Pool Scouts Celebrates Best Year Yet; Sees Increase in Year-Over-Year Revenue, With Over 100 Territories Now Signed

Pool Scouts, the pool cleaning and maintenance franchise with 105 territories nationwide, is celebrating the end of a flagship year. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to increase pool construction, the brand has spent 2021 breaking revenue and franchise sales goals across the country. Year-to-date, Pool Scouts has seen a tremendous increase in systemwide revenue and signed 22 new franchisees and 44 purchased territories. Most notably, this year also saw Pool Scouts reach the coveted 100-unit mark and enter its 15th state with the signing of franchisee Clarence Herry in Annapolis, Maryland.

“Business has been robust to say the least — 2021 has been our best year by far,” said Pool Scouts president Michael Wagner. “We’ve seen fabulous growth through both existing franchisees and new franchisees. Sixty-three percent of the customers we serviced were new to the brand, which is a great indicator about the health of the business. Two franchisees broke through the million-dollar mark. That is a big benchmark. We also saw five franchisees expand their portfolio this year. Now, we are set to open 10 new franchisees in the first quarter of 2022.”

When it comes to why Pool Scouts has seen tremendous growth while other businesses have continued to struggle due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wagner says there are a few reasons.

“The pool business in general has been killer over the past two years — residential pool construction grew 24% in 2020,” said Wagner. “Normally, it is anywhere from 3% to 6%. People are spending more time at their homes, and more pools are being built. Additionally, we are fortunate that our service does not require face-to-face contact with clients and that we were deemed an essential service from day one.” 

In addition to heightened sales, this increased demand also led to stronger franchise growth, Wagner says. “Our existing franchisees saw how well-positioned the Pool Scouts brand was to grow, which not many businesses could say,” he said. “We were still growing amidst the storm, and that led to quality franchisee validation. When prospective franchisees reached out to established franchisees, they were able to see how much support we are offered and the state of the business. Best of all, we have fabulous people in the system, and they bring in similarly great people, which makes our system better and better.”

Wagner says the business model is also proving to be a major differentiator in the current franchising landscape. “Pool Scouts doesn’t require a retail or commercial space, so the business can be started out of the home at first,” he said. “The work itself is done by a single technician in a vehicle, which makes it a streamlined model with simple staffing requirements. It is also a low-cost investment overall, which is appealing to more and more entrepreneurs.” 

As the brand grows through franchising, Pool Scouts has also been expanding its leadership team and increasing the level of support offered to owners. “We’ve been adding both internal roles and franchisee coaches,” Wagner said. “We are growing so rapidly, and we know we can’t just sit here and wait until we are overworked. We want to be able to provide that same level of support to new franchisees as we expand our Pool Scouts family.” 

All of these differentiators have allowed the Pool Scouts brand to see a record-breaking year, and the industry is taking notice. The brand won a number of growth-oriented accolades in 2021, including being named number 78 on Entrepreneur’s 500 Best Home Services brands.

Looking ahead, Wagner says Pool Scout’s goal in 2022 is to add an additional 20-plus franchisees and inch closer to the 150 territory mark. The team has identified several markets primed for growth, including Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Atlanta. 

“We want to add several new territories, both through existing franchisees expanding and welcoming new owners into the system,” Wagner said. “We are looking at another killer year coming up, and that will continue to further our brand. I really feel we hit a tipping point between last year and this year — we got up that rollercoaster, and now we are rolling faster than ever downhill, which is incredibly exciting.”

ABOUT POOL SCOUTS:

Virginia Beach, VA-based Pool Scouts is a premier pool service franchise focused on delivering a quality, consistent brand experience while providing pool cleaning, maintenance and minor repair services at residential properties. Technicians are trained in testing, monitoring, treating and servicing pools and can provide ongoing service as well as help at the beginning and end of the summer season. With 105 territories across 15 states, Pool Scouts offers a great opportunity as a low-cost franchise in the pool services industry with available territories across the United States. For more information or franchising opportunities, visit http://poolscoutsfranchise.com.