Franchisee Success: How Brooke Thompson Became Successful with Mosquito Joe

 It’s safe to say that mosquitoes and taxes are both universally despised. However, for Houston entrepreneur Brooke Thompson, these nuisances provide the foundation for his two successful businesses – Liberty Tax and Mosquito Joe*.

“I gravitate toward niche businesses that solve problems for society,” Thompson told the Houston Business Journal. “[Mosquito Joe] is making outside fun again.”

After opening Liberty Tax in 2010, Thompson decided to supplement the seasonal business with another concept that would ensure a steady flow of business year-round. Mosquito Joe was the perfect fit – Liberty Tax deals with taxes from January to April and mosquitoes typically become a problem as the tax season ends.

“We started [Mosquito Joe] last year with one territory and now have two,” Thompson said. “We are projecting more than 300 percent growth in revenue and the same growth in terms of numbers of customers.”

His mosquito control treatment company wasn’t an overnight success, though, Thompson explains. Many residents in the community were unaware of how affordable professional mosquito control services could be so they either used temporary home remedies or paid exorbitant amounts of money for laborious misting systems.

Through persistence and a willingness to speak to as many residents as possible about how Mosquito Joe serves up an economical solution to the mosquito problem in Houston, Thompson was able to overcome this initial obstacle.

“You need to be available and willing to talk to customers at all times, including at night and on the weekends,” Thompson said. “Having good folks on my team and help from corporate in the first year also contributed to our success in the community.”

Moreover, with Mosquito Joe being in the business of public health, Thompson protects his community, while also raising brand awareness, by donating a portion of sales to local nonprofit groups. For instance in April, at the beginning of the mosquito season, he donates sales to groups that help children in honor of Child Abuse Awareness Month and at the end of the season in October he donates to various breast cancer awareness groups in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

As an increasing number of residents learn about Mosquito Joe’s cost-effective services, Thompson plans to open in four more territories over the next two years.