Brad Goins, owner of Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting serving Colorado’s Front Range, is rewriting the rulebook on home service entrepreneurship from hundreds of miles away. Based in Oklahoma, Goins has engineered a business that thrives without his physical presence all the time, combining smart staffing strategies with the inherent advantages of the Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting business model to develop a steady business and strong asset.
Goins' journey began with careful consideration of his entrepreneurial options.
"I was weighing the pros and cons of buying an existing independent business versus the structure and support of a franchise," he said. “From a maturity standpoint, it felt like Lawn Doctor had more predictability. I could see how things went for others in the past. The data set was a lot different for Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting; it was a much younger brand.”
He was initially drawn to Lawn Doctor, another brand under the Happinest Brands umbrella, due to its established track record, recurring revenue membership model, and lower initial investment. When he discovered a similar opportunity within the Happinest family of brands, but in this case one with an established customer base and room to add more territory, he decided to acquire an existing Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting business in Broomfield, Colorado. Goins acquired the business in the Fall, and based on the time of year, placed his energy, and focus on growing the Humbug Holiday Lighting service line. Goins had an incredible start, signing up a significant number of residential and commercial lighting accounts in his first few months of operation. Once the lighting season ended, he turned his attention to scaling further with the revenue streams that Pest Hunters - Mosquito Hunters offer.
With the three service lines offered within one model, any time of year is a good time to get into business with Hunters-Humbug. “Most mobile, seasonal franchises can’t provide a predictable ramp up and revenue road map past the late Spring, early Summer months, due to the timing of customer acquisition. With Hunters-Humbug, there are several ‘cash flow’ windows, which was a unique differentiator I quickly discovered,” said Goins. “I love having the ability for predictable revenue throughout the entire year and being able to keep my employees year-round.”
While there are multiple benefits associated with acquiring an already-established franchise, one of the other primary benefits Goins saw was the existing customer base. Especially given he would be leading from afar, stepping into a business that would bring in revenue from day one was a notable differentiator.
Though Goins has roots in Colorado and knows the area, he had relocated to Oklahoma when everything shifted to a remote model during the pandemic, so he needed to build a team that he trusted to maintain the business while he was out of the state.
At the heart of Goins' success is a carefully constructed remote management system that allows him to oversee operations without being physically present. His strategy has two key components:
Goins employs a virtual assistant who handles crucial back-office functions, including CRM management, appointment scheduling and customer outreach. This digital approach to administration keeps overhead low while maintaining essential business functions, and it allows him to devote attention to his other ventures without sacrificing the stability of the Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting business.
For daily operations, Goins relies on Nate Harner, a trusted associate with extensive property management experience.
"Nate is someone I’ve known for around seven years. We actually met because he was a tenant at one of my rental properties, and he would do a lot of handyman-type work there,” Goins said. “He’s a very capable guy, and his experience and skill set positioned him to help me with Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting, too. He’s my eyes and ears on the ground, ensuring that our service quality remains consistent and our day-to-day operations go smoothly.”
Unlike many franchise owners who dive in full-time, Goins maintains his position as a software engineer while building his Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting business. In addition to his full-time job, Goins spends an additional 20 to 30 hours per week on Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting. While it’s a substantial time commitment, maintaining the dual-income model offers Goins multiple advantages, including financial stability during growth phases and capital reinforcements for the business.
"I can leverage my engineering income to fuel business growth," Goins said. "That extra capital helps offset costs and allows us to accelerate our expansion plans even further."
For entrepreneurs considering a similar path, Goins emphasizes several critical factors:
"You absolutely need the right people in place," he said. "Finding trustworthy, competent staff is non-negotiable for remote management."
Adequate capitalization is equally important. "If I'd started from scratch without existing customers, I would have needed to invest an additional $30,000 to $50,000 in salaries while building the customer base," Goins said.
While this isn’t impossible — many franchisees start from the ground-up, it’s certainly an important factor to consider. For franchisees serving as owner-operators, that investment can be made in the form of their own time and effort, but for remote owners, it is the direct monetary cost associated with growing a business.
Through strategic staffing and the support of Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting' proven system, Goins is building a valuable business asset while enjoying the flexibility of remote ownership. His journey illustrates that with the right franchise partner and business model, entrepreneurs can create significant value without being tied to a single location. As he continues to grow his Colorado operation, his success serves as a compelling example of how modern franchising can enable lifestyle flexibility without sacrificing business potential.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters.
