Podcasts Sparetailer.com

Longtime SpaRetailer columnist, Linda Cahan, joins us to talk about the right way to merchandise hot tub chemicals. Not the prettiest part of spa retail stores, you can still take a thoughtful approach to stocking chemicals. Visit fastener website that Linda mentions here. You can check out all of Linda’s past columns here. This episode is sponsored by Bullfrog Spas. Does your spa business offer a customer experience that engages and excites? Bullfrog Spas is the only hot tub manufacturing […]

In January Leslie’s Poolmart purchased independent retailer Aqua Quip. Aqua Quip’s president Brian Quint joins us on the podcast to talk about the acquisition and how they had readied their company so they could pounce on the opportunity. Brian mentions several resources for business owners, which you can find below. Vistage Michael Gerber The Great Game of Business Ownership Thinking

On January 22, the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals and National Swimming Pool Foundation announced (again) that they were going to merge. Today we’re joined by Larry Caniglia, CEO of APSP, to discuss the reasons behind the merge, where they’re at in the process and what the industry can do to help the merge be successful. To learn more about the new Pool & Hot Tub Alliance and the merge process you can view the press release and FAQs. […]

Part 2 of Jeff’s journey to purchase Spring Dance Hot Tubs. Surprise — the deal actually gets done! But there are a lot of bumps along the way. Thanks for all of your support this year! Let us know what you think about this episode and others by emailing podcast@sparetailer.com. You can also leave us a voicemail at 405-992-0160 and we’ll listen to your question on the air. And if you’re so inclined — leave us a review! This episode […]

We finally go in-depth with cohost Jeff about the process he went through to buy his company. Jeff is candid about some of the obstacles he faced, things that went wrong and the costs associated with everything. While each business transaction is unique to the company and people, if you’re interested in buying or selling a hot tub company you’ll want to give this a listen. We broke this into two parts, so check back on the 19th to hear […]

Megan and Jeff meet in Las Vegas at the Pool | Spa | Patio Expo and chat with Troy Derheim. Troy is the owner of My Aquatics Services — a pool construction, service and hot tub retail company — in the Fargo/Moorehead area. But we’re talking to Troy about his passion project, Aquatics Empowered, a nonprofit he’s starting to help provide aquatic facilities and therapy to communities of all sizes. Learn more about Aquatics Empowered on its website and read the SpaRetailer […]

Norm Coburn from New England Spas in the Boston metro has been attending the industry trade shows for 30+ years. In this episode he tells us when he starts planning for the show (six months in advance!), what he tries to accomplish when he’s there and his strategy for shows. Norm shares how the industry trade shows are different now versus when he started in the industry — and products he’s brought back that succeeded and bombed. You too can […]

In this episode Megan and Jeff talk to Tom Junck, co-owner of Combined Pool & Spa in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Tom’s store has won the Caldera Dealer of the Year award the last five years. The company also have more than 280 Google Reviews and is rated at 5 stars. But the real reason we wanted to talk to Tom is because his company is very successful in selling other outdoor products like patio furniture and fire pits. We […]

You may have already read about Flint Hills Spas in our last issue. But we think this story is so unique that it’s worth returning to. Megan and Jeff discuss the unlikely partnership that has formed between the former and new owner and the confidence and respect it must take. This episode is sponsored by Marquis.   MicroSilk® SKIN HEALTH AND BEAUTY TREATMENT WHILE YOU SOAK   Marquis’ MicroSilk beauty treatment moisturizes and hydrates at the same time. Micro bubbles […]

We’ve revamped The SpaRetailer Podcast! We’ve got a new intro and are welcoming Jeff Bailey to the podcast as our new cohost. Jeff is the owner of Spring Dance Hot Tubs, which has three locations in the Philadelphia metro. In his first episode we talk about how Jeff got into the hot tub industry, his work with the IHTA and a little bit about his recent buyout of his longtime business partner, making him sole owner of Spring Dance. This […]

It’s a buzz word that Linda Cahan has been talking about in SpaRetailer a lot. We talk through what experiential retail is and practical ways it can be applied in your store. After this episode we’ll be taking a summer hiatus — see you in August!    

Longtime columnist Linda Cahan joins us to discuss some of the good and bad things she sees in hot tub retail stores. A few topics we cover: — The decompression area — Clean bathrooms (with changing tables) — Using mannequins (Linda likes mannequinmadness.com) — Lighting — Signage  

Megan talks with My Retail Coach, Danielle Lavallee Wasson, about how you can create the ultimate shopping experience for customers in your hot tub showroom. For 25 years, Danielle has coached hot tub retailers on four continents, helping them grow their retail businesses. We know she’ll provide some valuable insight for your business too.

In part 2, Jim discusses the process of converting to an ESOP.

In part I, the founder of Mainely Tubs discusses why he converted his business to an employee-stock-ownership plan.

Danielle Lavallee Wasson joins us again to delve into how to best track your marketing.

Megan and Danielle Lavallee Wasson delve deeper into her recent article about key performance indicators, tackling some of the performance ratios and easy ways to track them.

A Valentine’s Day remembrance — Sky Matula reflects on the fire that destroyed his childhood home and his mother’s message to the world.

What is SEO and organic marketing? How can it help me get more leads and increase sales? Search engine optimization or SEO helps drive traffic to your website by providing search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing the information they need to match what people are looking for online. In this podcast, David Carleton from SpaPoolMarketingSuccess.com reveals what you need to give the search engines drive more traffic, generate more leads and increase sales.    

Don Riling worked at Olympic Hot Tub for 21 years before he purchased the business. Hear about how his role at the company evolved and the process of buying the company — including the long waits, roadblocks and “psychic spas.”