Business Overview:

If you’re looking for a fun part-time business that lets you express your creativity while helping others celebrate, consider running a party balloon business. Balloons are used for all kinds of occasions from birthday parties and baby showers to high school proms and New Year’s Eve parties. If you can set your business apart from the competition, this can be one of the more popular part-time business ideas available. The start-up investment needed for this business is minimal. All you need are some supplies and a large enough room to work in and temporarily store inflated balloons. You could offer simple latex and mylar balloon bunches but your business will be more successful if you can make more elaborate balloon creations. Similar to a candy or cookie bouquet business, the more unique your arrangements are, the more customers you will attract. You can find plenty of online tutorials that will show you how to create distinctive bouquets and displays. Before you try to sell any of your items, you need to practice and take pictures of your creations. Build a website or portfolio featuring these pictures so your customers can see exactly what you can do. It’s a good idea to have a few standard items in your catalog but also be able to customize products to meet specific needs of your customers. Once you have a good-sized portfolio of photos, you’ll need to attract some customers. Contact real estate agents who will use balloons for open houses and car dealerships who use balloons to advertise sales. Talk to area event planners whose clients need balloons for various party events. Place flyers around town in libraries, coffee shops, toy stores, baby stores, party stores, grocery stores, etc. Be sure you have plenty of supplies such as balloons, streamers, wooden or plastic sticks, a glue gun and a helium tank. This business can easily be operated part-time but expect to be busier on the weekends since that’s when most people have their parties. When demand increases, hiring an assistant to help with balloon transport will free you up to work on more balloon projects.

A Day in the Life of a Party Balloon Business Owner:

Your day will begin by working on balloon orders that need to be delivered that day. When working with latex balloons and helium, you can’t work too far in advance of your delivery date and time. If you have other elements to your balloon bouquets, you can get those ready a few days in advance, then blow up and attach the balloons a few hours before you’re set to deliver the finished product. You will drive your creations to the venue or you can hire a courier service to make deliveries. If you prefer, you can ask customers to pick up the items. You will spend any time you’re not working with balloons working on marketing your business.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals needing elaborate and unique balloon creations for their parties.

What You Need to Start:

• Experience working with balloons
• Area large enough to work with multiple inflated balloons
• Helium tank
• Balloon supplies – balloons, streamers, hot glue, baskets, boxes, etc.
• Method of transporting your balloon creations
• Portfolio or website
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• The demand for party balloons will always be high.
• Offering something different from the competition will bring in more customers.
• You are likely to get repeat and referral business from your customers.
• The start-up investment required is minimal.
• You can easily run this business part-time.

The Bad:

• Competition is high; you’ll need to set yourself apart to do well.
• It can take some time to become very skilled working with balloons.

Resources:

• International Balloon Association
• National Association of Balloon Artists and Suppliers (UK)
• Wikipedia on Balloons

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Business Overview:

Starting a real estate appraisal business is a great way to enter the real estate industry part-time and offer a much needed service to your customers. Real estate appraisal is the act of assessing the value of a property and is typically required when a property is bought or sold. Lending institutions need to know how much a property is worth so they can determine the loan details. If you currently work in real estate, you are likely well prepared to make the transition to appraising properties. However, if you are new to real estate, you will need to do some prep work before getting too far with this business idea. You need a license to perform real estate appraisals but there are several licensing options so it’s important you know what types of properties your business will appraise. A standard license qualifies you to appraise general property sites and works well in urban areas. If you’re looking to appraise homes worth over $1 million USD, you must get a residential license. A general real estate appraisal license allows you to appraise any type of property. Each license has a different exam and will require different study materials. These licenses can be obtained through various online or correspondence appraisal schools and cost approximately $1,200 USD. If you live in the US, you need to be sure the institution you select is accredited through the Appraisal Qualifications Board of the Appraisal Foundation. Appraisal organizations vary by country. Once you are licensed, you’ll need to check your local government’s standards as some will requiring additional testing. Next you’ll need to purchase real estate appraisal software and a laptop computer so you can enter information while you are performing an appraisal. This will ensure the correct information is put into your report and a quicker turnaround time for your customers. Market your business to real estate agencies, banks and other lending institutions in your area. If you offer professional services, you are likely to get plenty of repeat business from your clients. A good way to ensure repeat business is to follow up with your clients regularly via an email or a letter. You may find the need to hire an apprentice to help you with the administrative side of your business so you can focus on appraising property.

