At River Pools, we are approached by people all the time from inside and outside of the swimming pool industry about our franchise opportunity. One of the first things we discuss with them is who is and who is not a good fit for a River Pools Franchise.

It’s important to understand that we want you to be successful, whether you become part of the River Pools family or not.  So in an effort to be completely transparent and share as much information as possible, we created this resource to help you gain a solid understanding of whether this could be the right opportunity for you. We feel that finding the right people to be a part of the River Pools family is the single biggest factor in our success as a brand, so as you read through this, we hope that you’ll get a sense of how much we’re willing to invest in the relationship we have with our franchisees.  

Read this page thoroughly.  Joining any franchise is a HUGE decision —It can change your life in incredible ways if it’s a good fit, but it can make your life miserable if you’ve made the wrong choice.  And please understand, our model definitely is NOT right for everyone, which means it may not be right for you.  So again, read through this a few times and truly ponder each section, as it will likely be key in guiding you to the right decision.  

So without further ado, let’s jump right in!

You ARE Likely a Good Fit for a River Pools Franchise if: 

You Like The Idea Of Working With Families And Couples AND Bringing Them Joy

Make no mistake: pools are fun!  I’ll never forget my first day on a pool installation job at the age of 16.  I walked into the backyard, there was no pool there yet, but there were two kids in the distance in bathing suits waiting on the deck.  I loved the energy, was hooked instantly, and never looked back.  The same is true today. People love pools because they provide an environment that fosters quality family time and lots of fun. We are blessed to be a part of such an amazing industry!

You Want To Inherit Proven Processes and Don’t Want To Reinvent The Wheel 

One of the great benefits of owning a franchise business is that someone else has already invested in creating the systems and processes.  River Pools has been selling and installing fiberglass pools since 2001 and because we strive for excellence in all that we do, we developed our installation process known as The River Pools Way of Advanced Installation.  We have also developed processes for all facets of business to help our franchisees grow and develop a holistically healthy business.    

You Want To Start A Business With A Relatively Low Startup Cost

All businesses require capital to get started and River Pools is no exception, but you don’t need a million bucks to get started with us.  We disclose the projected startup costs in our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) which we can share with you later, but at this point it’s important to know that the projected startup cost is much lower than many other franchise opportunities.  

You Want A Low Overhead Business Model

Because of River Pools’ online presence and innovative sales process, our franchisees do not need to open retail locations to sell pools.  This greatly reduces the overhead burden which allows our franchisees to maximize profits and stay lean.  This also requires less start up capital than other franchise opportunities that require a brick and mortar location. 

You Want To Find A Higher Purpose In Your Work

Would you like to use your business as a means to support your family AND truly bless the lives of others?  We know that you can do both and make a tremendous positive impact on your customers, team, and community.  Check out our Purpose Statement to learn more about why we do what we do.  You’ll notice that our purpose statement begins with honoring God, which we strive to do through our actions and sometimes even our words.  Faith, good works, humility, stewardship, perseverance: these are all principles we strive to embody as we seek to uplift and enrich the lives of everyone we encounter.   

You can also check out the Pool Chasers podcast episode below to learn more about us and "The River Pools Way".

You Want A Protected Territory

If you are currently in the pool industry, you will understand how unique it is to have a contractual territory that guarantees your right to sell fiberglass pool shells.  As the fiberglass pool market and industry continues to grow, this will become more and more valuable. With that, it will become harder to become a River Pools Franchisee as territories are filled.  But make no mistake, this is a huge advantage that guarantees your ability to operate and protects against others selling pools in your territory.  We embrace this business model because we believe the pathway to success is through establishing one amazing representative in each market and investing all we have into their success rather than stacking dealers on top of each other and letting them fight each other for business.    

You Want A Business That You Can Sell or Pass On To Someone Else

With profitability, brand recognition, and proven processes comes a business you can sell.  Even though we have not set this up as a business to flip, our hope is that in time, all of our franchise owners will have the opportunity to either sell their business or pass it on to someone close to them like a child or other family member.   

