Winning Strategies for Motivation in the Hottest Month
You can be the best contractor in the business. But if you can't motivate and empower your team, you won't get the results you need. Here are some ways to be a better leader in the busy season:

Be an Encourager We all need encouragement. Top leaders encourage and inspire others to do more and become more than they ever thought possible.

Listen More and Talk Less Positive leaders don't just talk. They listen. They ask questions and really listen. Good leaders welcome suggestions on how they can improve.

Don't Complain When you complain you lose power, and credibility as a leader. Complaining creates a toxic environment, fostering even more complaining.

Share Positive Gossip - Be a leader who spreads positive news about teammates. "Joe is doing a really good job with the valve manifold." or "The Smiths are really happy with the way things turned out."

Stay positive and have a winning month!

The Team at Aqua-Flo Supply
Aqua-Flo is Hiring! Check Out a List of Our Open Positions
Know a friend or family member who is looking to build a career with a fast-growing landscape / irrigation industry leader?

We're hiring for many positions throughout Southern California. Visit our website or click here for more information.
Take Advantage of Our Delivery Services!
Let us bring what you need directly to your office or job site!

Simply call into your sales person or local branch and we can get a delivery scheduled for you - and remember, it always helps to plan ahead. 

No hassles of leaving the job to get the items you're short, no need to pay an employee to make the pick-up.  Use our delivery to get what you need when you need it.  It all adds up to a bigger bottom line for you!
Grow Your Sales with Drip Watering of Container Plants
Add on Sales just got easier! Stop just passing by patios and decks. Look at them as an added source for revenue.
 
Many of your customers add color to a front porch, patio or deck is with potted plants. Whether they're growing geraniums, marigolds, petunias or impatiens, these plants plants require constant care.

A few scorching hot days without rain or water can kill off even the most drought tolerant plants. Container plants are exposed to more evaporation, so they tend to dry out quickly.

Offering your clients drip watering solutions for container plants is a great way to increase their satisfaction and grow your revenues.  Service technicians can run drip tubes to each container location so water is applied each time the system operates. 
 
We have all of your drip & micro irrigation needs covered. Ask us how to get started marketing "planter drip watering" today. 
Newest Aquascape Fountain Features Add FIRE!
Aquascape Fire and Water features light up your customers' landscapes, providing an innovative and eye-catching focal point.

Sit back, relax, and watch the flickering flames combine with flowing water to create a truly unique atmosphere.

Aqua-Flo offers all of the latest Aquascape fire-and-water options. Check them out here.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring or Promoting
Many top landscape contractors like the book Traction, which provides a wealth of insights for entrepreneurs looking to scale a successful operation. Traction presents these three questions you should use to evaluate a potential new hire. Ask yourself:
 
1) Do they get it? Does the employee understand his/her role and what he/she needs to do to deliver on the job requirements?
2) Do they want it? refers to the employee’s desire to do his/her role. Is this a job he/she will be motivated to do?
3) Can they do it? refers to the employee having the physical, mental, and emotional capacity to accomplish his/her role. You can't hope or wish someone into abilities they don't have.
 
You cannot grow an organization with people who are not totally committed. The answers must be “yes” on all three questions for each employee. The answers for the three questions will let you know if that individual is going to be successful in your business as a new hire, and also if he/she can be promoted to greater responsibility.
Regency Tip: What Size Wire to Use on Long Runs
How far can you run 18 gauge irrigation wire and still have the valve operate properly?
 
The answer to this question requires some basic understanding of the concept of "voltage drop". When electricity is flowing through a wire, some voltage is lost due to resistance in the wire. The amount of voltage loss is dependent upon the length of the circuit, the number and quality of splices, the size/resistance of the particular wire being used and the amount of current flowing through the wire (the amp draw of the solenoid).
 
Electrical resistance is comparable to friction loss in piping. As water flows down a pipe, it loses pressure (PSI). As current flows down a wire, it loses voltage.
 
Let's consider a "normal" installation: a single irrigation solenoid that needs 0.25 amps at 24 volts AC to operate properly that is located 750 feet from the controller. Let's assume voltage output at the controller is at least 24 volts.  The total length of the circuit we need to consider is 1,500 feet (750 feet out to the solenoid on the "hot" wire and 750 feet back on the "common" wire.)
 
If the wire is too small or is run too far, the valve won't receive enough current to open or close against the pressure of the water. The higher the water pressure is, the greater the current must be to actuate the solenoid.
 
With 85 psi static pressure at the valve and a standard solenoid, 18-gauge wire might be used for total circuit runs up to 2,000 feet, unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer.  So it would be safe to use for a single solenoid circuit up to 750 feet away.  
 
If you're sizing long wire runs, please ask us to help you make the right wire size choices. You don't want to install the wrong size!