A Day in the Life of a Real Estate Appraisal Business Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of your schedule to see what appointments you have. You will travel to a property where you will meet with the selling agent, buying agent, buyers and/or sellers. You will perform the appraisal and create a report that you will give to your client. You will also spend a portion of your day marketing your business.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be home buyers and sellers, realtors, banks or other lending institutions in need of accurate property appraisal.

What You Need to Start:

• Real estate appraisal license
• Real estate appraisal software
• Laptop computer
• Transportation
• Finance software

The Good:

• The demand for real estate appraisal will always be high.
• You will likely have repeat business from your clients.
• You can easily run this business part-time.
• You do not need a storefront for this business.
• You can hire an assistant or apprentice to handle some of the work.

The Bad:

• The licensing process can be difficult if you have no real estate experience.
• Your business will slow down during slowdowns in the housing market.

Resources:

• American Society of Appraisers
• Appraisal Institute
• Real Estate Appraisers Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate
• Wikipedia on Real Estate Appraisal

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Business Overview:

If you’re good with your hands and love making beautiful art, you should consider starting your own ice sculpture business and let others enjoy your work. An ice sculpture is a sculpture that uses ice as the material. Ice sculptures can be decorative or functional and are usually seen at weddings and other extravagant events due to their limited lifetime. Sculpting ice is a specialized skill but if you’re an artist who works with clay, wax or wood, you should be able to make a smooth transition to working with ice. You will need a few tools you typically won’t see in an artist’s studio such as a chainsaw, some chisels and a die grinder. Search your area for an ice house that sells ice that is clear and not cloudy. It’s important you start with clear ice so you end up with a clear sculpture. Consider working out some sort of discount deal with your ice supplier since you will be purchasing from him quite often. Business ideas like this one are only successful if the work is topnotch. So it’s important that before you try to sell your sculptures, you practice a great deal. Start with smaller blocks of ice and work your way up to large blocks. You’ll need to be familiar with what each tool does to ice and when to use each tool. Take pictures along the way so that when you’re ready to sell your first piece, you can put photos of your better sculptures in a portfolio (or on your website if you choose to have one) to show to potential clients. You’ll need to work out a delivery method to transport sculptures from your workshop to your clients’ venues. You can either purchase your own refrigerated truck or you can choose to hire a courier with a refrigerator truck to transport your ice sculptures. Make sure the transport vehicle has proper tie-downs so your sculptures are stable and make the trip safely. Market your business by talking with event planners and wedding coordinators in your area. Show them your portfolio or website and give them plenty of flyers that they can then show to their clients. Your marketing materials need to include your price structure so customers know what to expect. You could have a few pieces that you specialize set at one price and if a client wants something unusual for their event (or just something not on your list) you would charge more. You may quickly find that your ice sculptures are the talk of the town and you’ll then be able to raise your prices.

A Day in the Life of an Ice Sculpture Business Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of any orders you need to complete that day. Depending on how quickly you sculpt, you may only be able to do one or two sculptures a day and you will need a large freezer if you plan to keep them at your workshop for very long. This means you will probably sculpt and deliver pieces in the same day. You will arrange for transport of your sculptures and stay in contact with your clients to make sure the venue is prepared for delivery. On days you are not sculpting, you will work on marketing your business.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be event planners, brides and anyone else needing an amazing centerpiece for their elaborate event.

What You Need to Start:

• Ice sculpting skills
• Relationship with an ice house
• Sculpting tools
• Method of transporting sculptures
• Marketing materials
• Website (optional)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• For an artist, sculpting ice is a fun way to show your skills.
• You can easily run this business part-time.
• Start-up investment is relatively small.
• You can charge top dollar for your sculptures.
• It’s rewarding to provide beautiful ice sculptures to your clients for their events.

The Bad:

• If you’re not already a skilled ice sculptor, you will need to spend some time honing your skills.
• It can take some time to sell your first few pieces.

