Father-and-Son Team Cannonball Into Charlotte to Open the Area’s First Pool Scouts Franchise

Jeff and Sam Horn, a dynamic father-and-son duo, are opening the first Pool Scouts franchise in Charlotte, North Carolina. With Jeff’s business acumen and Sam’s digital marketing savviness, the pair is bound to make a splash in the Charlotte community with Pool Scouts. 

“I grew up in North Texas, near Dallas-Fort Worth, and lived there for a good part of my life before relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina,” said Jeff. “After moving to Charlotte, I started helping small businesses in the area achieve profitable revenue growth and build strong leadership teams.” 

Known for his competitive spirit, Jeff had a talent for entrepreneurship and knew that he wanted to shift his focus onto his own business goals. When his son, Sam, graduated with a degree in marketing analytics and intelligence from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC), Jeff saw the perfect opportunity to start a family-run business together, especially with the challenging job market and economic instability the COVID-19 pandemic has created.

“In high school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but knew I wanted to go into entrepreneurial business,” said Sam. “I was always around the business industry because of my dad. I was originally a finance major at UNCC but decided to change to a marketing major sophomore year. I became increasingly interested in data analytics through the sports and business world, which led me to declare my major in marketing analytics.”

Soon, Jeff decided the franchise route would be the right choice. While looking at several franchise concepts, Jeff was immediately drawn to the Pool Scouts business model. “First and foremost, Pool Scouts impressed me with its commitment to franchisees,” he said. “I also discovered that I really enjoyed the pool industry — pools can provide a connection between families without them having to leave their homes.” 

These kinds of home-based services have become especially attractive amid COVID-19. Pool Scouts technicians can easily continue to serve customers while also following social distancing guidelines. Technicians disinfect any surfaces they touch, such as control panels and even the branded vehicles they drive, wear personal protective gear and throw out their disposable gloves after each service. They can still answer questions from customers and remain at least six feet apart from them. Customers do not even need to step outside of their homes, and technicians do not need to enter the house. 

Now, Jeff is opening Pool Scouts of Lake Norman in June and will be serving the neighborhoods of Huntersville, Denver, Hickory, Morganton, Cornelius, Davidson, Mooresville and Statesville. Sam will be working alongside his father and managing the day-to-day operations. “Once we get our services up and running, we plan on hiring some more technical employees to service more pools,” he said. “We’re excited to bring additional jobs to the Charlotte community, especially during such an uncertain economic time.”

Even before opening, Jeff and Sam have already learned several important lessons about how to communicate with potential clients. “You have to let them know that you're coming when they need you and that you’re always there for them,” he said. “It’s so important to be really transparent about the services we are providing, giving clients in-depth information on how we update and treat their pool.”

Jeff is looking forward to growing with Pool Scouts in the long term and launching in the area surrounding Lake Norman and north to Hickory, Morganton and Statesville. Jeff purchased two territories, and with two additional recently purchased by another franchisee due to open in 2021, that leaves one remaining in Charlotte. 

These new signings prove the brand’s viability during any economic climate. Across its network, Pool Scouts has seen a more than a 50% increase in revenue over last year. With business-savvy franchisees like the Horns, in-demand services and a simple, low-cost business model, Pool Scouts is ready to take Charlotte by storm. 

“We are very excited to have Jeff and his son on the team,” said Pool Scouts President Michael Wagner. “Not only will he bring his competitive and entrepreneurial spirit to the brand, but he will be able to provide the community of Charlotte with the exceptional customer service that Pool Scouts is known for.”

The startup costs for a Pool Scouts franchise range from $80,400 to $133,300. To learn more about franchising with Pool Scouts, visit https://poolscoutsfranchise.com/.