At-home swimming pools are extremely popular. And with more pools means more maintenance. So learning how to start a pool service business could be a great idea to step into being an entrepreneur. After all, they are in demand, and you can easily have clients all year round, depending on how you set the company and work around it.
Considering the income and research, you should perform in the USA; a country is a good place for pool cleaning and maintenance as a high percentage can pay for these services in the location.
With this in mind, is it that easy to get started? Like other businesses, you need organization, a plan, and have a good idea of how you want to develop the business, which means it isn’t hard but not easy.
You can follow standard steps and set a good base for your company. On the other hand, there are a few additions not many take the time to go over when suggesting them or guiding others.
Of course, it is not like you have a specific roadmap. But it is a fact that some steps are required to guarantee the business’s foundations but also businesses,
This means it can be easy to start a pool service company if you understand the steps involved. It is very similar to starting a handyman service like a maintenance or plumber business.
So, to make sure you go in the right way, let’s follow the ones below:
What Does A Pool Service Business Entail?
Are you confident you know everything there is for this niche? Or are you still thinking that pool services are only maintenance and cleaning?
Clients have their pools cleaned by cleaners who visit their homes and businesses (hotels or apartments, gyms, etc.). To check and adjust the water’s chemicals, maintain the pumps, filters, check the skimmers, clean. So this service is for sure included.
However, you need to meet your clients’ needs in terms of what is wrong with their pools, like performing repairs when needed and making sure they are satisfied with the look and performance.
It is not easy to learn everything about pool services, but you are supposed to take some time for it. Professionals in this niche should have the opportunity to learn from a respected practitioner or by apprenticing.
It is important to check if there are legal requirements for pool services within the area where you plan to work. If you plan to work in public areas like some hot tubs or hot baths, you will need extra documents and meet some regulations.
Knowing about environmentally friendly products such as chlorine alternatives can be a benefit and help set your pool business apart from any type of service you offer.
Start Your Business Plan
For entrepreneurs to succeed, a clear plan or roadmap is vital. This will allow you to have a good vision of your business’s details and uncover some hidden opportunities. Here are some important points to remember:
- What are the ongoing and startup costs?
- Who are your target markets?
- What can you charge customers for?
- How will you name your company?
- Do you need a bank account for your business alone?
- How are you going to market your pool service company?
These questions should be answered and slightly addressed in every section of your business plan, but they aren’t limited to them since you must include more factors.
For example, you can include some of the ones below and, in addition, we will be giving you some answers:
How much does it cost to open a pool service company?
A pool service business’ startup costs can start at $2.500, but this usually doesn’t count licenses or certifications.
Something to remember is that most of the capital goes towards equipment and supplies. Water test kits and cleaning chemicals are good examples of this. If you decide to offer more than maintenance and cleaning, you will need to invest in more materials, but some of them can be financed by an advanced payment from the client.
Although it helps keep costs down, bulk purchasing chemicals can increase the initial investment, so you might want to acquire extra materials beforehand.
A vehicle like a truck or large car is essential but not entirely required if you won’t handle that many materials or equipment. In fact, many business owners start by using their own vehicles to reduce startup costs.
What are the ongoing costs of a pool service company?
A pool service business has ongoing expenses. These include vehicle repairs, maintenance, and fuel costs. The total cost of ongoing expenses accounts for about 15-20% of a business’s revenue.
Who is the target market for these services?
Although most pool service companies focus on homeowners, the ideal customer for a business is one that has a commercial pool.
A hotel, apartment complex or condominium property, park, gym, or other commercial pool service business.
Indeed, commercial pools take more time to clean or perform any service, but you can charge more to clean them. They are also more frequently used and require more frequent cleaning or general services.
What price can customers pay?
The cost of your business depends on many factors, starting with the fact that it depends on the one you’re offering, such as maintenance or any other the owner requires.
If you don’t have a good idea of where to start, Home Advisor estimates that pool service costs an average of:
- Weekly services: $170.
- $270 for biweekly services.
- Monthly services start at $200.
- $270 for closing and opening only.
You can set your own prices based on the services you will include and how you will work with them.
What is the profit potential of a pool company?
