Strategic Planning

Thanks to all who took our survey on the state of the service industry. They can be a drag to fill out, but that information helps us better serve you, our advertisers and the industry as a whole as we try to make sense of the pandemic’s affect on business now and down the road.

The more I talk to people in the industry about the supply chain, demand and pricing, the more concerned I become about businesses not properly tracking cash and profits. With supply-chain issues and long timelines for new builds, repairs and service have changed, which means your typical cash flow has changed. Our survey identified 17 product categories where you said you’ve seen price increases — and yet, 19% of you said you have not raised prices. Yikes.

Raising prices is easier said than done — I get it. But you can’t serve anyone if you’re out of business, so please watch your bottom line.

Despite the curveballs of the past year, there are exciting things happening in the pool service industry. Congrats to the PSATC for getting its apprenticeship program approved in California and also nationally. If you or someone in your business goes through that program, we’d love to hear your experience.

Best,
Megan Kendrick, publisher
megan@kendrickcontent.com