Here are a few reasons we think it's better to hire a pool service that was born and is based in your community, and run by people who live there.
It strengthens the local economy
Large national chains often have a polished pitch, big advertising budgets and convincing marketing. Just as much thought goes into how much profit they can take out of the local community and send to corporate. Sharkey Pools is locally owned, and the value we provide goes well beyond pool service.
The Beaches, along with east Duval and St. Johns counties, are a small economy of their own. Money spent at local businesses tends to stay in the community. We buy supplies from nearby vendors, hire local employees, and reinvest our profits back into the area. Each dollar circulates several times, supporting local jobs and stability.
Decades ago, Jacksonville Beach was home to the original George Moore Chevrolet dealership. One week, George decided to pay part of his employees' wages in dollar coins. For weeks afterward those coins turned up all over the Beaches, in local restaurants, shops and businesses. It was a perfect demonstration of how money stays in a local economy.
When residents spend locally, they directly support their neighbors, friends and families. Sharkey Pools provides steady jobs and helps build a strong local workforce.
Lower prices
Another quick story. Earlier this week a Jacksonville Beach homeowner called. She wasn't a Sharkey customer yet, and she wanted her pool cleaned up. I happened to have a tech a few blocks away, so I sent him to her house as his next stop. He cleaned up her small pool for $100. The whole job took less than an hour, including his drive there and on to his next stop.
We could have charged more, and some would say we should have. But we were happy with that price, and we gained a local customer. $100 was very fair for her, and we couldn't have offered it if we'd had to send a tech across town. Staying local saves time, fuel and labor, which keeps our costs down and lets us pass the savings on. And none of our profits go to a corporate office or franchise headquarters.
Better customer service and accountability
A local business like Sharkey depends on its reputation. Some franchise pool services plan on losing around 8% of their customers every month and count on their marketing machine to replace them. At Sharkey, we lose less than 1%. We care about doing quality work because we live and work in the same community as our customers. That means more personal service, faster fixes and happier customers.
A smaller environmental footprint
Sharkey has a small footprint: shorter supply chains and less driving overall. Our techs take their hybrid trucks home, and we don't have a brick-and-mortar office. We run a modern, efficient operation that keeps our environmental impact low and our costs down.
An investment in our community
Shopping at 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 builds real relationships between businesses and residents. Learn more about Sharkey Pools.
