‘ON THE ROUTE’

Every pool pro has a story and we are telling it here. We spotlight professionals across the country, sharing everyday strengths, habits that set them apart, or those unforgettable incidents and mishaps that are just a part of the job. It's real experience straight from the field.

Cathy Snyder’s Guide to Surviving in a Seasonal Pool Business

Like Canadian geese flying south for the winter, Cathy and Mike Snyder migrate each year from Michigan to Florida when pool season winds down. Snowbirds in every sense of the word, the Niles, Michigan, couple has built a thriving seasonal pool business over 38 years — and learned exactly what it takes to survive the long Midwest off-season.

Now in their late 70s — Mike is 77 and Cathy 78 — the Snyders are still deeply involved in Snyder’s Pool & Spa Stores, the company they’ve owned and operated for nearly four decades. With two retail locations and a customer base of approximately 3,500 accounts, they remain a fixture in their market. In 2025 alone, they regularly serviced 504 pools, down slightly from 564 the year prior.

“Equipment lasts a while,” Cathy notes. “A lot of our work is on older pools. We do some maintenance, but we limit that to two days per week.”

Remarkably, they accomplish it all with just two trucks and a seasonal crew that fluctuates between two and seven employees.

“We lay people off when we don’t need them,” Cathy says plainly. “Why pay a full crew if you don’t need them?” Over the years, about 45 percent of their employees return each season — many of them high school and college students who eventually move on to full-time careers.

In addition to retail and service work, the Snyders perform warranty repairs for home warranty companies such as American Home Shield and Choice Home Warranty. That work comes with strict requirements.

“They call you spur of the moment, and you’re required to contact the homeowner within 48 hours,” Cathy explains. “You have to be a certified tech, and you must get every job authorized before doing the work — or you might not get paid.”

Warranty jobs demand careful documentation and discipline, but they frequently turn into long-term customer relationships — something the Snyders value deeply.

Because for Cathy, this business has always been about more than pumps and plumbing.

“It’s a satisfying business when you know you’ve made people happy,” she says. “They’ve got this recreational luxury in their yard, and when something goes wrong, you fix it and they can use it again. You make friends. A lot of our customers we consider friends. If we have a party, we invite them.”

That connection, she admits, would be the most difficult to give up. “If we ever sold the business or quit doing it, giving up my customer friends would be the hardest thing.”

During the busy season, Cathy’s workdays stretch from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. “It’s nonstop,” she says.

When winter arrives and they relocate to Florida, the pace slows — but not completely. Last winter she logged about 180 hours handling taxes and preseason ordering. Then, when they return north in spring, “we hit the ground running when we get there. Yeah, we do.”

Mike, meanwhile, brings both confidence and humor to customer interactions. He’s known to ask, “Would you like the man in charge or the woman who knows what’s going on?”

He reassures customers with lines like, “Most jobs are hard; the impossible ones just take a little bit longer.”

And when facing a stubborn repair: “I’ve got the brain. The pool doesn’t. So why would the pool be able to outthink me?”

His philosophy is simple: “When I come onto your property, this is my pool. When I’m done fixing your pool

and hand you the invoice, now you can buy your pool back.”

Even his habit of directing technical explanations toward the wife during a consultation comes with a grin: “I’m not flirting with your wife; I’m just not afraid of you.”

After nearly four decades in a climate where pools freeze solid each winter, Cathy has developed a practical playbook for seasonal operators.

Cathy Snyder’s 10-Point Plan To Surviving Seasonal Pool Work

1. Invest in Off-Season Education Attend trade shows and training events during the winter. “The more you know, the better you get — and the more confidence customers have in you.”

2. Stay in Front of Customers Year-Round Send newsletters or emails before season’s end, during the season, and again before opening time. Remind customers you’re still in business and ready to help.

3. Offer Preseason Sales Early-buy promotions help generate cash flow before the rush begins.

4. Adjust Staffing Realistically Lay off unneeded help during the off-season. Many seasonal workers will return — especially students — but carrying payroll through winter can sink a business.

5. Prepare Financially for Winter “Don’t go buying all kinds of equipment just before the off-season that you won’t get money back on,” Cathy advises. Set aside cash during peak months to cover winter bills. New operators often mistake busy-season revenue for year-round income. 6. Market to Year-Round Facilities Contact hotels and fitness centers in your area. Let them know you can supply chemicals and service indoor pools during winter.

7. Develop a Complementary Winter Revenue Stream Consider products that sell in colder months — electric or gas fireplaces, heat pumps, or even holiday decorating services. Promote spa usage, which often peaks beginning in September in colder climates. “When we’re closing pools, we’re already thinking about what we can sell in winter.”

8. Serve Indoor Pool Customers Proactively Reach out to indoor pool accounts and offer phone ordering and delivery — with appropriate delivery charges.

9. Consider Snow Plowing If you have trucks, snow removal can provide steady winter income. “Believe me,” Cathy laughs, “the Midwest has plenty of snow.”

10. Build an E-Commerce Presence Maintain a website capable of shipping products to customers in warmer climates where pools remain open year-round.

After 38 years in business, the Snyders have proven that seasonal pool work doesn’t have to mean financial instability.

It requires planning, discipline, adaptability — and a willingness to work long hours when the sun is shining.

Then, like clockwork, when the leaves fall and the pools close, they head south to Florida to recharge.

And when spring returns to Michigan, they come back ready — hitting the ground running, armed with experience, humor, and the quiet confidence that no pool is smarter than they are.