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News, trends & training

News, trends & training

Share articles, podcasts, upcoming training, and trade shows, and discuss trends and other interesting industry topics.

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jacknelsonatxTeam Skimmer

published in News, trends & training

Greetings from Jack, Skimmer's CEO

Hello everyone, Welcome to The Pool Deck! At Skimmer, our purpose is to empower pool and spa service professionals with a platform to build great l businesses. We began fulfilling this purpose by developing an all-in-one pool service management platform to simplify running your business, and from the feedback we've received, it seems to be working well. As we continue to grow, we've heard from our customers that they would like more opportunities to learn and collaborate with other Skimmer users and our team of experts. So, we started working on creating a community space where everyone can come together to share experiences and knowledge. We understand the importance of having a safe space to ask questions to learn together. But our purpose for The Pool Deck community goes beyond becoming a Skimmer super user. We have partnered with professionals to contribute in areas essential for helping you grow your business and achieve your goals. These experts will cover marketing, finance

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5 months ago

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

published in News, trends & training

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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16 hours ago

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

published in 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

published in 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

published in News, trends & training

A Day of Learning and Networking at Skimmer’s First-Ever Pro Summit

Earlier this week, we hosted our first-ever Skimmer Pro Summit—Austin edition. Star Hill Ranch was the perfect venue to bring together our Central Texas community of company leaders and their Skimmer admins for a full day of professional development, networking, and fun. We were so energized by the opportunity to spend that much face time with our customers and connect them with other pool entrepreneurs to share best practices and inspire them with new ideas for growing their business, finding efficiencies, and maximizing Skimmer's value.Heritage Pool Supply Group was our exclusive event sponsor, plus we had a number of contributing partners who generously donated product samples to help us create an awesome Pro Summit package in addition to some cool Skimmer swag for all of our attendees: Sensafe’s Swim Check Fix phosphate tablets PoolRx’s bacteria and algae prevention units BluerayXL’s Mineral Purifier & Catalyst units Jack’s Magic Stain Identification Kits Portable power banks

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26 days ago

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

published in News, trends & training

Exciting News: Skimmer is Growing to Serve You Better!

We’ve got some incredible news to share with you! Skimmer has raised $74 million in growth capital from Mainsail Partners, an investment firm that specializes in helping fast-growing companies like ours scale. This partnership means BIG things for the future of Skimmer and for pool pros like you!You already trust us to help you organize, manage, and grow your business, and with this new investment, we’re doubling down on our commitment to making your life even easier. Here’s what you can look forward to:🚀 Improved product & performanceWe’ll be investing heavily in enhancing Skimmer’s product, including making exciting updates to our customer management, reporting, and enterprise-grade features. That means more tools to help you grow your revenue, save time, and keep everything running smoothly.💡 Continuous innovationWe’re always striving to innovate and deliver new features that make a real difference in your day-to-day operations. This investment allows us to bring these innovat

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29 days ago

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

published in News, trends & training

The 2025 State of Pool Service survey is now open!

Hey, Pool Deck — Skimmer is preparing our 2025 State of Pool Service report, and we need your input! Fill out the anonymous survey linked below and let us know what challenges and opportunities you expect in 2025.Last year’s report drew on input from pool professionals nationwide with 1600+ survey respondents, and market research.This year, we hope to top that with even more relevant insights into the pool service landscape to help you crush your goals in 2025. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE SURVEY Plus, after completing the survey, you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win one of 4 awesome prizes:1st prize: Riptide SL vacuum valued at $2000 2nd prize: $500 in Heritage Pool Supply Group credit 3rd prize: Primate Pole 3X valued at $300 4th prize: A Skimmer swag pack The survey closes on November 15th.Also, if you still haven’t checked out the 2024 report, CLICK HERE to access all these insights and more:Pricing Data: Uncover the latest trends and benchmarks and pricing strategies.

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30 days ago

FlaviaSwimsTeam Skimmer

posted in News, trends & training

Milton Making Landfall

*** Post UPDATED ***Hello! I’d like to throw out there that the Small Business Administration offers disaster loans. You can see if you’re eligible here.They do require documentation. The typical documentation required to prove disaster-related damage or economic injury includes: insurance claims, photos, repair estimates, financial statements, tax returns, and other related documentation.For physical damage, it's important to document the direct impact on your property or equipment, while for economic injury (EIDL), demonstrating a decline in revenue and cash flow is key. Providing detailed, accurate, and timely information will help expedite your application and ensure that you receive the assistance you need.Naturally, it’s a little challenging for a service business to prove significant change in the business, but here are a few ideas to consider:If you took regular Skimmer service pictures on your pool and spa service route, utilize those as “before” pictures. Document the “after”

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1 month ago

FlaviaSwimsTeam Skimmer

posted in News, trends & training

Attributes of Routes Sold on Skimmer!

