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Ideas & inspiration for business owners

Discuss ideas and opportunities with other business owners and dive into topics like financial management, marketing, hiring, team engagement, and more.

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100 Posts
sharonburch
Skimmer Verified Partner
sharonburchSkimmer Verified Partner
published in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Should you use Automated Payout Syncing with QuickBooks? YES!!! Here's why and how...

Thank you, Skimmer! Automated Payout Syncing with QuickBooks is a game changer! Skimmer's new payout syncing update automatically syncs with QuickBooks, creating both an invoice and payment record AND creating a bank deposit that reconciles with the payout. The reconciliation is 98% done for you! So, how do you set it up?Set up the QuickBooks integrations settings as shown below or in the video above.Payout syncing setup in Skimmer  Choose 'undeposited funds' for payment deposit account in QuickBooks for the Skimmer Payouts Choose ‘banking/credit card merchant fees’ expense account in QuickBooks for the skimmer payout feesHere’s why: 💳 Online Payment Processing Skimmer uses Stripe for processing online credit/debit card payments Stripe takes a fee for processing credit cards, debit cards, and ACH online The new payout syncing feature helps reconcile the difference between invoice amount and actual deposit Example: Customer pays $100 - $2 processing fee = you receive $98 🏦 Quick

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R
Rookie Member
R
New Member
rmgaskillNew Member
posted in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Services other than Pool Cleaning

Does anyone use the program for housekeeping? Any tips or tricks? 

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R
New Member
nikiacosta
Team Skimmer
nikiacostaTeam Skimmer
published in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Between Two Stops episode drop 🎧

In this episode of Between Two Stops, I’m chatting with a familiar face in The Pool Deck community ​@sharonburch! We discuss the intricacies of managing a pool service business and focus on the importance of setting up QuickBooks correctly for financial reporting and decision-making.Sharon also shares her expertise in bridging the gap between pool service owners and accountants, emphasizing the need to accurately track income and expenses. We also explore pricing strategies, the significance of preparing for business transitions, and the essential reports every pool business should maintain for effective management.You can watch the video OR listen to the audio-only version of Between Two Stops on all major podcast platforms.  To subscribe, visit http://www.betweentwostops.com.Have an idea or want to be a guest? Drop a comment below👇 

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nikiacosta
Team Skimmer
Michelle Kavanaugh
Skimmer Verified Partner
Michelle KavanaughSkimmer Verified Partner
published in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
The Hidden Cost of Neglecting Marketing: Why Pros Can’t Afford to Put It on the Back Burner

The Hidden Cost of Neglecting Marketing: Why Pros Can’t Afford to Put It on the Back BurnerIn the world of pool service, you're often juggling a dozen responsibilities at once—scheduling routes, managing staff, handling equipment issues, and keeping customers happy. It’s no wonder that marketing often gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. But here’s the truth: if you’re not marketing your business consistently, you’re missing out on growth, revenue, and long-term stability.The Problem: Why Marketing Is Often IgnoredMany small business owners, especially in the service industry, operate under the mindset that “good work sells itself.” While great service is essential, word-of-mouth alone won’t grow your business at the pace or consistency you need, especially in a competitive market.Here are the most common reasons pool service professionals put marketing on the back burner:Time Constraints: Daily operations take priority, leaving little time to plan or execute marketing strategi

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Michelle Kavanaugh
Skimmer Verified Partner
Chlorine King
Skimmer Verified Partner
Chlorine KingSkimmer Verified Partner
posted in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
All About The New "Schedule" Feature Skimmer Just Released! You're Missing Out If You're Not Using It!!!

 Skimmer just released a brand new feature that is very impactful and very efficient. From the desktop you’ll notice a new tab named “Schedule”. That tab is what this post is all about! If you click into it you’ll see your entire business for the month right before your eyes and there is so much you can do with it. There’s a lot of great features packed into this one tab, but let me point out some highlights that I love about it! Like I say in the video I loathe the word “Game changer” but it really is. You get to choose where you want to focus. When you click into schedule you’ll see three main features on the top part of the page Scheduled - What is currently scheduled Unscheduled - What is unscheduled  Map - See where all your stops for the company are that week In this section you can choose what you want to see. Just check or uncheck the box next to the option and you can see everything at a glance or really focus on what you want to see. Everything is drag and drop. You can dra

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Chlorine King
Skimmer Verified Partner
RR Pool Pros
Specialist
RR Pool ProsSpecialist
posted in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Benefits vs Salary Increases

Does anyone offer benefits, ie health, vacation, retirement, etc? Over the past few years we started offering all of these to attract employees when it was difficult to find reliable employees. Now I’m seeing employees aren’t as interested in benefits and would rather have better hourly pay or salary. This mostly applies to the field technicians and not office staff or managers. What are your thoughts on taking benefits away and raise pay? 

