Why Can’t I Find and Keep Good Employees? If you’re frustrated because you can’t find—and keep—good employees, you’re not alone. I hear this complaint from business owners all the time: “Nobody wants to work anymore,” “They leave as soon as I train them,” or “Why can’t people show up and just do their job?” Here’s the thing: the labor market has changed. What worked [...]
Help! I can't get my plumbing company out of the red! If you’re reading this, chances are your plumbing company is in trouble. The red ink is piling up, and no matter how hard you work, you just can’t seem to dig your way out. I get it—it’s frustrating, overwhelming, and downright exhausting. But here’s the good news: you’re not [...]
The 5 Most Common Problems in HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, and Contracting Businesses—And How to Fix Them Running a trades business—whether it’s HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or general contracting—is a tough gig. You’re not just the expert on the tools; you’re the CEO, the scheduler, the marketer, and the bookkeeper. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. But as someone who’s coached hundreds of [...]
Resolving conflicts between business partners requires a balanced approach that preserves the relationship while addressing the underlying issues. Here’s a step-by-step guide to navigate these situations: 1. Diagnose the Problem • Identify the Root Cause: Clarify the source of the conflict. Is it about financial decisions, workload distribution, strategic direction, or communication styles? • Separate the Personal from the Professional: Determine if [...]
The three biggest mistakes you can make as the owner of a HVAC company are: Using markup instead of margin Owners not getting paid twice Focusing on the work instead of on time Markup is the most generic form of pricing in the trades, and it is based on a false assumption. If your cost of materials is $1 and [...]
As a Business Coach, this is one of the questions I hear most: "I started my company years ago with almost nothing. Every year it grew until it reached where we are now. We got to that point three years ago, and no matter how hard I try, the numbers always hold around the same. Why can't I break out [...]
As a Business Coach, I have seen firsthand how the pandemic has impacted small companies. PPP was a band-aid. EDIL loans helped, but the Business owner is responsible (often personally) for principle and interest. The length of the term sounds inviting but don’t confuse temporary cash flow for profits. Consider that you will need more monthly profits to repay this [...]
Inflation, recession, COVID, interest rates rising, and lending drying up are all signs of an economy going bad. Every expense, from insurance to gas, creeps upward daily. So what is your company to do when everything costs more, and your customer base is looking to conserve cash? Your subsequent decisions will decide whether your business thrives or dies in a [...]
Professionals who move up to top management and C-level positions already possess the knowledge needed for the job. Technical knowledge, however, takes a back seat to the fundamental role of leadership: vision and inspiration. Leadership is the transference of certainty. Stepping into a new position is, by definition, uncertain. Leaders try to balance family, work, sales, operations, money, and employees—no [...]
"It’s ok to be tired; just don’t be defeated." With the world today, everyone is tired, overwhelmed, and anxious. If you listen to the news, the world is ending. Billy Joel said it right, “We didn’t start the fire. It’s been burning since the world been turning.” The cure for worry is intentional action! Please turn off the news; they [...]
