Zombie projects like this one are projects that come back to life after a long period of disappearance. The general contractor, Blue Heron, originally contacted me three years ago to provide the design and supply the equipment instead of coming in after the infrastructure was finished. The good thing about this project is that I …
As I finish up the design touches of this issue, I realize that we have three solid business topics — and all three are topics you are going to want to soak in. You all know how to build beautiful ponds, but you also need to have really good business sense and advice in order …
A guy once told me, “If you do what you love for a living, it will feel like you’ve never worked a day in your life.” It sounds like that guy never built ponds for a living! While I do agree with this statement in the mental aspect, physically, my body disagrees. Pond building is …
Pond Construction | Backyard Boulders Exude Serenity and Naturalism Read More »
Here at Modern Design Aquascaping, we have won many awards and have been recognized as one of the best pond builders in the country. I don’t say this to toot my own horn; I say it because I am proof that you can be the best at what you do and still fail at the …
Pond Business | Identify Overhead Expenses and Find Increased Profits Read More »
We were out on a sales call, visiting a homeowner who wanted to build a new pondless water feature. After discussing her desires, we began to talk about access. While doing so, I noticed a large, black stain on her driveway. I asked her what had happened. She exhaled and went on to describe how …
By Andy Dyke, Pondliner & Paul Amos, Kasco Marine, Inc. Pondliner recently got a call from the Apostolic Christian Church’s outreach arm, HarvestCall. This was no ordinary inquiry about a backyard pond or a commercial water feature. They needed to line a pond in Haiti. This particular reservoir is the water source for the hydroelectric …
Charitable Pond | Lining Mission in Southern Haiti Read More »
Located more than 200 miles north of Tokyo, Niigata is surrounded by mountains of mountains. Heavy snowfall in winter is famous. It can be as high as 10 feet. Niigata used to be an inaccessible corner of the island during winter. Although it was such an inconvenient area, the soil was rich, and the water …
Language of Koi | A Journey to Niigata, Japan’s Koi Mecca Read More »
Employers have long preferred to treat workers as independent contractors, reaping payroll tax savings and avoiding any fringe benefits and other expenses associated with employees. By the same token, workers — including the owners of many pond and water feature businesses — could potentially lower their own tax bills by shifting from being an employee …
Tax Implications of Hiring Independent Contractors Read More »
You’re probably thinking I’ve lost my mind at this point, but let me explain. Aquatic ecosystems have a lot of similarities to our bodies — we’re both a product of our diets. In fact, if you just look around, you’ll see similarities between lots of different ecosystems as they relate to food production and consumption. …
Imagine you have a golf course with 10 water features. Two are functioning perfectly, three are much harder to manage, and five may only require simple preventative measures. Usually, the tougher cases will eventually motivate golf course superintendents to seek a specialist, for every lake has its own distinctive features. Maintenance and upkeep can be …