Discover how to evolve from operator to architect in your pool business
Learn what it truly means to design and lead a Systematized Enterprise, the highest stage of the pool business journey. This article explores how to shift from hands-on operator to strategic architect, creating a company powered by systems, strong leadership, and intentional design. Discover the key decisions that define your future, whether that’s building a legacy, scaling for exit, or crafting a profitable lifestyle business.
Other pieces in this series
- Solopoolneurs and the leadership leap that changes everything
- Three drivers that fuel real growth in the Small Team stage
- From Driver to Delegator: How to build a team of leaders
- How to choose the future of your pool business
It took a lot of hard work, lessons, milestones, and a few mistakes, but you got there: you’re at the final stage of the pool business journey, running a Systematized Enterprise.
Along the way, your role has changed, too. You’re no longer the doer, the driver, the delegator, or even the decider. You’ve become something different: the designer.
Very few pool business owners make it to this level, and even fewer stay here. Why? Because getting here requires intentional design, not just execution. A Systematized Enterprise isn’t a “bigger” pool business. It’s an entirely different organism. It runs on clear systems, predictable performance, and strong leadership across all departments.
You’ll know you’ve arrived at this level when:
- You could, in theory, take a three-month sabbatical without the business going off the rails.
- Your senior leadership team owns the outcomes across the business without your daily involvement.
- Your calendar is focused on high-level strategy, not firefighting.
- The business produces consistent profit, growth, and culture without you needing to be its heartbeat.
And if you’re here, you have a fun job to do: design the future.
Becoming the designer of a Systematized Enterprise
To fully lean into this stage of growth, you have to start placing bets that will shape the next 10 years. This means pondering things like:
- Ownership structure: Will you sell the business? Keep it in the family? Bring in partners?
- Expansion strategy: Will you grow into new geographies? New services? New verticals?
- Capital structure: Will you work with private equity? Raise capital? Stay private?
- Exit planning: Is this a legacy business? A sale target? A lifestyle cash machine?
How you design the future is up to you, and will be heavily informed by your Owner’s Intent. Depending on your vision, you may be considering things like:
- Whether you’ll go multi-state or national
- Entering adjacent home service markets (e.g., HVAC, pest, landscaping)
- Strategically buying other companies
- Launching a franchise model
- Innovating with AI, automation, or custom tech stacks
- Building a branded product line
- Creating a leadership pipeline to stay generational
At this stage, your questions shift from “Who’s doing the work?” to “Where is this business going—and who do we need to become to get there?”
Common design paths at this stage
The future of your business is in your hands, but there are a few paths you may want to explore. I’ve laid out some of them below.
1. The scalable exit
In this design path, your ultimate goal is to sell to a private equity firm or strategic buyer. To get there, you’ll build a leadership team and hit strong EBITDA margins.
To design for this, you’ll have to:
- Shore up reporting
- Institutionalize processes
- Be able to show at least three years of strong financials
- Build middle management bench strength
- Remove all “founder dependencies”
This is a smart play if your intent is to maximize personal wealth and eventually step away from the business.
2. The forever company
In this scenario, you’re working towards building a high-margin, slow-growth business with no plans to exit. You’ll reinvest profits into people, culture, and quality of life, not just top-line growth.
You may decide to:
- Keep the team lean and high-performing
- Use fractional leadership (outsourced CFO, HR, etc.)
- Focus on community impact and legacy
- Turn the business into a cash machine that supports a flexible lifestyle
This path is especially powerful if your intent is to enjoy the business indefinitely without explosive complexity.
3. The legacy builder
If your ultimate plan is to pass the business on to your kids, family, or long-time leaders, you’ll need to:
- Start grooming successors now
- Document everything
- Establish family governance or transition planning
- Align leadership values with long-term vision
This is a relationally rich path, but it requires tremendous intentionality to protect the culture and maintain performance after you’re out.
Real-world example: Designing the exit vs. lifestyle business
Let’s say your business is doing $4 million in annual revenue, mostly from cleaning and repair. You’re running a healthy 20% net margin and putting $800K on the bottom line.
If your intent is to sell:
- You’ll likely hire a full-time sales leader, a repair department head, and an internal financial controller to build value beyond you.
- Your net margins might drop to 15–17% as you invest in leadership and infrastructure—but you’re building a business that’s worth a 5–7x EBITDA multiple.
Doing this could net you $3.5–5.5 million in a future exit.
If your intent is to build a lifestyle business:
- You could keep leadership lean and outsource functions like finance, HR, and marketing.
- You’d protect your 20%+ margin, take home more cash, and work one to two days a week.
In this scenario, the business may not sell for as much, but you would reap steady, reliable profit year after year. Both paths are valid. The key is choosing one and designing accordingly.
Final thought: It’s your design—no one else’s
Nobody stumbles into a Systematized Enterprise. Getting your business to this stage is the result of your commitment to years of intentional delegation, leadership development, and a clear Owner’s Intent. You did all that work, and you should be proud.
If you want to build a business that thrives without you, you have to design it that way. So design wisely, because it’s your legacy.
About the creators
At Skimmer, we believe pool service professionals deserve better tools, stronger support, and better business outcomes. That’s why we built the leading software platform for pool and spa service companies.
Today, more than 30,000 pros across North America use Skimmer to streamline routes, get paid faster, and scale their operations—all while delivering consistent, professional service. Our mission is simple: modernize the industry and empower the people who keep it running.
Casey Graham has built and grown companies across multiple industries, including Yummy Pools, which rapidly expanded in the Atlanta market before being acquired by Trivest. Now, as VP of M&A for the Yummy Pools platform, he helps other pool companies grow through acquisition and operational excellence.
We partnered on this ebook because we share a belief: success in the pool service business isn’t only about profit—it’s about purpose, consistency, and the right systems to support your goals. Whether you’re starting out or leading a growing team, we hope this guide helps you align your “why” and move forward with clarity.
