In 2018 we wrote an article about running a stress test on your business (January/February 2018 “How Low Can You Go”). That article posited that if sales stopped or slowed tremendously, there were certain actions you’d need to take to survive. The last couple of years have shown us that threats to small business are myriad and real. Pandemics, natural disasters, supply-chain issues, the economy — apparently the list could go on.
I’m not one to recommend worrying about hypotheticals or things out of your control. But as an industry, we should be thinking about and preparing for a shift toward tighter water restrictions, which is obviously the lifeblood of swimming pools. We’ve devoted much of this issue to that very topic.
For the most part, the swimming pool industry is a pretty good steward of water. It’s been shown that a pool uses less water per year than the same square footage of grass. Most do everything they can to treat and care for pool water before it must be drained and refilled. For pool professionals, however, that has more to do with best practices than water conservation. But from water care and maintenance to draining and refilling procedures, it’s wise to implement strategies now to best conserve water before limitations or restrictions arrive in your area due to drought, fires or other unforeseen conditions. As professionals, it is our duty to both our customers and the planet to do so.
Thank you for your continued support of PoolPro. It’s been great to get out and see some of you in person. Next stop: the Western Pool & Spa Show. Come by our booth #214 and say hi!
Best,
Megan Kendrick, publisher, CPO
megan@kendrickcontent.com
