Seasonal franchises in home service industries like pest control can create lucrative opportunities for entrepreneurs looking for recession-proof businesses. No matter the condition of the economic climate, pest control services are always needed to help minimize the number of mosquitoes, ticks and other pests near homes.
With that said, pest control services are seasonal. So why would an entrepreneur decide to join a seasonal franchise?
Here to talk about how seasonal businesses can use off-season months to drive business growth and why entrepreneurs shouldn’t shy away from seasonal opportunities is Michael Moorhouse, president of Mosquito Shield, an industry-leading and innovative pest control franchise.
Q: From a marketing perspective, how are you able to leverage your franchise platform to expand your reach in the off-season?
Moorhouse: There are a significant number of tactics that franchise owners can deploy during the “off-season.” The main thing Mosquito Shield does differently as a largely seasonal company is that we speak in “peak” and “non-peak” terms with our owners as it relates to their business.
There are so many fruitful campaigns that happen during non-peak times that we don’t want franchisees thinking of it as an “off” season. We operate with a 12-month playbook that has tactics each month for owners to be engaging in. During non-peak periods, this would include home/trade shows, upsell campaigns, win-back campaigns, referral campaigns and more.
Q: How can fall and winter home, garden and lawn care events open opportunities to generate franchisee leads for seasonal businesses?
Moorhouse: Franchise owners can do extremely well at these events by being in the right place at the right time. These shows are typically held in late winter or early spring, long before the mosquitoes are out biting but exactly when homeowners are in the mindset of planning for warmer days as they walk the aisles. The attendees are primarily single-family homeowners looking to reinvest in their properties with home improvements, and our services fit perfectly within that demographic.
Q: How do national marketing campaigns make an impact on new franchisees and help them drive growth in their business?
Moorhouse: Franchise marketing success is mostly at the very local level and built on a lot of grassroots community engagement. The national media plays a role in creating awareness for our service when reporting on the diseases and illnesses that are transmitted through mosquitoes and ticks.
Q: What data points do you analyze to assess the potential for market expansion within new geographic areas or untapped customer segments?
Moorhouse: With over 20 years of data, we look at very specific data points regarding demographics, geographics and psychographics as it relates to a specific market at Mosquito Shield. We know exactly who our audience is and where they are.
Our platform also has software that allows us to look at data such as single-family homes, income levels, property values, etc. and build a market share report from that. That allows our home team to know if an owner is hitting their potential, still has low hanging fruit to harvest or is ready to expand.
Q: What should potential franchisees be aware of when considering a seasonal brand with potential lean times?
Moorhouse: Franchisees of a seasonal business need to understand the ramp period and be properly capitalized for the first two or three seasons. Once the business starts to scale, the seasonality becomes more of a blessing than a curse. We work closely with candidates in the consideration process of buying a business to make sure they understand the challenges of operating a business with seasonal constraints.
Q: What are some other benefits of seasonal franchises that entrepreneurs looking to join a franchise may find enticing?
Moorhouse: The primary benefits relate to having control of your schedule and knowing when you will have downtime to work on your business versus working in your business. Additionally, it allows you to scale at a pace that fits your lifestyle and will generate annual revenue in a semi-annual window over time.
Michael Moorhouse is president of Mosquito Shield, America’s trusted provider of effective residential mosquito and tick control service. Mosquito Shield, part of the Five Star Franchising platform of home service brands, was ranked the #1 franchise in pest control by Entrepreneur in 2023, 2024 and 2025.