After a long career in public service, Julie Handzo moved into business ownership with Mosquito Squad Plus. Earlier this year, the outdoor pest control franchise recognized her early momentum with the Rookie of the Year award at the brand’s national conference.
“For the first time in 30 years, I am a rookie!” she said. “When I read that on the plaque, I thought, ‘Wow!’ Because I am a rookie. I knew nothing about pest control coming into this, but I followed what I learned in Squad School. I followed what the Mosquito Squad Plus team laid out regarding how to market and what the budget should look like. They were so supportive and laid a great foundation, and now, I’m knee-deep in it all day long. I’m in love with it.”
Prior to pursuing franchise ownership, Handzo spent three decades working in family services. Her daughter’s fiancé, Camden, worked at the local Mosquito Squad Plus and had discussed taking over the business someday, but when the previous owner passed away unexpectedly, the timeline accelerated significantly. With little warning, the family wasn’t entirely sure how they would manage assuming ownership, but Handzo was determined to seize the opportunity.
“I’m a very big-picture person,” she said. “In my head, I kept thinking, ‘Let’s do this. Camden loves the business. Let’s create a legacy for my grandchildren.’ We were able to secure funding, and I went into this not knowing a thing other than that the opportunity was fast-paced and exciting.”
After completing the discovery and approval process in about a month, Handzo began onboarding. All three co-owners, Julie, Camden and Leah, attended Squad School and learned everything from how to spray a yard to how to review and manage digital dashboards.
As she transitioned from Squad School to active business ownership, Handzo made a real effort to go beyond the desk. She put on a backpack and accompanied the technicians to learn the realities of day-to-day operations and to experience all facets of the business firsthand.
“I actually did a respray of a property by myself just to see how heavy the backpack was and learn how to swing it back and forth,” she said. “It just showed me what the technicians do all day. It helped me understand the routes and what they go through in terms of both the physical demands and customer service requirements each day.”
As she has grown, Handzo has consistently prioritized the client experience. While she says that her experience as a waitress decades ago shaped her approach to client satisfaction and retention, it’s the practical steps that she takes each day to ensure clients are happy and the business is steadily growing.
“If we receive feedback from an unhappy client, I will call them personally,” she said. “It’s the right thing to do, but it’s also likely that person will tell their neighbor, ‘The owner called me today because I hit the unhappy face on my survey, and she just wanted to see what was going on.’ I don’t have to do it often, but if there’s someone who’s upset, making that call can drastically change the tone of the situation.”
While Handzo completes critical tasks like these and serves as the business's visionary, she attributes her success and recognition as Rookie of the Year to the entire team. She’s the owner/operator; Camden acts as the owner/operations manager; and Handzo’s daughter Leah assists with marketing and social media. As for technicians, Pete is the lead and Camden’s two brothers are a part of the team. Carrie works as the sales/office manager.
“It’s a team effort,” she said. “I could not have done this on my own. I can give directions all day, but if I don’t have anyone to lead, I’m nothing. I can’t spray every yard of every client alone. I’m so grateful to our team that has stayed with us through this journey.”
Handzo has grown steadily since taking over the business, and she has no plans to slow down. In year one, she doubled her customer base, and she’s continually expanding it, both in customer count and in the services she offers, like fly control and pest packs.
“It’s just so surprising; I was absolutely shocked that we did so well so early,” she said. “But really, that was because I learned, and I put in the effort. That’s the important part. To grow, you need to be fully committed and fully on board. You need to listen and learn every day and be a part of the growth process. Nothing can happen overnight, but I see the potential for the future, and I only see that potential because the Mosquito Squad Plus team is there showing us every day, ‘This is the way,’ telling us why and telling us when.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/mosquito-squad/info.
Mosquito Squad Plus
SPONSORED
After a 30-year career in family services, Julie Handzo leaned into franchisor support and radical customer service to double her business in her first year of operations.
After a long career in public service, Julie Handzo moved into business ownership with Mosquito Squad Plus. Earlier this year, the outdoor pest control franchise recognized her early momentum with the Rookie of the Year award at the brand’s national conference.
“For the first time in 30 years, I am a rookie!” she said. “When I read that on the plaque, I thought, ‘Wow!’ Because I am a rookie. I knew nothing about pest control coming into this, but I followed what I learned in Squad School. I followed what the Mosquito Squad Plus team laid out regarding how to market and what the budget should look like. They were so supportive and laid a great foundation, and now, I’m knee-deep in it all day long. I’m in love with it.”
Prior to pursuing franchise ownership, Handzo spent three decades working in family services. Her daughter’s fiancé, Camden, worked at the local Mosquito Squad Plus and had discussed taking over the business someday, but when the previous owner passed away unexpectedly, the timeline accelerated significantly. With little warning, the family wasn’t entirely sure how they would manage assuming ownership, but Handzo was determined to seize the opportunity.
“I’m a very big-picture person,” she said. “In my head, I kept thinking, ‘Let’s do this. Camden loves the business. Let’s create a legacy for my grandchildren.’ We were able to secure funding, and I went into this not knowing a thing other than that the opportunity was fast-paced and exciting.”
After completing the discovery and approval process in about a month, Handzo began onboarding. All three co-owners, Julie, Camden and Leah, attended Squad School and learned everything from how to spray a yard to how to review and manage digital dashboards.
As she transitioned from Squad School to active business ownership, Handzo made a real effort to go beyond the desk. She put on a backpack and accompanied the technicians to learn the realities of day-to-day operations and to experience all facets of the business firsthand.
“I actually did a respray of a property by myself just to see how heavy the backpack was and learn how to swing it back and forth,” she said. “It just showed me what the technicians do all day. It helped me understand the routes and what they go through in terms of both the physical demands and customer service requirements each day.”
As she has grown, Handzo has consistently prioritized the client experience. While she says that her experience as a waitress decades ago shaped her approach to client satisfaction and retention, it’s the practical steps that she takes each day to ensure clients are happy and the business is steadily growing.
“If we receive feedback from an unhappy client, I will call them personally,” she said. “It’s the right thing to do, but it’s also likely that person will tell their neighbor, ‘The owner called me today because I hit the unhappy face on my survey, and she just wanted to see what was going on.’ I don’t have to do it often, but if there’s someone who’s upset, making that call can drastically change the tone of the situation.”
While Handzo completes critical tasks like these and serves as the business's visionary, she attributes her success and recognition as Rookie of the Year to the entire team. She’s the owner/operator; Camden acts as the owner/operations manager; and Handzo’s daughter Leah assists with marketing and social media. As for technicians, Pete is the lead and Camden’s two brothers are a part of the team. Carrie works as the sales/office manager.
“It’s a team effort,” she said. “I could not have done this on my own. I can give directions all day, but if I don’t have anyone to lead, I’m nothing. I can’t spray every yard of every client alone. I’m so grateful to our team that has stayed with us through this journey.”
Handzo has grown steadily since taking over the business, and she has no plans to slow down. In year one, she doubled her customer base, and she’s continually expanding it, both in customer count and in the services she offers, like fly control and pest packs.
“It’s just so surprising; I was absolutely shocked that we did so well so early,” she said. “But really, that was because I learned, and I put in the effort. That’s the important part. To grow, you need to be fully committed and fully on board. You need to listen and learn every day and be a part of the growth process. Nothing can happen overnight, but I see the potential for the future, and I only see that potential because the Mosquito Squad Plus team is there showing us every day, ‘This is the way,’ telling us why and telling us when.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/mosquito-squad/info.
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