Polishing a Blue Collar Business

This week, Tim Ryan and Zack Miller sit with Michael Wagner, President of Pool Scouts. Pool Scouts is franchise company that focuses on residential pool cleaning, maintenance and repair. Pool Scouts allows pool owners around the country to spend their time enjoying their pool instead of cleaning and maintaining it. Watch this week's episode to hear about the power of franchising and creating a national brand, the scalability of the pool cleaning and maintenance business, and much more!   Show notes:   (0:00) Introducing Michael Wagner   (5:54) Founding various franchise companies   (10:22) Defining franchising + finding a target market   (18:03) Direct mail marketing campaigns in 2023     (26:06) Expanding to a holiday lighting company   (32:10) Operating during Covid   (39:42) Offering affordable franchises   (44:13) The importance of understanding data     (51:03) Net promoter score   (54:01) Managing people + scaling    (1:01:37) Conclusion   About Michael Wagner & Pool Scouts:   Michael Wagner "was born in California but grew up a military brat who lived in many spots and traveled around the world. Michael graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with degrees in Economics and Spanish. Prior to Pool Scouts he worked as the Corporate Sales Officer for Chartway Federal Credit Union. Before Chartway, Michael was the Global Client Services Leader for DuPont Sustainable Solutions. He held multiple senior leadership roles for Coastal Training Technologies Corporation (acquired by DuPont) over a 19-year career. As the President of Pool Scouts, Michael oversees the business and works to drive growth and ensure franchisee support".   "Pool Scouts offers a great opportunity as a low-cost franchise in the pool services industry providing an essential service to homeowners. There are over 10 million residential pools in the United States, and they all need to be cleaned and maintained. Having a pool is a wonderful perk, but they take work to keep swim-ready, costing homeowners valuable belly-flop and cannonball time. That's where Pool Scouts comes in.    All too often pool service providers are made up of a guy with a truck and a net and a sporadic schedule. However, with a Pool Scouts business, you can be part of establishing a new benchmark in pool service by adding a level of professionalism and technology unparalleled in today's market. Through a consistent offering of recurring services, you'll be making an impact for your community, while building a business that allows you to take charge of your future".   Learn more: https://poolscoutsfranchise.com/about-us/   About the hosts:   Tim Ryan is an angel investor and the Executive Director of Innovate Hampton Roads, an organization dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs with resources in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Tim also serves as the Director of REaKTOR, a space for technology-based startups to start and grow.    Zack Miller is a serial entrepreneur and author of Anomaly, a guide on differentiating yourself and your business from the crowd.   Enjoy the show? Watch the Fervent Four Show LIVE every Thursday at 11 AM.   Live: https://www.innovate757.org/live/ Watch past episodes: https://www.innovate757.org/fervent-four-show/ Listen to past episodes: https://fathom.fm/podcast/fervent-four       The Fervent Four Show:   Did you know that only 4% of businesses hit $1M in revenue? Tim Ryan and Zack Miller are the creators of The Fervent Four Show, designed to help you get there. Check them out Live every Thursday at 11 AM.   Social Media:   Michael Wagner https://poolscoutsfranchise.com/   Instagram: @poolscouts: https://www.instagram.com/poolscouts/   X: @pool_scouts: https://twitter.com/pool_scouts   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pool-scouts/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-wagner-2a10637/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vbnorfolkpoolscouts/   Tim Ryan https://www.innovate757.org/   X (personal): @ryantnt (https://twitter.com/ryantnt)   X: @Innovate757 (https://twitter.com/Innovate757)   Instagram: @InnovateHamptonRoads: https://www.instagram.com/innovatehamptonroads/   LinkedIn (personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantnt/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovate757/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Innovate757   Zack Miller https://www.zackmillersays.com   X: @zackmillersays (https://twitter.com/zackmillersays)   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zackmillersays   Thanks to our Sponsors:   Innovate Hampton Roads – https://www.innovate757.org/   Companies Mentioned: Pool Scouts: https://poolscouts.com/ Buzz Franchise Brands: https://buzzfranchisebrands.com/brands Wonderly Lights: https://wonderlylights.com/ Mosquito Joe: https://mosquitojoe.com/ Anomaly - Zack Miller: https://www.amazon.com/Anomaly-How-Finally-Stand-Crowd/dp/164279175X McDonald's: https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us.html Verizon: https://www.verizon.com/ The Ground Guys: https://www.groundsguys.com/ Tableau: https://www.tableau.com/ Undercover Boss: https://www.cbs.com/shows/undercover_boss/