An owner of a pool service business will earn between $50 and $60 an hour cleaning pools alone. What you ought to remember is how this is a full-time job that can make you about $2.000 to $2.400 per week. In the off-season, this will go lower.
How can your business be more profitable?
If they clean and maintain the pool equipment, a pool service owner can make between $150- $200 an hour more. This extra work can bring in up to $85.000 per year for a business owner.
Also, pool service businesses may sell supplies to owners who wish to clean their own pools. This can bring in additional revenue and allow the business to reach more customers.
What name will you give your business?
It is both important and yet hard to choose a name. If you aren’t sure, just start thinking and take the time with it.
We recommend that you do some research on your business name before registering it. Worry about factors like:
- The business records of your state and how to comply with them.
- Registers of trademarks at the federal and state levels.
- Social media platforms.
- Web domain availability.
It is important to ensure that your domain name is secure before anyone else.
Have You Got the Experience & Skills?
You don’t need a business degree in order to start a pool business. However, certain skills and experiences can help you increase your chances of success and guarantee you are able to move forward without being limited by how your competitor performs.
But what kind of experience do you need? Plus, skills? Here’s a list to consider:
- Experience in pool cleaning, primarily.
Even if you only have short-term job servicing pools, it will help you when you start your own business.
It is essential to be familiar with the cleaning techniques and equipment used in order to make it easier for you to start your own pool business.
- Attention to detail.
Attention to detail is important when working with chemicals and choosing the right part for a client’s pool. Clients will quickly notice if businesses do a thorough cleaning and maintenance job.
Let’s not talk about other services that involve more materials or work.
- Experience in mechanical maintenance.
Pool professionals are often responsible for the maintenance of the pump, filters, and other parts that keep the pool running.
When it comes to pumping maintenance and ordering or installing new parts, mechanical experience is a great asset.
- Management skills.
Management skills are important if a company expands or hires more employees.
- Customer Service and Communication Skills.
Business owners need to be able to communicate effectively and manage their schedules well. They also need to be able to show up on time in order to retain and establish clients.
Take Time to Learn the State Requirements & Laws
No matter what type of business you want to open, there will always be requirements and laws to take care of.
You should be aware that there will be different legal requirements depending on where you live. Every state has its own regulations, and they are always changing.
Each new business must be registered in the state it is located as well.
If the person you are serving is in another state or city with extra considerations or even an extra license to serve them.
These are some of the common legal requirements that your state may require.
- Register your business.
- Application for a Business License
- An employer identification number.
Open a Bank Account for Business
Separate your personal cash from the money of your clients.
Develop a system and make sure you’re not using the funds for your business. You can track client payments easily if you also have software for it.
Microsoft Excel is a great tool for this purpose. You can hire someone to do this job if you don’t possess the necessary skills.
Registration & Creating Business Entities
You must register as a pool service business owner in the state where your company operates.
Your legal name will be your full title if you are a sole proprietor. This name must be used for all legal and government forms.
You must file a fake registration with your government agency if your business uses a different name.
Once you have chosen your business name, you will need to choose the type of entity that you want to establish (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or Limited Liability Company).
Register for state and local taxes as well.
Calculate Expenses & Start the Purchase of Equipment
You will have serious problems even if your company is able to obtain all the licenses it needs and meets all the legal requirements if you don’t have the money to finance all your expenses and equipment.
Therefore, plan further in the future to be ready for any unexpected circumstances.
We have already spoken of the need for some basic items, but you need much more.
Secure clients are the core of your business. Therefore, it is important to think about the cost and capital involved in marketing.
Remember that your plan will impact the cost of operation.
Get Your Licensing and Documents
Many states require fingerprinting and background checks. They also require licensing. Nineteen states are exempt from this requirement.
Before you can assess your situation, it is essential to check your state’s regulations, which is why we mentioned it as a previous state. By this point, you should start to get licensed already.
Your state may require you to obtain a surety assurance from an insurance company. It is a good idea to have general liability coverage. Other licensees may have more detailed requirements and licensing.
An IRS number, tax, and employer ID numbers will also be required. A certification exam is also required for many people. This will help improve the image of your company and increase your chances of success in marketing.
