For pool and spa professionals, there are plenty of reasons to join a trade association to build your business’s reputation in the industry and the community.
For one thing, trade associations are a reliable way to make and maintain contacts in your profession. For another, it’s a fantastic way to keep up with the latest news, developments, and regulations.
Joining a trade association is an excellent way to accomplish these goals, creating an easy path to potential friendships at best, or networking opportunities at least, which can lead to professional development complete with industry insights and increased visibility for your business.
Within the pool service industry, there are a lot of trade associations that are currently vying for your attention.
From the Independent Pool and Spa Service Association (IPSSA), which focuses on sick-route coverage and education, to the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), which focuses on certification and advocacy in government affairs, joining at least one of these trade associations is a great idea for a variety of different reasons.
For one thing, it can help you save money.
Take IPSSA or the United Pool Association (UPA), for example. These associations both offer excellent and affordable insurance programs that will help you out in a jam. Both associations have negotiated discounts on educational offerings and certification programs. Both offer excellent networking opportunities to get answers to questions when you get stumped on the field. Within each, you can increase your level of professionalism, which tends to increase profits, through participation in seminars delivered by the experts in the manufacturing sector.
Joining a trade association can also provide regulatory guidance and advance business interests.
Take the PHTA and its various affiliates like the California Pool and Spa Association (CPSA), the Texas Pool and Spa Coalition (TPSC), and the Northeast Spa and Pool Association (NESPA). These associations exist to promote the commercial interests of their members. On their websites, members can access the latest codes relevant to their own jurisdictions. But beyond that, the groups retain lobbyists who fight for and against issues impacting the industry.
When the West Coast’s intermittent droughts threaten to restrict building or renovating swimming pools, CPSA, through its “Let’s Pool Together” program, is there to educate legislators about a swimming pool’s actual water use.
The TPSC is currently tracking legislation related to the pool industry, such as child water safety requirements, licensing or certification requirements for electricians, swim instructors, and pool and spa inspectors, and regulations on interactive water features.
NESPA is highly involved in promoting licensing for pool and spa workers to improve the professional profile of the industry. They even go so far as to encourage their members to report unlicensed contractors.
In Florida, the Florida Swimming Pool Association (FSPA), plays a similar role in legislation and unifies the pool industry on a statewide level, coordinating projects, programs, and services. It serves as an educator, promoter, and information bank. Like some of the other trade associations, their website contains a “Find a Pool Pro” search engine so that consumers can verify current licensure and ensure that it covers the work that is being asked.
All of the associations are heavily focused on education, many offering members discounted certification programs such as the Certified Pool Operator, webinars and in-person lectures on technical topics, as well as discounts on both industry and non-industry-related products and services.
In this special issue of Service Industry News, we’ll take a closer look at the unique benefits offered to pool and spa service professionals through membership with industry associations.
