Founded almost 50 years ago by industry icon Locksin Thompson, Blackthorne Hot Tubs has grown to serve six vast Central California counties. Malina Breaux, president and CFO of Blackthorne, has been using RB for years and sat down with us to describe how the software has helped her business streamline scheduling, inventory, and enhance their…

Running a pool business—whether it’s a retail store, a service company, or a combination of both—is no easy task. Between managing customer orders, scheduling service appointments, tracking inventory, and handling accounting, the demands can feel overwhelming. Like many pool business owners, you may rely on familiar tools such as spreadsheets or low-cost lite software to…

Unlocking Efficiency and Flexibility: The Benefits of Cloud Hosted Point of Sale (POS) Software In today’s fast-paced business environment, the choice of point of sale (POS) software can significantly impact the efficiency and agility of operations. Among the various options available, cloud hosted POS software and cloud-based POS systems stand out as leading choices for…

Managing a business presents unique challenges, but the right software for your swimming pool business can transform these challenges into opportunities for profit.

For pool and spa businesses, mobile POS transactions with a system like RB’s can be a total game-changer in terms of customer convenience and staff efficiency.

Brush up on the basics of pool water testing equipment and learn how testing integrations with your business software can add greater efficiency and customer service.

Mobile spa software empowers you to offer mobile checkout, more convenient service calls, and real-time service updates for an even better customer experience.

Many factors go into pricing pool service, starting with your pool service costs and including your local market, competitor offerings, and more – get tips here!

Choosing the perfect customer relationship management software for your small business is about enhancing customer experiences and streamlining operations.

For pool owners and maintenance professionals alike, the presence of pollen in pool waters is a familiar challenge. Brush up on the solutions in our new blog.

The new premium feature available with RB’s software, the EZ Shop Retail App, will help keep customers happy by streamlining and expediting the checkout process.

When you store information in customer database software, your staff is well-positioned to identify your customers’ needs to offer more personalized service.

Finding the best inventory management software for your pool business is essential for profitability, as keeping accurate track of stock impacts your bottom line.

RB recently interviewed Ruth and Len, the owners of Monarch Pool Care, to find out how RB has been helping them improve their business — check out the Q&A!

Standing out from competitors and generating new leads can be challenging. Luckily, there are several simple pool service advertising ideas for beginners to try.

Owners, management, and employees that communicate well ensure customers’ needs are not forgotten and that the business runs at the highest efficiency possible.

Intuit has officially announced the discontinuation of its QuickBooks Point-of-Sale (POS) product, scheduled for October 3, 2023. With 20 years of business under its belt, many pool and spa business owners will be affected by the discontinuation and should start looking for a replacement as soon as possible.

If you’re considering starting a swimming pool business, you may wonder what sort of profits you can make — and if you’re already running one, you may be interested in how you could boost your profitability.

If you’re using QuickBooks Point of Sale, support and updates for the service will soon be discontinued! The maker of QuickBooks, Intuit, recommends that users choose another system as quickly as possible.

Are you using QuickBooks Point-Of-Sale for your pool and spa business? Intuit will discontinue the QuickBooks POS on October 3, 2023, and recommends that users “explore other point-of-sale solutions” for their business.

Intuit will discontinue the QuickBooks Point-of-Sale (POS) product on October 3, 2023. Sometimes businesses terminate a service they no longer find commercially viable, especially if it is only one portion of their offering.

Business software can make credit memos much easier to deal with, automatically adding the updated information directly to your accounting records to save time.

Investing in customer loyalty to drive repeat business can pay dividends for your company. These days, the cost of new customer acquisition is higher than ever, and researchers have found that repeat customers tend to spend more and have a greater impact on your bottom line.

The past few years have been good for the pool business. Since 2019, more and more homeowners have opted to install backyard pools, and real estate experts say that a pool can add 5 to 8% to the value of a home.

While people are reviving their social lives, many are doing so by hosting cozy nights at home rather than frequent nights out on the town. This has become such a popular trend that The Spruce is calling 2023 “the year of the dinner party.”

A poorly-maintained hot tub will look (and even smell) unpleasant, will be costly to fix, and can pose an even greater health hazard than a poorly-maintained swimming pool.

RB recently interviewed Tom, the owner of Pool FX, to find out how RB has been helping them improve their business. Check out our Q&A with Tom below.

The rising cost of building swimming pools makes job costing more important than ever. Pool and spa companies have to price jobs for profitability despite rising costs, but customers don’t like surprises, especially on their final bill.

Investing in customer loyalty to drive repeat business can pay dividends for your company. These days, the cost of new customer acquisition is higher than ever, and researchers have found that repeat customers tend to spend more and have a greater impact on your bottom line.