Thinking about buying or selling routes? Here are a handful of datapoints from the Skimmer universe on routes sold since June:Texas leads the way in routes sold, followed by Florida and Arizona.Monthly service size ranges from only a few service stops to 500+.2/3 of routes sold have Service Emails enabled. 50% of routes sold were enabled with Skimmer Billing.84% of all business volume was paid via online card/bank. That’s what we’ve got for now! What else are you interested in knowing about routes bought and sold on Skimmer? Let me know in the comments.

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1 month ago

code3pools_opsConversation Starter

asked in 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

posted in News, trends & training

Preparing for US port strikes and possible supply chain disruptions

I spoke with an exec at a major distributor today, and he expressed that his executive team has been discussing the potential impact of a potential strike and closures of east coast and gulf region ports. As we saw with Covid, port closures and supply chain disruptions can have a direct impact on pricing and availability of chemicals, equipment, and parts. It is premature to speculate on the potential impact of the strike, but keep an eye on your chem and equipment prices and adjust your rates accordingly!Here are some suggestions to prepare for the potential impact: Consider stocking up on equipment and supplies you know you’re going to need. If you have outstanding quotes that your customers have not approved, give them a nudge to approve the quote. Let them know that pricing and availability may be uncertain. Prepare to increase prices in the event chem and equipment prices increase, especially if you include chems as part of your service pricing. Check out the Skimmer Price Incre

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1 month ago

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

published in News, trends & training

Winterization tips to help your customers get ready to RULE THE POOL next spring

As pool season comes to a close for those of us in the north, I am sharing Pentair’s recent post on how to guide your customers through winterization and turn them into repeat customers this spring.READ ARTICLE

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1 month ago

nikiacostaTeam Skimmer

asked in 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

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

published in News, trends & training

Smooth Out Seasonal Costs: Skimmer's New 12-Month Blended Rate Plan

As summer winds down, we know that for many of you, managing your Skimmer software budget can come with seasonal challenges during peak and off-peak months.That's why I wanted to let you know about our new 12-month blended rate plan, which will make being a Skimmer customer even easier without any incremental cost.This plan is designed to help you manage your expenses more efficiently by evenly spreading your current Skimmer subscription costs throughout the year. Instead of paying higher fees during the warmer months when your business is busiest, you'll benefit from predictable, consistent billing every month—no matter the season.Benefits of Switching OverConsistent Monthly Billing: No more expense spikes during peak months by smoothing out your cash flow with one predictable monthly payment. Year-Round Access: Use Skimmer to help plan and prepare for the next season. Personalized Account Planning: Access to a dedicated Customer Success Manager to partner with you on using Skimmer to

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2 months ago

Lauren BroomSkimmer Verified Partner

posted in News, trends & training

September CPO courses

Upcoming September CPO courses can be found herehttps://www.spacecoastpoolschool.com/100-online-cpo-class/

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2 months ago

nikiacostaTeam Skimmer

published in News, trends & training

Nominations for the Pentair Pool Pro Awards Open September 4th!

The Search for This Year’s Pool Professionals Is On! Pentair Pool will be searching for this year’s pool professionals who work tirelessly to make pool moments feel larger than life. Formerly known as the Pleatco Pool Tech Search, the Pentair Pool Pro Awards is a prestigious honor that recognizes and celebrates two stand-out pool professionals — one man and one woman — who are larger than life in their local communities. Other finalist categories that will be honored include the following: Lifetime AchievementYoung LeaderAdvancing TechnologySafety AdvocatePleatco Pioneer WHY ENTER THE POOL PRO AWARDS?If selected as one of the top two Pentair Pool Pro winners, enjoy the following perks:2025 Atlantic City Pool & Spa Show travel accommodations and special recognitionPersonalized excursion hosted by Pentair PoolEnrollment for a Genesis/PHTA training courseExclusive interview with an industry-leading publication, AQUA MagazineAnd more!AWARDS TIMELINENomination phase: Sept. 4 - Oct. 18,

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3 months ago

Lauren BroomSkimmer Verified Partner

posted in News, trends & training

Busy weekend for education!!

