Why These Mosquito Hunters Franchisees Invested in the Booming Home-Based Franchise

Mosquito Hunters, the outdoor pest control brand with 100-plus units across the country, offers prospective franchise owners an exciting, uniquely well-positioned business opportunity in 2021. In 2020, as homeowners spent more time in their outdoor spaces, Mosquito Hunters’ services were in higher demand than ever, and the brand signed 21 new franchisees for 23 new units across the country. So far in 2021, the brand has added an additional 20 franchisees for 28 new units.

Now, with a home-based business opportunity, membership-based model, strong support infrastructure, low cost of entry and high-profit margins, there is a slew of reasons qualified franchisees continue to join the Mosquito Hunters family and enter the booming $500 billion home services industry. 

Shelli and Todd signed on to open the Mosquito Hunters of Chesterfield location earlier this year. The husband-and-wife team both hold MBAs, and after spending their careers working for other people, they decided it was time to start something on their own. The duo looked at several franchise concepts, but the more they learned about Mosquito Hunters, the more they knew it was the right choice for them. 

“As parents of five children, the biggest reason we were drawn to Mosquito Hunters was the amount of time we could spend with our family,” said Shelli. “A lot of people talk about wanting a work/life balance, but they don’t end up actually living that work/life balance. While we wanted to make money, we were also really focused on that time factor.” 

As a seasonal, home-based business, the Mosquito Hunters franchise opportunity offers a wide array of culture and lifestyle benefits that allow entrepreneurs like Shelli and Todd to achieve their personal goals and spend more time with their family. Even better, Shelli says her children have recently been helping with the business, including assisting with social media marketing and advertising. 

Shelli also says the level of professional support offered by the corporate team was a major factor in their decision to join Mosquito Hunters. “Starting a small business is always a risk, but with Mosquito Hunters, we get to tap into the vast experience of the individuals at corporate and also benefit from the flexibility within the parameters we are given to run our own franchise,” she said.

Another recently added husband-and-wife team, Matt and Caryn, are the owners of Mosquito Hunters Boca Raton. Matt was a franchise owner with another brand for several years, but when it came time for a change, he began looking into Mosquito Hunters in 2019. He says the main component that attracted him to Mosquito Hunters was the opportunity to leverage a recurring revenue-based business model.

“Mosquito Hunters allows you to build lasting relationships with your customers,” said Matt. “When you gain a customer, it is like gaining equity in your business because the customers are going to stick with you and use the service multiple times. It also means you don’t have to use all of your marketing fund on bringing in one-time customers. We had more than 200 customers during our first season, and many of those will return next year without any additional marketing spend.”

In addition to recurring revenue, Mosquito Hunters franchisees benefit from low operating costs and high margins since the business doesn’t require a storefront. This also means franchisees only need to hire a limited number of employees, who can easily be trained and on-boarded due to the simplicity of the service. With this, Matt said it was clear that Mosquito Hunters offered a scalable franchise opportunity.

Another huge selling point for Matt was the brand’s Mid-Season Rollout Program (MRO). Summer is considered the brand’s peak season, so an owner who signs on between April and August wouldn’t have enough time to get everything done in order to be up and running. Rather than rushing the process, the MRO program allows new owners to train, obtain licenses and begin their “Ground Game,” activities such as networking and marketing at the local level. 

“I’m glad we participated in the MRO — there is a lot to prepare for in any market and the more prepared you are, the stronger you will be coming out of the gate,” said Matt. “That is a huge advantage with Mosquito Hunters. We were able to build a customer base before the season even started.”

Father and daughter-in-law team John and Alicia of Mosquito Hunters Long Island started the process of looking for a franchise in 2019. When they discovered Mosquito Hunters, John says there was one thing that stood out to him right away: the seasonal nature of the concept. 

“We weren’t looking for something that would require being out in the field 12 months out of the year,” said John. “In Long Island, our peak season lasts around seven months, which gives us the flexibility during the quieter winter months to work on growing our business.”

Alicia also says the Mosquito Hunters brand culture was important — they knew the team was trustworthy and would support their business in every way possible. “The Mosquito Hunters team provides everything you could need when it comes to marketing, analytics, technology, you name it,” she said. “There is also a national call center that helps with bringing in customers. It is amazing what the top-notch corporate team can do.” 

Now in their second season, John and Alicia say the pandemic-proof nature of the business model has also been a primary advantage as they continue to expand. “We looked at gyms, tutoring companies and other franchise concepts, but we are so glad we chose Mosquito Hunters in hindsight because it has proven to be uniquely resilient against the pandemic,” said John. “In addition, many families were staying at home more and spending time in their outdoor space last year, which allowed us to not only survive but thrive.”

Looking ahead, Eric Martin, Vice President of Franchise Development for Mosquito Hunters, says the brand will continue to find ways to help franchise owners thrive. “Over the past year, our business model and franchise opportunity has proven to be well-positioned, which is why we’ve grown to more than 100 locations despite the challenges of the pandemic,” he said. “Now, home-based businesses like Mosquito Hunters are continuing to grow, and we are excited to expand our family with new franchisees across the country.”

The total investment necessary to open a Mosquito Hunters franchise ranges from $73,937 to $96,437. The franchise license fee ranges from $25,000 to $35,000. For more information on franchising opportunities with Mosquito Hunters, visit https://mosquitohuntersfranchise.com/.