Mosquito Hunters

There are<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters/the-top-5-reasons-a-mosquito-hunters-franchise-makes-business-sense-in-2019-2709386" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> many reasons</a> to invest in a<a href="https://mosquitohuntersfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=a-simple-franchise-model-helps-mosquito-hunters-remain-an-attractive-investment-2710906" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> Mosquito Hunters</a> franchise, from consistently high profit margins to<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters/mosquito-hunters-franchise-continues-to-provide-low-cost-of-entry-to-partners-placing-them-in-a-prime-position-for-consistent-growth-2710005" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> a low cost of entry</a>, but the brand&rsquo;s franchisees are especially open about the role the brand&rsquo;s simple franchise model played as a major draw for investment.

By keeping the franchise model relatively simple,<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> Mosquito Hunters</a> opens even more doors to prospective franchisees who might be reluctant to go the franchising route for fear of overly-complicated processes and systems.

&ldquo;Mosquito Hunters is extremely focused on keeping our model as simple as possible,&rdquo; said Vice President of Franchise Development Eric Martin. &ldquo;Our primary focus when attracting prospective franchisees is screening for personality. We want to attract franchisees who will be pillars of their community. You can&rsquo;t teach personality, so you create a user-friendly system that will help attract the right personalities and then position those great business owners for success through a proven, turnkey model.&rdquo;

Enter Mosquito Hunters franchisees Shelli Lord-Pawson and her husband, Todd Pawson. The duo signed with the brand in March and have since opened a location in Chesterfield, Virginia. They had met and interviewed with Melissa Lewis, a franchise consultant with FranChoice, who came up with four distinct brands that would possibly be a good fit.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re a family with five amazing kids,&rdquo; Shelli said. &ldquo;And we were at a place in our lives where we knew we wanted to create and build something that would not only support our goals, but help achieve them; to see our family succeed. We also knew that we wanted more skin in the game than would be the case if we were just working for someone. Todd has seen a lot of changes in his original line of business, pharmaceutical sales, so we also wanted something that could weather industry highs and lows and help support our family of seven.&rdquo;

While the Lord-Pawson family was interested in a well-established, reputable brand, they also did not want to pay &ldquo;an arm and a leg for it,&rdquo; Shelli said. The beauty of franchising with a brand like Mosquito Hunters was that Shelli and Todd would get to align themselves with a relatively inexpensive, new brand that was still growing under the guidance and backing of<a href="https://lawndoctorfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=a-simple-franchise-model-helps-mosquito-hunters-remain-an-attractive-investment-2710906" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> Lawn Doctor</a>, a larger, more established franchise that is focused on lawn care and which has<a href="https://1851franchise.com/lawndoctor/lawn-doctor-s-incredible-staying-power-2709103" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> ranked on Entrepreneur&rsquo;s Franchise 500 every year since the last was first published 40 years ago</a>.

&ldquo;I loved the candid conversations about the numbers,&rdquo; Shelli said. &ldquo;As a finance major in college, I had a lot of questions and Mosquito Hunters patiently, professionally and passionately answered all of them. Even with<a href="https://1851franchise.com/lawndoctor" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> Lawn Doctor</a> as the sibling guiding Mosquito Hunters, you&rsquo;re still going to have bumps in the road. Mosquito Hunters of Chesterfield has definitely had<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters/why-mosquito-hunters-is-a-dream-business-for-franchise-prospects-2707761#trending" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> learning and growth opportunities</a> along the way. The key is we learn and grow together to continue to build a solid brand on a solid foundation. So investors can make a well-informed decision. If you want something that&rsquo;s a well-oiled machine, you have to pay for it. If you don&rsquo;t want to pay for it, and are willing to be part of those growing pains, this is a good fit for you.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Shelli and Todd appreciated how the Mosquito Hunters brand provided detailed instructions on how to start their franchise. They also followed the brand&rsquo;s suggestion to join their local BNI group, Abundance BNI, and the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce.&nbsp;

&ldquo;These groups have allowed us to plug into our community, network on a professional level and quite frankly, have a lot of fun!&rdquo; Shelli said.&nbsp;

It was also important to be affiliated with a brand whose values aligned with their own. The prospect of helping families spend time together, stay healthy and enjoy the outdoors together was a huge draw.

