My parents founded Johnson Pools in 1977. We started out as a custom concrete, block wall, vinyl-liner pool builder and slowly grew. Back in the ’80s, people wanted freeform pools, so we moved away from concrete walls and start doing steel walls. In the late ’90s to the 2000s, people went into debt up to…
As a new pool season gets underway, most savvy business owners are deciding how best to spend their marketing and advertising dollars. So while you consider radio, TV, billboards, AdWords and other advertising opportunities, don’t forget about the low-cost hidden leads that may be right under your nose. When it comes to new pool leads,…
Nonbillable time is the single highest cost of doing business in your service department. On average, the typical service tech only bills out about half their time each day. How is this possible? Let’s look at some numbers: VacationLet’s assume the tech gets two weeks of paid vacation a year. Vacation totals 80 hours a…
Maintaining the proper water level for swimming pools has always been a challenge for pool service companies. But with the help of a few products, it doesn’t have to be. Some of the major problems due to low water levels can cost the homeowner big money in repairs, so it’s critical the homeowner and the…
What do you want from your life? Such a loaded question and not easy to answer. Most have a general idea within a few minutes; a more detailed definition is usually a week or so away. The problem with this question is the societal and self-imposed walls and limitations we put on ourselves. As young…
It comes as no shock to pool builders that the popularity of tile finishes is on the rise nor that clients are increasingly asking for glass and translucent glass tile, which brings its own set of challenges. In early 2014, Brian van Bower, president of Aquatic Consultants, Inc., and a co-founder of Genesis 3 told…
The Struckhoffs have owned Prestige Pools & Spas for 30 years and believe their faith in Jesus is what truly has sustained them. “He gives us strength and wisdom and daily meets all of our needs,” Struckhoff says.
For decades, the only way for most people to light their pools at night has been to use one or two large, bright niche lights. They are usually placed under the diving board or in a spot that won’t shine back at the house. And while improvements have been made on that light, a new…
You hear through the grapevine that a local school district is looking to bid out their pool service and maintenance work. You’ve built up a pretty sizeable residential service route and would like to add some commercial clients; this could be the perfect opportunity. But before you send over a proposal, and become responsible for…
When Forrest Walterson, general manager at Mr. Pool Inc., in Boulder, Colo., sat in an office to learn about a new chlorine-free sanitation system, his reaction was exactly what you’d expect. “That all sounds great, but can you show me?” Walterson remembers saying. Walterson was meeting with Clear Comfort, which sells a two-stage sanitation system…
As a pool dealer, you probably carry a dizzying menu of chemicals. When a customer comes in with questions about proper use of chemicals for one situation or another, it’s a perfect opportunity to build a relationship on the consumer’s terms, provided you can supply the right answers, backed by working knowledge and expertise. Just…
In 1995, Noel Conley started Miracle Pool Service in Garland, Texas — a suburb northeast of Dallas. He had a truck and ran his office out of his home.