When Is the Right Time to Expand a Pool Service Team?

​@Coastalbluepool 

Hi ​@Coastalbluepool, 

Happy New Year, and blessings with the expansion! Congratulations on taking over from your dad. I know dads are super proud when they can make that transition to their children. At least, my dad would be!

It’s great that you’re thinking ahead about growing your business. Deciding when to expand your pool service team is all about finding the right balance between demand, your ability to manage everything, and keeping your customers happy. Of course, cash flow is crucial, too.

The number of employees needed can vary depending on how much repair work you do, the complexity of your services, and the size of the pools. It’s also important to consider your calendar. If you’re constantly stretched thin due to busy seasons, repairs, or handling too much admin work, it might be time to bring in extra help. When you find yourself unable to focus on all parts of your business, expanding your team could be the right move.

For example, a technician can usually manage around 12 pools per day. If your routes start to exceed what your current team can handle without overloading them, it may be time to consider hiring another employee. Just be sure that when you decide to expand, your business is in a strong financial position to support the added costs.

Additionally, it's important to focus not just on adding employees, but on improving the efficiency of your routes. Are there ways to optimize scheduling, reduce travel time, or consolidate routes to increase the number of pools a tech can service each day? Maximizing efficiency can sometimes delay the need for additional hires.

When will the current employee leave?

The best way to tell if it’s the right time to bring on another employee or two is by how you feel when you think about it. If the thought increases your anxiety or stress levels, it might not be the right moment. Expanding doesn’t always mean you're moving in the right direction.

Consider this: if you keep your route small and focus your extra time and energy on growing your pool building business, will that bring in more revenue? Or, if you shift focus and expand your pool service side, could that generate more money?

Typically, you won’t have the time or energy to do both effectively at the same time, so it’s important to weigh your options carefully before deciding.

For me when I first started to scale I would hire a helper to ride along with me on my route that would enable me to work up to 150% of when I was solo after a few months and when I reached that 150% mark I would put that helper on his own route and cut myself down to 50% then start building that route and repeat the process

A good rule of thumb I use is when you or your employee don’t feel like you can handle another 5 pools each. They are coming!! At that point I would hire a helper/trainee to tag along and start training with you. By the time the pools come you should have the guy/gal up to speed to start taking some pools off both of your hands, or just yours, so you can focus on being the catch all for them. 

Then just rinse and repeat. It’s worked for me well in the growth. I hope this helps! Good luck!