The right customer relationship management (CRM) software can enable your pool & spa retail business to elevate the customer experience, driving customer loyalty and retention. In addition, a retail CRM built specifically for pool and spa retailers can take your business to the next level, allowing you to drive repeat business and improve operational efficiency.

Say one of your pool service technicians is on-site at a customer’s home and needs equipment warranty dates. He calls the office for the information but has to wait on hold for a while because the staff is busy helping other customers.

Improving field employee productivity may seem challenging since you aren’t with them most of the day. But there are several easy ways to give your team a boost, mostly by making daily work easier and more convenient for both workers and customers.

Carefully managing every aspect of your company is pivotal to maintaining a healthy business, especially in recent years as the market has evolved. Savvy business owners understand the importance of healthy pool service cash flow and visibility into financial metrics.

Customer service is critical to your business, and providing accurate quotes is part of offering good customer service and a positive customer experience. Swimming pool quote software makes this easier than ever, especially when it’s part of a full-service business management system designed specifically for pool and spa businesses.

RB recently interviewed Jennifer from the accounting department of Johnson Pools and Spas to find out how RB has been helping them improve their business. Check out our Q&A with Jennifer below.

CRM stands for “customer relationship management.” It refers to software that helps you track and organize interactions with customers. A CRM can also store valuable customer data for you: how long a customer has been frequenting your store, notes from the sales staff, what they’ve bought from you in the past, and more.

Thanks to the rising demand of consumers who invested in creating a backyard oasis ideal for staycations rather than traveling, pool and spa businesses have been making record sales during the busy season.

The pandemic’s effect on the supply chain has created shortages in pool materials like PVC, plastic, concrete, and more to cause construction materials to go up 31.3% from 2020 to 2022.

Just like home builders, pool builders are feeling the results of rising costs. More people are moving to the suburbs, and many want to invest in a backyard oasis.

Pool service businesses across the industry are finding that the ability to connect their pool service software with QuickBooks is a winning combination for running their business smoothly and efficiently.

For many people, a backyard pool or spa is a luxury they are willing to pay someone else to maintain. But even customers who prefer to contract out pool care should know basic pool maintenance requirements.

RB investigated the latest trends in the pool service industry for 2022 and beyond to bring you the latest insights relevant to your pool and spa business.

If you’re still using filing cabinets, filling out paperwork manually, or entering data into multiple systems and spreadsheets, you may not realize how much time you can save with pool service business software.

The pool industry has benefited from the extra time people have spent in their homes the past two years. From 2020 to 2021, pool construction was up about 20 percent. This boom in construction also created a greater need for pool maintenance supplies and services.

While it would be nice if your customers all lived in the same neighborhood, that rarely happens. Instead, your staff will spend part of each day in transit rather than in billable hours. Optimizing your service routes to minimize travel time saves time and money.

The best swimming pool construction project management software helps you improve efficiency. When your employees can breeze through administrative tasks quickly, they are freed up to focus on providing a great customer experience and increasing sales.

A new POS pool and spa software system can help reduce or eliminate stressors inhibiting business development or your company’s ability to handle another big summer. Implementing new POS software can improve efficiency and accuracy while saving company expenses in the long run.

The pandemic created challenges for pool and spa retailers and created opportunities for many to think outside the box, developing new programs that generate fresh revenue streams. One idea has emerged for several retailers: providing professional, at-home, poolside water testing rather than having customers bring water samples into the retail store.

The best swimming pool service management software helps streamline operations so your business can run more efficiently. Centralizing information and automating certain tasks boosts productivity, freeing your employees to focus on customer relationships and increasing sales.

As pool and spa businesses pivot to maximize opportunities in today’s marketplace, having the right point-of-sale (POS) software can save retailers an enormous amount of time and money in day-to-day business operations.

Pool service professionals are busier than ever, keeping pools and hot tubs clean and in working order. To provide the best customer service, pool and spa service techs must be able to efficiently maintain their service contracts – even when resources are stretched thin.

As the intensity of the pool industry’s busy season passes, now is the time to ask yourself how well your business software supported your business. Suppose you think your company could have been more successful with a different business software solution.

With the slower winter season in full swing, now is the perfect time to consider ways to implement more efficient processes so employees can maximize their time and avoid getting swamped when the busy season arrives.

The past two summers have been extremely challenging and intense. From creating new business offerings like curbside service and home delivery to expanding online store options and redesigning retail stores, every pool and spa retailer has had to adjust.

Pro Pools has found using RB easy to navigate, promotes a good working relationship with our employees and customers, and communication between service technicians and ordering department. RB has reliable customer service that is appreciated by our staff when having technical issues and/or software questions.