Resources:

• National Ice Carving Association
• Sculptor.Org
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Artists and Related Workers
• Wikipedia on Ice Sculptures

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Business Overview:

If you’re a fitness buff looking for a way to use your skills to help others have a healthier lifestyle, learn how to open an aerobics & Zumba studio. Aerobics classes have been around for decades and feature movements of varying difficulty usually set to music with the goal of raising the heart rate and improving strength and stamina. Zumba is a relatively new trend that seems to be everywhere these days. It combines Latin dance moves with music in an effort to make aerobic exercise more fun. If you’re already an instructor at a gym or fitness center, opening your own studio is the natural next step. You’ll need to line up financing and have a solid business plan outlining your goals and how you intend to reach them. Or, you can start your business small and look for studios in local community centers (like the YMCA) until you build your client base and are able to move into your own studio. If you are not an instructor but see the profit potential in business ideas like this one that aim at fitness and health, you can hire qualified instructors to work for you. Market your new business in areas that attract people looking to improve their lifestyle. Consider placing flyers in organic grocery stores and fitness centers (that do not offer their own aerobics programs). Also target high traffic locations like your local coffee shop and area parks. Be sure your flyers include all the important information such as location and times of classes. You should try to offer a variety of classes to serve more people. Low-impact, high-impact and classes for seniors are just a few different types of classes you can offer. As your business grows, you can hire more instructors and offer more classes. Best of all, your business offers a valuable way for people to improve their fitness and quality of life.

A Day in the Life of an Aerobics & Zumba Studio Business Owner:

Your day will begin by arriving at your studio before your first class and making sure everything is clean and ready to go. You will set up steps or free weights and anything your class may need. You will get your music ready to go and await your customers. If you are not instructing the classes, you will oversee your instructors and greet customers. You will spend time on the phone talking to potential class members and arranging payments. You will also look for new ways to market and grow your business.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals looking to improve their health and quality of life by taking aerobics or Zumba classes.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Marketing plan and materials
• Studio
• Instructors (optional if you are the instructor)
• Music
• Equipment (steps, aerobic balls, free weights, etc.)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• The fitness craze is getting more and more popular.
• Offering a variety of classes will attract more customers.
• You can hire instructors to handle classes for you.
• You can start your business small by using space in community centers.
• You get to do something you love that will also keep you in shape.

The Bad:

• When it’s time to rent your own studio, the investment needed can be high.
• It will take some time to fill up your classes; aerobics classes are prevalent and there is plenty of competition.

Resources:

• Aerobics and Fitness Association of America
• National Aerobics and Fitness Trainers Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
• Wikipedia on Aerobics
• Wikipedia on Zumba

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Business Overview:

If you’re looking for a great part-time business that you can start with very little start-up capital, consider learning how to start a furniture cleaning business. If you don’t have any experience with upholstery cleaning, it’s simple to learn by reading how-to websites and books. Start out by cleaning your own furniture and that of family and friends to get some practice. You’ll need materials like brushes, sponges, upholstery shampoo, buckets, vacuums, etc. If you already run a furniture business such as a retail store or a restoration business, adding upholstery cleaning to your list of services will add value to your business and attract a wider range of clientele. Be sure to market your new business by distributing flyers around town in places like grocery stores, dry cleaners and community centers. Everyone has furniture and from time to time it needs to be cleaned. Homeowners will gladly pay a professional to handle this task for them. Furniture cleaning is one of the best part-time business ideas available because it doesn’t require very much start-up capital. You only need to invest in some equipment, supplies and marketing materials. Once the word spreads of your quality services, you’ll get plenty of referral business. You may find demand grows to the point of expanding your business to full-time and hiring additional staff to help you with the cleaning.

A Day in the Life of a Furniture Cleaning Business Owner:

Your day will begin by checking your appointments. You (or your staff) will travel to your customers’ homes and perform upholstery cleaning services. You will spend some time marketing your business by placing flyers around town.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will typically be homeowners needing furniture cleaned, although you may also serve second-hand stores, apartment managers and business managers.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Marketing materials
• Insurance
• Cleaning crew (optional)
• Vehicle
• Cleaning supplies and equipment
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Furniture cleaning services will always be in high demand.
• The start-up investment is low.
• You can easily run this business part-time.
• You can hire a crew to handle the cleaning for you.
• As demand grows, you can transition to a full-time business and add personnel.

