THE STORY BEHIND POOLHUNTER
A note from Rob
A note from Rob
Rob Cramer
Founder, PoolHunter
Hey there,
Hey there,
When I bought a pool service route, I inherited a business—and plenty of lessons I hadn’t learned yet.
When I bought a pool service route, I inherited a business—and plenty of lessons I hadn’t learned yet.
The route was scattered. Pricing included chemicals without always accounting for what each pool actually needed. I spent time trying to repair things that would have made more sense to replace.
The route was scattered. Pricing included chemicals without always accounting for what each pool actually needed. I spent time trying to repair things that would have made more sense to replace.
It didn’t take long to realize I hadn’t fully understood what I’d bought.
It didn’t take long to realize I hadn’t fully understood what I’d bought.
Then I lost a few customers during the ownership transition. I needed to grow, or I risked watching my investment disappear through slow attrition.
Then I lost a few customers during the ownership transition. I needed to grow, or I risked watching my investment disappear through slow attrition.
I optimized my Google Business Profile and started getting a few calls. But answering every call in town and accepting every pool wasn’t the answer. A customer could add revenue while leaving me with more driving, more work, and very little profit.
I optimized my Google Business Profile and started getting a few calls. But answering every call in town and accepting every pool wasn’t the answer. A customer could add revenue while leaving me with more driving, more work, and very little profit.
Sometimes, passing on the wrong pool could help the business as much as adding the right one.
Sometimes, passing on the wrong pool could help the business as much as adding the right one.
My background was in software engineering and marketing. I put both to work.
My background was in software engineering and marketing. I put both to work.
I pulled county tax assessor records to identify residential properties with pools. Then I calculated how far those properties were from my existing customers so I could focus on homes that would make my route tighter.
I pulled county tax assessor records to identify residential properties with pools. Then I calculated how far those properties were from my existing customers so I could focus on homes that would make my route tighter.
I sent postcards to those properties. Later, I knocked on doors, introduced myself, asked whether they’d received my postcards, and left a door hanger when nobody was home.
I sent postcards to those properties. Later, I knocked on doors, introduced myself, asked whether they’d received my postcards, and left a door hanger when nobody was home.
I also used property owner information to focus my digital advertising on pool owners instead of paying to reach people who would never need my services.
I also used property owner information to focus my digital advertising on pool owners instead of paying to reach people who would never need my services.
That gave me a deliberate way to grow: identify the right homes, reach their owners, and build around the customers I already had.
That gave me a deliberate way to grow: identify the right homes, reach their owners, and build around the customers I already had.
That experience became PoolHunter.
That experience became PoolHunter.
I built PoolHunter to give other pool service owners a simpler way to do what I had pieced together myself.
I built PoolHunter to give other pool service owners a simpler way to do what I had pieced together myself.
Find pools near your business and existing customers. Understand which prospects fit your routes. Know where to focus your marketing.
Find pools near your business and existing customers. Understand which prospects fit your routes. Know where to focus your marketing.
Running a pool company taught me that getting another customer and building a better business aren’t always the same thing.
Running a pool company taught me that getting another customer and building a better business aren’t always the same thing.
PoolHunter exists to help you do both.
PoolHunter exists to help you do both.
Rob
Rob Cramer
Founder, PoolHunter
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