By James King, America’s Swimming Pool Company

Prior to becoming a franchise business owner, I served first in the Air Force and then as a Marine Corps Officer for nearly three decades. Most of my career was spent flying a KC-130 aerial refueling tanker. I worked my way up throughout those 30 years, serving multiple deployments and traveling all over the world for humanitarian missions and global crises. After retiring, I spent almost two years working for a defense contractor before finding America’s Swimming Pool Company (ASP).

Shifting from a military career to becoming a business owner, I wanted to find a small service industry business that I could open with my wife, Ellen, in Virginia. We met when we were both enlisted in the Air Force, so we share many of the same qualities of leadership and desire to serve others. We did extensive research into the opportunities available, qualifying dozens of different franchises. What we liked about the ASP business model was that although the company was a mature business, the market wasn’t saturated, especially in our area. There were tangible results from helping people maintain and enjoy their backyard swimming pool, and we really loved the idea of working outside.

Fortunately, when you buy into a franchise system, you have the advantage of not starting your business from scratch.

 There was a big learning curve when we first started out servicing customers with only one truck. Fortunately, when you buy into a franchise system, you have the advantage of not starting your business from scratch. Most of the difficulties of developing processes that lead to success have already been worked out. You also have the assurance that the franchisor is vested in your growth and that you are not going it alone. Over the years, Ellen and I have developed our team. Now we have employees who are able to live their lives and pay their bills because of what our business is doing. That is very rewarding.

Another aspect of business ownership we find very rewarding is showing our children that it’s possible to make their own way as entrepreneurs, providing a professional service to others and helping employees support their families. We are proud to be a veteran-owned, family-operated business; in fact, our son worked with us as a pool cleaner during college, and our daughter is now learning the business as our office manager. We have strived to teach them many of the lessons the military taught us — valuable skills such as discipline and determination.

Lazy is not a word used in military vocabulary, and the drive to succeed that many veterans share helps greatly with the day-to-day of getting up, going to work and running a business. We have also found that being a veteran-owned business helps with credibility. Customers recognize and appreciate a strong work ethic and professional integrity. Other military leadership skills that transfer effectively to civilian life and business ownership include helping other people maintain their composure throughout difficult circumstances and working calmly through challenges to find solutions.

These years as ASP franchise owners have shown us that veterans are exceptionally well-suited for the structure of a franchise business. The dedication and commitment that a military background instills can seamlessly translate into providing unmatched service to the community. Military veterans typically develop very useful skills in project management, directing staff, and administering programs. We learn to take initiative and solve problems through confident leadership and clear communication. Veterans are typically take-charge leaders ready to apply those strengths in a business setting.

The dedication and commitment that a military background instills can seamlessly translate into providing unmatched service to the community.

Ellen and I believe that our journey is a testament to the resilience and adaptability that veterans possess as they navigate the civilian world. By applying the principles learned in the military to our franchise business, we have thrived in the pool service industry, maintaining, repairing and renovating swimming pools to the highest standards. We encourage fellow veterans to embrace similar entrepreneurial opportunities, as our unique qualities can leave a positive and lasting impact on the communities we serve.

James King is an America’s Swimming Pool Company franchisee. After 30 years of dedicated military service, James leveraged his experience and embarked on a new mission as a business owner in the swimming pool service industry. He and his wife, Ellen, have owned America’s Swimming Pool Company of Springfield, Virginia, since 2012. For more information about IFA franchisor member America’s Swimming Pool Company, please visit franchise.org/franchise-opportunities/americasswimming-pool-company.