As the temperature drops and the summer sun turns to fall drizzle, pool service businesses often face a seasonality slump. The once busy days filled with regular service calls, pool installations, and maintenance tasks start to dwindle, replaced by quieter times that could potentially impact your bottom line.
While this downtime can pose a significant challenge for industry professionals, it doesn't have to spell disaster. Quite the opposite, in fact. The off-season, marked by the reduced demand for pool services, can present an opportunity for pool service businesses to strategize, innovate, and prepare for the subsequent season.
With strategic planning and creative business tactics, keeping your pool service business profitable in the off-season is possible. At the end of this post, you’ll have:
- Insights into diversifying your service portfolio
- Strategies to enhance customer relationships
- Understanding of effective marketing techniques for the off-season
Let’s dive in (before things get too cold)!
Understanding your business cycle
Every pool service owner understands that business activity ebbs and flows with the changing seasons. Peak season, often defined by sweltering summer months, sees a surge in demand for pool installation, maintenance, and repair services. The off-peak or off-season, typically fall and winter, conversely experiences a slowdown for most parts of the United States. However, understanding this cycle means we can predict it and plan accordingly to maintain business performance.
Off-Season Profit Strategies
Upsell and cross-sell services
Upselling and cross-selling services are invaluable strategies for enhancing profitability. Customers might not need regular pool cleaning or maintenance during the off-season, but this is an ideal time to introduce them to products and services that improve their pool experience.
For example, you can:
- Sell pool covers to protect their investment from the harsh winter (as well as a pool opening and closing service)
- Offer heater installation for year-round use
- Sell upgrades like energy-efficient pumps or pool lighting
Effective upselling and cross-selling require understanding your customers' needs and positioning your products or services as solutions. Maintain a customer-centric approach to make these strategies successful.
Diversify your services
Diversification is key to ensuring year-round profitability. Consider offering services that see demand during the off-season. For instance, servicing indoor pools or spa maintenance can provide a steady income when outdoor pool work slows down.
Here’s a real-world example: Nevergreen Pools diversified its offerings to include spa and hot tub maintenance and has seen an increase in off-season revenue as a result. Then there are services like pool winterizing, where you prepare the pool for the winter months to prevent damage due to freezing temperatures. Similarly, de-winterizing or pool opening services can be offered in the early spring.
You might also consider branching out into related home services. For instance, general landscaping, patio or deck maintenance, or even outdoor lighting installation and repair can keep you busy during the off-season. The key is to think outside the box and get in tune with your customers’ needs.
Offer pool maintenance education
Hosting classes or workshops on pool maintenance is another innovative way to generate off-season income. These classes can cover topics like pool chemistry, winterization, or troubleshooting common pool problems. Many pool owners would love to understand their pools better and learn how to tackle minor issues independently.
You may worry that empowering your customers in this way will decrease your profitability. After all, if they can do it themselves, why hire you? In our experience, the opposite is true. In fact, offering training helps customers see you as a thought leader and reliable resource. This strengthens trust and can lead to referrals, consistent business, and greater profitability. It's a win-win as customers appreciate the knowledge, and you secure a robust off-season revenue stream.
Reassess your billing process
The off-season is an ideal time to reevaluate and improve your billing process. If you're still using manual methods or a third-party platform, consider the benefits of integrating your billing with your pool service software, like Skimmer Billing:
Faster payments: By moving billing to your all-in-one pool service software like Skimmer, you can invoice customers directly after service. This accelerates payments, improves your cash flow, and minimizes the chance of payment delinquency.
Cashless transactions: Pushing for electronic payments through your software platform makes the process easier for your customers and eliminates the risks and inconveniences associated with cash transactions.
Efficiency and accuracy: Automated billing significantly reduces the time spent on accounting tasks, and it also reduces the risk of errors associated with manual billing processes. This efficiency allows you and your team to focus more on customer service and less on administrative tasks.
Adopting an integrated software solution like Skimmer Billing simplifies the payment process and incentivizes employees with faster payments, ultimately boosting your business's profitability and sustainability.
Enhance your marketing strategy
Do you know how you always say, “I’ll get to marketing when things slow down”? Well, now’s your chance.
The slower months are perfect for developing or refining your marketing strategy. Take time to analyze your customer demographics, their needs and preferences, and how effectively your current marketing efforts are reaching them.
Consider exploring new marketing channels or tactics, such as SEO, social media marketing, or paid advertising. Evaluate your branding and your unique selling proposition (USP) to ensure they're effectively communicating the value you offer to your customers.
Create engaging content
Content creation is a highly effective way to engage with your customers and position yourself as an expert. Consider starting a blog, creating how-to guides, or even making video tutorials on pool maintenance topics. You can share these content pieces on your website, social media platforms, or email newsletters.
Creating valuable content helps educate your customers, drives traffic to your site, and enhances your online presence. Don’t know where to start? Just start recording your jobs. Explain what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and even show before/after footage. You don’t need anything fancy, just a camera phone and some narration.
