This year has flown by, partly because I’ve spent so little of it in my office. In addition to attending various trade shows, I had the honor of speaking at the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance’s San Diego Chapter’s Service Symposium and sharing my story on the Pool Nation Podcast.
As I’ve spent so much time rubbing elbows with pool pros, I’ve had a lot of conversations about what it means for service companies to play by the rules. What does that entail? It means that your company has the proper state licenses and insurance to set foot on your jobs. It can be easy to deem some of these as unnecessary, unaffordable or a waste of time — it can be hard to see the big picture if you’re busy working and worrying about cash flow. But in the long run, doing things the right way is better for the health of your company, your customers and the industry.
This is one of the reasons we’re talking about workers’ compensation insurance. We’ve all heard the rumors and horror stories of companies in our industry who have skirted workers’ comp and gotten caught — usually when there’s an accident and some poor employee finds out the coffers are empty.
I know we’ve sounded the alarm on raising prices before, and I’ll do it again. If your business can’t afford the items needed to make it legitimate, then chances are you’re priced too low. And if everyone plays by the rules, more consistent pricing can follow.
We all take pride in our work and the knowledge and skills that make us professionals. Make sure your back office is also professional.
Best,
Megan Kendrick, publisher, CPO
megan@kendrickcontent.com
