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I think we should be looking at HVAC, electrical, plumbers who are all a decade ahead of us. Im in a best practices group and they are running trades much more profitable. Here is what I would like to see in Skimmer for pricing a jobSet a Job Install Pump. That is the job. In the job you set time. Two hours. In the system you set your $250/hr for labor. So it knows it needs to charge $500 for labor. Then when you select the job there is  an add product feature and you select the product from your catalog. So say you select a pump and the cost is $1500. you set in the settings all products between $1000-2000 get a 75% margin on them. So if the pump is 1500, and then later when we have heritage linked if the price becomes 1600 you don’t need to do anything, it will stall take the margin you want on the pump and the labor. And maybe you add a second item which is a new electrical whip. Price is $20 and your margins on that may be 150% because you set your margins at 150 for anything betwe

This is Part 6 in a series of posts looking at how to stop managing and start managing as a leader. We are exploring are the critical aspects of effective leaders.Tip 6: They Keep A Good PerspectivePowerful leaders don’t allow their desire to be liked to outweigh their commitment to be of service. There is a fantastic scene in the Nelson Mandela documentary A Long Walk to Freedom where he makes a public appearance shortly after being released from 27 years of prison. “You have trusted me to be your leader and as your leader, it is my responsibility to tell you that you are wrong,” Mandela says in one of his speeches. “We must forgive the British. We must put an end to this fighting.”Mandela knew many would be resistant to and angered by his message. But he was willing to say what needed to be said. He held a bigger commitment to be of service to others and his vision of peace rather than being liked.When we’re more concerned about being liked and accepted, we sabotage our ability to be

Hello all,I am relatively new to the business. I own a company with ~120 pools. When hiring new employees, I would really like to know who exactly I am sending onto my client properties. I am wondering how many owners out there do background checks on potential new employees?  Also, what sites or companies are you using to do the background checks? Besides driving record and obvious violent crimes, what red flags should I look for?Tom

Hi, I’m shopping around for general liability insurance and am looking for recommendations. 

I have a unique business with 4 retail stores and routes.  We currently utilize Skimmer for routes and work orders (essentially every job our techs do). That being said, we are currently utilizing another platform for invoicing and inventory due to our retail showrooms. I am wondering if anyone has found a way to use Skimmer only for this type of thing, or have integrations to make it work that way.

Pros: I am adding a new truck now and have been very happy with the Ford Maverick truck. I am forecasting needing another vehicle this coming spring and have been mulling around the idea of getting a Promaster van. These are the big, high roof sprinter looking box cargo vans. Today I was at the gas station and there were 4 of them there, all wrapped with different service company logos… HVAC, Plumbing etc. They look good and really good when they are wrapped nice. I have always liked vans and the ability to keep massive amounts of tools equipment locked up and out of the elements. I like the Promaster with the low floor for getting heavy items in and out. It, like the maverick gets incredible gas mileage. Here is what has me conflicted…. carrying chemicals. Are you guys using vans? Are you carrying chems in your vans? If so, how do we do it safely? Thanks  

🚨 Virtual Certified Pool Operator (CPO) Course – December 20, 2025! 🚨Taught by Chris Lightenberg, part of our well-seasoned team of expert instructors at Space Coast Pool School.💻 Small virtual class sizes = more personal attention, better instruction, and a more comfortable learning experience.🏠 Learn from anywhere — including from the comfort of your own home!💰 Save $40 when you register now!Price increases January 1, 2026 from $350 → $390, so lock in today’s rate while it lasts.👉 Register here:https://cpocertified.com/event/december-20-2025-sat-1-day-virtual-fusion-hybrid-cpo/

🏊‍♂️ Two-Day Virtual Certified Pool Operator (CPO®) Course📅 December 20–21, 2025 (Sat–Sun)👨‍🏫 Instructor: August UrsinTrain with the best—August Ursin is part of an elite team of instructors with 200+ years of combined industry experience.💻 Why choose our virtual CPO?✔️ Small class sizes = high-quality, interactive instruction✔️ Learn from anywhere✔️ Perfect for pool professionals, property managers & maintenance teams⏰ One of the LAST CPO classes of 2025!💰 Save now:• $375 for this class• Price increases to $390 starting January 1📌 Spots are limited — register today!👉 https://cpocertified.com/event/december-20-21-2025-sat-sun-full-2-day-virtual-cpo/ 