General liability insurance is also something you should consider. Although it is not mandatory in all states, it is a smart investment to protect you in the event of an accident or if your business structure makes it liable.
Financing Options
Once you are at this stage and have your business plan ready, it’s time to look for investors.
Funding for small businesses is essential to help them grow, start, and continue operating. We don’t have to tell you why. We want to let you know that the right time to start looking for financing is now.
There are many funding options that you have. Based on your financial resources and your access to funding for your pool service company, we will list the most preferred ones:
- Traditional banks.
Banks can provide capital and financing if you have good credit and collateral.
Because they can help you determine your eligibility for funding, traditional banks are a good place. One representative can help you determine what documents are required and which options are best.
Even if your company doesn’t have enough assets or a track record of being eligible, you can still apply for funding.
Because they are often involved in economic development, local banks can be a great source of small-business financing. According to a 2020 Federal Deposit Insurance Corp report, 36% of small-business loans are held by community banks.
Many funding options are available to small businesses, including term loans, credit lines, and SBA loans. You can now choose from many more options than you are used to.
- Small Business Administration.
Banks can be ignored if they have difficulties meeting their criteria and requirements.
The U.S. Small Business Administration will offer federal guarantees to lenders (mostly traditional banks) when you apply for one.
SBA is more likely to give you the money that you need than banks. SBA loans can be linked to traditional lenders at attractive rates and are guaranteed. An SBA loan can be used to finance business startup ventures, unlike bank loans.
The application process is not always easy and can leave you with lots of paperwork, but it’s worth the effort to obtain the financing you need.
- Online lenders can be trusted.
You will need to have great credit ratings in order to be able to obtain quick funding. This option is available to people with low credit scores who need just that.
Online lenders are becoming more popular because traditional banks don’t have the same access to capital as online lenders. This is especially true for those who are new to the startup world or have ideas that aren’t financially feasible.
We believe that online lenders are more beneficial for your business type. You can also get fast cash, and they can approve funds within 24 hours.
These peer-to-peer lending options eliminate the need for institutions or banks to connect borrowers and investors.
However, borrowing costs may be higher than you realize. It is worth evaluating whether the risk is worth it. Lenders may charge as much as 80% per annum.
There are many financing options available for small businesses. These options include a line of credit, term loans, and invoice financing. You should consider other options.
- Credit unions.
Credit unions, like banks, offer loans at attractive rates and support SBA. Credit unions have seen an increase in small business funding.
The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau reports that there has been a double-digit increase in small business financing credit unions between 2004 and 2021. It can be difficult to find financing options, even though they are readily available.
Consider opening a bank account for your business before you apply for a loan to start your business.
Take into Consideration Your Work Rate
If you are able to work a steady job after starting your company or thinking about your business plan, your earning potential will be dependent on how much you work.
You can choose to have your business open between 8:30 AM and 17:00, Monday through Friday. Some business owners may include Saturday mornings and even work on Sunday.
It might be worth considering working more hours or taking some time to relax and not stress about it as much.
Although pool services aren’t required 24/7, it is a good idea to offer some emergency options when homeowners or commercial owners have difficulties with some areas or parts of the pool.
A company like yours should estimate the time it will take to complete certain jobs to give you a quote.
It doesn’t matter how long it takes to complete the task sometimes; what matters is to make it work.
Your abilities and experience will determine the speed at which you can complete your work. All these factors should be considered when calculating the charges and rates.
Create & Follow Your Marketing Strategy
Your company may be the most trusted in your area and have the ability to provide the best pool services for homeowners or commercial ones. To maximize your potential and get more clients, you must know how to market your services.
Referrals are an important part of many companies, regardless of the niche. They can pose a threat to your business, as inconsistent demand could lead to feast-and famine cycles.
To get steady work, it is crucial to create a solid marketing strategy and to follow it.
How can you stand out among other pool professionals in the area? This is the most important question you should ask yourself.
Your reputation will not help your chances of getting work from customers that don’t know you.
How can your brand stand out? What can you do to make your pool service company the choice of people? Answer these questions and then focus on more than one marketing strategy to be successful.
