The Pool Deck by Skimmer

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JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

A Milestone Moment We Want to Celebrate With You

Skimmer has officially surpassed 30,000 users! We're incredibly proud to be the #1 pool service software platform, but this milestone belongs to you—our amazing customers and partners. Your dedication to growing and transforming the pool service industry fuels us daily, and we’re honored to be part of your journey. Thank you for trusting Skimmer to get organized, save time, and grow revenue. Here’s to many more milestones together!

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13 hours ago

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

Life on the road

Say hello & share how you got into the pool service business

Hello and a warm welcome to The Pool Deck 🤗 My name is Justine, and I am your go-to for all things community 🙌 I am super pumped to get to know more members and see the co-creation, sharing of knowledge, and learning from one another take root across all our forums, groups, and events!This Life on the road forum is about getting to know each other better and sharing stories from our day. Plus, we’ll have some contests and other posts to make you smile 😀I started building communities working in the beer business and knew I had found my calling. I love bringing together people and watching the magic unfold—whether it’s new ideas, learning, or even just a bit of fun and laughter to brighten each others’ day! I have worked in software for a while now, and when @Travis told me about Skimmer’s mission, and I learned more about the pool service industry, it was an easy YES to join this team!Meeting with Skimmer customers over the past few months has only reinforced my decision -- we have

43927

6 days ago

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

News, trends & training

Time is running out to have your say in the 2025 State of Pool Service Report

Hey Pool Deck, The clock is ticking on the 2025 State of Pool Service survey. It only takes 10 minutes to fill out, and it’s a great opportunity for you to have your input included in one of the most comprehensive industry reports in the pool service industry. Complete the survey now. Hundreds of pool pros have already shared their thoughts, and we’re seeing some interesting trends emerge in the responses.So far, 59% have said that they’re forecasting to bring in more revenue in 2024 than they did in 2023. Additionally, the vast majority (85%!) of respondents are expecting to continue that trend and bring in more revenue in 2025 than in 2024. 53% of respondents have said that their 2024 growth was due to finding internal efficiencies. This beat out more aggressive growth tactics like expanding into new lines of business and acquiring routes. Growing top-line revenue is the biggest business goal for pros in 2025, with 52% of respondents stating this as their primary business goal. Does

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7 days ago

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

News, trends & training

Virtual 3-day PHTA CST training course

If you or your team are looking for a Certified Service Technician Class, you can register for Kevin Tucker’s upcoming three-day virtual training on November 25, December 2, and 9. Visit his website for more information and to register: Educational Leverage

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7 days ago

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

Life on the road

Live from Dallas!

If you’re at the International Pool Spa Patio Expo come and visit the Skimmer team at booth 1600!We are having a fabulous day meeting with customers…plus we have some cool swag if you stop by to say 👋

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8 days ago

sharonburchSkimmer Verified Partner

Ideas & inspiration for business owners

Which QuickBooks Workshop Should You Choose?

Hey there!Last week @Justine launched my upcoming workshop series where I'll guide you on automating QuickBooks for real-time reporting and how to use your monthly intel to inform decision-making in your pool service business. There are two workshop options to choose from: 1. Monthly flat rate invoicing (chemicals included) - invoiced in advance2. Per visit invoice (chemicals added) - invoiced in arrears So check out this video if you’re not sure which one to sign up for: To save your seat, choose a session from the options below and register using that link👇 All registrants will automatically be sent an email confirmation with the Zoom link, and don’t forget to add the workshop to your calendar 📅 Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024Session Options: 1. Monthly flat rate invoicing (chemicals included) - invoiced in advance Time: 2:30 - 3:15 PM ET / 1:30 - 2:15 PM CT / 11:30 - 12:15 PM CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 2. Per visit invoice (chemicals added) - invoiced in arrears Time: 4 - 4

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9 days ago

Pooldude2023Rookie Member

Ideas & inspiration for business owners

Racing to the bottom

I have been involved as an owner in many service companies over the years but I have never seen an industry race so fast to be the cheapest service. This race to the bottom is a deadly approach to doing business and will only invite pool customer service while damaging the reputation of the industry. Instead we should all be thinking about how we can stand out, being honest with customers, educating them so that they can make the best decisions on there own behalf. I have a very good friend that said this industry is very different from most and I challenged him and his thought process on how false that statement was. While there are differing issues that arise, the fact remains the same, We are all in the service business! There are many things that can set a company apart from the rest that do not involve money. Small things that customers really will appreciate. Small things like honesty, integrity, dependability and good communication. You can start there and discover what is dif

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15 days ago

KerrySSkimmer Verified Partner

Ideas & inspiration for business owners

Dive into Profits: Make 2025 Your Splashiest Year Yet!

Can you remember where you were on New Year’s Eve? It feels like just yesterday when the countdown filled the room, and at the stroke of midnight, cheers and hugs erupted in my small family gathering. I even indulged in TWO mini dairy-free Dipped Mocha Frozen Dessert Bars before deciding to go on a diet! Yet here we are, with less than 90 days left in 2024.As the year speeds by, it’s the perfect moment to pause and assess your financial strategies. To set yourself up for a successful and profitable 2025, I want to share three essential financial moves tailored specifically for pool service professionals. These steps will help you optimize your pricing, enhance cash flow management, and maximize your tax deductions, ensuring you finish the year strong.Optimize Your PricingI start here because proper pricing can lead to increased sales volume and improved cash flow. This enables you to invest in opportunities and manage operational expenses more effectively. Setting the right price ensur

280

15 days ago

sharonburchSkimmer Verified Partner

Ideas & inspiration for business owners

If I'm using Skimmer, why do I need QuickBooks?

