Coronavirus and Franchising: Mosquito Joe Franchisee Lori Wolff

As we enter another week of the coronavirus crisis, businesses all across the country are adapting to unprecedented challenges. The franchising industry is no exception, with both franchisors and franchisees looking for new strategies to keep customers satisfied, help local communities and come out stronger on the other side.  

To that end, 1851 Franchise publisher Nick Powills and Charles Internicola, founder and partner of the Internicola Law* Firm, are covering the coronavirus and its impact on the franchising industry through a webinar series titled “Coronavirus and Franchising: Mindset + Strategy to Recover and Grow.”

In today’s afternoon webinar, Powills and Internicola spoke with Akron, Ohio-based Mosquito Joe* franchisee Lori Wolff to discuss how she has pivoted her business to better serve customers and the community. 

Here are some of the key insights from their discussion.

How Franchisees Can Adapt

Franchisees are dealing with unprecedented business challenges. Their first priority should always be keeping employees safe and happy. Secondly, business owners should be looking for ways they can help their local community and keep customers satisfied.

For customer-service and home-based businesses, the landscape has completely changed. Instead of going door-to-door, business owners need to adjust their communication methods to keep customers informed and engaged, including texting, digital outreach and social media posts. 

Seeing a decline in new customers or a drop off in sales is expected. Offering discounts can be a good way to encourage business without adopting a high-pressure sales approach.

Franchisees can only do so much given the circumstances. Instead of forcing new sales, keep resources available and adapt the business model so customers have something to come back to when the time is right.

The Benefits of a Franchise Network

Being in a franchise system during COVID-19 can be a blessing. While no one can prepare for a situation like this, the backing and support of a strong franchisor can make all of the difference when it comes to adapting to a crisis. 

Franchisors need to keep franchisees informed on things like grants, SBA loans, financial support for employees and community engagement. For example, Mosquito Joe worked with Wolff to organize a program in which local grocery stores are able to utilize the franchisee’s vans on off-days to help keep up with the influx of delivery orders.

In addition to the franchisor, franchisees should lean on their established network of peers. Other franchisees are a perfect resource to bounce ideas off of and call up when there is an issue. Sometimes the answer is right in front of us and we just need another set of eyes to see it.

Business coaches can also be a great resource for franchisees to discuss best practices and strategic steps to move forward during this crisis.

Reach out to the franchisor to find new avenues for financial assistance. There are multiple ways to save money during this time, whether by properly allocating resources, applying for interest-free loans, local marketing tactics or through Facebook advertisements.

Looking to the Future

Moving forward, remember that customers’ needs and priorities are changing. Understanding and adapting to new consumer demands will be key moving into the rest of the year. For example, there will likely be less people going on vacation this summer and therefore more homeowners spending time in the backyard and looking for pest control services. For Mosquito Joe franchisees, it is important to stay available and visible for these homeowners.

Franchisees can send out emails or make calls to their client list in order to inform customers on any new procedures or strategies the business is implementing in response to the virus. 

Everybody needs to be in this together. In addition to supporting one another within the franchise network, show customers and the community that you are there to help in any way possible.