After nearly two decades in banking, Jose Alvarado was ready for a change. Tired of the corporate model, he decided to look into real estate investing. While this provided a clear pathway for him to step into entrepreneurship and begin developing another stream of revenue with rental properties in New York, Pennsylvania and Florida, he quickly realized that he wanted more.

“We did that for a few years, and it was great,” Alvarado said. “We had passive income, but it started to get boring. I thought, ‘I want to do something more.’ And I also wanted to increase our cash flow.”

So, in 2023, he began exploring franchising. After looking into dozens of concepts, he landed on Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting. At the time, the brand was just “Mosquito Hunters,” but Alvarado saw the potential that the upcoming expansion to the three-in-one model would offer. Otherwise, he says he wouldn’t have invested. The comprehensive approach aligned with his investment philosophy.

“The three-in-one model really stuck out because we knew we would get additional opportunities. And this is the real deal three-in-one,” he said. “We knew they were going to get into pest control and holiday lighting, and we saw that as a great opportunity to scale alongside the brand.”

Since launching at the start of mosquito season in 2024, Alvarado has successfully grown and has begun to offer pest control and holiday lighting services as well.

“We were ready to go in March of 2024,” he said. “We did everything in our first year. We went to additional training in early August, and that prepared us to roll out holiday lighting services later that year. We started our marketing for lighting in September of that year, and we rolled out that service in November.”

As he began building a name for himself in the area, Alvarado was sure to interact with his community, prioritizing face-to-face interactions and real feedback from clients. While he says the positive reaction received when people realize the owner is on site is great, he also finds a lot of value in getting to know his clients and their unique challenges.

Describing New York as a “real pest control market,” Alvarado explained that high levels of pest activity have been beneficial to his business, but there are also plenty of opportunities to leverage mosquito and holiday lighting services.

By leveraging the comprehensive nature of the Hunters-Humbug model, Alvarado saw great success and was even awarded Rookie of the Year in his first year. And he’s already looking toward additional growth. With multiple territories, he says he aims to leverage the three-in-one model to achieve $1 million in revenue. With the tools and structures in place from the franchisor, Alvarado has big growth plans.

“There’s a lot of training. They really want you to grow and increase revenue,” he said. “It’s definitely the real deal, and it’s all up to you. If you want to go out there and get it, it’s pretty much that simple. The franchisor is giving us the tools — we just have to use them.”

In addition to the business model itself, Alvarado also emphasized the value of a strong franchise team. Identifying a group of people that he felt comfortable and aligned with was a key aspect of his due diligence before choosing Hunters-Humbug, and having a discerning eye in this area has paid off, too.

“When it comes to [Hunters-Humbug’s parent company] Happinest Brands as a whole, whether it’s Eric [Martin] or Shirley [Warrington], they’re just good people,” Alvarado said. “They’re down to earth, and they make me feel really comfortable. Doing your research and understanding your market is really important, but so is getting to know the members of the franchise. When you find a place where you fit in, like the people, and are provided the necessary tools, like at Happinest, the sky’s the limit.”

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters.