Business Ideas | Small Business Ideas: Swimming Pool Sanitation and Maintenance Service

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Swimming Pool Sanitation and Maintenance Service - Business Ideas

Swimming pool sanitation is the process of ensuring healthy conditions in swimming pools, hot tubs, plunge pools, and similar recreational water venues. Proper sanitation is needed to maintain the visual clarity of water and to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. Contamination can be minimized by good swimmer hygiene practices such as showering before and after swimming, not letting children swim with intestinal disorders. Effective treatments are needed to address contaminants in pool water because preventing the introduction of pool contaminants, pathogenic and non-pathogenic, into swimming pools is impossible. Swimming pools abound in the Unites States, with 8.6 million counted in 2007, according to a market research report titled “U.S. Market for Swimming Pool Equipment and Maintenance Products.” Consumers spent nearly $3 billion on pool equipment and maintenance products in the years 2002 through 2006. This figure is projected to reach $3.8 billion in 2011. With organization and some planning, it’s possible to launch a successful and profitable swimming pool cleaning and repair business.

If you want to start a pool cleaning small business, you'll find plenty of opportunities -- meticulous pool maintenance is critical for homeowners, gyms, and apartments and motels.

Swimming Pool Sanitation and Maintenance Service Instruction:

Things Needed:

Permits
Liability insurance
Pool cleaning equipment
Pool repair equipment
Vehicle
Business cards
Flyers
Discount cards
Brochures
Workers
Website
Sunscreen
Hat
Drinking water
Oxygen supply systems

Operating a pool cleaning service is one of those small business ideas where you might have business year round or you might be able to take time off in the off season. Those who live in warmer climes will be able to boost their income due to the large number of private pools needing cleaning year-round, while in colder regions, pool cleaners can earn money by helping owners shut down and reopen their pools as the seasons change. Based on four weekly visits, experienced pool cleaners can expect to earn between $75 and $165 per customer per month.

Pool cleaners adjust the water's chemical balance and keep pumps and filters running. They scrub and skim when necessary. Their services are often needed after weather disturbances that can shower a pool with leaves and debris. The goal for most pool services is to establish weekly repeat business, because an individual startup will have a tough time attracting new customers.

Pool cleaning is not a learn-as-you-go enterprise. Pool cleaners should know their stuff, either through apprenticing or tagging along with a respected practitioner. Due to health codes, some states require certification for those attending to public and health-club pools, Jacuzzis and spas. In Florida, for instance, candidates must take an open-book test to become

Pros of a Pool Cleaning Small Business

Fresh air, water and nice homes are part of the pool cleaner's territory.
Some of the manual pool cleaning tasks can help keep you fit.
Because the work is usually done outside, pool cleaning hours can be planned around a regular workday.
A casual dress code is acceptable; it's a physical job, after all. But you'll want to look like a professional pool cleaner, regardless.

Cons of a Pool Cleaning Small Business

Constant sun and prolonged exposure to some pool chemicals can be health hazards.
Like many small business ideas, it can be tough to build a pool cleaning clientele at first.
Pool cleaning business may be tougher to find in colder regions, but you may also offer snowblowing or plowing during the winter. Additionally, many homes have year-round spas, even in colder regions.

What You Need to Get Started in a Pool Cleaning Small Business

Good physical health. Efficient pool-cleaning requires energy.
Business cards and flyers to pass out to pool-supply stores and contractors in your area. These sources will likely help you land your first customers. You can approach motels, apartments and spas as well.
About $2,000 for basic pool cleaning equipment and chemicals. On this note, a knowledge of environmentally friendly products, including chlorine alternatives, can be a plus these days and help you set your pool cleaning small business apart from others.
Reliable transportation to tote all of your pool cleaning gear.
Certification. Check with your area's health department.
Insurance
Ability to swim. This cannot be overemphasized for those with ideas of starting this type of small business.

Pool Cleaning Services Small Businesses: Real-Life Examples

BrenCon, a family business in Phoenix, charges $75 a month for weekly basic pool service, according to its website.

Tips:

Adding hot tub cleaning and repair services is an easy way to diversify your offerings and up-sell to current swimming pool clients, suggests Entrepreneur.com.

Maintain communication with pool owners throughout the year, not just in summertime. Cleaning and repair opportunities include cleaning up after storms and preparing for long holiday weekends.

Consider selling pool cleaning supplies and retail items on your business website to increase sales.

Apply for permits and protection. Start by applying for a business license, tax identification number and liability insurance. Some areas may have additional requirements specific for cleaning pools and working on different properties, so check with your local authorities, including the health department. Public pools may also have special licensing requirements.

Purchase necessary equipment. To start a swimming pool cleaning and repair business, you need to buy a pool skimmer, hoses, poles, pool-testing chemicals and pH test kits. Leaf rakes and scrub brushes are also good purchases. Lease or purchase a dependable vehicle with plenty of storage space for pool cleaning and repair equipment.

