Is swimming pool service a good business in 2024? The answer is YES! for many reasons. Scott Roberts from National Pool Route Sales discusses some of these reasons for you in our podcast interview.
So, how do you get started in the business? You can get a truck, open an account at Leslie's Pool Supplies, and receive wholesale pricing. Or open an account at PoolCorp, the parent company of SCP and Superior Pool Products, and get your equipment and chemicals at wholesale pricing. Then, you can solicit accounts to service. This is a hard way to get started, but it is doable if you start part-time and build up a route while working at another job. Over time, you can build up a good business. You can also work for a pool company and learn the trade for a year or two. This is also a suitable method; you can learn a lot that will help you later when you are alone.
You can also purchase a full or partial pool route from a Pool Service Broker. You are buying pools in your area. If you have the money to invest, this is a fantastic way. Look at it like purchasing a business. If you started building a pool route from scratch and already know the trade, this is a beautiful way to make your route bigger and bring in more income. In many cases, buying pools makes sense.
National Pool Route Sales: poolroutesales.com/
A book I read years ago helped me and might help you also. It is called The Go-Getter: A Story That Tells You How to Be One by Peter B. Kyne. It was first published in 1921. This book will give you a good lesson on what it takes to be successful.
You can learn the trade by watching my KZfaq videos and by taking courses in your local area if they are offered. A fantastic way to ensure you are qualified and ready is to get CPO or Residential Certified through Bob Lowry's course.
People skills are essential because you are running a service business and are providing specific "work" in return for payment. You are not selling a product; the product is you and the service you provide. So, you will make mistakes, customers will get mad, and you will need to develop good people skills.
Good, solid business skills are essential. You are in business to make money and not just out there "spinning your wheels." So, it would help if you learned how to draw up a business plan that includes charging enough per pool so that you turn a profit. Service prices vary from region to region, so it is up to you to set the best price for your area.
Getting your finances in order is a fantastic way to get your business finances in order. A great resource I used successfully was the Dave Ramsey plan to become Debt Free myself. Learning how to run your finances is critical, and you must manage your finances to manage your business finances.
Be an honest person. Being a person of Integrity takes a lot of effort. As a youngster, I was never taught the value of honesty, so I had to learn it as an adult. If you lie to your customers and they find out, your reputation will be damaged. And in the service business, your reputation is everything.
It would help if you have a good liability insurance policy. This will protect you from lawsuits if you make a mistake that damages the customer's property or person. For instance, you add water to the customer's pool and forget to turn it off. It floods their house and causes $30,000 in damage. They sue you for $30,000, and you are out of business. Instead, get a policy for less than $80 a month that will transfer the risk from you to the insurance company. It makes good business sense, and you will sleep better at night.
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Shop at Leslie's: Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been a do-it-yourselfer and pool trade professionals' trusted partner since 1963, providing quality products and services to make pool care easy and solutions and expertise to do it right. lesliespool.com/?...
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