Skedaddle – The Best Protection in Any Economy

As we move into the second half of 2022, the question is this: will a recession slam the brakes on the U.S. economy and damper small-business growth? The answers depend on who you ask – and how you ask the question. The economy is sending mixed positive and more concerning signals at this time.

Still, you shouldn’t assume the worst about opening a business in a less-than-stellar economy. A business boom has followed every recession over the last two decades, and the truth is that not all entrepreneurs are ready to seize the opportunity when it comes. On the flip side, we have our Franchise Owners’ backs at Skedaddle, so as the economy gains a full head of steam, entrepreneurs will be ready to capitalize.

Home improvement and protection franchises like Skedaddle Pest Control Franchise are ripe with opportunities for potential Franchise Owners just like you, no matter how much experience you may have in starting a business. Here’s why Skedaddle is your best option in any economy, especially as we wait and see how long it’ll take for the U.S. economy to get back up to speed.

Homeowners will always need protection from pests and wildlife.

You might not think so, but pest control and removal is a recession-resistant niche in the home improvement industry because homeowners will always need the service. The challenge is getting the company off the ground by differentiating yourself from the local competition. In our case, we have a unique market position. We humanely remove the animals, then secure your home from future wildlife intrusions. This is a terrific value proposition for homeowners who don’t want poisons, traps, or recurring intrusions on their property.

That’s how Skedaddle provides customers with genuine peace of mind regarding their most significant asset, their homes! The growth in the home protection and pest control business coincides with the increase in homeownership, and we don’t expect that kind of momentum to slow down this year.

An expanding housing market means more customers will need home protection.

In case you didn’t know, the housing market in the U.S. has been sizzling over the last two years, but today, it’s a slightly different story. Not to veer too far out of our lane, but there are plenty of anecdotes from realtors about bidding wars erupting over older, existing homes with skyrocketing prices well above the initial listing.

In the U.S., builders simply haven’t been able to keep up with buyer demand, so potential homebuyers have been dealing with a historically low inventory of available houses for sale. In other words, we’ve been in a bustling seller’s market for quite some time, and buyers are clamoring for listings that may only be available for a week, maybe two. As such, current homeowners have benefited substantially from going the extra mile to maintain their property since home values remain on the high side even as mortgage rates are rising alongside high inflation.

The twist to the tale is that no one knows how a forthcoming recession will affect home prices and, thus, homeownership rates. Price increases as high as 20 percent may no longer be the norm, but sellers are still looking for ways to maximize their investment.

Nowadays, many homeowners are willing to invest in services like humane pest control to keep their homes looking beautiful for years to come and support the property value as much as possible. Skedaddle has pinpointed a profitable market among new homeowners still getting used to how their house stands up to wildlife intrusions.

Animal encounters are unavoidable.

Animal encounters happen no matter what’s going on with the economy, and they’re usually problems homeowners won’t deal with themselves. Some may choose the DIY route but contact a professional when wildlife keeps returning. If the professional, usually a ‘chuck in a truck, doesn’t secure the home from future intrusions. Wildlife and homeowners have been coming into contact more often as urban and suburban areas spread and claim some of the animals’ habitats. So, it’s only natural for some critters to find their way into homes.

During 2020, we saw strong year-over-year growth and record sales numbers. Every homeowner will need humane wildlife removal at some point. Any house across the nation is vulnerable to wildlife intrusions from squirrels, raccoons, mice, bats, birds, and insects. Yet, no national company or franchise focuses on the need to secure and protect the premises from wildlife intrusions into the broader home improvement industry.

That’s a significant reason why Skedaddle Franchise can earn high profits in a budding niche market, whereas others struggle. We have no real national competition at Skedaddle, which makes the opportunity all the more enticing when the economy isn’t the best. You can provide a community with a completely new home protection service they didn’t know was available and fulfill a genuine need simultaneously.

High profits in a niche market with no real competition

No one else is doing home protection like Skedaddle Franchise. Usually, pest control services boil down to spraying toxic chemicals and poisons inside and outside the home to kill the pests as quickly as possible. If you have an infestation, the only remedy may be fumigating the entire house. The problem is that these methods are unsafe, outdated, and terrible for the environment, including the animals looking for new food sources and places to nest.

