Should I purchase a van or truck for my company?
I am looking at a potential second vehicle for my electrical company. I have always thought trucks were the way, I started in the oilfield 20 years ago and that all there was. So now I am trying to decide on the potential benefits of a van. It seems easier to manage and control tools and material, but seems like it may be a large vehicle to handle, especially the height. Curious to hear about your past experiences!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. 🚀You down with PPE? Yeah, you know me!
Google AI explains it as "Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) refers to any clothing or equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards in the workplace and protect the wearer's health and safety. PPE is considered the last line of defense when other controls cannot eliminate or reduce the hazard adequately." I've always viewed personal protective equipment (PPE) as my primary shield for staying safe and healthy on the job. With machinery that can spin at speeds up to 10,000 RPM, it’s essential to prioritize my protection. What about you? What PPE do you typically use in your work? For me, I rely on: Ear protection: Since most of our tools operate at high decibel levels, it’s crucial to safeguard my hearing. I personally prefer foam earplugs over earmuffs for comfort. Eye protection: When handling equipment like line trimmers, mowers, chainsaws, and blowers, debris can go flying everywhere. I want to ensure my eyes stay safe from any potential hazards. Safety boots: I opt for high-rise boots with steel or composite toes and plates to protect my feet. Long pants: These are important for shielding my legs from rocks and other materials that can become projectiles. Sun hat: Keeping my head and shoulders covered helps shield me from the sun's rays while I work. Remember, taking these precautions not only keeps us safe but also helps us enjoy our work without worry! One more important type of PPE—at least in my view—is knowledge! It’s really vital to have as many staff members trained in First Aid as possible.
What’s holding most service businesses back
I’ve been thinking about this lately, what’s actually holding most service businesses back? Is it: • Lack of leads • Poor systems • Weak pricing • Or the owner not stepping into the business role Because I’ve seen companies busy all day… but still stuck. Curious what do you think is the real bottleneck?👉 “Turning My Logistics Vision Into Reality – Lyric Logistics LLC”
Hi everyone, I’m Flo, the owner of Lyric Logistics LLC. I’m currently in the process of launching my transportation business focused on reliable box truck freight services for small and mid-sized businesses. One recent win I’m proud of is completing my grant applications and building out my business foundation, including my services, branding, and operations plan. It’s been a big step toward turning my vision into something real. I’m excited to be part of this community and learn from others while growing my business. Looking forward to connecting!Milwaukee vs DeWalt Tools, which one?
We’re Lock Nerds Locksmith, a Buffalo, NY-based company that’s always relied on Milwaukee tools. But we’re curious—what tools do other pros trust? We're looking for honest pros and cons between Milwaukee and DeWalt to see if it's time for us to reconsider our setup.
Suggestions for Jobber
Below is some suggestions I have for Jobber to improve use. This is reviewing the two past years of my company and the complications they have using it. Anymore? Keep it going! Create a filter in clients to separate residential and commercial. Display icon in clients for residential and commercial. Prompt you if a duplicate client is being created. Identical names especially for companies shouldn't be allowed. Option to turn off archived search results when using the search bar. Create a collect payment button for invoices instead of having to click edit invoice to collect payment. Under save invoice options add selection save invoice and mark as sent. Create an edit mode for products and services and for visits. You would click the button allowing you to change the text in the columns and toggle taxable or non taxable. when edit mode is turned off it will save any changes. You can also do a select box so you can deactivate or delete multiple at a time. For visits, dates should be an option in the edit mode. Length of visits should be an option in one off or recurring. Shouldn't just default to all day. Quotes have a bulk archive, this should be added to jobs and requests and for the quotes there should be options such as bulk archive, bulk approve. When converting quotes to a job there should be selection boxes to select which line items you want to convert. And once line items are converted and someone tries to do it again maybe a popup saying this has already been converted to job #______ are you sure you want to proceed? In Manage teams, allow you to create a password for your technician. Sometimes techs are in the field having issues and don't have time to verify and change a password. Administrators should have this option.
How do HVAC companies improve their quote conversion rate and follow up with leads?
How do you get better at sales? I’m only turning over 20% replacement quotes. Do you have an automated follow up system? I also provide two different financing options. Is there a way to track to see if you’re bottlenecking in rejections vs following up?
How often should HVAC condenser coils be cleaned to improve efficiency and extend equipment life?
Cleaning HVAC condenser coils is essential for maintaining system efficiency, performance, and longevity. Over time, dirt, debris, and buildup restrict airflow across the coil, forcing the system to work harder to reject heat. This can lead to higher operating pressures, increased energy consumption, reduced cooling capacity, and unnecessary wear on critical components such as the compressor. Routine coil cleaning helps ensure proper heat transfer, improves overall system reliability, and can significantly extend the life of the equipment while lowering operating costs.