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New Member
Travis
Team Skimmer
TravisTeam Skimmer
asked in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Storm Clean Up Fee?

Given the storms that are making their way across parts of the country, curious how you all deal with clean ups.  Do you charge extra for post storm clean up? If so, how much? 

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New Member
Chlorine King
Skimmer Verified Partner
Chlorine KingSkimmer Verified Partner
asked in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Thoughts and Ideas for This Video Format???

Hey Everyone,I decided to try a different style of content creation and I’m curious to hear what you guys think about it. I think it adds a unique and entertaining perspective to the videos when shooting in this format.I call it “Walkin’ Talkin’ Pools” and essentially I have my drone follow me as I talk about pool related topics. The thought is to be a “me to you” type of conversation that is unscripted and have some scenery to enjoy as I walk about and talk about pools or answer questions from others. I’d like to go to different places to shoot these videos so it’s always different.Thoughts?What are some ideas for topics you’d like covered in these? Here is the first one I just did. I’m curious for your input. Have a great weekend everyone.  

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Chlorine King
Skimmer Verified Partner
K
Rookie Member
Kim HardacreRookie Member
asked in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
QBO and Skimmer synching

When payments are recorded as outside of Skimmer, they import into QB as bank deposits instead of undeposited funds.  So on the QB side of things, when we have a deposit to post, we need to post it against the “payment” but it’s already on the register as a deposit so I can’t match it.  Can you help with this?  

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ohanapoolsoffl
Rookie Member
ohanapoolsoffl
Rookie Member
ohanapoolsofflRookie Member
posted in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Pool Tech Time Keeping

Hi All!Curious what time keeping apps or programs other Pros are using? While we pay our techs well and their full weekly salary even if they work less than 40 hours, we do not offer overtime currently. And as our company grows, we want to have best practices in place as well as verified protection so there is no question or confusion should there ever be a situation arise down the road. You always hope that people are good and honest but it is not always going to be the case. I do not want to use the same time keeping program as my payroll (ADP) so that it does not mess with the payroll. 

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ohanapoolsoffl
Rookie Member
Chlorine King
Skimmer Verified Partner
Chlorine KingSkimmer Verified Partner
published in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Pool season is ramping up! What do you do for hiring and training employees???

It’s that time of year again… the start of POOL SEASON! Along with that usually comes hiring and training new staff to prep for the season ahead. My question to you is what do you do for hiring and training employees?? The video above is a cliff notes version of my successes and failures with hiring new staff. There’s been a lot of growing pains with this topic to figure out what we are looking for as a company and how to find them. The team I have now is the best I’ve ever had. Some luck is involved, some is “knowing” someone and the rest is just sifting through hundreds of applications to find the right fit. I’ve hired a lot of bad eggs along the way before I found the solid team I have now. So it’s not all unicorns and rainbows when wanting to grow. Believe me on that one! Hiring: We’re to the point now where we keep an Indeed listing open 24/7 to keep applications coming in to build up a list of applicants you'd like to hire when the time comes. Hopefully, this will create a quick

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Chlorine King
Skimmer Verified Partner
FlaviaSwims
Team Skimmer
FlaviaSwimsTeam Skimmer
published in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
How do you collect from someone who has passed on?

I hosted our first collections workshop this week with ​@BriannaL, and we had an intriguing question: How do you collect from someone who has passed on?I did a little research, and we've learned this. Reminder: we are NOT lawyers.Context: Estates are handled by the probate process, which is handled at the county level.Contact the Probate Court/Clerk of Court:Reach out to the Probate Court or the Clerk of the Circuit Court in that county. You can request information about the probate case associated with the deceased. Many counties offer online case lookup tools that allow you to search for probate records using the deceased person's name. The case file should list the executor or personal representative in charge of the estate. Example: Here is a link to Lee County's case lookup Review Public Probate Records:Once you locate the probate case, review the publicly available documents. These records typically include the name and contact information (or at least the registered attorney's c