&ldquo;Engaging with our customers and hearing that we&rsquo;re meeting their needs is extremely rewarding,&rdquo; Todd said. &ldquo;The service-based model is about great customer service and having happy and satisfied people. We&rsquo;re very comfortable building relationships in the community. It just fits our values.&rdquo;

There is another huge benefit to the brand&rsquo;s simple franchise model: The learning curve is not shockingly high.

&ldquo;Mosquito Hunters<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters/voyage-chicago-meet-andy-fuller-of-mosquito-hunters-2707599" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> Founder and Chief Hunter Andy Fuller</a> has put together several videos for training purposes that include topics such as how to apply the proper product and use the sprayers in your customers&rsquo; yards,&rdquo; Todd said. &ldquo;Also, Lawn Doctor has a Technical Director who can review products with us, so we&rsquo;re confident that we&rsquo;re using the right products and mixtures, which helps control expenses. So even though it&rsquo;s a new brand, Andy and the Mosquito Hunters team have put together a program with Lawn Doctor that, if you choose to follow it, is very effective and you will be successful.&rdquo;

What also helps is the fact that Mosquito Hunters does not require a brick-and-mortar location. Franchisees can certainly opt to lease an office space, but this is by no means required. Shelli and Todd were especially thrilled to be relieved of this particular component during the startup phase.

&ldquo;I truly believe that where our society is, has been, and continues to go, is that if I need a good or a service, my primary method of obtaining that is online,&rdquo; Shelli said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not going to a brick-and-mortar location. I believe this gives Mosquito Hunters a unique advantage.&nbsp; People want to go online, read reviews and hear what people have to say about the good or service. Mosquito Hunters&rsquo; technology allows potential customers the convenience to educate themselves, ask questions, schedule service, request additional information and tell us and the community about their experience all in one website.&nbsp; I don&rsquo;t have to reinvent the wheel as a business owner, it is done for me.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Ultimately, this simple franchise model helps facilitate conversations and collaboration with the corporate team, things Shelli and Todd value. Forget about a brand that simply inundates franchisees with commands. Both sides are encouraged to voice their opinions and create a dialogue.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Andy creates a culture where we have a ground game marketing check-in call every week,&rdquo; Shelli said. &ldquo;So we&rsquo;re not alone and we can learn from each other. We share our learning opportunities and best practices, and we become successful franchise owners together. It&rsquo;s not just a top-down approach. The brand wants to see you be successful.&rdquo;

The startup costs for a Mosquito Hunters franchise range from $70,107 to $85,903. The franchise fee is $35,000. To learn more about franchising with Mosquito Hunters, visit<a href="https://mosquitohuntersfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=a-simple-franchise-model-helps-mosquito-hunters-remain-an-attractive-investment-2710906" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> https://mosquitohuntersfranchise.com/</a>.

Image courtesy of Paige Stevens Photography.

A Simple Franchise Model Helps Mosquito Hunters Remain an Attractive Investment

1851 Franchise

The brand’s simple franchise model is a huge draw for prospective franchisees who are new to the concept of owning and operating their own business.

This brand page has been paid for by MOSQUITO HUNTERS. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