The Bad:

• The work can be labor intensive.
• It can take some time to build your client base.

Resources:

• Professional Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners Association
• Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration
• Wikipedia on Upholstery

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Business Overview:

If you’re looking to start a business that will provide a valuable service to a variety of customers, you should learn how to start a trash removal business. Similar to a hauling business, trash removal deals with rubbish only. You will likely not be recycling anything; you will be removing trash and transporting it to your local landfill or other trash receiving location. If you’re not sure how to start a waste management business, consider purchasing a franchise to help you get started. A franchise will be the more costly option but it will come with a vehicle, branding and marketing assistance. Business ideas of this scale can flounder without a solid business plan to focus the efforts of the business owner. Outline in your business plan how many trucks you will start out with and predict when your profits will allow you to expand your fleet. Determine what types of customers you will serve. Although it’s not necessary to just focus on one niche, it may help you as you get started. If you live in an area where the city manages the regular trash removal, you might just schedule pick-ups with your customers by appointment or schedule a bulk trash pick-up once a month or so. If the city does not handle regular trash pick-up, you can work out a regular weekly pick-up schedule with your clients. Other than homeowners, you can handle trash removal services for realtors, contractors and commercial and residential property managers. It’s a good idea to form partnerships with groups like this. Offer them a discount on your services in exchange for them calling your business whenever they need trash removed. Other businesses that tend to generate a lot of waste materials are roofers, carpet installers and tree trimmers. Offering wood chipping services will add value to your business as will services like recycling. Adding a “green” element to your business might qualify it for government tax incentives so it’s worth looking into. Market your business in the phone book and consider a door-to-door flyer campaign to get the word out about your new business. With hard work and a qualified crew, your trash removal business will be a success in no time.

A Day in the Life of a Trash Removal Business Owner:

Your day will begin by checking your schedule for any scheduled trash removal appointments. You will dispatch your driver(s) to perform the pick-up(s) and you will take calls throughout the day and set more appointments. You will also spend some time marketing your business in your area.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals who need bulk trash items removed. They can be homeowners, contractors, property managers, realtors, etc.

What You Need to Start:

• Waste management business plan
• Marketing plan
• Trash truck(s)
• Staff (optional at first if you are making all the pick-ups)
• Franchise (optional)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Trash removal will always be in high demand.
• People will gladly pay your business to haul away their rubbish.
• Franchises are available to help you get started.
• If you do not purchase a franchise, the start-up costs are essentially the cost of a trash truck.
• This business is easily scalable to add trucks and personnel as the demand grows.

The Bad:

• This business is not glamorous; you and your staff will be dealing with garbage all day long.
• It can take some time to build your client base.

Resources:

• Solid Waste Association of North America
• International Solid Waste Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
• Wikipedia on Waste Management

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Business Overview:

If you have a unique speaking voice and are looking for a great part-time business, you should learn how to start a voice over business. Voice over work is used everywhere from radio ads and television shows to online tutorials and website narration. You don’t need a lot of equipment or even a professional studio to get started with this business idea. You just need a quiet, soundproof room, a high-quality microphone and digital editing software. This business is perfect for an actor looking to pad his or her income with a steady stream of residual profits. If your voice is used in a television commercial, for example, it’s likely your contract will pay you each time the ad is played. Once you have all your equipment in place, you should join voice over job sites like Voices.com that match those who do voice over work with those looking to hire voice over talent. When you have several jobs in your portfolio, you may think about scaling up your business. In addition to renting out a studio or building your own, consider hiring additional voice over talent and hiring a talent agent to help you and your employees get work. It’s important in this business to have a good idea of your worth. You don’t want to agree to read 20 pages of copy for $10 USD. Have a rate chart that you can refer to when negotiating with companies for your work. And feel free to increase your rates as your portfolio grows. The more experience you have and the more impressive your resume, the more your voice work is worth. Other than advertising on job sites, you should take out ads in entertainment magazines and websites. Look around your own area for local companies needing voice work. Some companies may want you to travel to their location and use their voice studios so be prepared for limited travel in your area. Digital technology, however, has made this business much easier to do from home.