You Don’t Want To Build A Brand From Scratch

As you can imagine, building a brand typically takes years and is hard work!  At River Pools, our marketing journey really began in 2009 when we decided we wanted to answer people's questions online better than anyone else.  This evolved into a marketing machine that generates tens of thousands of leads each year and garners tremendous trust with potential customers.  

Our marketing strategy is the centerpiece to the best selling business book, “They Ask, You Answer” which has been read and embraced by over one hundred thousand businesses around the world and the New York Times referred to what we’ve done at River Pools as “a revolutionary marketing strategy.”  

As a River Pools Franchisee, you will be a recipient of the trust that we engender.  But please understand: where much is given, much is expected.  As a River Pools franchisee, you will be held to a higher standard to ensure every customer receives what they have come to expect from River Pools. 

You Don’t Want To Have To Focus On Marketing

When times are good, our average franchisee thinks very little, if any, about marketing.  They rely on the organic (free) leads generated by the River Pools website which attracts millions of visitors and generates tens of thousands of leads each year.  In many markets, we generate more than enough leads to sustain the franchisee’s growth.  In other markets, some supplemental ad campaigns may be needed until SEO (search engine optimization [results]) is established in that area and we provide this service for a nominal fee. 

You Want To Engage With Shoppers That Are Ready To Buy

The feedback we get from our franchisees is that many of the leads that come to them already know they want a pool from River Pools.  We have found that as pool shoppers consume our video and written content, they not only establish a relationship of trust with River Pools, but they self select which pool model and even which options and accessories they want for their project.   

You Want To Be A Part Of The Growing Fiberglass Pool Industry

When we started River Pools back in the early 2000’s, fiberglass pools were less than 6% of the total inground pool market in the United States.  Today many industry experts believe that percentage is well in excess of 20% and steadily growing.  Why is this?  Why are more and more people turning to fiberglass pools as their preferred type of pool?  Our customers tell us they want a pool that is beautiful, low maintenance, durable, and won’t cost them a fortune in the long run.  Fiberglass pools are not for everyone, but the growth we are experiencing demonstrates that the benefits of fiberglass pools resonate more with the modern buyer than any other type of inground swimming pool…and we feel like we’re just getting started! :)

You Want To Be A Part Of A High Performing Nationwide Network Of Peers (That Feel Like Family)

Imagine the power of bringing a group of highly motivated and talented people together who share the same values, philosophy, purpose AND genuinely care about each other.  This is the essence of the River Pools family and our franchisees both draw from and contribute to this vast pool of collective talent and experience.  

You Like The Idea Of A Chick-fil A Type Commitment Model

Chick-fil A has established a business model where the operator of each location is engaged in the day-to-day operation.  This empowers the operator to keep a pulse on the customer experience and happiness of team members.  At River Pools, we believe the active engagement of our franchise owners is crucial to long term success.  If you like the idea of being engaged in the operation according to your strengths and building a team around you, this could be for you.

You Enjoy Building, Developing, and Investing In Your Team

We have found that one of the critical core competencies of successful franchise owners is the ability to attract and develop talent.  This requires investing in people, and seeing their innate value rather than seeing them as means to an end.  Our franchisees find great joy in helping their team members develop on a personal and professional level.  

You Want To See The Swimming Pool Industry Improve

We love the swimming pool industry, but we believe that pool customers around the country deserve a better experience than they are currently getting.  We believe that as we work to fulfill our purpose we will raise the bar and make a positive difference in the industry.  

You See Feedback As A Gift

At River Pools, we believe that our biggest risk isn’t our competitors but rather complacency.  We will always strive to get better at everything we do, and feedback from our customers and team members is what fuels this innovation.     

You Strive To Embody The Golden Rule

“Golden Rule” is one of our core values at River Pools.  To us, this means we strive to treat everyone we encounter with respect. This includes our behavior in every setting, from the way we leave a customer's property at the end of the day, to the way we drive, and how we go out of our way to help our team members.      

