We’ve provided the following list of frequently asked questions to help with your decision about franchising. If you don’t see your question answered here, feel free to contact us.
Why should I consider franchising?
Name Recognition and BrandOne of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs looking to start their own businesses is having credibility in the market. With a franchised business like ASP, the company has already spent years establishing the brand as an industry leader. Franchisees can get immediate credibility with consumers.NetworkingFranchises are designed so owners can network and share knowledge non-competitively. You not only learn from ASP staff, but also from others who have succeeded with their own franchises.
Purchasing Power
When a small, local company buys a product, the company often purchases a lower quantity at a premium price. When a local ASP franchise buys the same product – even the same quantity of a product – it can take advantage of a large account that greatly reduces costs for individual franchisees. Taking advantage of your purchasing power will help reduce your expenses.
Proven Success
With ASP, you are supported by a franchise system with years of experience. ASP has honed its skills across the entire spectrum of our industry, which means there is less of a learning curve and more time for you to focus on your success.
To learn more about how an ASP franchise opportunity could be right for you, contact us today.
Why should I consider a business in the home sector?
Increased OpportunitiesThe home services sector is one of the fastest growing business segments in the United States. Factors such as aging baby boomers, a rise in the number of dual-income families and an increased value placed on free time, show that home services is continuously growing and shows no signs of slowing down.Low OverheadMany other business opportunities require high labor and maintenance expenditures. Businesses in the home industry allow you to work from home with minimal overhead. With a lower cost of running your business, you´ll be able to benefit from efficient growth.
What makes ASP different from other business opportunities?
- ASP’s franchise system was recently ranked 26th in the country by the Franchise Business Review in Franchisee Satisfaction. This ranking was obtained 100% from our franchisees’ responses to surveys conducted by the Franchise Business Review.
- ASP is the Nation’s largest franchise for swimming pool maintenance and repair and a leader in the industry. We provide professional maintenance and repair with a reputation for excellence unmatched in the industry.
- We are in a growing industry with annual service programs that provide a recurring revenue stream.
- A turnkey startup marketing package is available, so you can ramp up your business quickly and cost-effectively.
- Thorough on-site training and an aggressive support program will help you learn how to run a successful ASP franchise.
- You will have an exclusive, defined territory.
- Business support is available to make daily operations more manageable.
What percentage is paid back to ASP Franchising?
The royalty schedule is paid monthly based on the gross sales of the franchise. The schedule is as follows:8 percent for sales up to $100,000 a year
7 percent for sales between $100,000 and $200,000
6 percent for sales between $200,000 and $300,000
5 percent for more than $300,000 a yearASP believes that lower percentages should be an incentive for stronger sales.
As a company, the franchisees’ average royalty rate is 5.5% of sales. This shows that a majority of our franchisees obtain the lowest royalty rate through the growth of their sales. This is a win-win scenario in our opinion.
7 percent for sales between $100,000 and $200,000
6 percent for sales between $200,000 and $300,000
5 percent for more than $300,000 a yearASP believes that lower percentages should be an incentive for stronger sales.
As a company, the franchisees’ average royalty rate is 5.5% of sales. This shows that a majority of our franchisees obtain the lowest royalty rate through the growth of their sales. This is a win-win scenario in our opinion.
What type of insurance will be needed?
You will need two forms of insurance:1) General liability to cover your company in the event of litigation. This will be a $1 million comprehensive business liability package from an A-rated company.2) Auto insurance to cover your vehicles on the road. This will cover your employee (or you) if an accident occurs while you are driving. The price of the policy depends on the type of truck and the driver, but is similar to traditional auto policies.
How will I know where pool owners are in my area?
One of the most valuable items that comes with an ASP territory is the name and address of every person in your territory with a swimming pool. This is the list you will refer to for market studies, mapping purposes and, most importantly, advertising. This method of marketing ensures your name gets out in the swimming pool community quickly. Unlike most new businesses that spend a great deal of money advertising to the general public, you will only be advertising to potential customers who need your services.
How many pools constitutes a territory?
The territory size is based on the number of residential swimming pools in a given geographic area. Our typical franchise territory has between 2,500 and 3,000 residential swimming pools. Once the residential swimming pool count is pulled, we define the exclusive territory by zip codes and local boundary lines.
Would we have a link off the ASP Web site?
Your location and contact information will not only be listed on our Locations page, but we will customize a website Landing Page for you for internet search engine optimization purposes. We manage the landing pages from a search engine optimization (“SEO”) standpoint through a third party SEO Management Company to provide our franchisees with the ultimate exposure on Google, Yahoo, Bing and AOL. Let’s face it…phonebooks are somewhat irrelevant these days with a majority of consumers focusing their searches through the internet.
If I want to hire someone to help handle maintenance, how much training would they need?
You have the option to send an employee back to Macon for further training at any point if you feel the need. However, after you have completed training here in Macon and have been in your territory for a couple months, you will be able to teach someone the pool maintenance aspects of the business.
At what point do I learn maintenance and repair? Is there a large market for these services?
First, a few definitions:Pool maintenance is the service we provide to a home owner on a weekly basis for a monthly fee. We clean the pool top to bottom, test the water, adjust the chemicals and check the pump and filter.Pool repair is when a customer has a problem with a piece of equipment, and we diagnose and repair it. We may change the sand in a filter, replace a tire on a pool cleaner, change the basket in a pump or pressure-wash the pool decking.Both of these aspects comprise a majority of our business. In every market we’ve studied, we’ve found a great need for both services. No company in our industry has filled this void on a large scale.
Pool renovation is the revamping of an existing pool. After a period of 6 to 12 months, you can begin renovating pools with our help. We provide further training and extended education to provide the knowledge you need to be an expert in pool renovation.
What type of chemicals do you use?
During training, you will learn about and use the following chemicals: chlorine, bromine, algaecide, water clarifiers, baking soda, soda ash and many others. Further details about the use of these chemicals can be found in the control manual.
How much is the startup equipment?
Please see The Investment page, which will outline all nessasary capital needed to start your franchise.
Do you recommend putting in a business “land line” phone?
A “land line” is not necessary in the beginning. In fact, you want all calls coming directly to you on your cell phone. This will ensure an owner answers the phone at all times.
Following the initial advertising inititative by ASP, is more done at a later date? What kind of advertising is done on vehicles?
After the initial direct mail marketing campaign, our management works with each individual franchisee with our 3 tier marketing plan — this plan begins with our six (6) week grass roots marketing campaign. Through materials provide to you at Pool School, we teach you our proven tactics to gain and retain swimming pool customer — both residential and commercial. In addition to the grass roots marketing tactics, we offer seven (7) direct mail campaigns throughout the year. The third tier is our proven search engine optimization strategies to rank our website and your landing pages high on the major search engines. We can accomplish this through search engine optimization, social marketing and media coverage.Decals are placed on work vehicles in Macon. Logos are put on the hood, both doors and the back so you can promote your business as you drive around town.