According to IDC, a market research firm, organizations lose 20-30% of revenue every year from inefficient processes. After nearly 20 years of working hand-in-hand with pool and spa business owners, we know that manual processes and duplicate work slow you down.

During the winter holiday shopping season, pool and spa industry stores always find creative ways to promote their pool, spa, and outdoor living products as gifts for family and friends. From BBQs and hot tubs to fire pits and outdoor TVs, the pool and spa industry can boost revenue with marketing and sales promotions around Black Friday, Cyber Monday and beyond.

Swimming pool retail stores are evaluating the best way to maximize their retail store space to make the most profit per square foot. It’s been tricky because pool and spa products are in high demand, and stores are also trying to create more open spaces to meet recommended social distancing recommendations.

Running your own business is a major accomplishment. But, it’s also a lot of work! Pool and spa professionals are finding that they should invest in pool and spa retail software with automation to create the work/life balance they’re looking for.

Now that the long lines of customers are shrinking and the phones are no longer ringing off the hook, pool and spa businesses can regroup to make the most of the slower winter months. Now is the time for pool and spa professionals to figure out ways to boost swimming pool product sales.

Now that children are back in school, pools are closing, and the lines of customers are getting shorter, it’s time for pool and spa professionals to review their pool warranty claims with their manufacturer suppliers. Although warranty claim processing may be tedious, once completed, these parts and labor claims can add up to significant revenue in months when cash flow has begun to slow down.

When choosing the best point of sale pool software to use, retailers agree that the goals are to keep the lines moving, create a seamless purchasing process, and increase sales along the way. This means that your point of sale pool software should be fully integrated with your water testing systems and your vendors, plus offer built-in sales tools to increase profits on every transaction.

Maintaining the right pool chemical balance is more complex than simply adding sanitizer, adjusting the pH, and running the filter. Of course, customers want their pool water clean, clear, and comfortable, but reaching that perfect balance can be challenging for new pool owners.

With widespread shortages in supplies, backorders and fluctuating prices across all areas of the pool and spa industry, the importance of inventory management has never been more apparent. Most pool and spa retailers agree that the pandemic has highlighted the need for automation and more use of e-commerce.

Using spa marketing software can help specialty retailers ensure a steady stream of spa-related revenue all year long. By using features such as comprehensive contracts and custom kit builders, specialty retailers will increase their revenue on every spa sale and ensure year-round revenue streams from service work, chemical sales, and more.

RB turned our business around and made it more profitable. We recently sold the company and it was because of implementing the RB software that we were able to sell it at the price we wanted.

Among the many trends emerging in our industry, pool and spa professionals are clearly embracing technology to thrive in this time of market growth for all things pools, spas, and backyard living. But, as we all know, businesses are stretched thin and need every tool at their disposal to improve retail employee productivity.

Pools aren’t known for being especially eco-friendly — they use energy and strong chemicals to heat and circulate large amounts of water. However, there are more and more highly accessible, easy, and affordable ways your customers can have more sustainable swimming pools.

At a time when inventory is in short supply, knowing exactly where every product is located at any time is imperative to the success of all pool and spa businesses. The best way to avoid costly inventory control mistakes common to manual systems is to implement automated pool and spa inventory management software.

In today’s competitive marketplace, pool and spa retailers need to make the most of every customer interaction. Some of the most valuable customer interactions happen at the water testing station. Savvy retailers improve their customer service by integrating their pool water testing software with business software to save time at the water testing station and the register.

Despite the skyrocketing demand for all things pool and outdoor living, it is still important to continue marketing products and services to both new and existing customers.

As we enter the pool and spa busy season, now is the perfect time to consider ways to boost your business, streamline operations and inventory management, and make internal communications easier for your teams so they can focus on serving customers.

Looking for a pool service software to help run your retail business? Check out this case study to learn more about RB’s software and services, designed specifically for the pool and spa industry.

As pool businesses are frantically keeping up with the demand for new pool construction and renovation, many pool businesses struggle to track their actual costs to ensure high-profit margins on each pool job. Unfortunately, with widespread shortages in supplies, backorders, and fluctuating prices across all areas of the pool and spa industry, businesses need to keep tighter control of inventory and ensure that product mark-ups are high enough so that profit margins on all jobs will cover both the company’s overhead and marketing costs

As a pool and spa retailer, the main benefit of a CRM database is to manage the relationship you have with your customers. This helps to increase your sales and grow business. By leveraging your CRM database, you can unlock information and identify new business opportunities that are relevant and timely to each customer.

The biggest difference between you and your competition is always going to be customer service. It’s what truly seals the deal and solidifies your client’s complete experience. You could have the best tools on the market, but customers may be negatively influenced by your product if they aren’t receiving proper care from your team – especially in this new digital age, as a result of the global pandemic.

