One entrepreneur is making it simple for eager swimmers to rent swimming space at a fraction of the cost. Bunim Laskin pitched his pool-sharing company Swimply on Shark Tank to the show's investors. Essentially, his platform is like an Airbnb for swimming pools.
"The story behind Swimply is actually a personal solution for me," he says. "My next-door neighbor built a pool for her grandkids, and they didn't show up as much as she supposed...the pool was always empty.
"I asked her if it would be okay if my family used her pool, very consciously aware of the amount of money she recently put into it. She asked me if it would be okay if my family helped her out. We worked out a deal. We helped her pay 25% of her expenses, and in exchange, my family used her pool."
After his neighborhood got wind of the idea, he put together enough money to launch a small website and get his company started.
"I went on Google Earth and found 80 people that had pools and knocked on all 80 doors," he says. "Seventy-six said no. Four said yes. From there, those four pools quickly escalated to 32."
Using Swimply's platform, pool owners can register their swimming spaces and set an hourly rental price based on location, amenities and views. They can also outline restrictions, such as the number of people, allowable electronics and so on. The platform collects 15% of the rental fee as commission.
Customers can use the website or app to browse available pools and submit rental requests. Once approved, they can communicate with hosts via Swimply's messaging tool.
"We are seeking to democratize the pool experience, so everyone can enjoy an instant escape from reality — even if it's just to another backyard down the street," Laskin says in a press release.
Swimply has a partnership with PoolWerx, AquaMasters, America's Swimming Pool Company and Miami Pool Tech, according to its website. These partner companies inspect pools for safety and code compliance, which Swimply requires of all its rental pools.
Though Laskin didn't land a deal with the investors of Shark Tank, Swimply has expanded into several cities and has realized its founder's dream of creating a business to match unused pools with people who would like to enjoy them.
