How to Boost a Bottom Line With Pond Retrofitting

With the water gardening business struggling to raise profits, retrofitting existing ponds is an area to be explored by the pond building and design company. Whether the company is retail or service oriented, retrofitting is a great way to maintain an steady income that pays the bills. It is not a huge one time moneymaker like a huge sale or installation is, but building a reputation as a troubleshooter is a great way to have a steady income during the bad times. What is the best way to increase that part of your business?

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Start marketing your retrofitting expertise. Add it to your Yellow Pages advertising, your brochures and business cards. When called about a pond problem, show up and repair the problem. Retrofitting is a relatively untapped market in pond contracting and it should not be. Studies show that about 80 percent of all ponds were incorrectly installed by some other contractor or by the owner, so capture that business. Pond owners do not know where to go to get their ponds fixed. Let them know that you are available.

2. Build waterfalls. Most contractors and homeowners do not know how to build a waterfall. When you arrive at the job, you will see a rock pile with water dripping from the top. Rebuild the waterfall so the sound can be heard to the pond owner's satisfaction. If you wish, install a bio-filter waterfall weir to create the beginning of a stream channel or a soothing waterfall.

3. Install a bog habitat to make the pond make bigger, provide a habitat for wildlife and improve the water quality of the pond at the same time.

4. Sometimes retrofitting means tearing out the entire pond and starting over. Know how to do that. Often the first liner was not big enough and you have to buy a bigger one. That means starting all over and it costs more than installing a brand new pond. Even if you can use the original liner, and you have to make the pond smaller, know how to fill in the edges where the water is running out of the pond.

5. Install an ultra-violet water treatment system. This can cost money, but it will give the pond owner clear water in his koi pond.

6. Be familiar with lighting systems both underwater and out of the water.

7. Learn to repair a liner leak, find and repair waterfall splashing and tubing. Adding a second filter can usually make a pond owner happy when her pond has been green for a few seasons. Learn to improve water quality, ecobalance the pond and therefore reduce maintenance.

Tips & Warnings

• All of the above can be part of a retrofit. If you do not have a crew that handles retrofitting, you need one. That crew will pay for itself many times over.