7 Easy Steps to Start a Pool Cleaning Business

Do you want to become a renowned pool service business owner in your area? Read ahead to learn how to start and run your own business successfully with 7 easy steps.

If you have ever maintained a pool, you know how time-consuming it is. For most people, spending hours in the sun fumbling with cleaning tools and equipment and fiddling with hazardous chemicals isn’t a fun task.

However, this job is a problem-solver for many people. Therefore, learning how to start a pool cleaning business is an excellent way to assist pool owners and residential and commercial areas with swimming pools in resolving that problem.

Your clients will gladly pay you to relieve them of the burden of pool maintenance!

It’s also an excellent way to generate consistent income. After all, the pool cleaning industry is worth $6 billion, and a pool cleaning business owner earns nearly three times as much as a pool cleaning tech.

Read ahead to learn how to start a pool cleaning business in 7 simple steps!

1. Gather Information Related to Pool Cleaning Business

If you want to learn how to start a pool cleaning business, you need to first learn all essential information relevant to the pool service industry. It is the first and most imperative step in starting a pool cleaning business. And to accomplish that effectively, you need to work for someone in the pool industry first.

Start by observing or assisting a professional in the pool industry, or land a job or an apprenticeship with a nearby pool cleaning company. Before you start your own pool cleaning business, learn all the basics of pool repair and maintenance services from your supervisor.

Along with everything else, keep up to date on your pool chemistry. Learn how to properly use pool chemicals to maintain your pool’s safety without wasting your costly resources.

You also need connections with industry experts. You can build such connections through networking and by doing activities such as:

• Joining a business meetup of local swimming pool contractors
• Attending a trade fair
• Visiting a local pool chemical supply store

Most pool cleaning professionals agree that continuous learning is critical for any pool service business. 

The more you learn and brush up on your skills, the better you’ll be able to identify and address challenges in your own business and eventually become a local expert that everyone wants to hire.

2. Research and Prepare Pool Cleaning Business Plan

Once you’ve gained the necessary experience, it’s time to conduct research and develop a comprehensive business strategy for your pool cleaning business. 

Having a business structure or plan can get you a clear pathway to follow. Small business owners with a business plan are more likely to grow compared to the ones with no plan.

Some of the business factors you should consider are as follows:

2.1. Finances

Before you start your pool cleaning business, you should figure out your startup costs and business expenses. Business expenses include rent, equipment, wear and tear cost of vehicles, fuel costs, pool cleaning business insurance, general liability insurance, and property insurance. Calculating all these expenses, you will have to figure out charges for your pool cleaning services (we’ll go over this in more detail later in the blog).

Also, you are required to open a business bank account to manage all the expenses and income of your business.

2.2. Hire employees 

To scale and support your pool cleaning business, you must hire pool cleaners or collaborate with a partner or a pool expert. You must hire workforces for your pool service business based on their industry experience and expertise.

Pool cleaners are the most essential part of your staff because whenever pool cleaning customers will approach you for any job, you are supposed to dispatch pool cleaners for cleaning pools or any other work.

2.3. Competitors 

Discover your local competitors and find out what pool cleaning services and benefits they offer. 

Next, determine if there’s anything unique that you can offer to your customers but they can’t. By figuring out unique business ideas, you can help your business stand out and gain a competitive edge in the industry.

2.4. Services

Decide if you want to offer one-time pool servicing visits, periodic pool maintenance, pool cleaning training, or other services.

You must also decide whether you will work part-time, full-time, or seasonally and whether your pool business will serve residential or commercial pools.

2.5. Business name   

You need to choose a unique business name that best describes your pool cleaning business or resonates with your brand’s personality. 

Whatever name you choose, make sure it is worthy of going for a business name since it is what your clients are going to remember when they need your services.

2.6. Pool cleaning equipment  

Determine what pool equipment you have and what you need to invest in. Make a list of what you require, such as testing kits, vehicles, chemicals, skimmers, etc. If you intend to have multiple service trucks, purchase a set of basic tools for each. 

3. Get Certificates and Licences and Sign Service Agreements

Failure to obtain essential licenses and certificates can result in huge fines or even the closure of your pool service business.

3.1. Local and state licensing requirements for pool businesses

Some states require the acquisition of a contractor license. For pool servicing, there is frequently a particular type of pool contractor license. Most states require a bachelor’s degree or four years of work experience as prerequisites for this business license.

If the applicant meets these criteria, they are eligible to take the Pool Exam, which must be cleared to get the license. Both the license and exam costs fees.

3.2.Service agreement

Before beginning a new pool cleaning job project, pool cleaning businesses should consider mandating customers to sign a service agreement. 

You must outline the service level expectations of your pool cleaning business, payment terms and conditions, and intellectual property ownership in the pool service business contract to clarify customer expectations and reduce the risk of legal disputes.