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<a href="https://mosquitohuntersfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise&amp;utm_medium=referral%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Elite%20Window%20Cleaning%202-minute%20drill">Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting</a>, the 140-unit pest management and holiday lighting franchise, continues to grow both in footprint and infrastructure, now with the addition of industry veteran&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtka">Court Aiken</a> as its new brand president. With 24 years of experience in the franchise industry, including time spent with Cold Stone Creamery, Dunkin’, Clockwork Home Services/Direct Energy, Neighborly and Threshold Brands, Aiken has experience in operations, mergers and acquisitions, compliance, customer service, finance, and brand leadership. Now, in his new role with&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters/info">Hunters-Humbug</a>, Aiken will work alongside both franchise owners in the system and members of the&nbsp;<a href="https://happinest.com/">Happinest Brands</a> leadership team to propel the future success of the Hunters-Humbug brand.While Aiken sees clear business potential in the Hunters-Humbug model, much of what drove him to join the team was less tangible. In addition to a scalable business, Aiken sees clear value in the leadership team's approach. This alignment was a key contributor to his choice to join and will continue to inform how he steers the network as everyone throughout it pursues healthy, impactful growth.“I very quickly identified the love and dedication that everyone at Happinest shares for their brands, and it’s not just siloed into the brands that a single person might work for,” Aiken said. “It truly is a cross-functional team where everyone helps each other. The passion is palpable. One of the things that struck me very early on was that the development team at Happinest maintains their relationships with the people they’re bringing into these brands long after the ink is dry on the franchise agreement. The strength and power of these relationships is truly unique, and I’m excited to be a part of an amazing team that focuses on this aspect of the business.”<h2>Aiken’s Vision for Hunters-Humbug’s Long-Term Growth</h2>Aiken joins the Hunters-Humbug team at a unique inflection point. After&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters/mosquito-hunters-three-in-one-franchise-model-2729107">officially rolling out its three-in-one model</a> last spring, Hunters-Humbug has significantly expanded the revenue potential for its franchisees and opened the door to even stronger long-term growth.“I truly believe in and endorse the idea of us not just being a mosquito control or abatement company but moving into the pest control space,” Aiken said. “The mosquito control space has become crowded both with other franchises and mom-and-pop operations — even lawn care companies have jumped in with both feet. Branching out to pest control allows us to differentiate ourselves, and adding holiday lighting only compounds the impact even further.”With this in mind, Aiken is embracing a franchisee-first leadership approach, prioritizing the support, resources and additional innovations that will propel growth. While Hunters-Humbug was built on a foundation of mosquito control, the addition of pest control was a big step, and the brand has now positioned franchisees to enter the lighting world with both holiday lighting services and the potential to provide permanent lighting solutions.“My vision is for Hunters-Humbug to be the leader in this space,” he said. “And it’s not just one space. I really look at our market as two spaces. We’re a pest control franchise, and we’re also a lighting franchise. And the team and I are incredibly well-positioned to take us to the next level in both industries.”<h2>Driving the Next Generation of Hunters-Humbug With Collaborative, Hands-on Leadership</h2>Reflecting on his career to this point, Aiken says one of the best pieces of advice he has received is to “listen first, talk later.”“When I was younger and trying to establish myself, I always wanted to be the smartest person in the room and make sure people knew it, but I’ve learned that I learn much more from the people around me than I could ever hope to know on my own,” he said. “This has taught me to be methodical… to make sure I’ve truly processed what people are saying before giving a deliberate and measured response."As Aiken steps into his new role, he carries this lesson with him, making a concerted effort to prioritize a collaborative approach and work alongside the Hunters-Humbug owners who have “boots on the ground” each day. By hearing what they have to say and not just falling back on default rules, Aiken will support and empower owners in the ways they actually need, driving success at both the unit-level and system-wide.“I’m not the kind of person who likes to sit behind the computer and tell people to do things because I think they’re the right things,” he said. “The beauty of Hunters-Humbug is that I’ve joined a team that shares that vision. When we’re making decisions for the Hunters-Humbug brand and for the franchisees, we’re asking for feedback. We’re looking to franchisees to give us their opinions.”&nbsp;“And as much as I love the franchisees, I love the technicians even more because they’re often the ones actually doing the work; they’re the ones who have to live with the decisions that we make,” he continued. “Getting out and spending time in the field with the owners and their techs is incredibly important to me. I’m a very hands-on leader.”With Aiken at the helm, Hunters-Humbug is poised to enter its next phase, balancing aggressive market expansion with a deep, personal understanding of the franchisee experience. Combining his decades of corporate expertise with the practical lessons he learned as a franchise owner himself, Aiken is charging toward the future with a high-powered, multi-service model that remains rooted in the success of the people behind it.&nbsp;To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters">https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters</a>.&nbsp;

Photo of Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting president Court Aiken

Aiken, who brings over two decades of franchise experience and a deep passion for franchisee relationships and support, will lead the brand’s next major growth phase.

