After working in corporate America for 15 years, Renee Bonnard felt like she had maxed out in her career. She reached her potential and couldn’t see a clear opportunity for advancement. Renee grew tired of feeling stagnant and dealing with the constant battle between work and home life balance. She was ready to move on to bigger and better things, and ultimately create something for her family that they could be proud of.

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Backyard pools have always had growing popularity, and over the last two years, that popularity has surged at unbelievable rates. Growth in the swimming pool industry also meant a growing demand for supplies, services, and more. Pinch A Penny franchises opportunities in Texas are expanding to keep up with this demand and to allow more people to be their own bosses.

What streams of revenue does a Pinch A Penny franchise have?

When you own a Pinch A Penny franchise, you’re not just the proud owner of a retail store. Pinch A Penny owners have many other streams of revenue from pool service, equipment repairs, and more! Many of our owners now offer ancillary services such as pressure washing, landscape lighting, or even pool renovations. Even if the weather is too cold for swimming, there’s always a service of value that you can offer your customers year-round!

How does Pinch A Penny’s turnkey business model work?

Our expert team with Pinch A Penny will get you ready to take your business off the ground. They will handle the big to-dos like negotiating your lease, store construction, even marketing! All you have to do is prepare yourself to take the best possible care of your customers then go out there and show us what you’ve got!

How will I be prepared to own my Pinch A Penny franchise?

You don’t have to be a pool expert to own a pool franchise, but we guarantee you will be before your doors open! We have an industry-leading, in-house team of experts who will turn you into a pool and spa expert. Once you complete your hands-on training, you will earn a world-recognized Certified Pool Operator license. You’ll also have opportunities for ongoing training when you’re ready to add additional services to your business.

How do I stay in business during the colder months?

Even though there are months where pools are used less frequently, they still need to be maintained year-round. You’ll continue to have in-store sales and year-round pool service customers. To supplement the months where business is naturally slower, offering ancillary services to your existing and potential customers keeps you active in your community providing trusted service all year long.

Pinch A Penny has been providing over 45 years of outstanding service to both customers and business owners. If you’re looking for an opportunity to run your own family business, contact our Franchise Development Team today! We’re ready to answer your questions and start you on the journey to owning your own business!

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Like many working women, Kristie Martin has found a sweet spot between work and family. In addition to owning and working in the Pinch A Penny franchise business that she owns with her husband, Andy, in Deltona, Florida, she is the mother of two 15-year-old daughters and is very active in her church.

“Pinch A Penny is a fun and family-friendly environment,” Kristie says. “My husband and I met when we worked together at Winn-Dixie, and we’ve always been a good team. If you’re an owner, your kids can start to work as young as 13. And now our daughters have joined us in the family business – one cleaned pools last year and one worked in the store. We love it.”

Laughing, she adds, “The girls don’t mind working, because it lets them earn some money to spend on their hair and nails.”

Kristie is among a growing number of women who have found that franchise ownership is extremely compatible with being a working mom. Pinch A Penny has been named one of the Top Franchises for Women by Franchise Business Review (FBR). FBR surveyed 8,453 female franchisees from 289 leading brands to determine the best franchising opportunities for women, based solely on franchisee satisfaction ratings.

Among women surveyed for the Top Franchises for Women list, 88% say they enjoy operating their business, and 75% say they would recommend their franchise to others.

Kristie and Andy Martin opened their family-owned franchise 13 years ago and have never looked back. “We work hard during the high season, but you’re not always stuck in the store,” she says. “And you have a lot of freedom to do what you want during the off-season.”

Kristie says she usually works 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Sundays and one other day off. She keeps life in balance by making time for the things that are most important to her: family and church. “When I get home, I see the girls and check on their grades before we have dinner together,” she says. “When I’m not at work, I’m usually doing something with them or with my church. I’m in the women’s group, host a small group meeting at our house on Wednesdays and help with events like the fall festival.”

In between work, family, and church, the Martins find time to support their community and local nonprofits that they care about by participating in fundraising events both as business owners and as a family. “It’s very rewarding to be able to support and donate to charities that you care about,” Kristie says.