Greetings!I specialize in setting up QuickBooks for pool service business owners and bookkeepers to track financial transactions and provide the reports needed to make informed business decisions. In The Pool Deck, I’ll share information to help you learn new tips and tricks for running your business more efficiently with your software.I am going to start my first post with one of the most frequently asked questions I get from clients - “If I’m using Skimmer, do I even need QuickBooks?” The answer is YES! This question is typically asked due to frustration with using QuickBooks. They gave up trying to use it or ended up spending more money than expected to have someone else clean it up. If this sounds familiar, here are a few reasons why it’s worth taking another look. So, why do you need QuickBooks? The answer is simple. It’s the easiest way to know the true financial health of your business. Yes, you can still send invoices from Skimmer (and should) and see the cost of your chemical

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16 days ago

AtlasPoolsGeneral Member

Ideas & inspiration for business owners

Building your own direct mail list

Kudos to Skimmer for doing so much for the industry, not just in the product, but the webinars and other resources available. One marketing option that doesn’t seem to get much detail on is direct mail. My highest return has been in quality postcards sent to a very highly targeted, self generated list. Using software like Propstream (built for real estate investors), you can target exactly where and who you want to be talking to and create a list specific to your business. In my case, I’m looking for homes worth $850k+, with pools, in specific zip codes. You can be more precise and even draw out your target area if desired. I download that info, do some spreadsheet magic to dumb it down for Vistaprint then design a postcard and send out about 2500 pieces per mailing using Vistaprint’s inhouse mailing system. Not the cheapest way to go, but it is easy and relatively fast. Typical cost is $100 per month for Propstream (if you want to generate new lists often, otherwise buy a month then c

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16 days ago

Industry news, training & life on the road

Get started in the community! Check out the latest industry news & training, plus share your stories from the road.

Getting started in the community

11 topics
0 Replies

News, trends & training

50 topics
61 Replies

Life on the road

26 topics
93 Replies

Growing your business

Tap into the community network to buy and sell routes and share information & best practices to help you grow as a business owner and leader.

Ideas & inspiration for business owners

49 topics
154 Replies

AtlasPoolsGeneral Member

Ideas & inspiration for business owners

Building your own direct mail list

431

16 days ago

Chlorine KingSkimmer Verified Partner

Life on the road

What do you lose out of your truck the most when in transit?

For me, it’s the dang Taylor test kits. I’ve launched mine like 100 times. I keep mine in the back of my riptide. I’ll be just driving along not paying attention to this camouflaged speed bumps… hit one and launch my kit all over the road. My buddy in this video was driving me to drop off one of my trucks to be wrapped and we got to launch his too ;) I’m curious to what you guys lose out of your trucks. Is it random stuff or something that seems to be consistent?

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25 days ago

JoeNew Member

Ideas & inspiration for business owners

Marketing by Pool Monopoly

Considering using Pool Monopoly. Does anyone here use them? What’s been your experience?

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1 month ago

code3pools_opsConversation Starter

News, trends & training

Flooded Pools

This is our first time dealing with plodded pools after a storm. What are your best tips and recommended steps to effectively clean up flooded pools and ensure they are safe for swimming?

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1 month ago

nikiacostaTeam Skimmer

News, trends & training

Salt shortages?

I’ve seen several posts in fb groups posting about salt shortages, and it looks like some folks are making a run on salt. Is this happening in your market?

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1 month ago

bradengeis6New Member

Ideas & inspiration for business owners

Vaccum

What does everyone use for their vac? Riptide or Hammerhead?

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2 months ago

Happy PoolsGeneral Member

Life on the road

Stubborn Yellow Algae

Hey everyone, I am dealing with a pool that has what we think is Yellow Algae. The Chlorine level was 4.5 when we got there today and all of the rest of the chemicals were within range. We have been using yellow algaecide weekly and can’t seem to get it under control. The pump has been running 10 hrs/ day and we clean the filter regularly. This pool is on the beach so I am thinking that could be part of it. Does anyone have any magic they can recommend? Thinking I might give PoolRx a try on this one…

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2 months ago

wakefieldpoolandspaRookie Member

Ideas & inspiration for business owners

Best Fleet Fuel Card Recommendations

Howdy everyone! I’m shopping around for fleet fuel cards and just wanted to see if anyone had any solid recommendations in their experience.

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3 months ago

Pool Man MikeSpecialist

News, trends & training

Algae and warm weather

Hi all. Curious as to what some other pool pros are doing to combat this issue especially you pool pros in warmer Climents? Right now, we are aiming for about 5ppm in all of our accounts as well as keeping chlorinators with the appropriate number of tablets however, we are still getting calls from homeowners that they are experiencing signs of algae. I’ll further add that the chemistry is all with in tolerance levels including CYA. Do you guys just use an algaecide treatment when this happens that helps cure it and keeps it at bay during the summer months? For those of you that use Pool RX how are you selling this to your customers? Do you just ask them to buy it or do you provide it? It's hard for us to mark up the cost of Pool RX when it can be purchased for less on Amazon then I can buy it from Pool Corp. I would like to implement it into our service but just want to know the best way how that is working for the consensus.

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3 months ago

nikiacostaTeam Skimmer

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