Exciting 4 CPO classes going on this weekend and I am not teaching. I am actually hosting a fantasy football draft at my house this Saturday.Four of my awesome instructor teaching between in person in St. Petersburg FL with Bill Hamilton or 2 virtual CPO English classes with Stephen Ely and August A Ursin or Spanish virtual CPO class with Clemente Jesus Rivera!! I am thankful for all of my instructors. They are awesome! This class here is in Saint Petersburg going on right now in Florida taught by Billy Hamilton with full brand new awesome class room thanks to AquaServ Pool Service and Bryan Lee Lulucki!! Beautiful!!

3 months ago

Pool MagazineGeneral Member

posted in News, trends & training

Podcast on Skimmer Service Rate Index with Pool Magazine

Had a great conversation with Niki Acosta and Jack Nelson about the service index rate. Really valuable info for pool pros that gives a 10,000 ft overview of what companies are charging in a given market. Listen in on the discussion on the Pool Magazine podcast.

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3 months ago

DavidSPLSkimmer Verified Partner

published in News, trends & training

Revolutionary Method for Treating Phosphates in Your Swimming Pool

I love new ideas and innovative products, and these phosphate tablets make treating phosphates easier than ever. Just drop one or two tablets into the skimmer, and you're done. Do they work? Yes—thanks to their main ingredient, lanthanum, they're highly effective. Watch a complete month of testing the Swim Check Fix™ Phosphate from begining to end here:

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3 months ago

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

published in News, trends & training

More Skimmer help is now available in The Pool Deck 🤓

Our goal for The Pool Deck is to make this your one-stop shop for everything you need to help you run and grow your business. And a key part of this expanding knowledge hub is supporting you on your journey to becoming a Skimmer power user to get the most value from your subscription. So, to help you quickly find the answers to your Skimmer questions, we have added all of the videos and how-to articles from our Help Center into the community.You can access the Skimmer Help Center from the mega-nav, and the available resources are organized by functionality to make it easier for you to find what you need. These resources will also appear as options in your search results based on your keywords. Each article will have "Skimmer Help Center" in the title to differentiate the content from other post options and help you choose the best resource link for your search. Check out this article to learn more about using The Pool Deck’s universal search function. 💡The Pool Deck Community Tip -

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3 months ago

alexTeam Skimmer

published in News, trends & training

Skimmer's Integration with the Orenda Calculator™News

Exciting news! Skimmer has launched our long-awaited integration with Orenda’s Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) calculator. The calculator is a powerful tool for maintaining balanced water chemistry, which is crucial for customer satisfaction in the pool service industry. This integration makes it easier than ever for Skimmer customers to deliver great service. It gives technicians comprehensive water quality insights to achieve optimal water balance and pool health, all in Skimmer. Unlike other LSI solutions available on the market, Skimmer’s integration with Orenda is simple and intuitive, minimizing switching between apps. It offers a very close replica of the Orenda experience within the familiar Skimmer app, minimizing technicians' learning curve. Features an intuitive interface with features like sliders for easy value input, meaning fewer clicks for your techs and more workflow efficiency. Works both online and offline, which is perfect for remote pool locations. Techs are able

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3 months ago

Pool Man MikeSpecialist

asked in 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

Lauren BroomSkimmer Verified Partner

posted in News, trends & training

IF you need virtual CPO....here it is for August

August Virtual CPO classes:08/03 Fusion08/17 Fusion08/17 Spanish Fusion08/17-08/18 Full 2 day Virtual CPO08/31 FusionCheck out full schedule here:Virtual CPO Class Schedule

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3 months ago

Lauren BroomSkimmer Verified Partner

posted in News, trends & training

St. Petersburg FL in Person CPO Class

August 17-18, 2024 (Sat. & Sun.)8:00 am to 5:00 pm each dayAt Aqua Serv Pools Location 5150 66th St. N St. Petersburg, FL 33709Cost $350/personRegister Here: August 17-18, 2024 (Sat. & Sun.)- Full 2 Day In Person CPO (St. Petersburg, FL) - CPO Certifications, CPO Training, Pool Consulting, Residential Training, Homeowner Pool School (spacecoastpoolschool.com)

3 months ago

Lauren BroomSkimmer Verified Partner

posted in News, trends & training

Chlorine and acid on your pool cart

Do you think it is safe to store muriatic acid next to your liquid chlorine on your pool cart that hangs on the back of your truck or trailer like pic below?What could happen if they are rear ended?What about the license plate not visible?

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3 months ago

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