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.How do you utilize reports in your business?
I am curious to hear which reports you consider most valuable in your business and what actions are taken based on those reports if anyone is willing to share. Are there reports that you use regularly in Jobber or reports that you wish were part of Jobber? If so how do you utilize the information that the reports provide? Are changes made based on the reports? Is the data used to create the reports monitored internally for consistency? Thanks for sharing all input is helpful!How to price a job that is outside your normal working area?
I have made myself a set price list for work within the 35KM where I like to work, but often get calls outside that area. I have been going and doing the work at the same price I quote for calls within my area and wonder if that is hurting me? The idea was to have people discuss what price I gave them with family and friends in different locations and recommend me, but at what point does that price become unprofitable? Should I raise all my prices so customers feel I am not adding a travel surcharge? Should I be upfront and let them know my location and if they want me to come, I will have to add a travel charge? Should I refuse work outside my area? Refuse is such a bad word right!Fully Electric / Fully Organic Lawn Maintenance Company…. Your Thoughts?
Is this innovative or stupid? Do you care and / or will anyone else care? And if so how do we promote this and let’s take this just one step further…. How can we advocate for more sustainable/cleaner energy? This is a lot to ask. Take your time to answer and let’s gather and move in unison to change the status quo together. Small doesn’t mean weak. The war is already won, but are you ready to take up the sword to fight the battle in front of you now?How Much Should You Really Be Charging?
The number one question I receive is tied directly to the fact, most contractors are still guessing when it comes to pricing. Overhead. Profit. Labor rate. Trip fees. They think just because they throw a number they hear their competitors use, thats all that they need. It may work, but how and what do you divide these funds is just as important for your business health. If you don’t know how to do the math, you’re not building a business. You’re surviving check to check and think you need more work, when you do not. So here’s the plan: This Tuesday & Thursday on IG, I’m walking you through our Contractor Price Builder Worksheet FREE on instagram live. We will cover: - How to calculate your real hourly rate - The difference between markup and margin - Why profit is a non-negotiable - And how to price with confidence Join the session. Bring your numbers.Do you utilize battery-powered tools?
Handheld battery-powered tools have come a long way from their first iterations, especially over the past few years. I've started making the switch away from gas-powered equipment throughout the last few seasons for my business and have found the switch to be positive for my workflow and bottom line. This is a trend I believe will continue as batteries become more powerful and long-lasting. Are you utilizing any battery-powered equipment and, if so, do you have any favorites you'd like to share??
Direct Call Leads
We only pay per qualified conversation with homeowners. After a few years of hunting down bad contacts, getting ghosted and wasting money on ads and ad managers we internally built out a system that only costs money when a homeowner directly calls us looking for our services. It’s been a gamechanger and we even started selling these calls to other roofers and other industries/home service companies because there’s no real risk. Either you talk to a homeowner who wants you to come out, or you don’t pay. They can be kind of expensive but our ROI is at about 3.4x for a while now using it so I’m never going back to our old methods…unless someone has a lower risk option that doesn’t consume a ton of time.
How to sign up a business that has multiple sites across your city?
I wonder if anyone has any good advise on getting a medium sized business to sign up multiple locations? I am thinking along the lines of a restaurant/store/landlord that has 3-4-5 locations locally and possibly has different service pros at all of them. I know that I couldn't work a national account or ones that are spread out across the province, but I am thinking the ones that are all concentrated in my city. So far I am thinking about offering free inspections at all the locations, taking photos and notes, and relaying those back to the person who would make the call to approve that contract. Offering a discounted rate if all locations are signed up. Doing service for a very low rate at one location for a trial period. Offering a few no charge services to show my level of workmanship. I think I have a good plan to go after these types of business situations, but I am wondering if anyone has a better approach that I may be missing? Always gonna reach out to the community to see if there are any ideas floating around I missed.