Kristie says she would advise other women interested in owning a Pinch A Penny franchise to go for it. “You can make your business your own,” she says. “Pinch A Penny is a great company, and we have become good friends with the other owners in our area. If I need something, I know I can reach out to them, and they will get back to me promptly. And we return the favor. We are not competitors. We help each other.”

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Greg Bowers’ 30-year journey with Pinch A Penny has taken him from “jugger” to multi-unit owner. He is excited to see what the future holds.

Bowers, who owns locations in Orange Park and Fleming Island, Florida, is Pinch A Penny’s 2021 Founders Award recipient. The Founders Award includes both objective criteria, such as sales increases, and subjective criteria such as long-term achievement. It recognizes long-term achievement, how a store owner has impacted their market and how they have helped other store owners grow.

At 18, Bowers, a newly minted high school graduate, was cutting grass to make some cash. One of his customers was the owner of four area Pinch A Penny stores, and he was impressed enough by Bowers to offer him a job.

Bowers’ first experience at Pinch A Penny was as a “jugger,” filling chlorine jugs. From there, he learned how to conduct water tests and operate the cash register, eventually working his way up to assistant store manager and then store manager.

When the owner decided to retire, he offered his store managers the option of buying his stores. “He even offered to help us with some of the financing,” Bowers says. He and the other managers took their boss up on the offer, and all are still Pinch A Penny owners and remain great friends.

Last May, as the pandemic was in full swing, Bowers had the chance to buy a second location on Fleming Island, and he jumped at it. “The timing was odd, and my mom thought I was crazy,” he acknowledges.

But Bowers knew it was a great opportunity. At Pinch A Penny’s annual franchisee conference and trade show, he was asked repeatedly about what kind of year he had. “We had a lot of customers, and our numbers were up,” he says.

Still, it was a difficult year to “protect and serve,” Bowers says. Because of COVID-19, he and his team worked three to four times harder than they ever had, wiping down chlorine carts every 10 to 15 minutes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. “We would not want to ever put our customers in harm’s way.”

In spite of the challenges, Bowers notes, 2020 was an amazing year for the pool industry. In analyzing his own business and speaking with people he knows personally in the pool industry, he sees a number of signs suggesting that 2021 will be even better for Pinch A Penny owners:

• Even with the economic issues, his customers with established pools maintained them, so that their families could enjoy them while spending more time at home.
• The number of customers who remodeled their pools last year was extremely high.
• A record number of pool permits were issued in 2020, which means more pools that will require regular maintenance.
• Most pool builders are booked 90 to 100 days out to give estimates on new pools – and more than 3 months to actually build new pools.

“I keep saying that because we are still dealing with the craziness of 2020, the first quarter of 2021 is just a carryover of last year; it’s a 15-month year,” Bowers says. “But I believe we will get things back on track soon. I’m an optimist – obviously, since I’m a business owner who bought a business during a pandemic! I think 2021 is going to be a great year.”

Looking ahead, Bowers echoes what most Americans are feeling. “I wish for a return to normalcy, so we can reunite as family and friends,” he says. “In my mind, there is nothing better than having a cookout and being with your family out in the backyard, and I’m happy that we can help customers enjoy their backyards together.”

In the meantime, Bowers says, he is grateful for the strength of his business and a great career with Pinch A Penny. “I expect that the pool industry is going to continue to keep me busy six or seven days a week for the foreseeable future – which is fine, because I truly love what I do!” 

 

 

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For the Griffiths, Pinch A Penny is a family affair.

In 2003, Fred Griffiths was considering a change from his corporate career when he and his wife, TeeCee, were impressed by what their son Patrick said about his part-time job.

Then a college student, Patrick was working at a Pinch A Penny store, and he raved about how much he loved his job. “I could work there the rest of my life,” Patrick told them.

So in 2006, Fred retired and the Griffiths bought a Pinch A Penny franchise in Palm Coast, Fla. “We originally bought the store because of Patrick and his passion for the brand,” Fred says. “But then we fell in love with it, too.”

Three years later, the family opened a second location in Palm Coast. The Griffiths and their three adult children are co-owners in both franchises.

