for a full opening in the spring, but you need to start now,” Fitzgerald said. “What you don’t want is to go to a discovery day in the spring and sign up in the summer. By the time you finish up training and get ready to open, the busy season will be closing out, and it’ll be another 8 months before you can really get started.”