September 8, 2021
PSP/Deck Expo Brings Together Vendors with the Latest Products, Experts with the Most Field Experience, and the Passion of Builders and Business Owners
September 15, 2021
As hot tub owners remain at home and are utilizing their hot tubs more frequently, service professionals are busier than ever keeping those hot tubs clean and in working order. To maximize the profitability that comes from this opportunity, service techs must be able to efficiently maintain their hot tub service contracts and in doing so, must be able to do water testing and reporting in the field as well as selling chemicals on-site.
Providing a high level of customer service is easy if techs take advantage of the many new mobile software solutions now available to improve their hot tub maintenance programs and online sales.
September 15, 2021
It is obvious that our industry is filled with talented, creative, hard-working, hands-on professionals that have many brilliant ideas. Product ideas can come from service techs, builders, retailers and even factory workers at manufacturing companies.
But because pool professionals don’t always have a clear process to innovative growth in their businesses or know how to patent, protect and monetize their ideas, many of them never make it to market or get gobbled up by bigger players.
September 15, 2021
Ask any in-home salesperson to identify their preferred lead source and the answer is almost always the same—referrals.So why doesn’t the average pool and spa company get more referrals?
September 15, 2021
Pool and spa pros can probably relate a lot to the old Rodney Dangerfield comeback: "I don’t get no respect." In movies and TV, they’re often seen as slackers, shysters and worse.
But we know otherwise. We know that pool and spa professionals help create something precious for their customers—something that’s become even more valuable post-pandemic: a backyard oasis where people can forget about their troubles for awhile and bask in their outdoor getaways.
August 18, 2021
Along with a glut of new business, many pool builders are discovering that their customer’s expectations have changed as well. No longer are simple kidney or rectangle pools enough. Today’s staycation-focused consumers want to feel like they’re living in a resort in their own homes. Here's some inspiration from our sister industry.
August 18, 2021
Long ago, we concluded that trainers and presenters can be grouped into three distinct categories based on their desire to improve their skill level: learners, yearners and earners. Here's how to identify and work with each of them in your business.
August 18, 2021
The International Residential Code (IRC) has never told us how to attach guard posts to meet the requirement so it was left up to deck builders to devise their own attachment detail. And the code left it up to building inspectors to determine whether a builder's detail met the code or not.
August 18, 2021
Life is too short to put up with toxic or rotten people! But how would you know if someone with whom you work is unhealthy? Here's how to identify and root out poisonous personalities in the workplace.
July 21, 2021
Boom times create a series of challenges for pool and spa firms when it comes to business succession planning. What is likely to happen to business succession plans during boom times? Let's consider three alternatives.
July 21, 2021
It is common to be met with a degree of resistance when you arrive for a sales appointment. Unfortunately, early resistance from homeowners is frequently misunderstood and mishandled by most salespeople.
July 21, 2021
In the midst of the labor crunch, the industry has come to rely on skilled workers who have relocated to this nation from various countries. However, to employ them legally, it is essential to understand the related issues and challenges.
June 16, 2021
Contractors pay scrupulous attention to every penny that passes through their accounts, but they squander their other universal constraint: time. Here are five ways to have a prosperous business and a happy life.
June 16, 2021
If you choose the correct data management solution, you can arrange your data to understand every critical detail of the people you sold to—as well as those that you did not.
June 16, 2021
Today’s professionals have a bevy of data to show where they stand in the marketplace compared to other professionals, along with the overall health of the industry. Here's a look at what's available.
May 19, 2021
On the one hand, demand is higher than it’s been in some time. But pool and spa professionals may have trouble meeting this demand due to what some are describing as an “unprecedented” supply chain shortage.
May 19, 2021
After a tumultuous year, most pool and spa pros are seeing growth throughout their business. Despite this, surveys indicate that it will require additional efforts to keep profitability on track. Here are 10 suggestions.
May 19, 2021
Supply chain bottlenecks, training, labor shortages and just not enough time to get everything done. All these are common challenges for pool and spa pros today. Take our simple anonymous online survey and tell us which ones are affecting your business. We'll share the results in the next newsletter. Thanks!
April 22, 2021
The live event takes place Nov. 13–18 in Dallas, Texas; registration opens in June.
April 22, 2021
PSP/Deck Expo is considering five cities for the event in 2023. Help us make an informed decision by answering a few questions.
April 21, 2021
In this Q&A, Brad Yoho, Director of Marketing from Dave Yoho Associates, discusses the state of lead generation in 2021, while also analyzing some of the most common mistakes that are made.
April 21, 2021
Guardrails prevent people from falling off decks and being injured. But guardrail infill requirements confuse a lot of people. Here's what you need to know to stay within the code — and ensure safety.
March 17, 2021
Lead costs continue to escalate. As such, it is important to utilize “lower cost” lead sources while simultaneously using your leads more efficiently. Whether you are aware of it or not, you and/or your personnel may be mishandling leads.
March 17, 2021
If you're not field-treating lumber cuts then you're likely building decks and outdoor structures west of the Rockies. If you are you're likely building to the east. Here's why field-treating is important for everyone.
February 17, 2021
As pool pros head into a new year with a new administration in Washington, legal experts are warning that employers need to shore up any lax policies that may be misclassifying employees as independent contractors. Such misclassifications can lead to devastating fines, penalties and back pay.
February 9, 2021
These challenges could have a detrimental effect on your profitability in 2021. It is imperative that you are not only aware of their impact, but develop action plans for overcoming them.
February 17, 2021
If your team perceives that, somehow, you're in the cozy executive suite while they're out doing the hard work of the organization, that represents a disconnect and a cost. Here's how to fix both.
January 20, 2021
What’s good for your community and your industry can be very good for your business, too. Want to get in on the action? Here are some ways volunteer initiatives help pool, spa and hot tub businesses thrive.
January 20, 2021
Legendary football coach Lou Holtz's unique philosophy on life includes three rules and four questions that are surprisingly pertinent to business leaders. Here's why.
January 20, 2021
With business booming, pool, spa and patio pros need ways to exchange ideas, explore new products and business practices and generally connect more than ever. That’s why we launched the all-new PSP/Deck Expo enewsletter.
December 15, 2020
The 2021 season kicked off via the industry’s premier event