The Griffiths have built a thriving family business, with all five playing to their individual strengths and contributing to the multiple revenue streams that make up Pinch A Penny’s business model: Daughter Megan helps her mom run one of the stores, and son Scott got his contractor’s license to do repairs and installations and run the service department. Son Patrick, who first introduced his family to the company, uses his broad knowledge of the business and love of people to head up the customer service department, where he helps customers by addressing their pool and spa needs. The family business has been good: The Griffiths own one of the franchise system’s top two Pinch A Penny stores for total transactions.

Pinch A Penny comes by its family atmosphere naturally: Founded by Fred Thomas in 1975, Pinch A Penny began to grow when Thomas invited nine other families to invest in the business and open their own locations. Thomas’s son, John, grew up in the business working alongside his dad. Today, John Thomas serves as president and chief executive officer of Pinch A Penny Pool Patio Spa. Along the way, Pinch A Penny built a fun and family-friendly business model that appeals to entrepreneurial families like the Griffiths. Running a Pinch A Penny requires no travel, and stores operate during normal business hours, so families can have dinner together and spend quality time together in the evenings. Because they own their own business, many franchise owners enjoy a flexible schedule that allows them to always put their family’s needs first.

Additionally, Pinch A Penny locations create jobs for all ages. The high school- and college-age children of many owners got their first jobs working in their mom and dad’s stores or helping to clean pools for customers.

Pinch A Penny allows franchise owners to provide a better life for their families while also planning for the future. Franchise locations open for at least one year reported average annual gross sales of more than $1.3 million last year, and 38% exceeded that average. And when owners retire, many of them pass the business along to their own children so the business they have built becomes their legacy and stays “in the family.”

As the brand continues to expand its footprint throughout the Southeast and in fast-growing pool markets like Texas, there is plenty of opportunity for others to build their own family businesses with Pinch A Penny. “All three of our adult children have really bought into the business and invested in the company,” Fred says. “It’s a family business in every sense of the word. It’s our lives. We are very proud and blessed to be part of the Pinch A Penny family.”

 

 

Interested in owning your own franchise?

For the Griffiths, Pinch A Penny is a family affair.

In 2003, Fred Griffiths was considering a change from his corporate career when he and his wife, TeeCee, were impressed by what their son Patrick said about his part-time job.

Then a college student, Patrick was working at a Pinch A Penny store, and he raved about how much he loved his job. “I could work there the rest of my life,” Patrick told them.

So in 2006, Fred retired and the Griffiths bought a Pinch A Penny franchise in Palm Coast, Fla. “We originally bought the store because of Patrick and his passion for the brand,” Fred says. “But then we fell in love with it, too.”

Three years later, the family opened a second location in Palm Coast. The Griffiths and their three adult children are co-owners in both franchises.

The Griffiths have built a thriving family business, with all five playing to their individual strengths and contributing to the multiple revenue streams that make up Pinch A Penny’s business model: Daughter Megan helps her mom run one of the stores, and son Scott got his contractor’s license to do repairs and installations and run the service department. Son Patrick, who first introduced his family to the company, uses his broad knowledge of the business and love of people to head up the customer service department, where he helps customers by addressing their pool and spa needs. The family business has been good: The Griffiths own one of the franchise system’s top two Pinch A Penny stores for total transactions.

Pinch A Penny comes by its family atmosphere naturally: Founded by Fred Thomas in 1975, Pinch A Penny began to grow when Thomas invited nine other families to invest in the business and open their own locations. Thomas’s son, John, grew up in the business working alongside his dad. Today, John Thomas serves as president and chief executive officer of Pinch A Penny Pool Patio Spa. Along the way, Pinch A Penny built a fun and family-friendly business model that appeals to entrepreneurial families like the Griffiths. Running a Pinch A Penny requires no travel, and stores operate during normal business hours, so families can have dinner together and spend quality time together in the evenings. Because they own their own business, many franchise owners enjoy a flexible schedule that allows them to always put their family’s needs first.

Additionally, Pinch A Penny locations create jobs for all ages. The high school- and college-age children of many owners got their first jobs working in their mom and dad’s stores or helping to clean pools for customers.