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Following a decades-long corporate career in global sourcing and green energy,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-lopez-48a785377/">Gina Lopez</a> began considering a pivot. She wanted financial freedom, but having risen to the leadership level, any corporate career move would likely require relocation, and she was determined to stay in Greenville, South Carolina. So, she turned to franchising.“What really triggered us to look at business ownership was that we wanted to have more control over our destiny from a financial perspective,” she said. “I had learned quite a bit about scaling businesses, making and keeping them profitable, even in tumultuous times, so I felt like I had the skills I needed to do it on a smaller business scale.”After connecting with&nbsp;<a href="https://happinest.com/">Happinest Brands</a>, the parent company of&nbsp;<a href="https://mosquitohuntersfranchise.com/">Pest Hunters-Mosquito&nbsp;</a><a href="https://humbugholidaylighting.com/">Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting</a>, Lopez completed a thorough due diligence process before deciding to bring&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters/info">Hunters-Humbug</a> to her community.“We spent several months having conversations, going through due diligence — all those things,” she said. “I really liked that Happinest had a growth objective. They intended to continue to expand their brands and service offerings, so I felt like it was a good place to land.”“At&nbsp;<a href="https://happinest.com/">Happinest Brands</a>, we combine decades of franchise expertise with a commitment to continuous innovation,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmartinfranchisedevelopment/">Eric Martin</a>, senior vice president of franchise development. “By leveraging technology, automation and data-driven systems, we’re helping franchisees operate more efficiently, improve customer experiences and scale smarter — while still maintaining the personal, community-focused service that defines our brands.”Since launching, Lopez has leaned into this growth objective as a part of the larger Happinest system and within her own business, embracing new technologies, staffing strategically and taking advantage of opportunities for additional visibility where possible.<h2>Leveraging AI and Automation</h2>As she has grown, Lopez has taken a strategic look at where technology can step in, as well as where it absolutely shouldn’t. By staying on the cutting edge of technology, Lopez learned early on that there were tools available to help her clear the all-too-common hurdle of working&nbsp;in the business rather than&nbsp;on it.By considering where technology can augment the business and team’s performance, rather than replacing the people themselves, Lopez has established a cost-efficient operating model for today and set the stage for long-term scalability within the business.“I’ve leaned into automation quite a bit,” she said. “It’s a pretty good substitute for adding people for about 80% of cases. And it’s kind of a natural evolution for a business like this to integrate some of these things because it’s really how people are used to behaving now… They’re no longer making phone calls; they’re sending inquiries online. They’re used to chatbots.”As the technology develops, Lopez is also keeping a close eye on the data it yields, using it to make smart decisions for the business.For example, she built an AI agent that can generate 90-day cash flow forecasts and acquisition plans. She performs detailed return-on-investment analysis on additional fleet vehicles at specific revenue points to ensure her expansion is backed by real data.“Business is a combination of taking your own knowledge and leveraging AI, and some of that is just a gut check,” she said. “For me, the AI analysis is typically confirmation of what I was thinking anyway, but with real numbers and a tangible business plan that I can look at and say, ‘Okay, am I executing to this?’”While the tools and technology have been key to her success, Lopez’s commitment to the human element remains an important part of her strategy.<h2>Prioritizing Connections, Locally and Nationally</h2>Having created a strong baseline with the Hunters-Humbug system and her own technology integration, Lopez has been able to focus even more closely on the interpersonal aspects of the business. From networking locally to contributing to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bhg.com/home-checkup-after-winter-11931911">Better Homes &amp; Gardens article</a>, Lopez keeps her focus on the visibility and relationships that will drive the business.“Leaning into networking and becoming an active member of the community has been so valuable for me,” she said. “Having worked in corporate America, my network was global, but this is a different network now. I’m really leaning into different business networking groups and fellow business owners to find opportunities to increase my sphere of opportunity. As the owner, you’re the face of the business, and you have to build a reputation through relationships.”As she looks toward the future, Lopez is leveraging the three-pillar revenue model that includes mosquito control, pest control and holiday lighting. With a blend of AI-driven efficiency and a real commitment to her Greenville community, Lopez is building her business and securing her family’s future.To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit <a href="https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters.">https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters.</a>&nbsp;

Photo of Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting Gina Lopez

Gina Lopez, owner of Hunters-Humbug of Greenville, blends executive-level data analysis with a high-touch community presence, reimagining what home service franchise leadership looks like.

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A Simple Franchise Model Helps Mosquito Hunters Remain an Attractive Investment

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