Virtual assistant
Sorry if this is a repeat post. I did some searching on here and didn’t find what I’m asking. I keep hearing about virtual assistants used for service pros. I’m a 1 man show right now trying to delete and automate as much as possible to leave room for growth and expansion. I heard virtual assistants can help with a number of task. Does anyone have a company they refer or use? What has been the feed back?How has that helped utilizing a VA and Jobber together? Thank you !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.
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!
Acorn Integration?
We use enhancify. We considered Wisetack. However, we require down payments and don't like that payment gets released after work gets completed. We stumbled across Acorn and saw they integrate with HouseCall Pro. On their quotes, they offer a monthly finance rate the customer could get if they used Acorn (estimated rate of course). Is this a possible integration in the future, or is there something similar? tiaNew Google Search Features: Online Estimates Filter and “Have AI Check Prices” — what does this mean for service pros?
Google has recently started rolling out new pricing-related features in local home service search, and they could impact how service businesses get discovered. Two early changes we’re seeing: “Online estimates” filter Google is beginning to surface an Online estimates filter in some home service searches. Early signs suggest businesses that provide clear, machine-readable pricing or instant estimates may be favored over generic contact forms. “Have AI check prices” or “Ask AI for Pricing” feature Google is also testing an AI feature that gathers pricing on a homeowner’s behalf by using AI to call businesses and collect price quotes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=illIa8LSfY0 These features are still new and evolving, but they raise big questions about pricing transparency, estimates, and local search visibility. We’re curious: Have you noticed either of these features in your area yet? Do you currently show pricing or estimate ranges online? Do changes like this make you rethink how you approach pricing and Google visibility? Would love to hear what service pros are seeing so far 👇
Sales Marketing
Need More Leads & a Website That Works as Hard as You Do?If you're a contractor offering services like remodeling, roofing, painting, or renovations, having a strong online presence isn’t optional anymore it’s essential. I specialize in building professional, mobile friendly websites that help contractors: Book more jobs Show off past work with photo galleries & testimonials Get found on Google with local SEO Look legit and stand out from the competition Whether you're just starting out or ready to take your business to the next level, I offer free consultations to see how we can upgrade your online presence and bring in more clients.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.We Need a Catalog to Build Estimates 📗
🥳🔥We need a catalog 📗! The items in the catalog help with building out an estimate. These items are the nuts and bolts of the products and services. Examples of catalog items are materials, permits, labor, subs, and anything else you need to complete a job. The ability to add images to the item would be a plus! Creating an Item in the Catalog; Item Name; Description for customer (can be toggled on to let customer see or turned off); Sku Number; Part Number; Quantity; Unit (Each, Feet, Gallon); Cost Code; Type; Unit Cost; Extended Cost (Calculated After you input the qty); Unit Price; Extended Price (Calculated after you input the qty with selected Markup or Margin); Markup; Margin; Taxable y/n; Internal Notes; Image of item 😮Currently, we build estimates outside of Jobber. Once we know the prices, we create the estimate in Jobber and send it to the customer. It would be nice to create an estimate in Jobber and, behind the scenes, see the prices, quantities, and markups of items we picked from the catalog to determine the estimated amount. Once the job is complete, adjusting the actual item's prices or quantities would be super cool to see how the final numbers compare to the estimated cost. Is there anyone else out there who would benefit from a catalog?Do You Train Your Team to Think or Just Work?
Every Monday, we hold a short training session with our team. We train on communication. leadership. & mindset. The reason being most tradespeople aren’t struggling because they can’t do the work. They’re struggling because they were never taught how to: Speak with clarity Handle conflict Lead a crew Represent the business professionally These tend to be the issues I see bottling up, either from our exit interviews or customer feed back or when things are misunderstood. Thats why I'm curious: Do you train soft skills with your crew?