Pinch A Penny allows franchise owners to provide a better life for their families while also planning for the future. Franchise locations open for at least one year reported average annual gross sales of more than $1.3 million last year, and 38% exceeded that average. And when owners retire, many of them pass the business along to their own children so the business they have built becomes their legacy and stays “in the family.”

As the brand continues to expand its footprint throughout the Southeast and in fast-growing pool markets like Texas, there is plenty of opportunity for others to build their own family businesses with Pinch A Penny. “All three of our adult children have really bought into the business and invested in the company,” Fred says. “It’s a family business in every sense of the word. It’s our lives. We are very proud and blessed to be part of the Pinch A Penny family.”

 

 

Interested in owning your own franchise?

Pinch A Penny Pool Patio Spa announced the opening of its newest Texas franchise in the Pecan Grove community of Richmond, marking the brand’s 13th location in the Houston metro area and 18th overall in the state. Pinch A Penny of Pecan Grove is owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Carlos and Valeska Davila, first time franchisees who previously owned an independent pool company before opening their Pinch A Penny store. The Davilas are joined in this venture by Valeska’s sister and brother-in-law, Maivi and Tom DuMont. Read more here.

 

 

Interested in owning your own franchise?

Pinch A Penny consistently ranks in the Top 10% of brands with the most satisfied franchise owners, according to Franchise Business Review. In 2020, the brand jumped 275 places on the prestigious Entrepreneur Franchise 500 to its current ranking at No. 150. Why?

Pinch A Penny’s business model includes multiple revenue streams that combine best-in-class retail, pool cleaning and backyard services including pool renovations, leak detection and power washing. Even though Pinch A Penny is the nation’s largest swimming pool franchise, owners enjoy the freedom to customize their offerings showcasing their personal expertise and own interests.

Endless Revenue Opportunities

Like all outside bodies of water, pools require care and attention year-round. For pools, constant maintenance and service are essential in ensuring they remain fully operational and sustain the safest, most sanitary environment for family fun, no matter the season. That said, pools are big repeat business generators with customers spending thousands every year on supplies like liquid chlorine, tablets, pumps and filters, as well as on cleaning, repairs and accessories. And the pool, patio and spa industry is not limited to summer. When temperatures drop, cleaning services and hot tub needs rise.

Whatever the weather, the do-it-yourselfers are routinely coming in store for Pinch A Penny’s industry-leading expertise and best-in-class proprietary products, giving Pinch A Penny owners the flexibility to provide services and products based on their locations’ needs as well as their own personal interests.

Now more than ever, people are opting to spend their time retreating in their own backyards in lieu of traveling to a vacation destination. Therefore, they are willing to spend more to maintain and elevate the look and condition of their patios, pools and spas.

Services

Typical services, like routine water testing and pool cleaning services, are offered at all locations, but many owners have training or expertise in other areas that can produce revenue for their location, including but not limited to:

Pressure Washing
Acid Washing
Pool Renovations
Above Ground Pools
Handrail Installations
Deck Paint/Stain and Reseal
Deck Resurfacing
Equipment Installation and Repair
Leak Detection
Hardscape Installations
Screen Repair

Owners continually learn the needs of their customers as a neighborhood pool store. As needs or trends arise, franchisees have the ability to add to their service line.

Product Offerings

As a backyard-focused business, Pinch A Penny owners provide products that enhance the pool, patio and spa experience. Most locations sell floats, goggles, pool toys and games, and other fun accessories. Many owners customize their offerings both to match their own special interests and also to further increase their sales reach. For example, some of our locations sell:

Grills
Outdoor/Patio Furniture
Canopies
Inflatable Movie Screens
Planters
Clocks
Windchimes

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As leaders in the industry, Pinch A Penny gives owners a customizable business model. This allows those who join the franchise family the opportunity to start at the beginning, with their unique talents and our expertise – and then, to grow continually based on location needs and their personal interests. The demand for pools, spas and hot tubs have increased this year, and that demand is expected to grow as families look to make their backyards into the oases they’ve always dreamed of. Consumers are redirecting funds that had been earmarked for summer vacations and camps into adding to their backyard retreats. With our multi-pronged business model, owners will find unlimited potential for success by tapping into this emerging trend.

 

 

Interested in owning your own franchise?