The Local Lead Generation Process for Your Pool Service Business
All right! So, everything is about building properties and generating leads. But how does the process actually take place? Are there other steps I need to know?
The steps I mention below are what students from our local lead generation program follow to generate leads for businesses like yourself. So I’ll help you see what we do. And how if you join our program, you can simply generate leads for your own business (unless you want to start a side hustle and build a laptop lifestyle business).
Essentially, our lead generation can be divided into four steps:
The first is prospecting. You need to take the time to do market research on a niche (industry) and determine how many phone-driven businesses are there.
Keep in mind that this is local research as you need to know how many companies need leads. For example, you may search for “plumbing services Youngstown OH.”
You will find dozens or even hundreds of businesses trying to get themselves in front of the customers by ranking on Map Listings, organic results, and even Ad.
The second step, building. When you find a niche (plumbing, tree services, a software company, real estate…), you will need to start building your digital properties. You don’t need to be an expert in HTML or coding. It can be easy with the right tools.
The third step is now taking time to rank your lead gen website. With the site done, you need to work on SEO strategies and start dominating those Google search results. If you’re new to SEO, it stands for Search Engine Optimization.
To keep it simple, it consists of the entire process of growing a company’s visibility on search engines like Google and generating organic traffic. And remember this, local lead generation is part of the strategies.
Moving on to step four, once you rank the site, you will start getting your ROI and profits. You only need to rent it out to a local business interested in the leads the site generates. You can offer a couple of free leads to their move on with the actual pay per lead.
To review steps 1-4 above, I described it to a normal student who is building a lead gen business to help local service providers generate more calls. But replace the student with you as the business owner. And replace sending the leads to a business to simply siphoning the leads to your personal business.
By the way, fun fact, about 20% of our students in our local lead gen program are actually business owners who went through the program. And they use the skillsets we teach to generate leads for their own business.
An Example of Lead Generation: Home Advisor
You must be thinking, “if lead generation sounds so good so far, how come I haven’t seen any company?” That’s the thing; there are many out there. You just don’t know they are dedicated to it.
HomeAdvisor is one of the best examples you can find on the Internet as it is a top lead generation company that has spent millions building its brand but also earned even more zeros for this same reason.
They started small as everyone else but invested in building their brand awareness to make people who are looking for home services go to their website and find what they need. They are over 75% of people’s first choice when they need those services.
If you don’t get HomeAdvisor that much or need a refresh, users need to submit their information to request a service and get a professional or expert who can provide it.
HomeAdvisor’s job is to share your information, which makes you a lead, with local companies so they can contact you and offer the service you’re requesting. For sharing this lead information, HomeAdvisor gets paid by the companies. This happens for every single lead they send to multiple businesses.
Business owners who don’t have marketing skills or don’t even know how to have any online presence will always rely on those pages to list their services. They will save time and effort, but companies like HomeAdvisor can make them spend lots of money as leads aren’t exclusive (one lead is sent to multiple companies after all).
Using Facebook Ads aka Paid Ad Platforms: Do They Generate Leads?
They DO generate leads. If not, no one would use them.
However, you need to remember two facts:
- Paid ads or platforms can be expensive.
- They don’t generate “natural” leads.
Whenever someone sees or clicks in one of those ads, over 80% of them did it by accident or are trying to close/report it.
Why? Because they aren’t looking for those services. At least not at the moment.
What those ads do instead is interrupt their time on the platforms. Users aren’t there to find companies or businesses unless they are searching for a specific company’s user, and for that, there’s a search bar. This is why it is hard to convert them to actual customers who will show interest in the companies’ services. Also, you’re limited by a budget.
When using lead generation, everything is organic. You aren’t forcing others to pay attention to your business but rather being there when they need you. This is why Google’s organic traffic will always beat paid ads, and the reason companies continue investing in it, which is a lot cheaper as well.
What Is Local SEO?
Don’t worry… I didn’t get it at first either. Following the short explanation, local SEO focuses on scaling businesses’ visibility on search engines. However, this is only for those who serve their communities face-to-face.
What does this mean?