A Day in the Life of a Voice Over Business Owner:

Your day will start with a check of any new jobs posted on voice over job sites. You will meet with potential customers throughout the day (either in person on on the phone) and you will record voice over files for customers you already have. If you manage voice talent, you will coordinate work with them.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be businesses looking for quality voice over talent for advertisements, web work, tutorials, etc.

What You Need to Start:

• Voice over business plan
• Studio
• Voice equipment
• Staff of voice talent (optional)
• Membership to voice employment websites (optional)
• Marketing plan
• Computer with digital editing and finance software

The Good:

• The start-up costs are low.
• You can run much of this business from home.
• You can do your voice work from a home studio or you can rent out a studio.
• You can hire voice talent to do the work for you.
• You can easily run this business part-time.

The Bad:

• Voice over work is very competitive; you must be persistent to be successful.
• It can take some time to get your first few clients.

Resources:

• Society of Accredited Voice Over Artists
• American Voice Talent Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics Article on Voice Actors
• Wikipedia on Voice-Overs

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Business Overview:

If you love weddings and are a great singer, consider combining your passions by learning how to become a wedding singer and start your own business. Weddings are big business and brides always want to find the perfect flowers, the perfect dress and the perfect entertainment. Their options for entertainment typically include DJs spinning old standards and bands with questionable singing talent. Starting a business featuring your singing talents or that of singers you hire can turn a mediocre wedding reception into the talk of the town. It’s important that you (or your singers) know a wide variety of songs and know what songs are most popular at weddings. You will meet with the wedding party (usually this is the bride and her parents) to discuss a playlist well before the event. You should have a list of all the songs you know well but be open to learning new songs if the bride requests songs not on your list. For an extra charge, you can also offer to change the lyrics to a song to fit the bride and groom. When thinking about marketing, it’s a good idea to create a website featuring your song list as well as high quality videos of your singing performances. This will help speed up the interview process if potential clients know how talented you are before you meet. Next, you need to make contact with event planners and wedding coordinators in your area and ask them to refer their clients to you if they’re looking for a singer for their wedding. As mentioned above, if you are not the best singer but you do see the potential of a wedding singer business, you can hire talented singers to work for you. This would allow your business to take multiple jobs at the same time. Weddings typically take place on weekends so it’s possible, especially during the “wedding season” of spring, to have multiple events booked on the same day. Hiring singers with different singing styles will also help attract a variety of customers. Depending on your area, a singer who can sing in Spanish or French may be very marketable. As you can see, there are a variety of things that go into making this business idea a success. But with talented singers and excellent marketing, your schedule will fill quickly.

A Day in the Life of a Wedding Singer Business Owner:

Your day will begin by checking your schedule. You will meet with brides (or other members of the wedding party) throughout the day and you (or your singers) will sing for them. On the day of a wedding, you (or your singer) will arrive early and set up the equipment. After the wedding, you will pack up your equipment and collect your final payment from someone in the wedding party.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be wedding parties looking for skilled singers to perform at their wedding receptions.

What You Need to Start:

• Excellent singing skills (or a staff of singers)
• Marketing materials
• Website
• Equipment (speakers, microphone, music player)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Weddings will always need quality entertainment.
• The start-up costs are very low.
• You can hire singers to work for you.
• You can easily run this business part-time.
• It’s rewarding to provide lovely entertainment for a wedding party.

The Bad:

• Some brides and their families may be difficult to work with.
• Weddings tend to be seasonal so you won’t be as busy during certain times of the year.

Resources:

• Association for Wedding Professionals International
• American Wedding Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Musicians, Singers and Related Workers
• Wikipedia on Wedding Receptions

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Business Overview:

