Roll call! Meet & introduce yourself to other Service-based Skilled Trade pros
If you’ve ever thought, “How are other businesses like mine handling this?” you’re in the right place! This space is for Service-Based Skilled Trades pros to connect, compare notes, and talk shop with others who understand the day-to-day realities of running your type of business. 👋 Introduce Yourself Drop a comment and tell us: Your name Business name Industry Years in business Location (City/State/Province) Let us know if you’re joining us for LIVE networking on March 17 (more details below) The more context you share, the better connections you’ll make. 🙌 Pro tip: Search your city or state in the forum to easily find other pros in your area. 📅 Want to connect LIVE? We’re running a pilot to host virtual weekly LIVE Industry Networking starting on March 17, running until April 7. If you’d be interested in joining for the first or following sessions (don’t need to commit to all but you're welcome to join!), make sure to let us know in the comments. 🤝 Culture of this space Think of this forum board like a room full of peers who understand your world. Share what’s working. Ask real questions. Talk through challenges. The goal is to power your success and raise the standard of home service industries together. 💬 Looking for conversation starters? This space works best when conversations are industry-specific and experience-based. You might jump in with something like: “How are other [your industry] pros pricing this service right now?” “Is anyone else seeing this shift in their market?” “What’s been working for you when it comes to ____?” 🤔 Why are industries grouped together? We’ve intentionally clustered similar industries to keep conversations active and relevant. These groupings reflect shared business models, operational challenges, and pricing conversations so you can learn from peers who “get it,” even if they’re not in your exact trade. If your question applies to all home service businesses, feel free to post in our broader forum boards. Pro tip: Check out the industry tags to get even more specific Looking forward to seeing this space come to life. 🚀109Views1like7CommentsBest ways to track material costs?
Tracking material costs in the electrical contracting industry is critical because supply prices (wire, conduit, breakers, panels, etc.) fluctuate frequently due to market demand, copper prices, and supply chain changes. A strong system protects profit margins, improves estimating accuracy, and helps maintain consistent pricing for customers. How does your company keep track?46Views2likes2CommentsIs anyone finding it hard to get a cap cover for their pickup?
I have been looking into getting a cover for the bed of my truck and a lot of places here in Toronto are saying their inventory is gone! And it will likely be a year before any new ones come in. Even used ones are being bought up for resale or even modified to fit the more popular trucks. Has anyone been looking for one and found the same supply issues?9Views0likes0CommentsIndustry virtual networking starting March 17
We’re trying something new in the community! Starting March 17, we’re hosting a weekly 30-minute networking session for service-based skilled trades like HVAC, plumbing, electrical, appliance repair, and more. Join one session or all four—no commitment. These will run once a week until April 7 while we pilot the idea. The goal is simple: Connect with other pros and help each other work through real business challenges. Format: • Quick intros • Everyone shares one challenge • Group feedback and ideas • Quick wrap-up 🕒 Tuesdays at 11:30 AM ET ⏱️ 30 minutes ***👉 Link to join: https://getjobber.zoom.us/j/82648791182?pwd=fObeUTabXaoSPYAhZ10kaS3azEwlqH.1 👈*** Interested? Comment below and we'll send you a reminder email with the link!72Views4likes4CommentsWhat Should Home Service Businesses Automate First to Save Time?
Small manual tasks start stacking up, catching up on follow-ups, re-adjusting scheduling, invoicing, review requests, the list goes on and on. Sound familiar? What’s one task you’re still doing manually that you know could be automated? What’s stopping you from setting it up?104Views0likes7CommentsDo you charge for estimates, and has it worked for your business?
Does anyone here charge for estimates? I've been thinking about this for a while and curious if anyone has found success with it. I run a handyman business and solely focus on active listings for realtors. I've found that most of the time, when buyer's agents call for me to look at inspection punch list items, they never call back after I send the quote. I can only assume they're using my quote as leverage in the sale to get some sort of credit or concession from the seller. Now I'm thinking of asking which side of the sale they're on and charging if it's the buyer side, or just charging all around. Obviously, our time isn't cheap so I want to honor that. If you're charging for estimates, what kind of rate are you charging?Solved207Views2likes10CommentsHow I Finally Delegated Estimating (Without Hiring Another Person)
For years, estimating was the one thing I couldn’t take off my plate. We changed the org chart. We hired roles. Delegated everything we could. But estimating? That was always me. Even if I wasn’t doing anything else in the business... I was still stuck quoting jobs. It was the bottleneck I couldn’t fix—until now. I built a ChatGPT-powered estimator trained with my systems, my pricing, and my language. It asks the right questions, runs the math, and delivers estimates like I would—without me being involved. Now I’m no longer the bottleneck. Customers get quick answers. I get my evenings and weekends back. Want to build your own? Map out your estimating logic. Plug it into ChatGPT. Test and refine. If you're stuck working all day and doing estimates at night and on Saturdays anddddd, sometimes even Sunday mornings when everyone's sleeping—this might be your way out. Heres my direct Zoom link if you'd like to learn more: https://calendly.com/ryaan-besthandymancompany/bh-plan-phone-consultation348Views8likes4Comments