Experts and professionals like painters, plumbers, and dentists (but not only them) offer their services to their local customers. Why? Because they can’t deliver them unless they are located in the same area of their customers.
To make sure those businesses get more leads, you need to rank them locally by claiming the business listing on Google to place them on Map Listings. Local SEO also involves online reviews, citation management, and how you manage your entire online presence in the local area.
If you are going to bet on lead gen, you need to adapt yourself to today’s world: The Internet.
Keep in mind that although traditional channels and methods like billboards, warm calls, and pamphlets still work, they aren’t part of your tools. Whenever someone needs a service, they go to Google and search for it.
“Dentist in Miami” or “plumbing services in Orlando,” etc. And you can keep coming up with services or professionals people need and look for. Thus, you need to make sure you’re using Google to get the companies in front of their clients.
Users will always click on the first search results (those near the top), and many of them will be either Ad links (people paid to place their websites there), Map Listing, and then you get websites. Almost all of them are your goal and where you should always aim to place yourself.
Can My Pool Service Business Utilize a Local Lead Generation Strategy?
If you want customers, you better know you need it. Following the previous explanation, lead gen is all about placing businesses in front of their customers, choosing them over their competitors.
Put it simply – it’s all about closing deals and having clients for those companies to make money. The main difference with the usual methods companies use for this is how lead generation approaches different channels to get them in the right place of the market to get customers.
Those channels are all focused on the Internet as most people are searching for products but also services across the net. The issue is that the Internet is way too broad, and businesses don’t know how to place themselves. They usually try, but they get one common result: losing money and time.
How Powerful Are Organic Pool Service Leads from Google?
For companies looking for customers, it’s everything. For you? Pretty much the same. When you build a business with digital properties, you get to make thousands of dollars a month.
This isn’t a “get started today and get rich tomorrow” thing, but it is HIGHLY scalable, and ROI + positive results are guaranteed. Learning a fairly decent and very needed set of skills to create your digital properties and start ranking them on Google is required.
I have invested in several online businesses over the years, and if there’s something uncertain, whether you will get your ROI or not, even more than the actual profit.
However, this business moved my earnings from five figures a year to a month in ONLY passive income while sitting comfortably at home.
On my laptop. Anywhere. Anytime.
You can look at one of the first sites I built back in 2016, and it continues making me over $1.000+ every month. The best part is that I don’t need to touch it or the rest I’ve built over the years, just like this digital property.
What Makes Lead Generation SO Alluring?
Here it goes: you can work from home.
The main issue with regular business opportunities is how much you need to invest in staff, equipment, or rent to have a place to sell your products or offer your services.
We all know the hassles of traditional businesses that involve regular expenses, which are extremely high. Can you afford it? I don’t think so, and even if you can, is it worth it? Now, it isn’t only about the money. You also need to put in a lot of work, and it isn’t only during the first couple of months or years. Usually, it is as long as you continue running it.
You can save yourself those headaches and bone-breaking tasks and expenses with lead gen since it is more about generating leads with digital channels—mainly websites.
Websites can be VERY cheap to build, and with many tools online, you get to do it in a couple of hours instead of days. Any virtual or digital business is scalable and won’t need constant maintenance.
So, let’s summarize this:
- You save money in regular expenses with traditional and most online businesses as what you need is yourself and digital properties (websites).
- You can bet on passive income.
- There’s no need to hire more people to get started.
- You can generate leads in multiple industries, which allows you to work on any niche you want.
How Can I Get Started in the Local Lead Generation Program?
Anyone can start and learn. That’s the beauty of this business model. I knew nothing about SEO, Map Listing, and everything I’ve mentioned so far. It is all about learning the skills, gaining experience, and deciding to take the step.
Remember that this business model will never get old as business owners are always looking for leads. They need to do business and scale their companies. Why not do the same while helping others and still making money?
You can start with this local lead generation course highly recommended for anyone wanting to grow in the business. It is a close training that will take you through each step and make sure you are able to get your ROI, profits and take control of your life.
You will be added to an incredible lead generation family ready to help you 24/7 when asking questions on the group. Anyone is welcome who’s willing to put in the work. Click here to watch the lead gen webinar.