There’s a story behind every transfer: Mr Pool Man
In 1998, a man (Hardy Hintze) and his van set out to make a splash in the pool-servicing industry.
Fast forward to 2021, Hardy and his van have grown from a local pool servicing sole trader to a fully-fledged pool shop, product line, and online retail store.
Each year as the warmer months came to an end, Hardy faced the problem of managing excess stock piling up. Hardy decided to test the waters of selling online by listing a pool scoop on eBay. To his surprise, it sold within a couple of days. As more products were listed, sales continued to increase well into the colder months.
At the time, Mr Pool Man was one of only three pool shops selling online. To capture the growing demand, larger stock orders from their Australian suppliers were required, increasing costs to a point that was unsustainable.
Realising there had to be a cheaper alternative, Hardy’s son Tom, who had been working alongside his Dad since 2009, decided to take the plunge and order directly from manufacturers in China. Having now figured out a cheaper way to source products, the next problem to solve was finding a better way to pay overseas suppliers and manage multiple currencies.
This is where OFX came in.
I came across OFX when I googled ‘how to pay suppliers overseas’, and I’m so glad I did.
It’s not just great rates that have kept Mr Pool Man a happy client though. As a seasonal business, future planning has been essential to ensure production timelines are met, especially coming into peak periods.
“When you’re looking to spend money when you aren’t making money, you will often have the accountants breathing down your neck. Having a plan really helps”, Tom said.
By working with OFX, the business knows when the rates are optimal for their key currencies and can make more informed decisions about when to transfer and take advantage of favourable rates.
So, how would Tom describe OFX in one word? Simple.
In an industry flooded with classic brick and mortar stores and with outdated policies that lag behind the dynamic eCommerce landscape, Mr Pool Man has paved the way for other players. By applying their own tried and tested operating methods, the business continues to innovate, forward plan and as a result, takes advantage of market opportunities. In November 2018, the business launched its own product line, ‘Water TechniX’. This meant they were “no longer restricted to selling other brands’ products and could exercise complete control over their brand, shifting more and more products online”.
As Mr Pool Man eyes off their next plan for expansion, it’s pretty clear that throwing themselves into the eCommerce deep-end has paid off.
Tom Hintze, Director of Operations at Mr Pool Man, shares his three tips to growing an eCommerce business:
- Done is better than perfect – always have a go
- Know your numbers
- There will be mistakes, it’s about how you learn from them and how you move forward
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