I think it is fair to say a good number of people on this forum, me included, have taken on an 'obsessed' attitude towards pool maintenance. 
I'm sure we've all had that situation where at a social gathering someone casually something about a swimming pool, and then before you know it you've spent the next 30 minutes giving that person a chemistry lesson, gone on a tirade about pool stores, showed them pictures of your pool, and tried to send them to the test kit web site! (Shoot, I just went 'crazy pool guy' on that person!)
So just wondering has anyone here made the move from dealing with your own pool, to helping out friends, all the way to starting up your own pool maintenance business? I could see myself taking care of pools, just regular maintenance, as a little side job or maybe something I do after retirement. I'd be comfortable doing cleanings, water balancing, fixing green/algae problems, etc... Openings I would do, closings I'd probably stay away from because I'm in the north East and would not want the liability if freezing damage occurs. I would also stay away from mechanical problems.
I figure you'd have different kinds of customers.
The ones who don't want to anything, just pay you to do it all. In that situation, how many visits a week would that require and how much time at each visit?
The ones who just need emergency help. My pool is green, help! How do you handle these people? Take care of the immediate problem but require they contract you for a period of time? Or allow a call me when you need me arrangement?
How do you deal with customers without SWG's? Make it their responsibility to add bleach every day or two?
Just curious if anyone here has made this transition and curious to some of the obstacles you may have faced, and tips or advice that you could offer would be great. And if you have a funny story to share, all the better!
I'm sure we've all had that situation where at a social gathering someone casually something about a swimming pool, and then before you know it you've spent the next 30 minutes giving that person a chemistry lesson, gone on a tirade about pool stores, showed them pictures of your pool, and tried to send them to the test kit web site! (Shoot, I just went 'crazy pool guy' on that person!)So just wondering has anyone here made the move from dealing with your own pool, to helping out friends, all the way to starting up your own pool maintenance business? I could see myself taking care of pools, just regular maintenance, as a little side job or maybe something I do after retirement. I'd be comfortable doing cleanings, water balancing, fixing green/algae problems, etc... Openings I would do, closings I'd probably stay away from because I'm in the north East and would not want the liability if freezing damage occurs. I would also stay away from mechanical problems.
I figure you'd have different kinds of customers.
The ones who don't want to anything, just pay you to do it all. In that situation, how many visits a week would that require and how much time at each visit?
The ones who just need emergency help. My pool is green, help! How do you handle these people? Take care of the immediate problem but require they contract you for a period of time? Or allow a call me when you need me arrangement?
How do you deal with customers without SWG's? Make it their responsibility to add bleach every day or two?
Just curious if anyone here has made this transition and curious to some of the obstacles you may have faced, and tips or advice that you could offer would be great. And if you have a funny story to share, all the better!