Watch the video or scroll down for step-by-step instructions.Tier: Scaling Up and Skimmer for EnterpriseStep-by-step instructions 1. Skimmer lets you automatically suspend service when invoice payments are overdue. On the web version of Skimmer, go to Settings > Invoicing > Overdue Invoices. 2. Checking the box will activate this feature, and you can set how many days overdue will trigger the suspension. If an invoice meets the overdue threshold, a suspension will appear on the customer’s account.Service stops will be skipped until they’re no longer overdue, at which point service will resume automatically. When you first toggle this feature on, it may take a little while for Skimmer to process and apply the change to customer status. 3. When you activate this feature, if you want to set up an email for this situation, which will let the customer know their account is past due and service is being skipped, toggle it ON under Overdue Invoices. Customize the subject, header, and me

Tiers: AllStep-by-step instructions 1. When processing payments, company owners can choose a certain amount of funds to receive before the regular payout schedule. This functions as early access, or a loan against soon-to-be-processed payments. To access this feature:You must be logged in as the owner account Your company must have existed on the platform for 90 days Your company must have finished at least 5 stops Your company must have processed at least $2,000 worth of paymentsWhen the criteria is met, the Instant Payouts box will appear on the Dashboard, along with the amount you currently have available to draw.Note: The actual speed of the payout appearing in your bank account will depend on the processing speed of your financial institution.  2. When you click “Pay out instantly,” you’ll get a pop-up showing the instant payout details, including the amount you’ve chosen and the receiving account.There is a 1% fee for the option, as this is functionally an advance or a loan. You

📅 Saturday, December 13, 2025💻 100% Live Virtual Certified Pool Operator (CPO®) Course👩‍🏫 Taught by Connie Jannarone, one of the Elite-Level Instructors at Space Coast Pool School✅ Small Virtual Class Sizes – Perfect for anyone who may feel nervous about taking a class online. You’ll get personal attention and real-time support every step of the way!🏊‍♂️ Who Should Be CPO Certified?✔ Pool Service Technicians✔ Apartment & Community Association Managers✔ Hotel & Resort Staff✔ Health Inspectors✔ Pool Owners & Maintenance Staff✔ Anyone responsible for pool operation & safety⭐ Benefits of CPO Certification:✅ Meets state and local health department requirements✅ Learn safe water chemistry & balance✅ Prevent costly pool problems✅ Reduce liability & protect swimmers✅ Boost your professional credibility✅ Increase job opportunities & earnings💰 Price Increase Alert!The cost goes up to $390 on 01/01/2026 —👉 Register now and SAVE $40!🎯 Seats are limited to keep c

Hi Everyone - is there a pool app out there that can give you the gallon capacity of a current pool when looking to take on a new customer (maybe just an address to punch in to get the figure) - I understand how to calculate from the CPO course I just completed, but thought there may be a quicker way to get the figure - I’m sure alot of these pool owners don’t even know their gallon capacity or they think they do and the figure is incorrect - Just trying to save time and be accurate….. Thank you all in advance - hope you’re having a good work summer - brutally warm down here in SW Florida right now - take care and invest in some “poweraid” when it’s on sale…. Cheers from the rookie “Big Steve - BBG Pool Services”

Is anyone able to do away with their external price lists?  I have a price list in Excel.  So far, it has 1200 items or so...been building it since starting the company 20 months ago.

Hey everyone, we are located in Georgia and currently we pay our technicians hourly. We have noticed there is no incentive to be quick other than finishing their day early (which means less pay for them) and a pat on the back. Has anyone had any experience on a pay per pool or any other way to encourage and reward technicians to be quick?

Looking to add a few more accounts / customers to our San Diego coastal community service areas. 

Hello, For those using Skimmer, how do you train your techs on it?Do you have a process or checklist you go over with them?Also curious what tips or tricks you’ve found helpful to make sure everyone’s using it the same way!