You ARE NOT Likely a Good Fit for a River Pools Franchise if: 

You Are Just Looking For A Place To Buy Fiberglass Pool Shells

Sometimes we’re approached by individuals that are simply looking for someone to supply pool shells but aren’t interested in a franchise opportunity that includes the things we’ve listed above.  If that describes you, we appreciate your interest but River Pools isn’t your best option. The future of the River Pools brand is based on maintaining our current dealer and franchise relationships and establishing new franchise relationships.  If you don’t feel our franchise opportunity is a potential good fit for you, we recommend reaching out to one of the many good fiberglass pool manufacturers in the industry to source pool shells. 

You Are Looking For Passive Income

To be blunt, owning a River Pools Franchise is anything but a passive income.  It requires hard work, grit, and determination, especially for the first few years.  This is rewarding work, but it is surprisingly complex and challenging.  For those who are up to the challenge, we are here to help you navigate this. However, it is not for the faint of heart. But isn't it great that we're willing to tell you this upfront? Where many franchises sugarcoat the commitment required for success, we understand certain individuals are attracted to hard work and commitment and others are not, and that’s OK.  We’d much prefer to have that conversation now rather than when you may be having regrets half way through your first pool installation.  If you have questions about the level of commitment required, you should ask our franchisees (we’re happy to provide a list for you to call).     

You Are Looking To Start A Business You Can Flip

We developed a franchise system that allows many of our franchisees to generate high annual revenue within a relatively short amount of time.  Aside from their hard work and dedication, much of what makes this possible is the brand recognition associated with River Pools.  We created this model for many reasons, but we did not intend for franchisees to use the brand to build a high valuation business only to flip it after a few years.  As mentioned above, we want our franchisees to have a great exit strategy but we don’t feel that a high turnover of franchisees is ultimately what’s best for the brand, or our organizational community and culture.

You Already Have An Established Pool Business With Good Brand Recognition

If you have built a swimming pool company, the first thing you need to know is that we understand how hard this is and you have our complete and total respect.  We also know that when you start a company, it is your baby.  You birthed it, raised it, and helped it come of age.  With that said, we understand how difficult even the idea of giving up the name of an existing company is and we would never presume to know what the right path is for you.  That is something that you would have to decide on your own.  Some of our franchisees had existing pool companies beforehand.  Notwithstanding, they ultimately felt the best long term move was to transition into becoming a River Pools Franchise.  We also have many existing dealers who do not feel this is the best move for them.  There are many factors to consider and we are here to help answer your questions so that you can ultimately make the right decision for you. 

You Don’t Have Access To Start-Up Capital

Starting any business requires capital.  At River Pools, we do have minimum requirements regarding net worth and liquid assets.  Please feel free to reach out to us so we can discuss this.   

You Want To Sell Multiple Types Of Pools and Products And NOT Focus On Fiberglass Pools

One of the keys to success at River Pools is focus.  Many years ago, we read the book “Good to Great” and took away a concept that literally changed our lives: if you want to be the best in the world, you have to focus on one thing.  At that time, we decided that fiberglass pools would be our one thing.  From that moment on, we experienced exponential growth.  We understand this is not for everyone and that many business owners feel it’s best to offer multiple types of pools and products. We respect this business model but it is not our approach at River Pools.  Our focus is to be the best fiberglass pool company in the world in terms of marketing, sales, development, and installation.     

You Want To Sell Multiple Brands Of Fiberglass Pools

Along those same lines, many companies believe that offering multiple fiberglass pool brands is crucial to their success.  Some feel that offering more pool models equals more sales.  At River Pools, we have not found this to be the case. You can sell whatever you are passionate about selling.  Some other dealers are hesitant to put all of their trust in a single brand.  We completely understand this and take it very seriously as someone in the fiberglass pool industry.  We are motivated to provide our dealers and franchisees with an experience that leaves them feeling comfortable and taken care of.

You View Customers As A Means To An End

Some business owners would rather not have to deal with customers.  They would never admit it, but deep down they see them as a necessary evil.  They see them as a means to get what they want.  This is not how we feel at River Pools.  Our customers are more than a means to an end.  We acknowledge that certain customers can be more difficult than others, but we strive to go the extra mile in their service.  

We hope you’ve found this helpful.  Please know that this is not a perfect list nor do we take a one size fits all approach, so if you have questions about any of the content in this article or about our franchise opportunity in general, we encourage you to fill out the form on this page and we’ll be in touch.