While the pandemic has created challenges for pool and spa retailers, it has also created opportunities for “out of the box” thinking. Business owners have had to quickly develop new programs that create additional revenue streams. One idea that emerged for several retailers is using mobile water testing software to provide professional, at-home, poolside water testing. This way, customers don’t have to bring water samples into the retail store.

Although it might feel like your pool and spa business doesn’t need to boost sales during this pandemic surge in demand, being able to harness the power of this business boom is key to long-term growth and revenue. One of the most valuable things your business can do is capture and harness data through pool service reporting software in order to target specific customers for specific offers.

We have an excellent relationship with RB and frequently recommend them to others who ask about the system we use. It is very easy to use and train on, especially with the available video tutorials.

Effective controlling the costs associated with pool construction is critical to ensuring construction profitability. As pool professionals find themselves over-booked this summer with pool construction or complete backyard renovations, it is particularly important this time of year to prevent hidden costs that could negatively impact project profitability.

We have an excellent relationship with RB and frequently recommend them to others who ask about the system we use. It is very easy to use and train on, especially with the available video tutorials.

Hot tub owners continue to spend more time at home and use their hot tubs more frequently, resulting in busier service professionals hustling to keep those hot tubs clean and in working order. In order to maximize the profitability that comes from this opportunity, service techs must be able to efficiently maintain their hot tub service contracts.

Aside from outstanding customer service, professionals agree that great deals delivered through strong pool and spa marketing tactics help lure customers back into the retail store. Once someone owns a pool or spa, it is important to stay top of mind with these potential repeat customers and ensure they do not take their business elsewhere.

The global pandemic has left devastating effects on the economy and forced consumers to shift to an online marketplace. The spa and pool business was no exception. COVID-19 has forever shifted the way consumers purchase goods, and a digitized means of shopping will likely stick around long after the world has returned to a sense of normalcy.

Every year, pool and spa businesses fall victim to inaccuracies in inventory that can lead to thousands of dollars in lost profits. The busy summer season invariably leads to sales staff that give products away, service professionals that grab products from store shelves and office staff that neglects to track warranties.

We had struggled to find a program that would handle point of sale and service. RB was the perfect solution, adding tools we didn’t even know we were looking for like sales leads and follow-ups.

Did you know that 94 percent of employees say that they would stay at a company longer if it invested in helping them learn? As pool and spa businesses prepare themselves for next season, many managers and owners are taking advantage of online education and training opportunities for employees, especially as staff remain working from home this winter.

The business surge in 2020 due to COVID-19 caught most pool and spa service businesses by surprise, especially given that we were forced to operate much differently than in the past. Despite the challenges, savvy pool and spa professionals are embracing the opportunity to improve their business practices and ramp up this winter for an even better 2021 season.

2021 is almost upon us! At RB, we reexamine our pool and spa service business software each year to ensure we’re listening to and implementing the feedback we receive from our customers. For the New Year, we’re excited to share that we’ve expanded our software integration to include RB Web Services!

We needed a point of sale software (POS) that could manage both our service operations and our retail store operation, which we were newly opening. The system we had originally been using did not allow retail to integrate with service all on the same system, so we needed to make a change.

Many pool service businesses agree that the pandemic has forced them to rethink the layout and design of their stores. As a result, savvy merchandisers are taking the opportunity to renovate their retail stores and retool their business procedures in preparation for what appears will be another busy year.

With the evolution of technology has come a variety of pool and spa management software options to help you more efficiently operate your business. This has been transformative for our industry and we’re seeing more and more businesses adopting technology solutions and moving away from pen and paper.

As the lines of customers shrink and the phones are no longer ringing-off-the-hook, it’s time for pool service companies to regroup and make the most of the slower winter months. Now is the time for pool and spa professionals to take a closer look at what went “well” and what went “not so well” in the previous season.

Given the impact of COVID-19 and social distancing, delivering an exceptional digital experience for customers (and employees!) has never been more critical. How can you achieve this? By adopting a mobile pool and spa software for your business.

Your staff likely feels overworked right now, given the unexpected business surge this year in the pool and spa industry. Knowing that this trend will continue through the 2021 season, it’s important to consider ways to combat employee burnout. The last thing pool and spa businesses need is to lose valuable, trained employees – especially those well-versed in your pool service software.

Spa Accounting Software: Must-Have Features for RetailersSpa retailers report that these features not only create efficiency for their team and their customer, but also help drive more profit. -by Rachael Pritz, RB Pool & Spa With social distancing and stay-at-home orders still in place, customers are eager to prepare for summer, which has resulted in…