Here’s an example of how simple video content can be for pool service pros:
Off-season business development strategies
Adopt new business tools
The off-season is the perfect time to reconsider your operational efficiency and adopt new tools to streamline your business processes. For example, implementing purpose-built pool service software like Skimmer can dramatically simplify your workflow. Here's how:
Customer management: Skimmer allows you to maintain all your customer data in one place. This includes contact information, service history, notes, and even photos. Having all this information at your fingertips lets you provide personalized service to your customers.
Route optimization: Skimmer's route optimization feature ensures your service routes are as efficient as possible, saving you time and fuel costs.
Quotes and invoicing: Preparing, sending, and managing paper job quotes and invoices can be tedious, but with Skimmer Billing, these tasks are electronic and automated. You can generate and send invoices and job quotes directly from the app, reducing paperwork and eliminating the risk of lost invoices.
These are just a few examples of how adopting the right tools can boost your business's efficiency and professionalism, giving you a competitive edge in the market.
Invest in your skills and knowledge
The best investment you can make in your business is in your own knowledge. The off-season also provides an excellent opportunity to upgrade your skills and knowledge in various areas relevant to your pool service business. This continuous learning is crucial in keeping pace with the ever-evolving industry trends and standards.
Here are some areas where you can upskill:
Technical skills
Enhance your knowledge of different pool systems, equipment, and maintenance techniques. Advanced knowledge about the latest pool technology, such as automated pool cleaners or energy-efficient pool heaters, can make you a more valuable service provider to your customers.
You can find relevant online courses on platforms like Udemy, Coursera, or industry-specific platforms like the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) online learning.
Business management
You need more than technical skills to run a successful pool service business. Business management knowledge are essential skills for any business leader, including:
- Marketing
- Financial management
- Human resources
- And customer service
Platforms like LinkedIn Learning and Coursera offer a range of courses in these areas.
Certifications
Attaining industry-specific certifications, such as Certified Pool Operator (CPO), Certified Pool & Spa Operator (CPSO), or a PHTA certification, can significantly enhance your credibility in the market. These certifications demonstrate your commitment to maintaining high standards of service and safety.
You can take these certification courses from National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) or Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA). A commitment to self-improvement can give you an edge over your competitors and help you provide the best possible service to your customers.
Effective marketing for the off-season
Optimize your email marketing
An effective email marketing strategy can help you promote your off-season services. Personalize your emails based on the customer's interaction history with your company.
For example, if a customer has previously shown interest in spa maintenance, tailor your email to highlight this service. Ensure your emails are engaging and visually appealing. Use high-quality images and keep the content concise and informative. Providing tips on maintaining their pool in the off-season or promoting your new services can also provide value to the customer, keeping your business in mind.
Finally, it's important to refine your approach based on performance continually. A/B test different email formats, subject lines, content, and send times to find what resonates best with your audience. This is best done with a dedicated email marketing platform like MailChimp or ConvertKit.
Learning the ropes in these platforms can take a while, but email marketing is among the highest-ROI marketing channels, so it’s well worth it. Metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates can provide valuable insights.
Utilize social media promotions
Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are effective channels for showcasing your off-season services. Regular posts about your diversified services, educational workshops, or any special off-season offers can keep you in the minds of your customers.
For example, many pool service companies share before-and-after images of their indoor pool services on Instagram during the off-season, which can keep audiences engaged. Consider doing live videos or stories that provide behind-the-scenes looks at your operations or share testimonials from satisfied customers to build trust.
Offer special deals and discounts
Running special promotions or discounts can be effective in attracting off-season customers. Consider offering package deals for comprehensive services, like pool closing and opening services for the next season. Discounted rates for advance booking of next season's maintenance can also encourage early commitments. Rewarding loyal customers with exclusive offers or bonuses can also strengthen your relationship and encourage repeat business.
Cultivate strong relationships with clients
Not hearing from clients in the off-season? That means it’s time for you to initiate. The off-season is an opportune time to nurture your relationships with clients. Regular check-ins, whether via personalized emails, phone calls, or direct messages on social media, can keep your business in their minds.
Consider sending out valuable newsletters, such as tips for off-season pool care or updates about your business. Regular communication fosters rapport and could lead to additional off-season work or referrals.
Using a pool service platform like Skimmer, you can quickly access your client list and sort by those who haven’t taken action in a while. Prioritize these folks so they’re ready to call you as soon as spring rolls around.
Final thoughts
Running a profitable pool service business in the off-season requires strategic planning, service diversification, proactive marketing efforts, and diligent customer relationship management. It's your turn to implement these strategies and maintain your business's profitability in the off-season.
If you have your own tips or experiences, we'd love to hear about them. Reach out to us at stories@getskimmer.com. Together, we can make the pool service industry profitable season after season!
