National Pool Partners, the service consolidator based in Orlando, has developed a tool to help small businesses estimate the impacts of inflation on their operations.
The company recently tracked the effects of inflation on its own operations and others and has come to believe the economic condition impacts the pool industry disproportionately.
“We’ve been noticing that ... the pool industry in general was being affected by inflation rates that were way above what the overall economy has been experiencing,” said National Pool Partners CEO Augusto Titarelli. “Where people were talking about 7% to 8% year-overyear inflation, we’re looking at our data and we’re seeing [sector] inflation that’s much higher than that. Overall [industry] inflation, depending on what you look like, is probably ranging between 25% to 35%.”
NPP attributes this to hiking costs of some equipment and chemicals, among other factors specific to the pool/spa industry.
The tool, called the Inflation Impact Calculator, is being offered for free to the industry at large, to help service companies especially assess their increased costs brought on by inflation. It also helps develop a pricing model to help maintain sustainable profit margins. Users also can receive an estimate of how many customers could be lost when the company raises its prices.
The company inputs the requested information, which will remain confidential and not to be collected, NPP officials said.