Mosquito Hunters
SPONSORED
Leveraging high margins, low overhead and manager-run operations, Goins shows how it's possible to build a steady, thriving business from afar.
Brad Goins, owner of Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting serving Colorado’s Front Range, is rewriting the rulebook on home service entrepreneurship from hundreds of miles away. Based in Oklahoma, Goins has engineered a business that thrives without his physical presence all the time, combining smart staffing strategies with the inherent advantages of the Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting business model to develop a steady business and strong asset.
Goins' journey began with careful consideration of his entrepreneurial options.
"I was weighing the pros and cons of buying an existing independent business versus the structure and support of a franchise," he said. “From a maturity standpoint, it felt like Lawn Doctor had more predictability. I could see how things went for others in the past. The data set was a lot different for Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting; it was a much younger brand.”
He was initially drawn to Lawn Doctor, another brand under the Happinest Brands umbrella, due to its established track record, recurring revenue membership model, and lower initial investment. When he discovered a similar opportunity within the Happinest family of brands, but in this case one with an established customer base and room to add more territory, he decided to acquire an existing Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting business in Broomfield, Colorado. Goins acquired the business in the Fall, and based on the time of year, placed his energy, and focus on growing the Humbug Holiday Lighting service line. Goins had an incredible start, signing up a significant number of residential and commercial lighting accounts in his first few months of operation. Once the lighting season ended, he turned his attention to scaling further with the revenue streams that Pest Hunters - Mosquito Hunters offer.
With the three service lines offered within one model, any time of year is a good time to get into business with Hunters-Humbug. “Most mobile, seasonal franchises can’t provide a predictable ramp up and revenue road map past the late Spring, early Summer months, due to the timing of customer acquisition. With Hunters-Humbug, there are several ‘cash flow’ windows, which was a unique differentiator I quickly discovered,” said Goins. “I love having the ability for predictable revenue throughout the entire year and being able to keep my employees year-round.”
While there are multiple benefits associated with acquiring an already-established franchise, one of the other primary benefits Goins saw was the existing customer base. Especially given he would be leading from afar, stepping into a business that would bring in revenue from day one was a notable differentiator.
Though Goins has roots in Colorado and knows the area, he had relocated to Oklahoma when everything shifted to a remote model during the pandemic, so he needed to build a team that he trusted to maintain the business while he was out of the state.
At the heart of Goins' success is a carefully constructed remote management system that allows him to oversee operations without being physically present. His strategy has two key components:
Goins employs a virtual assistant who handles crucial back-office functions, including CRM management, appointment scheduling and customer outreach. This digital approach to administration keeps overhead low while maintaining essential business functions, and it allows him to devote attention to his other ventures without sacrificing the stability of the Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting business.
For daily operations, Goins relies on Nate Harner, a trusted associate with extensive property management experience.
"Nate is someone I’ve known for around seven years. We actually met because he was a tenant at one of my rental properties, and he would do a lot of handyman-type work there,” Goins said. “He’s a very capable guy, and his experience and skill set positioned him to help me with Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting, too. He’s my eyes and ears on the ground, ensuring that our service quality remains consistent and our day-to-day operations go smoothly.”
Unlike many franchise owners who dive in full-time, Goins maintains his position as a software engineer while building his Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting business. In addition to his full-time job, Goins spends an additional 20 to 30 hours per week on Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting. While it’s a substantial time commitment, maintaining the dual-income model offers Goins multiple advantages, including financial stability during growth phases and capital reinforcements for the business.
"I can leverage my engineering income to fuel business growth," Goins said. "That extra capital helps offset costs and allows us to accelerate our expansion plans even further."
For entrepreneurs considering a similar path, Goins emphasizes several critical factors:
"You absolutely need the right people in place," he said. "Finding trustworthy, competent staff is non-negotiable for remote management."
Adequate capitalization is equally important. "If I'd started from scratch without existing customers, I would have needed to invest an additional $30,000 to $50,000 in salaries while building the customer base," Goins said.
While this isn’t impossible — many franchisees start from the ground-up, it’s certainly an important factor to consider. For franchisees serving as owner-operators, that investment can be made in the form of their own time and effort, but for remote owners, it is the direct monetary cost associated with growing a business.
Through strategic staffing and the support of Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting' proven system, Goins is building a valuable business asset while enjoying the flexibility of remote ownership. His journey illustrates that with the right franchise partner and business model, entrepreneurs can create significant value without being tied to a single location. As he continues to grow his Colorado operation, his success serves as a compelling example of how modern franchising can enable lifestyle flexibility without sacrificing business potential.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters.
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