We’ve really been on a theme kick in 2019, and for this issue it’s safety. The interesting thing about our industry is that when you talk about safety you’ve got two areas to cover — workplace safety and customer safety. When I started working in the industry back in 2008, I remember learning quickly to…
Further, we are FINALLY talking about portable vacuums. I’m not sure there’s a topic or product I see discussed more on industry forums. We did our best to round up what’s available, and cover the pros and cons of each. Another story I’ve wanted to do for awhile is about cultivating and maintaining relationships with…
I recently read a quote that I can’t stop thinking about, from the book Widgets by Rodd Wagner: “Your people are not your greatest asset. They’re not yours, and they’re not assets.” That’s probably something many of us have said, in all sincerity, to point toward how much employees mean to our organization. But, wow,…
Happy new year from all of us at PoolPro. We appreciate your support in 2018, and hope 2019 is great for you personally and professionally. We’ve never before done a themed issue of PoolPro, but we’re starting 2019 with an issue all about retail. If you don’t have a swimming pool retail store, don’t put…
It’s here — the 2018 Pool | Spa | Patio Expo. This will be my 10th show, but it will be my first as the magazine’s owner. We’ve been getting great feedback from our last issue and my stint as a guest on the Pool Chasers podcast, and I hope you’ll stop by our booth…
Last year I received an email about a PoolPro story on online reviews: “After reading The Review Conundrum article I was very inspired because this is exactly what we went after when starting our company three years ago. Taking Yelp and Google serious took our business to a whole new level … If you ever…
photography by Joan WoodPool built by Red Rock Pools & Spas, based in Mesa, Arizona When Tyler Rasmussen got passed over for a promotion at his job, he said enough is enough. He had always dreamed of working for himself anyway, and a friend had been telling him about a pool route he just purchased….
In the history of the pool industry, there have been few franchise businesses. Pinch A Penny, a swimming pool retail and service franchise, started in 1976; it was the lone franchise for years. So for an industry that hasn’t seen a new franchise company since 2012, adding three in the last five years seems like…
You may have heard that last month I bought PoolPro, along with sister publications SpaRetailer, Spasearchand Poolsearch. I love this industry and the people in it, and I’m so happy this is where I will continue my career. This process has given me a new respect for small-business owners. As I make further strides in…
photography by Marc Ridel Tiffiny Consoli wasn’t looking to go into the pool business. She was just looking to own a business, any business, that made sense. “I didn’t have one thing I was particularity good at or knew I wanted to make bagels every day,” she says. “It wasn’t like that. I wanted to…
A fresh take on an old gripe has me thinking Have you ever talked with someone whose attitude changes your perspective on a problem? That happened to me when I was talking to Michael Henson, owner of pH Pool Care in Arkansas. We were having a lengthy discussion about how he sources his product, including…
You’ve probably placed your big orders for the year — pallets will start showing up at the shop any day now. But maybe you’re dreaming of the day when you will do enough volume to buy in bulk. However, businesses of all sizes across the industry demonstrate there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to buying channels. Distribution:…