Pool Scouts

Ray Marinaccio worked as a New York City prosecutor for 18 years before deciding to take a break to raise his three children. When his went to highschool, he decided to go back to work at a law firm that deals with sexual misconduct investgations and sex crimes. A few years later, Marinaccio’s oldest son went to play baseball at Ithaca College, and later, his two younger children chose to go to Clemson in South Carolina. After living in New York for 55 years, Marinaccio and his wife decided it was the perfect opportunity to move into year-round sunshine. Then, he discovered <a href="https://poolscoutsfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-a-career-prosecutor-decided-to-open-a-pool-maintenance-franchise-2713350" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Pool Scouts</a>.1851 Franchise: How did you learn about Pool Scouts?Ray Marinaccio: I wasn’t old enough to retire but wasn’t ready to go back into practicing law. I wanted to run a business but had no business experience so I thought franchising would be the way to go. I started working with a franchise broker and one day I was on the phone with him while cleaning leaves out of my pool and I jokingly told him that I loved to clean pools. A few weeks later he asked me if I was serious about the pool comment and offered the idea of Pool Scouts.&nbsp;What I like about Pool Scouts is when I talked to them I could tell I wasn’t just a number to them. I could tell that they cared about my success. They have been helpful every step of the way.&nbsp;1851: Were you nervous about opening a business you had little experience in?&nbsp;Marinaccio: I have no pool cleaning experience, no business owning experience, and I’m not the best with marketing. I found Pool Scouts helped me with everything. Corporate is also always offering me marketing materials and has helped in areas I struggle with, like creating a business plan.&nbsp;1851: What has made your location successful?Marinaccio: I have a great team. One guy, Frank Duda, who is my director of operations really treats the company like it’s his own. I take him with me to the Mexico convention each year and other franchise owners are always surprised to learn he isn’t a co-owner, that’s how invested he is in Pool Scouts. I couldn’t have done this without him.&nbsp;Certain things I don’t do well so I know when to ask for help from corporate. One thing I do really well, and comes naturally to me, is convincing customers that we are honest and going to provide a great product. As a prosecutor my job was to do the right thing, it was all about justice. I never wanted to come across as slimy or forceful, I just want to do the right thing for the client. I don’t push them into a service, I help find the right service for them. When people call us they are calling because they are unhappy with their current service, or doing it themselves, I just have to explain to them what we do differently and why we are the best.&nbsp;I also would say going to the Mexico convention and talking to other Pool Scouts owners is really helpful. It's good to hear about their problems and that they are facing similar struggles as me. I can also get advice from other people on how I should handle problems when they arise. Sometimes as a business owner you can dwell on the negatives so I think hearing that everyone goes through similar things makes me feel better.&nbsp;1851: Where do you see the company growing in the future?Marinaccio: This year, in the next couple of months, we are going to really take off and be profitable. We have two territories, Charleston and Hilton Head, three trucks and four employees with plans for our fourth truck soon. I really feel this is the year we go from a beginning franchise to a real profitable business.&nbsp;1851: If you could go back and tell yourself one piece of advice about starting a franchise, what would you say?Marinaccio: I would tell myself to probably focus on the running of the business, the analytics and numbers. I started out really focused on learning to clean pools and customer satisfaction and didn’t focus on the numbers. Only last year with the help of franchise guides I really learned how important it is to pay attention to the numbers and stick to a business plan.

Why a Career Prosecutor Decided to Open a Pool-Maintenance Franchise

1851 Franchise

Ray Marinaccio worked as a prosecutor in New York City for 18 years. Now, he owns a Pool Scouts franchise in South Carolina.

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://poolscoutsfranchise.com/">Pool Scouts</a>, the leading national pool service franchise, is once again partnering with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hopefloats.foundation/">Hope Floats Foundation</a>. May is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/may/national-water-safety-month-may">National Water Safety Month</a>, and<a href="https://1851franchise.com/poolscouts/info"> Pool Scouts</a> franchise locations will participate in the fundraising campaign, raising money to support Hope Floats’ mission of providing swim lesson scholarships to underserved children nationwide.Since 2021, Pool Scouts has raised $106,000 for Hope Floats. Last year, the campaign helped expand access to swim lessons at a critical time, giving more children access to lessons ahead of summer. This year, the brand is setting a $10,000 goal.<a href="https://www.stepintoswim.org/">Step Into Swim</a>, an initiative of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phta.org/">Pool &amp; Hot Tub Alliance</a>, an organization dedicated to promoting water safety and making waves in drowning prevention, is once again pledging to match donations up to $20,000 for a second year. Step Into Swim has funded swimming lessons for more than 300,000 children across the country.&nbsp;“Water safety is something our franchisees see firsthand in the communities they serve, so this partnership is a natural extension of what we do every day,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynlea-rudell-9a8b797/">Lynlea Rudell</a>, director of marketing for Pool Scouts. “As our system grows and we celebrate our 10th year, we have an opportunity to make an even bigger impact by helping more families access swim lessons and stay safe around the water.”<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-m-b4558317/">Kristin Mabrouk</a>, executive director for Hope Floats, said the collaboration continues to grow in impact each year as both organizations expand. Through the campaign, funds have been used to support families and provide access to children who may be the first in their families to learn to swim.“Pool Scouts is a very aligned partnership because they're working with people who understand the need for water safety,” she said. “Then we're able to allocate those scholarship funds to those same communities that they're in.”According to the CDC,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s0514-vs-drowning.html">drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among children</a>. Formal swim lessons can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/drowning-prevention-starts-with-swim-lessons/">reduce that risk by 88%</a>, and Pool Scouts’ donations help make those lessons available to more families in the communities it serves.Mabrouk said the timing of the campaign matters because it lines up right before summer, when more families are around pools and water. That makes it easier to get kids into lessons right when they need them. She also pointed out that the funding can make a real difference for families with more than one child, since it allows siblings to take lessons at the same time instead of spacing them out or choosing just one.National Water Safety Month highlights the role education plays in keeping families safe around the water. For Pool Scouts, that focus connects directly to its broader effort to support the communities it serves.“The Pool Scouts network keeps expanding and so does ours, so we can help more people everywhere,” Mabrouk said. “We're very grateful for the partnership and excited to be going into our 10th year and beyond.”Those interested in donating to the Pool Scouts/Hope Floats campaign for National Water Safety Month can do so at&nbsp;<a href="https://givebutter.com/poolscouts2026">https://givebutter.com/poolscouts2026</a>.&nbsp;To learn more about franchise opportunities with Pool Scouts, visit:<a href="https://1851franchise.com/poolscouts"> https://1851franchise.com/poolscouts</a>.&nbsp;ABOUT POOL SCOUTS:Virginia Beach, Virginia-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 79 territories across 17 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&nbsp;<a href="http://poolscoutsfranchise.com">http://poolscoutsfranchise.com</a>.&nbsp;ABOUT BUZZ FRANCHISE BRANDSFounded 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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buzzfranchisebrands.com/.">https://www.buzzfranchisebrands.com/.</a>&nbsp;

Pool Scouts Partners With Hope Floats to Raise $10,000 

During National Water Safety Month this May, the entire Pool Scouts system will participate in the campaign, pushing its total donations past the $100,000 milestone.

Pool Scouts Partners With Hope Floats to Raise $10,000 in 2026 as Both Brands Celebrate 10 Years in Business

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Why a Career Prosecutor Decided to Open a Pool-Maintenance Franchise

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