When do you turn down profitable plumbing work to protect your team and reputation?
In the early days of Sitko Plumbing and Drain Services in San Diego, I said yes to almost every call — evenings, weekends, 1+ hour drives, you name it. Sewer emergencies don’t wait, and I wanted the revenue. But I quickly learned that constantly overcommitting burned out my techs, led to rushed jobs, and hurt our quality. Last year we had a stretch where we were slammed with back-to-back mainline replacements. We pushed through, but the team was exhausted and one preventable callback slipped through. That hurt more than turning down a few jobs would have. Now we’re much more intentional: we protect core hours for our core customers, build in buffer time, and politely refer overflow to trusted partners when needed. It’s meant steadier growth, happier techs (just gave one a well-deserved raise and promotion), and better reviews overall. Question for the group: How do you decide when to say “no” or refer out work — even if it’s profitable — especially in a trade like plumbing where emergencies are constant? Curious how others balance growth vs. sustainability. Would love to hear what’s working for you!What does your Q3 and Q4 Planning Look Like?
Here we are, second half of the year! I think we all started the year with the best intentions. Maybe you're on track, maybe you've let yourself get busy and not work ON the business. I'm curious, what things are you going to focus on in the second half of the year to stay on track or get back on track? For me we've been on a little bit of a whirlwind. I've had a lot of turnover so I'm trying to get a few more really good technicians to expand our capacity. Amazingly enough we've done more revenue with less people. I'm also trying to optimize our phone call intake process/ people. My secondary goal is to optimize our project management system through click up. We've started using the program for admin tasks and some on the job stuff but I'd really like to get that dialed in so next year we can focus on optimizing systems, not creating whole new ones. What are you working on to move the needle for the back half of the year?Im New to jobber but i made the cut for the 2 round of the grant!!!
As the title says, I made it to the second stage of the grant process. I’m excited for the opportunity and hopeful about making it through to the final round. To get to this point, I focused on building a clear vision for what I want to achieve and then developed a detailed business plan to support it. I took the time to work through future opportunities and challenges, equipment costs, hiring needs, startup expenses, overhead, working capital, and the different directions the business could take. My goal was to fully understand the potential of the business and create a solid foundation for growth. It took a lot of time and effort, but I believe the process has given me greater clarity and a stronger competitive edge. Overall, it has absolutely been worth it.What's the best piece of business advice you've ever received?
What's the most valuable business lesson you've ever learned? How did it change the way you run your business? Drop your advice in the comments so others can learn from it, too! In this special episode of Masters of Home Service, we revisit some of the most memorable advice shared by owners who've built million-dollar businesses from the ground up. Never miss an episode of Masters of Home Service. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
