One + One

One + One

For small businesses, hiring additional employees is often a tough decision. Is the timing right? How do I know what positions to hire for, and what we can afford to pay those people? Brand new business owners often put a lot of weight on their instincts. For Hal Denbar, president of Patriot Pool and Spa…

Meet The Crew

Meet The Crew

The pool industry is full of people from all walks of life. Some fell into the industry by accident and never left. Others grew up in a family pool business and knew from an early age that’s all they wanted to do. Whatever may have brought them here, pool professionals are eclectic and vast, providing…

At Her Service

At Her Service

Photography by Austin Mullen Two years ago, Natalie Scott’s friend from junior high school posted an ad for a pool tech position with his company — a position he was willing to train. At the time, Scott was working in the hotel industry, trying to establish a new normal after a divorce and several office…

Stubborn Algae?

Stubborn Algae?

Deborah Martin, owner of The Pool Medic in central California, tried PoolRx as a last resort. She had struggled to keep a pool algae-free in summer 2015. It was a brand new, 45,000-gallon, full sun, black bottom Pebble Tec pool. “I get it stabilized, running the thing for like 18 hours a day and it’s…

A Houzz Full of Leads

A Houzz Full of Leads

If a backyard renovation is on the agenda, homeowners will look for pictures of completed projects to start brainstorming for their own. And with more than 40 million unique users a month, Houzz has become a highly popular platform for design and renovation photos. “People invest in pools for [a certain] lifestyle, and nothing communicates…

Tossing the Training Manual

Tossing the Training Manual

In some companies, training programs haven’t been revamped in years, or possibly ever. Stephanie Hammerwold, a human resources expert known as The HR Hammer in Irvine, California, works with employers to make workspaces a more enjoyable place to be. Her advice is to start by assessing the current instruction procedure for employees. “Take the time…

Seal of Approval

Aquatic activity in healthy water is increasingly on the public’s radar. Today, most health departments require commercial pool technicians to have the Certified Pool Operator Certification from the National Swimming Pool Foundation. Michelle Kavanaugh, mission development director for the NSPF, says the CPO Certification is the most widely recognized certification in the pool and spa…

Panel: Comp It Up
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Panel: Comp It Up

Employee pay and tax insight from our panelists Brian DiglioCPO, AST, CSP, presidentBlue Wave Pool Service and Supplies, Inc.Hamden, Connecticut Facebook: @BlueWavePoolSpaTwitter: @MarvTheDolphinYouTube: Blue Wave Pool Service & Suppliesbluewavepoolspa.com In the Northeast, typically the pools are too far apart to do a pay-per-pool compensation. Also, because of the seasonal aspect of the business, it sometimes…