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FlaviaSwims
Team Skimmer
Justine
The Pool Deck Community Team
JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team
published in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
On-demand access: A deep dive into The State of Pool Service 2025 findings

Tune in for an in-depth discussion with our friends at AQUA Magazine about The State of Pool Service 2025 industry report. This live discussion covers key insights, priorities, and challenges from the report findings that can help you thrive in 2025, including:How pool professionals are navigating economic challenges such as inflation and labor shortages Strategic pricing tactics to remain competitive in 2025 Insights into the growing influence of private equity in the industry Changes in marketing strategies over the past year The gradual adoption of the "plus chems" pricing model This is an excellent opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and enhance your knowledge in the pool service industry. Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting out, there will be valuable takeaways for everyone 🍿  

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Justine
The Pool Deck Community Team
nikiacosta
Team Skimmer
nikiacostaTeam Skimmer
published in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Between Two Stops Episode 5 is out! Check out "Cool Pool Tools: Cyclone Filter Cleaners with Jordan and Maria Thiessen"

In this episode, we speak to Jordan and Maria Thiessen, makers of the Cyclone Filter Cleaner, an innovative product designed to make cleaning filters faster, easier, and with less mess. The best pros use the best tools, and this is one you'll definitely want on your truck! Learn more about the Cyclone Filter Cleaner at cyclonefiltercleaner.com and use code POOLPRO to get 10% off your order! Like and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform! Audio Podcast: www.betweentwostops.comYoutube Video/Podcast: https://youtu.be/uzL4gjD5_TQ Want to be a guest on our podcast? Email us at podcast@getskimmer.com and tell us what you’d like to discuss!

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nikiacosta
Team Skimmer
Ryan.BrosPool
Rookie Member
Ryan.BrosPoolRookie Member
posted in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Pool Guy Wisdom

What is some of the best knowledge or wisdom that you have learned related to the pool business? I would particularly love to hear from some folks who have been in the industry for a while.

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Chlorine King
Skimmer Verified Partner
Justine
The Pool Deck Community Team
JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team
published in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Virtual Owner Meet-Ups — Don't Miss Out On These Discussions

​We launched Groups in The Pool Deck to connect members with other entrepreneurs in their surrounding community to discuss topics related to owning a pool service business specific to their region. So, it's time to gather our group members, make introductions, and start having discussions to share learnings, collaborate on new ideas, and solve some challenges. If you have already joined your regional group, respond to the meet-up post in your group forum to save your seat and join this industry brain trust's initial gathering. If you haven’t joined your regional group yet, connect now so you don’t miss this opportunity to expand your local network – click here to check out the current groups. Virtual Meet-Up Dates Arizona on Monday, February 3rd @ 2 - 3:15 PM MST Northeast on Tuesday, February 4th @ 2 - 3:15 EST Florida on Wednesday, February 5th @ 3 - 4:15 EST Nevada on Thursday, February 6th @ @ - 3:15 PST Midwest on Friday, February 7th @ 2 - 3:15 CST Northern California o

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Chlorine King
Skimmer Verified Partner
J
New Member
Jachin80New Member
posted in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Commercial Pool and how to do it well?

Hey guys,  I’m very new to the business with 40 pools and just finished my pool operater license.  I am wondering if you could share with me the best ways and examples of documents to get bids for large commercial pools.  Its a small town and want to do this well.  Thanks.  

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ThePOOLButler
New Member
P
Rookie Member
Pooldude2023Rookie Member
posted in 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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NJPR
New Member
Ryan.BrosPool
Rookie Member
Ryan.BrosPoolRookie Member
asked in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
New Account Estimate Formulas

To preface, I usually base my pricing on either the overall going rate in my area or just feeling it out. This has worked pretty well for me so far with my residential accounts, but I’m feeling a bit out of my league when thinking about bidding on commercial accounts. For my sake and the industry, I really don’t want to underbid these jobs.Does anyone have any formula they use for bidding jobs? Residential and/or commercial?Much obliged for any feedback. Thanks!

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Ryan.BrosPool
Rookie Member
K
General Member
KtwoGeneral Member
asked in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Skimmer for repair only

Hey community, I do Liners, repairs and landscaping only. Would skimmer be a good solution for The liner and repair portion of this. Any insight would be helpful thank you everybody.

