The recession has bought around some pretty gloomy financial forecasts for many small and large businesses up and down the country however there may be one ray of light that is helping people through this difficult time. Valentine’s Day has caused a much needed boost on the high street and spas, florists and card shops are reaping the rewards. Loved ones are going there and buying their partners all sorts of romantic gifts from spa gift vouchers to a massive bunch of flowers. The national retail section of the UK forecast that people will spend anything from £5 to £100 on a Valentine’s Day gift per person which is really starting to put dollar signs in business owner’s eyes.
It is about time that the country had a bit of luck in respect to people flocking back onto the streets. From a financial point of view shops are in desperate need of people loosening their purse strings a little and going out and spending. Cupid must not have heard about the recession, orders are still pouring into local florists from around the country. People want a dozen roses for their loved one or a bunch of red tulips for their loved one and demand is extremely high!  For one small shop in Shropshire, they have already ordered 3,000 roses to cater for people’s orders and they are about to order another 3,000 to cope with the work load.
Finally, a bit of good news in the retail sector! Considering that a lot of people wait until the last minute to give a gift a lot of the retail sector will still be expecting sales right up until the day itself – knowing most men out there!
Most business from around the country is waiting until the 14th when they believe most men will be making their orders. Personally, I think Valentine’s Day is a little bit over rated. After all, it is just an American invention but we all seem to follow it religiously every year.

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An important part of maintaining a spa, hot tub, swim spas or swimming pool includes preparing it for those months when you may not be using it. Most people believe that pools should be closed when night time temperatures are in the 40s and daytime highs are in the mid 60s to low 70s. The escalation of algae can be increased if the lid is shut too early. There will be more to clean up if you wait until the trees shed their leaves.

It is often thought necessary to winterize the plumbing, equipment and pool structure before any of these components freeze. Pools owners should inspect the structure. If something needs to be repaired, you should do it before closing your pool for the season and ideally before the freezing weather sets in.

A vacuum should be used to extract the waste water into appropriate drains. Vacuum on the filter position only if you filter doesn’t have a waste indicator. Its is easier to suck the waste using a vacuum.

It is recommended to carry out this water treatment in the winter so that the water does not become corrosive when the temperature drops to the freezing point or below. Winter chemicals will be added either before draining or before placing the pool cover on. Always check the instructions that came with your chemicals if your not sure.

After closing the valve on the skimmer line, you should then lower the water level to about 18 inches below the pool’s coping. The type of pool has an impact of how far you lower the level.It is advised to check the manual for your pool from the manufacturers website.

Be sure to drain the water and blow water out of all piping. To blow water out of circulation lines it is advisable to use a tank vacuum cleaner on reverse flow or an air compressor. You try an extract as much as possible from the heater and filter. Make sure to add the nontoxic antifreeze when winterizing. This is usually available at most pool supply stores. The chemical mix will help protect the pool from freezing over.

Drain valves thoroughly, making sure that any below water level are securely sealed. It is essential to use an electric heat tape for lines below the water level that could be exposed to freezing.

Lights that have less than 18 inches of water above them are best removed. It can be stored in a dry place as long as wrapped in plastic.

Drain the pump by removing the plugs and with the help of a wet/dry vac remove all the water from the pump housing and strainer compartment. Try not to remove the drain plugs when adding the antifreeze. Rust can be prevented by coating the drain hole threads.

All filters should be completely drained and drain plugs left out and again apply a lubricant to the threads.

Finally the cover. This should be secured tightly to keep out all the elements until the pool is required again in the Spring!

Technorati Tags: elite spa, hot tub, hot tubs, portable hot tub, portable hot tubs, spa, spa pool, spas, swim spa, swim spas

Hot tubs are seen as an item that only wealthy people can really afford, people who have money coming out of there ears. Anyone these days can buy a portable hot tub at the low prices. Yes portable hot tubs now exist in a wide variety of forms and they are just as good as the ones that are fixed into the ground. In my opinion they are actually better, the reason for saying this is because of the fact that many of the hot tubs run on batteries which actually do last for quite awhile. So a great benefit is that if you were to go on a weekly trip or a camping trip you would be able to bring your tub and just relax because they are not heavy at all. Most of them these days are usually made out of polypropylene foam which is very versatile and lightweight, causing the hot tub to only weigh around 80 pounds so the average weight would be around the same as a person.

Its great to know that setting up a hot tub is easy and can take up to half an hour. A surface which is flat will ensure the hot tub to work properly. If you are interested in purchasing a hot tub there are a few things to consider:

If you have seen a potable hot tub you like make sure it has the features you are looking for. Hot tubs come with a wide variety of different features these days such as wave generators,ergonomic back seats, CD players and DVD’s, so you don’t have to just accept a basic version.Owning a hot tub is a bit like a car, some are more expensive to run. There is a variety of jets you can use. Hot tub jet configuration are help massage different areas of the body. Hot tubs are a great way to relax, it has been said that spending 30 minutes a day in the hot tub will make you feel healthier and live longer.

All in all I think the portable hot tub market is ever expanding and full of styles and sizes, so remember to shop around to find the best deals.

Technorati Tags: hot tub, hot tubs, jacuzzi, spa, spa pool

The Spa industry enjoyed a healthy 25% annual growth from 2002 until 2008 alone, when expansion fell to just 6% on domestic political turmoil and the world travel downturn. The Thai Spas Association president Andrew Jacka said spa operators around the world needed to focus far more on Thai customers as relying on foreign tourists is a weakness in the current situation.
Spa vouchers have recently become far more popular in western society and have really helped revolutionise the industry. In Thailand foreign tourists might go to a spa five to ten times during the two to three week period they stay in Bangkok, Thailand however that could only ever happen once a year and that is it. Thailand’s spa industry currently employs about 50,000 people, the world’s seventh highest national workforce in the sector. It ranks 18th globally in terms of revenue stream which is a staggering figure to comprehend.
In Europe the Spa industry has never been so healthy, people are more than happy to treat themselves in these depressing economic times, people need that escape factor and a spa can offer that. Unfortunately, things are not really as cheap as they are in a country like Thailand. Because of the recent airport scares in Bangkok, Thailand many tourists have been put off to come into the country which has led the spa industry to rely on heavy discounts and offering BOGOF deals. Once tourists start flocking back into the country these deals will eventually wear off however for now, the economy is being hit hard by one of its most flourishing industry’s suffering badly.
The spa industry needs to establish itself more as an online presence in order to maximise profit and simply advertising from your shop window is not enough anymore. People want to be able to see the products you have to offer at your spa on the web where is more convenient.

Technorati Tags: london spa, spa, spa vouchers, spas, thailand