In 2018, before forming the umbrella company Happinest with Lawn Doctor, Mosquito Hunters had just eight franchise units. Mosquito Hunters is now one of the hottest and most unique franchise concepts available and has been buzzing with success over the past year. The outdoor services and pest control company made huge strides in 2019, including 42 new franchisee signings, nearly 70 new units awarded and reaching the landmark of over 80 units total before the end of 2019. So, what drove Mosquito Hunters’ this year of exponential growth?

A Successful Transition Into Happinest

According to Eric Martin, Vice President of Franchise Development for Mosquito Hunters, this is just the beginning of the brand’s growth trajectory. Starting at just eight franchise units and crossing the threshold into over 80 is a huge achievement for any brand. Much of this is thanks to Mosquito Hunters’ successful alignment with home service giant Lawn Doctor, which added the infrastructure of an existing franchise system with a robust support model to the franchise’s offerings. “We are ecstatic with the incredible growth we have experienced, but are laser focused on helping our new partners excel at the unit level in 2020 and beyond,” said Martin. “The branding of our umbrella company, Happinest, became official in 2019 and we are well-positioned for long term success. A lot has changed this past year and our future is bright.”

Offering a Soft Roll Out Strategy

Because many of the new owners signed in late 2019, quite a few chose a soft opening strategy. Franchisees from this group are now gearing up into full-time franchise ownership and ready for the busy season that comes with warmer weather in much of the country. “We’ve learned that a Soft Roll Out is a nice way to start a seasonal business like ours. We allow owners who come in under the program to keep their day job, focus on their local Ground Game and reserve their first-year advertising dollars for the following spring,” said Martin.

For new franchisees who want to ease into a business and start building organically, the Soft Roll Out strategy is ideal. “Every new owner gets a Spring sales power window, it’s just a matter of if it hits at the beginning or end of their first full year,” Martin said.

New Tools and Technology

The addition of Business Intelligence performance reporting, profitability optimization software, a Learning Management System (LMS) known as “Mosquito Hunters University” are just a few of the ways that Mosquito Hunters is powering forward into 2020. “These tools we provide to our owners play a pivotal role in helping them track their growth and measure themselves against their peers, as well as help with the training of their local teams,” said Andy Fuller, CEO.

The brand has also made meaningful investments into additional corporate office support and media staff, and it has invested in new technology to improve customer experience and refined the approach of the in-house sales team. “We’ve placed a considerable focus on helping our owners maximize their Ground Game marketing tactics, which is crucial to success,” said Martin. “Timing and licensing are also both critical aspects in our business. We had a number of learnings and takeaways in our first full year together that will serve to help us and our franchisees in the future.”

Focus on Key Development Markets

While mosquitoes, ticks and fleas are an issue in nearly every part of the country, the threat of mosquitoes is notably more pronounced in markets east of the Rockies. “We are targeting a number of markets in the Midwest, South and Northeast in 2020,” said Martin. “We anticipate adding between 35-40 new franchise owners in 2020.”

The total investment necessary to open a Mosquito Hunters franchise ranges from $70,107 to $85,903. The franchise license fee ranges from $25,000 to $35,000. For more information on franchising opportunities with Mosquito Hunters, visit https://mosquitohuntersfranchise.com.