Wednesday December 8, 2010 News from The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals

Dear APSP and MyAPSP Members,

In this issue you will find a factsheet and webinar detailing the latest changes in ADA regulations for pool builders, and tips for selling to customers with cash.

Also featured are the new sign-up options available for MyAPSP members and some hints for using Facebook ads to generate leads..

Make sure you’re signed-in to your MyAPSP.org account, so you can follow the links in the articles. Sign in here

 

New ADA Regulations, Factsheet and Webinar

The Department of Justice has published its new public accommodations rules. Two sections apply to pools and spas. APSP has prepared a Q & A sheet with background information to help you determine how to be in compliance. For more help, purchase the webinar, "Obligations and Opportunities Under the 2010 ADA Regulations"
presented by John Caden of SR Smith, LLC here.

Selling to the Savers

In a time of scarce financing, pitching to customers with substantial savings makes sense. This Pool & Spa News article identifies two likely demographic groups and how to appeal to them. Read it here.

NEW: Easy Sign-Up Options on MyAPSP

New visitors to MyAPSP.org, the pool and spa professionals industry network, have more options when signing-up to join the free community. Members can now create a profile for MyAPSP.org using their existing Facebook, Google or Yahoo accounts. Save time and remember one less password by signing up with your everyday login information. Try it now.

Social Media: Target New Leads on Facebook

If your website is up to date and you're ready to start generating web traffic for new leads, try allocating a portion of your marketing budget to Facebook Ads. The electronic ads program allows you to direct your advertisements to a highly targeted group of users on the site. With the program, you create an ad with an image, title and website link, and set a daily budget for each campaign. Pay only for each time your advertisement is clicked, but make sure that your target market is doing the clicking; narrow your circulation group by age, level of education, marital status and geographic location. For more social media business tips, click here.

Be Featured in the APSP Member Spotlight

Know an outstanding pool and spa industry professional? Is it you? Nominations are open for the APSP Member Spotlight. You and your peers could be featured in MyAPSP News, on MyAPSP.org and on the APSP Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. Some members are even featured in our magazine, APSP Quarterly. Share your insight and inspire others to make positive strides for the industry. Don’t wait: e-mail your nomination today! Learn more here.

Tommy Johnson is 2010 CBP of the Year

The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP) has chosen Tommy Johnson as the 2010 CBP of the Year. The award is the APSP Builders Council’s lifetime achievement award, presented to a Certified Building Professional (CBP) and APSP member whose accomplishments have made a significant contribution to the profession.

Johnson and his wife Penny own Johnson Pools & Spas of Huntsville and Madison, Ala. - an APSP member company since 1979. Through Johnson Pools, our 2010 CBP of the Year built one of the world’s first vanishing edge vinyl liner pools and built vanishing edge pools in fiberglass, gunite and structural concrete design. Today, Johnson Pools & Spas is noted by other members of the APSP Builders Council as a leader in the industry using the best standards, most updated building methods and technology and the highest-quality products to bring superior value to customers.

A founding member of the APSP Builders Council and the current chair of the APSP Builder Education Program, Johnson is passionately devoted to promoting and improving pool industry training. Johnson is a prime example of leadership in education; he is a member of the inaugural CBP class and continues to maintain his designation while advancing and reviewing material for the APSP CBP Manual. He continues to pave the way for CBP testing in new venues and has in recent years contributed to the designation of over 80 new APSP Certified Building Professionals.


“The builders I coach say that becoming certified by APSP is one of the best things they have ever done,” Johnson says.

Click here to read more about Tommy and view the presentation slideshow.