America's Swimming Pool Company: Finding Success in the Sun

By BRIAN DIGGELMANN

•With startup costs under $75,000 on average, ASP is a low-cost, outdoor business

•No special skills or experience are required to get started

•ASP's top 10 percent of owners average over $700,000 in revenue

For some people, the thought of being chained to a desk until they’re 65 or older is unbearable. Thanks to many service franchise concepts like America’s Swimming Pool Company, breaking the bonds of Corporate America and earning a living outdoors may be more attainable than you thought. America’s Swimming Pool Company, or ASP, is a 110-unit swimming pool cleaning, repair and renovation franchise. Stewart Vernon, CEO of ASP, explains the general concept of ASP very simply, saying “we are taking a polished franchise model and allowing a franchise owner to enter a very fragmented industry.” Although ASP also makes it very affordable to get started with average startup costs under $75,000, you may be asking why you need the support a franchise to clean pools. Vernon says that mindset is what causes fragmentation and sets people up to fail. “We take the theory that two is better than one,” says Vernon. “Together, we would be better than on our own. How we do that is by providing franchise owners with a number of things they couldn’t or wouldn’t do on their own.” One of those things is comprehensive marketing support, including direct mail campaigns and extensive market research on home values and pool locations in franchisee territories. Another benefit is national buying power for wholesale products, which saves on a franchisee’s bottom line. But above all, Vernon says it’s the initial training and ongoing support that helps franchisees grow their businesses and be successful. So what does it take to get started? Vernon says the biggest requirements are a nose for business and passion for customer service. “A common trend for our franchisees is that these are all business-minded individuals looking for a business opportunity,” he says. “Our philosophy is that we can teach the swimming pool business but we can’t teach business sense.” On top of the franchise fee, startup costs go towards training, supplies and marketing materials. Vernon says the corporate's assistance helps franchisees land on their feet after opening, with many franchisees hiring their first staff member within the first 12 months. The model is so successful that Vernon says the top 10 percent of franchise owners average $700,000 in revenue every year. “The success of our existing franchise owners has been our biggest platform,” he says. “It’s a very powerful tool to be able to point to the success of owners that are 4, 5 or 6 years old.” Between their sunny concept, strong returns and low startup costs, ASP is attracting considerable interest from entrepreneurs--of their 110 franchise owners, nearly 40 percent are less than two years old. To learn more about ASP, visit www.asppoolco.com. America's Swimming Pool Vitals:

Founded:	2001
Started Franchising:	2005
Total Investment:	$65,000-$75,000
Total Units:	110