Pool Scouts Franchisees Open in Time for Black Business Month and Hope To Increase Visibility for People of Color in Business Ownership

Francesca and Leonard Black decided to chase a new American dream by embracing entrepreneurship as a path to success. While Leonard has a background in corporate strategy and a family history of entrepreneurship, Francesca’s upbringing was in a traditional immigrant household, where she learned that the path to success involved working hard, getting a good education and working a traditional corporate job.

However, when the couple realized that working for themselves would provide them with more flexibility so they could spend more time with their children and become more integrated into their community, they decided to redefine the American dream. Their decision to franchise Pool Scouts in North Atlanta was driven by a desire to show others, especially other aspiring Black business owners, that there are alternative routes to success beyond traditional corporate roles. By entering the franchising world with Pool Scouts, they aim to build visibility for people of color in the industry, demonstrating that entrepreneurship can be a viable and rewarding option for achieving financial independence and creating community impact.

Francesca and Leonard took the time to chat with 1851 Franchise to discuss all of this and more. Here’s what they 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?

Francesca Black: I’m an attorney and have been practicing for over 10 years. We have two young kids, and we’re at a point in our lives where we were looking for something that would afford us a bit more flexibility — allowing us to spend more time with them, be proactive in their school and extracurricular activities, and have something we can do as a family. Our desire is to create generational wealth and pass the business down to our children if they chose to follow in our footsteps .

Leonard Black: My background prior to this is in corporate strategy, business development and consulting — management consulting, to be precise. I’ve done that for 20 years in various roles with increasing responsibility. Beyond spending more time with the family, I also wanted to spend more time in the community and have a greater impact there. Being tied to our community through the work we do is important to me. I would also mention that I’m a third-generation entrepreneur. My grandfather moved to Michigan from Tennessee in the 1940/50s and started his own business, eventually growing it into a series of local stores in his community. Though my father didn’t pursue entrepreneurship, some of his siblings did, and despite following a traditional route of going to college and working in corporate America, the entrepreneurial spirit was always in me. I just leaped out on faith and pursued it.

Francesca: My background is different. Both of my parents were immigrants from Haiti, arriving in the U.S. in the early 1970s. They followed the traditional path of working hard, getting an education and securing traditional jobs. That’s the example I had. Leonard has been great in showing that there are alternatives, particularly the entrepreneurial path. He’s guided me based on his experience with his family.

Leonard: It’s really about a new way of looking at the American dream.

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

Leonard: Honestly, my perception of franchising before getting into it was limited. Growing up, my family started from nothing with their business, and I knew they were heavily involved in the community. The only stories I knew about franchising were about traditional restaurants — the big brands we all know. It wasn’t until I attended graduate school at Emory that I took an entrepreneurship class. A franchise consultant gave a presentation about the wealth of resources and variety of brands available in franchising, which opened my eyes. About 10 years later, we re-engaged with that consultant when it finally made sense for us as a family. Even though we didn’t own a pool business, this opportunity in franchising just made sense from a business standpoint. For anyone who hasn’t considered franchising, I’d say it can fit any family situation. It requires commitment and dedication, but it’s all about going out and doing it, like Nike says.

Francesca: It’s important to have an open mind. Franchising goes far beyond fast food or restaurants. During our research, we discovered that there are so many different types of franchises, from service industries to non-service industries. That’s something we learned and would share with others interested in franchising.

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

Leonard: There were a few reasons we chose this brand. From a business model perspective, it had one of the strongest and most consistent models. The fundamentals of the business, the back-office support, the systems and the processes all looked stable and were attractive — easy to implement and replicate. From a brand perspective, I liked that it had a direct impact on the community. This opportunity also allows us to grow our business and potentially add on new opportunities. Lastly, the team and collaboration within the franchise system were very attractive. We all share similar backgrounds and have common goals.

Francesca: In our research and conversations with current franchise owners, we got a good sense of what to expect, and it really aligned with what we were looking for.

1851 Franchise: What’s your big goal in your first year with Pool Scouts?

Leonard: Our number one goal is to build a dream team. The benefit of this business is that customers come easily because of the type of service we provide. However, it’s very team-dependent, so we’re really focused on building the right team to deliver services and exceed customer expectations consistently.

1851: August is Black Business Month. Why is it important to acknowledge this, and what does it mean to you?

Leonard: For me, it’s about showing that there are different paths to success.  In my opinion, entrepreneurship offers a different way of thinking about success. There aren’t many people who look like me in this system, especially in this type of service industry. It’s important to create the idea that there’s more to entrepreneurship than the traditional paths like owning a Chick-fil-A or a McDonald’s. As a person of color and a father raising two young children of color, I want to show them that there are more options than the traditional path. It’s about educating others about possibilities they may not have considered and showing that you can pursue entrepreneurship at any age.

Francesca: It’s about visibility and demonstrating that there are opportunities available — and that it can be done.

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 nearly 100 territories across 18 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.