In today’s fast-paced and stressful business environment it is easy to forget civility. Many of us lose our civility when someone disagrees with our position in business, politics, religion and just about every other aspect of life. If you accidentally pull in front of someone on the freeway or another street in our cities… read more
I have heard over the past decade that raising service rates or increasing the hourly repair rate was very difficult due to a poor economy. Well, the economy is humming. People are back to work in record numbers. Wages are growing at a respectable rate. The stock market has increased wealth in this country by… read more
It appears every day some new technology comes into being, and pool service companies owners bemoan the creation of this new technology and the advancements for the industry. This is nothing new. This has been happening as far back as I can remember, and this way of thinking is not specific to the pool service… read more
Many years ago I was giving a seminar at the Pool Industry Expo in Monterey, California when one of the attendees made a comment that gave me a window into the mind of some of the pool service techs in our industry. His comment came when I was explaining the three basic services: chemical service,… read more
Many individuals trying to evaluate a business either on their own or with a Broker Consultant actually miss the common-sense items that should be considered because they are so focused on the cash flow. Cash flow is important but there are other common sense items that must be considered. Regardless of the bottom line if… read more
There aren’t many businesses you can purchase that will offer an income guarantee. Most of the time the business records are a mess and with no guarantees whether you are successful or not is a roll of the dice. However, in the swimming pool service and repair industry when you purchase a pool route business,… read more
Saying that billing can be stressful is an understatement for many in the pool route industry. I spoke with a client several years ago who hadn’t billed for a six-month period. I am uncertain as to how he was surviving, but he hated billing. I have spoken to many clients over the years who mailed… read more
Many people looking for businesses today have no method or approach to their search. They just search the internet for anything that looks like it throws off good cash flow. The problem with this method or rather, lack of method is that the bottom line doesn’t always tell the whole story. Sometimes the year net… read more
Most of you will admit the two biggest expenses when it comes to operating a pool service company are labor and chemicals. This month we will tackle the pool route business chemical expense. The best way to improve your chemical expense or to even get rid of the chemical expense is to pass it… read more
Last month we talked about customer communication, and how important it is to be connected to your customers. This month we need to discuss what type of customers you need in order to have a successful business, and what type of customer is necessary to make a successful connection. I can almost assure you just… read more
