For those running a small business, the pressure to maintain a presence on several social media platforms is real and growing. Keeping these platforms updated can generate leads, but try to keep up with too many and you’ll likely get overwhelmed. Thankfully, there are programs to help automate posts and organize your efforts. Laura Murphy,…
SilkBalance turns 10 this year and is celebrating by launching a new product that was four years in the making. “We’re really proud to have made it to a decade bringing these products to customers,” says Susan Dolnik, SilkBalance director of sales and marketing and daughter of founder and director Joe Dolnik. “At the end…
By Leslie Kelly A new cover lifter is on its way to retailers and will soon be in the hands of consumers. The Covermate Vanish XL, unveiled in prototypical form at the 2017 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo in Orlando, will be ready for purchase in November. Mike Genova, president of Leisure Concepts, calls…
For the consumer, shopping for outdoor shade options has often meant choosing among inexpensive outdoor products that fail to perform or ultra-expensive, budget-busting pieces. There is no middle ground and customers have been left hanging as they search in vain for outdoor accessories that are built well but don’t require a meeting with their financial…
Every employer knows the importance of making sure your payroll is running smoothly and efficiently. Many business owners maintain payroll in-house with payroll software, but a growing number of businesses are turning to online payroll companies. When using in-house payroll software, a company must have a bookkeeper on staff to enter, compute and process payroll…
On Nov. 1, I’ll be speaking at the International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo in Las Vegas at the semi-awake time of 7:30 a.m. My topic is pool/spa/patio store visual merchandising for people of all ages. When you design, renovate or just freshen up your store, it pays to think of what will work…
Doug Robinson Owner, Virginia Leisure Chesapeake, Virginia Doug Robinson began his industry career in sales at Orlando’s Rec Warehouse in 1992, eventually becoming a regional manager and moving to Virginia Beach. As Rec Warehouse met financial difficulty, Robinson began to dream of being his own boss. He opened Virginia Leisure in Chesapeake, selling outdoor…
Jeanne DiPaolo’s Christmas list looked different from most people’s. Instead of gifts for herself, she gave her husband Dennis a list of charities she wanted him to support. Jeanne died of cancer in 2015, but Dennis honors her memory by giving to some of her favorite charities, like High Hopes Foundation, a nonprofit that provides…
Opened May 2018, The Spa Gallery showroom in Springfield, Missouri, may not be even a year old, but the managers have been in the hot tub industry for more than 25 years. The Spa Gallery, part of Creative Pool Concepts owned by Brad Tanzer, came about because Tanzer, along with Scott and Kelly Thomas, wanted…
At 21st Century Pools & Spas in upstate New York, now in its 39th year, every year has been a learning experience. “In large part, our market has been stagnant for a couple of decades,” says owner and founder Bob Sullivan. “We’re losing population and taxes are increasing, so we’ve had to work harder to…