So, many of our customers want a better solution that doesn’t involve killing and unnecessary suffering. They’d much rather capture the animals humanely and return them to their natural habitat than have their house secured against future intrusions (most like from the same animal with a den site on their property.) Sustainability and “green living” involve more than lowering pollution and protecting the climate. Wildlife matters just as much, if not more so, because sudden changes can tip the balance of the area’s entire ecosystem.

Changes in the ecosystem can lead to increased animal encounters.

A good example is the release of cane toads/bufo toads into sugar cane fields in Palm Beach County, Florida. The original idea was to fight insect infestations, but it backfired, and now those poisonous toads are a real problem in some parts of the state. Pets who come into contact with them can become very sick and require life-saving treatment.

That’s a quick example of the value proposition we can provide for homeowners in other parts of the country. Usually, we deal with mammals like raccoons and rodents. Still, any animal can be humanely removed, and the property secured and protected from repeat intrusion with the right equipment and knowledge. No other pest control franchise offers the same humane removal and protection services, let alone with the focus on professionalism and customer service Skedaddle can provide.

Low cost of entry

Best of all, you can join this high-profit, low-overhead market for less than $100,000! Skedaddle Franchise Owners can start their business for only $89,000, which is on par with other franchise expenses. In 2021, our first U.S. Franchise Owner generated $823,738 in gross sales with a net profit of $175,081, a substantial 21.25 percent margin.* Not only that, but our U.S. franchise owner will validate that he was profitable within three months of operating! In one business quarter, he could get set up, earn clients, build a stellar reputation in the community, and thrive.

Those numbers are accurate and reflect how great the Skedaddle opportunity is, even as the economy starts to slow down. However, we don’t only give Franchise Owners a single revenue stream. You can have multiple ways to earn money with a Skedaddle franchise, and that’s yet another thing we do differently.

Refer to 2022 Franchise Disclosure Document Item 19- Table 1

Potential for multiple revenue streams

Diversifying how you generate revenue is an excellent strategy during an economic downturn. As the saying goes, don’t put all your eggs in one basket, primarily when investing in a franchise. Nowadays, it seems like the economic outlook for the U.S. economy is changing day by day. Still, we believe a downturn is just around the corner, and we have the processes and support to help new franchise owners succeed in a challenging business landscape.

A franchise usually has only one revenue stream because the business may focus on providing only one type of service. But we go in the other direction at Skedaddle and give Franchise Owners a chance to diversify revenue if the market they serve has seasonal variations. This strategy makes us recession-resistant and prepared for the unexpected during downturns.

For example, homes in a wintry environment need to be reinforced to prevent wildlife from penetrating the property to escape the elements. Most homeowners don’t wait until the temperature drops below freezing to start looking for ways to seal the property so that the holidays may be slow for business in some parts of the country.

Franchise Owners will generate the most substantial profits from our wildlife and pest services, including home protection, yet we don’t stop there. We also offer three additional revenue streams they can add to their businesses: pest control, attic restoration, and holiday decorating for year-round revenue.

Pest control

We stay true to our ethics when we provide pest control services and don’t use toxic substances. Certain products are suitable for the environment and do well at eliminating insects and their nests. The problem is that many homeowners won’t know the best places to apply the product, and that’s where our technicians step in to help.

It can be incredibly frustrating to fight a pest infestation for weeks with little to no results. That’s one reason homeowners might settle for toxic poisons when everything else hasn’t worked. Not every insect responds to products the same way; if you overuse them, the bugs can become resistant to those chemicals.

When this situation happens, all a homeowner can do is keep wasting money on different products that may or may not work. We can provide the peace of mind they need to protect the property from insects like carpenter ants and termites, but what happens when wildlife damages the home?

Attic restoration

You might not realize that those cute little raccoon pups in your attic can damage the area. In some situations, you’ll need to replace all the insulation because the wildlife will have defecated and urinated everywhere, so what’s the issue? First, the cost of home improvement materials and building supplies is as high as it’s ever been!

Fully restoring an attic can be a costly DIY project, even if you can find materials at a low price. Not only do you need specialized expertise to remove and replace installation, but it can also be hazardous for homeowners who don’t know how to move about their attic safely. If inhaled, insulation can damage the lungs and cause breathing difficulties or worse.