Consider learning how to run a storage shed business if you have an eye for design, love the outdoors and are looking to start a smart part-time business. Storage sheds, also called garden sheds, are typically single-level one-room structures used to store lawn and garden equipment. A back yard shed can also be used as a workshop or a place to work on a hobby like sewing or scrapbooking. There are so many options for storage sheds today that there is simply no excuse for any homeowner to have an unsightly shed in his or her backyard. Sheds can be custom-built or sold in kit form to be assembled and installed by the homeowner. However, assembly and installation is not always a simple task; many homeowners will gladly pay a professional to handle these tasks. Since you will be purchasing your sheds and shed kits directly from wholesalers and manufacturers, you will receive a large discount. You will then sell your sheds to your customers at a marked-up rate and also offer assembly and installation services for an additional charge. Business ideas like this one work best with a website showing all the models you sell so the customers have a good idea of what the finished product will look like. You could also offer a display area if you have the property to showcase the sheds. Offer sheds in different styles, sizes and price points to fit the needs of a wider range of customers. Some people may just need a small shed to keep their lawn mower and gardening equipment dry; others may need a larger, air-conditioned/heated space to use as an art studio. The more flexible you are with your inventory, the more clients you will attract. Market your business by distributing flyers at local home improvement stores, lawn and garden centers and lawn mower repair shops. You may also hand out flyers door-to-door in your area targeting neighborhoods with large back yards. Once business picks up, you’ll need to hire a staff to help keep up with demand and consider taking your business full-time.

A Day in the Life of a Storage Shed Business Owner:

You will start your day by reviewing your appointments. You or your staff will meet your customers at their houses with the pre-made shed or a shed kit they ordered and assemble it. You will spend a portion of your day reviewing new models, talking with distributors and placing orders. You will also look for new ways to market your business. If you have a display set up, you’ll want to have you or a staff member on site to help show the sheds to your customers.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will typically be homeowners who need a storage shed to house various items in their backyards.

What You Need to Start:

• Familiarity with storage shed kits, assembly and installation (or you can hire a staff to do all the work for you)
• Website
• Truck to transport sheds and equipment to job sites
• Staff (optional)
• Display area (optional)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Sheds offer homeowners an inexpensive way to add storage space to their home so many people look to purchase them.
• Sheds come in all shapes and sizes and can be marketed as storage for a variety of items which makes your target market fairly large.
• You can charge top dollar for assembly and installation services.
• You can easily run this business part-time.
• You can start out running this business solo and add personnel as demand grows.

The Bad:

• This is likely a seasonal business if you live in a Northern climate as most people won’t buy storage sheds in the cold weather months.
• Storage shed assembly can be hard work.

Resources:

• National Gardening Association
• Professional Landcare Network
• Garage and Storage Shed Trends in the U.S. Report
• Wikipedia on Sheds

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Business Overview:

If you love working outside and are looking for a terrific seasonal business, consider starting an above ground pool business. An above ground pool sits in a backyard much the way an in-ground pool does except there is no hole to be dug into the ground. All you need is a patch of level ground and you can install an above ground pool. However, without the right skills and expertise, installation can be extremely difficult. Above ground pools can be just as large as in-ground pools and are made of steel, resin, aluminum, wood. In order to show customers a few of their options, you’ll need to have a showroom with some displays. Obviously these will not be full-sized displays but will give customers an idea of how each material looks and how it’s put together. You will also need to carry (or be able to order) accessories like steps, covers, liners, heaters and fencing. If you can also install beautiful decking around your pools, you will add major profits to your business. You can work with a third party to build decks for your pools if you don’t want to use your staff for that part of the business. In addition to pools and pool accessories, you’ll also need to stock pool chemicals and offer water testing services. Above ground pools are typically less expensive than in-ground pools but that does not mean they are cheap. A large steel pool can cost around $5,000 USD. Add to that installation costs and accessories and you can see this can be a great business idea worth exploring. In cooler climates, this will likely be a seasonal business but if you offer closing and opening services, you can boost your profits further.

A Day in the Life of an Above Ground Pool Business Owner:

Your day will begin by opening your store. You will help customers throughout the day decide on what type of above ground pool best meets their needs. You will coordinate installation with your installers.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals looking for high quality above ground pools and installation services.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Storefront
• Display pools
• Accessories
• Pool chemicals
• Staff
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Above ground pools offer a less expensive alternative to in-ground pools.
• It’s rewarding to give a customer just what they’re looking for.
• You can hire a staff to do most of the work for you.
• You can start out small and build your business as demand increases.

The Bad:

• The start-up costs are high.
• It can take some time to turn a profit.

Resources:

• Association of Pool and Spa Professionals
• Independent Pool and Spa Service Association
• Swimming Pool and Allied Trade Association
• Wikipedia on Swimming Pools

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