Market your business. Pitch your swimming pool cleaning and repair business to homeowners, apartment and condo property managers, hotels and motels, pool supply stories, fitness facilities and schools. Leave business cards and flyers at pool supply stores, and check with your county tax assessor’s office to see if they maintain a list of addresses of people who own swimming pools. Mail brochures, discount cards and promotional offerings to those addresses, or visit in person to introduce yourself. Join a pool association to meet pool owners and learn more about the industry.

Hire workers. As the swimming pool business grows, you might hire licensed workers to complete the swimming pool cleaning and repair as you focus on administrative, marketing and accounting duties. Do background checks on all workers before permitting them to enter client properties, and advertise this security measure to customers.

Warning:

Working outdoors and with swimming pools can be potentially dangerous. Wear a hat and sunscreen, and keep plenty of drinking water on hand to avoid dehydration while working outdoors. Take care when repairing swimming pool electrical systems in wet environments, and you should also know how to swim in case you accidentally fall in. Be cautious when working with powerful pool chemicals.

Cleaning swimming pools does require an element of strength to continually pull pool cleaning and repair equipment through water. Some repair jobs may involve underwater labor with oxygen supply systems. If you’re not comfortable or licensed to complete such tasks, outsource these responsibilities to an independent contractor.

Reference

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Easy Tips and Ideas to Start Business

Although anyone can start a business, many people fail because of a bad product or improper research. If you want to start your own business, you can improve your chances for success before you even begin. In order to make your business successful, start strong and make sure that your idea will hold out for the long haul.

Have a Good Product

Ensure that you plan to sell something useful. Although you may think that your product is important or special, that doesn't mean the general public will agree. Ask friends, family and strangers what they think of your product. If they don't seem that interested, ask them why. With their suggestions, you can either improve the product or scrap the idea completely. According to Brad Sugars of Entrepreneur magazine, most small businesses fail because they sold a product that didn't have an adequate market. This also applies to small businesses that provide a service. A lawn-care business might be useful for part of the year in a northern state, but it is in-demand year-round in the south. Consider whether people will actually want to use your service and get constructive advice from those not afraid to give their opinion.

Research Local Businesses

Research local companies before starting up your own business. This will not only give you an idea of the amount of competition you will have, but it will also help you price your product or service. If you're looking to start a wedding photography business, you may find during your research that the market is over-saturated in your area. If not over-saturated, you should contact each business and ask them for a price list. Alter your prices so you can stay competitive with the competition in town. Researching similar local businesses will also help you decide where to locate your business location. Try not to start up a store or office close to another business of your type. If your small business is located away from similar business types, this will cause locals to choose you over businesses that are farther away from where they live.

Get Professional Advice

You may know someone who has started their own successful business. Ask him for advice and listen to his stories of how he started his company. You may gain useful advice on the good and bad ways to start a business. Local entrepreneurs can also introduce you to local product providers or advertisers that you may not have met without their help. Accept any advice with open arms, especially if the advice is coming from someone successful in the area.

How to Calculate Business Start Up Costs

Starting a business in no easy endeavor. It takes a great deal of research, perseverance and hard work. While sweat equity will make your small business more successful, you will most likely need real capital to get the business started. Before you start raising capital and/or investing your own funds, the first thing you need to do is determine the total start-up costs.

Step 1

Determine your costs of sales. For most small businesses this means inventory, the cost of raw materials, manufacturing equipment, shipping, packaging, and warehousing. However, not all businesses sell products. In this case, the cost of sales is primarily the direct labor involved in making the sale. For example, to open a small shoe business entails purchasing enough inventory ($10,000) to stock the store.

Step 2

Determine professional fees. Planning your business structure, i.e., limited liability corporation or general partnership, means hiring an attorney. There may also be the need to pay an attorney for help with establishing trademarks, copyrights, and patents. In this scenario, that puts total professional fees at an estimated $20,000.

Step 3

Determine technology costs. Technology can greatly reduce the cost of labor for small business if used effectively. Most small businesses require computers, printers, cell phones, website development, Internet access, software applications, information security, data storage, and outsourced information technology (IT) consulting. If the cost of technology is $10,000 to start, add an additional $5,000 a year for maintenance (hint: maintenance is not included in start-up costs).

Step 4

Determine administrative costs. This varies with business types and may include items such as business insurance, office supplies, product packaging, parking, rent, express shipping, desks, chairs, fax machines, phones, or anything else necessary to operate the business daily. A good estimate for start-up administrative costs would be $5,000 for the first six months.

Step 5

Determine initial sales and marketing costs. Now that you have your product, you need to let folks know about it. Sales and marketing costs generally include marketing materials for presentations, printing stationery, business cards, advertising, trade show events, and public relations. These initial sales and marketing costs can add up to $3,000.

Step 6

Determine the wages and benefits needed to secure a staff. This includes employee salaries, benefits, workers compensation, and payroll taxes. Let's put the cost of wages and benefits estimated at $20,000 for the first three months of business.

Step 7

Add all costs associated with starting the business for a total. Be sure to only include business start-up costs that will be incurred in the first three to six months of operations. For this example, the calculation is: $10,000 + $20,000 + $10,000 + $5,000 + $3,000 + $20,000 = $68,000.

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