4. Set Pricing Models for Your Services

For weekly services, the national median pool cleaning cost is $86 per month. This rate rises to $125 when maintenance and repairs are factored in.

Before offering a price estimate for a cleaning service, inspect each pool. Provide free estimates and set a base price, but keep in mind that prices will vary depending on the type, size, and depth of the pool.

Some pool cleaning businesses sell supplies such as chemical products to pool owners so they can maintain their own pools. 

Other revenue streams for pool cleaning companies include landscape maintenance of apartments, complexes, or commercial buildings such as mowing lawns, cleaning sidewalks, weeding plant beds, and installing a pool cover.

As a pool cleaner, you’ll be responsible for a variety of tasks, so break down the list of services you intend to provide. Consider organizing your tasks into bundles to make your pool cleaning business services more comprehensible to customers. 

Packaging your pool cleaning business services also makes it easier to upsell to the right clients at the appropriate time.

5. Subscribe to Pool Service Software

Investing in a pool service software is your best bet when starting a pool cleaning business. 

Reason: It is basically a solution that will streamline your business processes with automation and turn your company into a successful pool cleaning business. 

With pool maintenance software like InvoiceOwl, you can get a pool service invoice template, manage all your client details, create and send purchase orders, estimates, and invoices hassle-free, and track payments.

Therefore, invest in the right software when you are starting off so you won’t have to bear expensive and time-consuming troubles in the future.

6. Plan on How to Deliver Awesome Customer Experience

You must understand that simply starting a pool cleaning business, purchasing tools and hiring pool cleaners won’t expand your company.

An essential factor that can not only expand your business but bring in more clients and boost profitability is superior customer service. 

Here are some tips you can use to provide top-notch customer service:

6.1. Be punctual

Schedule your day methodically, notify your customers when you’re on your way, show up on time, and deliver the best customer service you can.

6.2. Communicate

It helps greatly if you put some effort into interacting with your customers before, during, and after a pool cleaning job.

To keep customers informed, send them appointment reminders, on-my-way texts, and follow-up emails after providing pool cleaning service.

6.3. Educate your customers

Try out new pool cleaning practices on your own time. Then, share them with your customers and include them in your service offerings. When you prove to clients that you are a pool cleaning expert, you are more likely to gain a competitive advantage.

6.4. Understand your limitations

You may be tempted to try and squeeze multiple cleaning jobs every, but keep in mind that quantity hinders the quality of service. If you can’t provide great customer service to your clients, word will get out in from of poor customer feedback, which isn’t what you desire for your pool cleaning business.

6.5. Provide customized experience

You can also provide excellent customer service by asking your customers what they want and then delivering it. This way, you will sell more than other pool cleaning businesses in your region and can provide each client with a unique experience that they can’t get anywhere else.

7. Promote Your Pool Cleaning Business to Clients

Marketing your brand will give you the much-needed exposure and spread the message far and wide about your small business online. So, having a marketing plan for your business helps you be in sight of your target market in different ways. Here are some ideas to include in your marketing plan for your pool cleaning business:

7.1. Google My Business Listing

Google My Business provides businesses with an excellent opportunity to appear in Google search results, but the best part is that creating a Google My Business listing is completely free.

Creating your Google My Business listing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to establish your company for online visibility. As search queries become more geographically focused, Google’s algorithms have been tailored to take user intent into account.

This provides a place for potential clients near you to contact you, submit a work order, and read reviews from previous clients. You can also ask current customers to leave positive feedback here.

Make sure your pool cleaning business has an updated and detailed Google My Business profile. It is also quick to adapt and can be maintained on a regular basis to accommodate changes.

7.2. Advertising

Use flyers, posters, door hangers, and postcards to promote your new business in your area. You can also use Google Local Services Ads to reach out to customers and direct them to the website of your new business, where they can schedule cleaning job appointments.

7.3. Website

Get a custom domain that includes your company name from a hosting platform like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or GoDaddy. These domain hosts also provide website builders with drag-and-drop functionality to assist you in creating your webpage easily.

Create a business website that is visually appealing and reflects the personality of your brand. Make sure your website has multiple calls to action that are prominently displayed, as well as a separate page dedicated to the services you provide.

7.4. Materials

Your uniforms, invoices, car, business cards, and anything else that your clients will see should all have your branding on them. You can create these materials and your brand logo yourself using Canva or Looka, or you can hire a professional designer to assist you.

InvoiceOwl to the Rescue!

We hope we have helped you understand how to start a pool cleaning business effectively. And as previously stated, you should subscribe to a software like InvoiceOwl to automate your business processes.

With its excellent features, it can not only help you get paid faster but also attract more clients in the future.

To learn more about the advantages we offer for streamlining your business operations, sign up for a free trial right away!