When you’ve worn as many hats as new Pool Scouts owner Shane Larsen — teacher, banker, landlord, salesperson — you develop a talent for figuring things out. But after years of professional shifts, he wasn’t just seeking a business. He was ready for a full reset.

Franchising with Pool Scouts offered exactly that: the chance to build something stable and scalable, with systems and support already in place. Larsen had explored franchising in the past, but most opportunities were cost-prohibitive or rigid. Pool Scouts was different, with a lower barrier to entry, essential services and room to grow.

What started as a practical decision based on net operating income and business fundamentals quickly turned into something more meaningful. Drawing on his hands-on skills from years as a landlord and his people-first approach honed in teaching and sales, Larsen is already expanding the services offered in his territory. From untapped repair work to long-term plans for hot tubs and year-round staffing, he sees major opportunity ahead.

Now, in a completely new industry, he’s not just cleaning pools, Larsen building a future. And for this franchisee, it feels like exactly the right place to be.

1851 Franchise sat down with Larsen to discuss his franchising journey with Pool Scouts. Here’s what he had to say.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Shane Larsen: I've had a lot of different jobs. I've done a lot of different things over the years. I've been a full-time entrepreneur since just before COVID hit. I jumped over into my side hustle six weeks before COVID. It wasn't great, but I learned a lot from that.

My last job was working on natural gas fuel systems for vehicles, doing compressed natural gas vehicles. I did that for five or six years. It had kind of run its course, and it was time for something new. I was looking for a business locally that I could buy, something profitable enough to sustain itself and something I could get into, work hard at, learn all about and grow. I found this on BizBuySell, reached out and kind of went from there. I was able to get a good deal on the business, and it already had employees in place. I got in and got started.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Larsen: I’d looked at franchises before — obviously, they became really popular after World War II, and I understood the history behind all that. But a lot of them were super expensive and kind of out of reach for me, for where I was in my entrepreneurial journey. You know, if you want to open a McDonald's, you’ve got to pay like a million dollars, and that’s just for the rights — it’s just super expensive. So for most of those, it felt kind of out of reach for me. But then this one was a lot more reasonable. The barriers to entry were pretty low.

I’ve been really impressed with this Pool Scouts franchise and the model has been great. I’ve been super impressed with the support. They’re not making very much money on me right now, but they’ve still been incredibly responsive and helpful. Everyone there has been great. So far, I’m really happy with it. It’s been a great fit.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Larsen: I was looking for something I thought I could get a decent deal on, looking at NOI [net operating income] versus cost, and that’s what initially drew me to it. But I’ve been really pleased with the brand, the company and what we do. It’s a needed service — people need their pools cleaned and taken care of. There’s also a huge opportunity in this market for repair work. The last owner didn’t touch any of that. They didn’t want to do it and would just pass it off to other companies.

But I’ve been pretty handy. I’ve been a landlord for 13 years, so I’m used to fixing things myself. With the support of the brand, I’ve been able to learn a lot, and I’m already able to fix things we couldn’t offer as a service before in this area. So there’s just a ton of opportunity there. It’s been fun to learn something new and different. I’ve really enjoyed it so far.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Larsen: This first year, I’d like to at least beat last year’s numbers. My main goal this year is really to get my sea legs — understand the business, the customers and what needs to happen — while still doing a little better than last year. I think just adding services, like repair work, will help me grow in this first year.

Looking ahead, I’d love to get into hot tubs. We’ve already done some hot tub work, and other franchisees in similar seasonal markets have had success with that. There’s a guy in Boise who employs a technician year-round. He’s only doing a couple of jobs a week in the off-season, but it keeps the business running through the winter. So those are a few strategies for growth. Eventually, I’d love to have multiple technicians and trucks, and be able to take care of customers more quickly throughout the area. It’s been a lot of fun.

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Larsen: I would say I’m an interesting guy. I’ve done a lot of different things. I’ve worked in sales, I’ve been a teacher, I taught seminary for my church and even taught at the college level for a year. I rented cars to people, worked as a banker for a while, and I also taught junior high. I’ve got a master’s degree in education, so I’ve had a lot of different jobs and experiences over the years.

On a personal level, I’ve been through a lot of change recently. I went through a divorce and then got remarried, so everything in my life is different now. In a way, being in a totally new industry feels really fitting. It’s like a fresh start across the board. It’s been refreshing and really good for me.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?

Larsen: I’d say, if you’re thinking about it, just look into it and see if it’s really a good fit for you. I think if you’re entrepreneurially minded but a little intimidated by all the details, then franchising could be a great option. For example, Pool Scouts has all these systems set up and most of the systems are really helpful. The reality is, I wouldn’t have been able to build those systems myself or create that kind of operational structure to help customers and make things more efficient. That’s not where my strengths are. I’m good at sales, I’m good with people, but I’m not great at organizing or breaking down complex problems. I’m not a programmer.

So for me, it was a great fit because of the value the franchise brings in terms of structure and support. Also, buying an existing franchise with customers already in place was huge for me. That won’t be the case for everyone, especially brand-new franchisees, but even then, having a system to follow can really help you capitalize on opportunities faster.

So, if you’re someone who has sales skills or business experience but you’re not a system builder, franchising could be a great option, just like it has been for me. And if you’re seriously considering it, I’d say go for it. A couple of years from now, you’ll either be doing it or regretting that you didn’t.

ABOUT POOL SCOUTS:
Founded in 2012 and based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Buzz Franchise Brands is a fast-growing multi-brand franchising organization that builds companies that get people talking. The organization's first brand, Mosquito Joe, was sold to Neighborly in late 2018 after growing to almost 300 locations. Buzz Franchise Brands currently operates pool cleaning and maintenance company Pool Scouts, residential cleaning company Home Clean Heroes, swim lesson company British Swim School and holiday lighting company Wonderly Lights. The company has been named among the Inc 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies as well as Inc's Best Workplaces list for several years in a row. For more information about Buzz Franchise Brands, visit https://www.buzzfranchisebrands.com/. 

ABOUT BUZZ FRANCHISE BRANDS
Founded in 2012 and based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Buzz Franchise Brands is a fast-growing multi-brand franchising organization that builds companies that get people talking. The organization's first brand, Mosquito Joe, was sold to Neighborly in late 2018 after growing to almost 300 locations. Buzz Franchise Brands currently operates pool cleaning and maintenance company Pool Scouts, residential cleaning company Home Clean Heroes, swim lesson company British Swim School and holiday lighting company Grand Illuminations. The company has been named among the Inc 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies as well as Inc's Best Workplaces list for several years in a row. For more information about Buzz Franchise Brands, visit https://www.buzzfranchisebrands.com/.