Talking to potential customers for my small business?

Opening a SWIMMING POOL business? Suggestions -Advice -Critical -Optimistic points of view?

• My parents have a pool and the business that was hired to do the cleaning is just horrible at their job. In the Summertime they are supposed to come weekly, but come often only twice per month, barely keeping the pool looking refreshing and clean. It just turned green last week because the company's workers fail to deliver what they have promised for their customers. Last Summer the pool lady would JUMP IN THE POOL WITH HER WORK CLOTHES ON, SWIM AROUND FOR A FEW MINUTES AND GET OUT. Its not that we didn’t mind sharing the pool with visitors, especially when it was hot, it was just a funny sight, to see the pool person, just 'accidentally fall' in the pool when they decided to come around. Hey, if they actually delivered on time, I wouldn’t even be talking about. My father is an entrepreneur and he was saying how someone should follow the pool person around, and how easy it would be to pick up on all of their customers since everyone’s so fed up with this company. We complain to the company but all they say is how its not their fault because the workers don’t show up when their supposed to. I’m sure it would be a low start up cost, office spaces are $300 per month including water/power, and I would just hold off on advertising in the yellow pages for a year, because that right there is where it would cost absolutely thousands. I would do my own advertising by sending out letters to people who have pools, gathering information from title companies, and try to hook a few from this company. I know it probably sounds somewhat dirty, but they do not care whatsoever about their clientele, and customers always come first. Plus I’m sure they wouldn’t want to sell their business, because my dad talked to owner before and said they have 140 clients, so the guy think he does well ’the way things are’ I would love to take a chance at $5,000 on opening a pool company What do you think? (And also I know that 70% of business fail within the first two years). I work from home already doing another successful privately owned business, so I wouldn’t have to stress out about my job, or kids (I don’t have any), etc. What’s your stance on this business opportunity? Thanks to everyone in advance who answers.

• Answer:

  It's great! However, from your experience you already know that your employees can make or break your business. If you're specifically talking about pool maintenance, that shouldn't be too difficult to start. It's the pool makers that go out of business quicker because of bad product. Usually the cleaners are contracted by the pool company to start the maintenance, but the pool owner ultimately decides who they want to use to clean and maintain their pool. Of course, as you expand, some of your workers will begin to start thinking about becoming your competition.