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Ryan.BrosPool
Rookie Member
sharonburch
Skimmer Verified Partner
sharonburchSkimmer Verified Partner
published in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
NOW AVAILABLE: QuickBooks Online Course with Skimmer Integration

 I am thrilled to announce the launch of a specialized QuickBooks Online course for Skimmer users, with a unique opportunity for the first people to register! By joining now, those going through the course will be actively shaping the course content by asking questions related to Skimmer usage in QuickBooks. These questions will be answered through personalized video additions to the course while giving you the answers to your specific questions. Additionally, exclusive live Q&A office hours on Zoom will provide further support and guidance.  See below for course details and click the registration link for more information: Register Now Course OverviewTraining Videos and Checklists:How to set up QuickBooks to generate reports specific to a pool service business Custom Chart of Accounts for the Pool Service Business How to set up invoicing in Skimmer integrated with QuickBooks How to reconcile payments received in Skimmer in QuickBooks How to book income in QuickBooks (invoice or sa

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sharonburch
Skimmer Verified Partner
Justine
The Pool Deck Community Team
JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team
published in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
On-demand access - Mindset Mastery: Overcoming Fear and Unlocking Pool Business Growth in 2025

Now is the time to get unstuck and step into 2025 with a clear, growth-oriented mindset!  In this webinar replay, ​@nikiacosta sits down ​with ​@Michelle Kavanaugh, a seasoned consultant specializing in the pool industry, to explore strategies for overcoming mental blocks to support business owners in scaling their operations and setting goals that align with their vision.Watch to learn how to identify and tackle limiting beliefs to create a powerful vision for your business and develop actionable steps to achieve sustainable growth:A proven framework to shift from fear to confidence in decision-making Practical tools to set clear priorities and stay focused on your goals Insights into building systems and delegating effectively to free up your time Inspiration and actionable tips to take bold steps toward growing your business Also, check out the poll below and weigh in on what your biggest challenge as a business owner is right now. Here are the results from our live webinar:35% Recr

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Justine
The Pool Deck Community Team
Justine
The Pool Deck Community Team
JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team
published in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Free Workshops to Fuel Your Business Growth in 2025

As everyone starts ramping up again for 2025, we’re offering interactive workshops in The Pool Deck on various business topics over the next few months. Led by our contributing experts, these sessions aim to help you with your planning and goal-setting by sharing their proven playbooks.Here are January’s workshops, click the links to get more information on what you’ll learn and to register:Mindset Mastery: Overcome Fear and Unlock Business Growth in 2025 on January 23, led by ​@Michelle Kavanaugh  Future-Proof Your Plan: Exit Strategies and Financial Security for Pool Pros on January 28, led by ​@DavidSPL  Attending these workshops is FREE, as our community is all about providing programming, expert insights, and resources. Additionally, we aim to connect you with your peers to support each member with access to industry knowledge, best practices, and product training. Plus, sometimes, you need a space to exchange ideas and find inspiration on your entrepreneurial journey, so you don

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Michelle Kavanaugh
Skimmer Verified Partner
Justine
The Pool Deck Community Team
JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team
published in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
Between Two Stops Episode 4: Dressing for Success (and Comfort!)

In this episode, we chat with Sonja Sawyer of Revdup Apparel, a company that makes high-quality, lightweight, stretchy, and chemical-resistant branded apparel for pool professionals.Sonja discusses the importance of branding and the design process and offers a special discount for Between Two Stops listeners.Check out RevUp Apparel's eye-catching designs at www.revdupapparel.com and find them at an upcoming trade show!Plus, you can order this custom shirt they designed especially for Skimmer: ORDER NOW 😎Fully Sublimated Long Sleeve Jersey. UPF50+ with MaxDri Moisture ManagementListen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or by clicking here 🎧 https://betweentwostops.com, or you can also view the video 🍿 

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Justine
The Pool Deck Community Team
Coastalbluepool
Rookie Member
CoastalbluepoolRookie Member
asked in Ideas & inspiration for business owners
When Is the Right Time to Expand a Pool Service Team?

Hi everyone,I’m looking for advice on expanding my pool service team. Currently, it’s just me and one employee (who is leaving soon to go back to school after two years). I handle all the repairs myself, but I’m also in the middle of taking over my father’s pool building company, which is taking up a lot of my time. My question is: How do you determine when it’s the right time to hire additional employees for service routes? I know it depends on business finances, but is there a guideline or rule of thumb for knowing how many service routes you should have before pulling the trigger?I want to make sure I grow responsibly while still managing everything effectively. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

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Chlorine King
Skimmer Verified Partner

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