Cost-wise, you can expect to pay between $25-$75 per hour for labor, excluding material costs, safety gear, and equipment like atomizers to apply the new insulation. You can pull off an attic restoration for as little as $150 or as much as $600 or more on the high end. But why go through the trouble and risk unforeseen setbacks when you can hire the pros at Skedaddle to do the job right the first time?

After all, the attic needs to be decontaminated because most pests and wildlife are disease carriers. Their acidic urine can soak into the wood beams, and their feces can carry parasites and bacteria. When these pests burrow into the insulation, you have to replace them or risk attracting a new family of critters. That’s why we give our customers the option of attic restoration if wildlife has invaded that home area.

We can go through the attic, find loose shingles, ripped ducts, and vents, and identify other animal-related damages. From a value proposition standpoint, we understand that not every homeowner has the savings for a DIY attic restoration, so we provide the service at a better price than they can. In a recession, that kind of service is all the more important when starting a business and establishing a solid reputation in the community.

Holiday decorating and lighting installation.

In addition to humane wildlife removal services, another revenue stream our franchise provides is holiday decorating and lighting installation. It gives our Franchise Owners a whole new way to make a difference in the community, putting their brand front and center. Even if a homeowner doesn’t need pest control right away, the relationship you build by installing their holiday decorations can pay huge dividends down the line with referrals and testimonials.

A basic setup for Christmas lights can cost anywhere between $100 and $300, but if the home is on the larger side of the spectrum, the installation can cost up to $1,000 or more. That’s a huge revenue opportunity for those with the proper knowledge to install lighting well. It also shows how much care Skedaddle technicians take with a home. Whereas the usual pest control business provides no added value, we go the other direction and give homeowners something extra that they didn’t expect from a humane wildlife removal franchise.

Industry insights

When you look at the home improvement industry, it’s clear that the opportunity exists for home protection and pest control franchises because home improvement-related businesses thrive profit-wise. Skedaddle operates within the enormous $380 billion home improvement industry, which is expected to reach $454.6 billion by 2023! Home improvement spending nationwide has grown at almost double the rate of the rest of the retail sector.

But take a moment to think about the situation from a consumer’s point of view. Price inflation puts a real damper on the quality of products and materials they can afford. That’s why many are delaying essential maintenance, which only increases the risk of an animal encounter. It doesn’t take much of an opening for mice to penetrate the home and set up shop for months. Removing pests with DIY methods can cost more than the maintenance supplies homeowner delays.

Our customers benefit from our services because we clearly explain how animals enter the property, whether they’re looking for a new food source or a warm place to nest. Customers who don’t know how to seal the home will pay way more than necessary. The laws of supply and demand are still inflating prices for basic supplies. Everything from hand tools to attic insulation costs more, and some products have seen double-digit price increases in recent months.

So, ask yourself this question: What results when consumers want to keep home improvement costs as low as possible? The answer is that they’re searching for value. If you can provide customers with genuine value, you’ll resist the ups and downs of any economy.

The franchise opportunity with Skedaddle is ripe for the taking because you can be the company that provides them with an outstanding value for the quality of your work. It’s a simple cost-benefit analysis from a customer’s perspective, and that’s where we’re thriving in 2022. People may be pulling back on spending here and there, but they’re willing to pay to maintain their property on schedule.

Every time the economy goes into recession, some businesses fail, and some will see their way through the uncertainty, so what’s the solution? When looking for recession-resistant business opportunities, it’s easy to overlook something like humane pest removal because homeowners might assume your franchise is only another extermination service. But they’ll quickly realize that you’re different and provide them with several ways to extract the most value from every dollar they invest.

Operating in this segment of the home improvement franchise ensures that Skedaddle Franchise Owners will be running an essential and recession-resistant business now and into the future. There simply aren’t many opportunities that can stand up to the uncertainty surrounding the economy, so we make a difference by drilling down to the basics.

Nowadays, people want to find fair prices on essential items and services they can’t avoid. Our services fit that niche perfectly; best of all, we can do the job better than anyone else. Remember that Skedaddle has next to no competition at a national level, so joining our family is a great chance to get in on the ground floor of a budding business.

Ultimately, there aren’t very many recession-resistant industries, and aspiring entrepreneurs may not know the value that humane wildlife removal can provide.

If you’d like to learn more about opening a Skedaddle humane wildlife and pest removal franchise, visit our franchise website for details.