Several reasons why we think its better to buy pool service from a business born and based in your community, run by locals inside your community:
It strengthens the local economy. While large national chains often have a polished, shiny proposition with very big advertising spends and convincing marketing, that same amount of thought and research has gone into how much profit it can take out of the local community and send to corporate. Sharky Pools is a locally owned business that provides long-term value that extends far beyond just pool service.
The beaches, including east duval & st johns county is a micro economy of its own. Money spent at local businesses tends to stay within the community. We source our supplies from nearby vendors, hire local employees, and reinvest profits back into the area. This creates a multiplier effect, where each dollar circulates multiple times, supporting jobs and economic stability.
Years ago, decades ago, we had a large franchise car dealership in Jacksonville Beach- the original location of George Moore Chevrolet. George decided one week to pay out a portion of his employees salaries with dollar coins. For weeks those dollar coins showed up in huge numbers all over the beaches in local restaurants, shops, and other businesses. It was a brilliant showcase of how money stays in a local economy.
When residents spend their money locally, they directly support the livelihoods of neighbors, friends, and families. Sharkey helps provide stable employment opportunities and contributes to a diverse, resilient workforce.
Lower prices. Another quick story: A homeowner in Jacksonville Beach called earlier this week, she was not a current Sharkey customer. She requested a clean-up of her pool. I happened to have a technician several blocks away. I was able to divert the tech to her home as his next stop and provide a clean up of her small pool for a fee of $100. It took less than an hour total including his time to get there and his time to get to his next stop. We could have charged more, some say we should have charged more. We were happy with that rate and earned a local customer. $100 was a very fair price for the homeowner, a price that could not have been offered if I had to dispatch a technician across town. Staying local saves time, fuel, labor, it allows us to operate for less costs and in turn pass that savings along. Not to mention we are not sending any profits to a corporate office or franchise headquarters.
Better Customer Service and Accountability. A local business like Sharkey relies heavily on our reputation. A corporate model says a franchise pool service will lose 8% of its customers every single month. That’s okay for them because the marketing machine keeps replacing those with new customers. At Sharkey, our attrition is less than 1%. We are much more dedicated to delivering high-quality service because we live and work in the same community as our customers. This leads to more personalized service, quicker problem resolution, and higher overall satisfaction.
Environmental Benefits. Sharkey has a small environmental footprint. Shorter supply chains and less transportation as a whole. Our tech take their truck home, and we have no brick and mortar office. The operation is modern, efficient and designed to keep our environmental footprint low and in turn keeps costs down.
Shopping locally owned businesses is an investment in the health and future of our community. It strengthens the local economy, supports jobs, preserves neighborhood character, and fosters meaningful relationships between businesses and residents.
