Pool Stores

[mynewpool]

I know there are many people here with a lot of knowledge and I am sure some live around each other. Has anyone ever thought about opening a pool store and call it BBB for TFP?

A pool store that endorses and only uses the BBB method or is it not possible due to health regulartion and the EPA? Do you think this is a pool store that could survive? The hardest part would be convincing people that this works. I would guess once they see it does work and how much money they can save, it could work.

 

[jmack1159]

I had thought about this in my area. I don't have the capital to do it but another thought I had was to be a service guy who knew about BBB and could help there clients maintain a healthy pool for much less that what traditional pool people charge.

 

[anonapersona]

To do this with a pool service you'd probably have to install Liquidators for mid-week bleach additions and then use bleach, pH adjustments, and brushing during the weekly visits.

 

[JohnT]

A pool store depends a lot on chemical sales for profit, and our ideas would really shoot a hole in that segment of the business. The primary product you'd have to sell to replace the chemical sales would be knowledge.

I'd think there are about four segments to making money with "pool support" outside construction:

Chemical sales, equipment sales, equipment repair and pool service. My thinking is that chemical sales is significant and reducing it would make profitability difficult. Equipment sales and repair probably wouldn't be much different from conventional pool stores. Well trained service people would probably be the best way to market the knowledge and get paid for it. Either that or training pool owners.

 

[poolgirl22]

I agree with you John. I liken the sale of pool chemicals in a pool store to the sale of alcohol in a restaurant...it's where the real money is.

I think if one wanted to start a business related to this it would have to be a consulting and service gig and the target long term consumer wouldn't be people like me, it'd be the people that want the enjoyment of the pool but none of the work. In the short term, it would be a training thing with the idea that they would take it over themselves. So by nature, I don't know if those same types would trust the simple inexpensive way. I've encountered people that look at me like I'm from Mars with my newly adopted system. I just shrug it off and look at what I've created and figure someday they'll see things my way. And if they don't, oh well.

Besides, why charge for info that is so freely available....I've learned more in the last 6 weeks from this site than in the cumulative 7 years I owed this house.

 

[Richard320]

I know there are many people here with a lot of knowledge and I am sure some live around each other. Has anyone ever thought about opening a pool store and call it BBB for TFP?

A pool store that endorses and only uses the BBB method or is it not possible due to health regulartion and the EPA? Do you think this is a pool store that could survive? The hardest part would be convincing people that this works. I would guess once they see it does work and how much money they can save, it could work.

Wouldn't work. You'd be trying to match prices with Walmart, Costco, Target, all the big players. You'd go broke same as the mom-n-pop hardware stores. People go to you for advice and the small things, go to the big box store to spend real money. The only way to survive would be to repackage the BBB and give it a fancy name and charge big $$$ for it. And that's already being done. Successfully.

Now a pool service, with the route confined to a small area, might be do-able. That way you're not spending all your time driving between accounts and burning lots of gas when you stop every other day at each pool. It only takes a couple minutes a day to stay on top of things.

 

[PaulR]

The non-chain shop near me uses liquid chlorine for their service; the guy said they go through ~350 cases (4-gal each) a week between that and in-store sales.
It's cheaper than any other source near me (8 gallons 12.5% for under $20, which includes CA sales tax). It could easily be a loss leader, but I wouldn't know.

Next time I'm in there I'll ask how the service works, e.g. twice a week or what.

These are also the same guys that told me my CYA was way too high, and that I shouldn't be using tabs except maybe as a supplement in the summer. And talked me out of a service call, persuading me I should try to replace my broken Polaris UWF myself. And have a free-labor policy if you bring your Polaris into the shop.

Sadly, they do not carry Taylor kits; I have to go to Leslie's for my quicky refills.
--paulr

 

[mynewpool]

I agree with you John. I liken the sale of pool chemicals in a pool store to the sale of alcohol in a restaurant...it's where the real money is.

I think if one wanted to start a business related to this it would have to be a consulting and service gig and the target long term consumer wouldn't be people like me, it'd be the people that want the enjoyment of the pool but none of the work. In the short term, it would be a training thing with the idea that they would take it over themselves. So by nature, I don't know if those same types would trust the simple inexpensive way. I've encountered people that look at me like I'm from Mars with my newly adopted system. I just shrug it off and look at what I've created and figure someday they'll see things my way. And if they don't, oh well.

Besides, why charge for info that is so freely available....I've learned more in the last 6 weeks from this site than in the cumulative 7 years I owed this house.

You are right the info is freely available. But us americans sometimes get lazy and would rather pay someone to do it than to do it themselves. Take for example people that have pool service monthly. I am sure those run around 150.00+ or so a month. The BBB method, you may spend about 50 or so a month on stuff you need. Granted some months may be more, but I would say on average 50-75, if not less. So in the event it is freely available and at least half the price, why do all pool owners not use this?