Mobile apps have exploded in the app stores in the past 2 years and yet each month brings about even more new innovations. From cars, to motorcycles, and now to pools, niche apps for rentals and experiencing are popping up everywhere! In this podcast I talk about the trends for niche apps, the emerging industries, and we look at one app in particular, Swimply - the airbnb for pools.
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From pools to cars and motorcycles niche apps that allow you to rent or use from peers are on the rise. It is basically the "AirBNB-ification" of other industries. No longer do you only reserve a condo at the beach for the weekend. Now you can fly in, use an app to borrow someone's car, take a spin on someone's motorcycle while there and then have a day at someone's pool with a app like Swimply. It's all about the niche apps to connect owners with extra space with their "things" to consumers who want to use them for a hour, a day, a week, or longer!
Watch this market grow and continue to look at new ways you could launch a startup in one of these niches which is not dominated like AirBNB!
Cooling off the summer heat and temperatures in a backyard pool is probably what everyone dreams about. However, this is only possible if you are a pool owner or can access a pool from generous neighbors. If you don’t have any of these, the newly launched pool-renting application, Swimply, is your savior.
Coming just in time for the late summer heat, Swimply is a platform that allows pool owners to rent out their pools to strangers. Simply put, this is an “AirBnB for pools”, and its inception came exactly at the right time.
Each discovery definitely has its background story. Well, as for Swimply, the idea came into existence when the founder was searching for how to make use of his rarely used backyard pool. Like typical house-rental websites, Swimply allows users to sign in, search for pools in their location or check available pools listed, and request/book their pool of choice. It's basically as I said, an AirBNB for pools. This allows guests to escape the summer heat affordably without having to rent out an entire home.
Listed pools are priced per hour, and prices for every pool are displayed on the map. Even though pool prices vary based on the pool size and location, most listed pools cost an average of $45 per hour. However, nice listings could cost as much as $200. Most pools include basic amenities, such as lounge chairs, bathroom access, and towels in some locations.
Swimply reported having received more than 122,000 bookings since 2020, this demand being turbo-charged by swimming enthusiasts looking for a good place to relax. Due to this surge in demand, you may have to book your rental in advance. You can use your time to swim, gather, take swimming lessons, or do other activities, as there are no prescriptions on how to spend your time.
If you luckily own a pool, you can apply to be a host at Swimply. As of now, more than 13,000 hosts spread across 125 U.S markets lease out their pools through this platform, charging between $35 and $50 per hour.
Swimply COO, Asher Weinberger, said that pool hosts can earn an average of $5000 to $10,000 monthly. One leading host, who has accommodated more than 2700 guests, has a net income of $110,000 before the end of summer. The platform deducts 15% from hosts and 10% from guests.
This surplus income helps pool owners maintain their pools despite the current chlorine shortage. According to IHS Markit, a financial analytics company, chlorine prices are expected to increase by 70% this coming summer, even after doubling in some states last year. For instance, in Las Vegas, the cost of 50-pound buckets already jumped from $75 to $140.
Besides providing a way of making extra income, U.S-based pool hosts on the platform are covered by a $1 million liability guarantee and $10,000 property damage insurance. Therefore, you can rent out your pool without any worries.
Even though the platform is New York-based, Swimply has listings spread across the country. Currently, the platform has listed pools in Florida, Arizona, Maryland, Illinois, Georgia, Connecticut, California, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, Vermont, Oregon, South Carolina, and Texas.
Each listing has photos and a slight description of the pool, including available amenities. The description also lists the maximum number of allowed guests in the property to avoid congestion.
Booking or making a reservation is very easy. However, like AirBnB, you will incur a service fee for every reservation. Nonetheless, a service fee is a better price to pay than spending your summer afternoons seated close to your air conditioner!
Swimply, the airbnb for pools, is just one of the many niche mobile apps that have emerged allowing you to "rent" or "experience" something of great value without having to have the funds to buy it and maintain it yourself.
If you are looking at creating a startup, review some of these niche apps and consider what other industries might offer possibilities for disrupting and emerging to connect owners and users of key in-demand items.
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