Plumbing Bids
I just started a plumbing business and I get the concept of bidding but somehow always end up under estimating. I even doubled my last bid and still somehow ended up an impactful amount of hours over. I don't know if I visualize my objective wrong or I'm really that much slower than I anticipate (If that makes sense). The materials I buy are marked price + 30% and hourly is pretty straightforward, I charge from the moment I leave the office to the moment I return. Change orders are a weak point for me and I know the consequences of doing free labor. Is there any special courses to perfect bidding?
When Competitors Race to the Bottom: How you Can Push Back—Without Slashing Prices
The Pain Backflow work has become a Craigslist price-war: unlicensed techs quote 30 % below cost, plumbers toss in a “” freebies" to win a bigger job, and customers—squeezed by the economy—grab the cheapest line item they see. Result: we’re pitching value while they’re slinging bargain stickers, and it feels like we’re getting chopped at the knees. How do I handle these "Cheap competitors" and Hold the line on value?
Sharing Processing Fees
I love Jobber. It has helped transform the front-end of our business by streamlining the calls - requests - estimate - job conversion - invoicing process. Our receivable time has reduced drastically due to the ease of Jobber payments (credit/debit/ACH) and financing options. The record keeping of client communications is very helpful and all of the data reports are helpful with job costing and showing us where and how we can become more efficient. I have been holding my breath, hoping that Jobber will soon have an easy option in the payment areas to either apply the full or split by percentage, the processing fee. It is reasonable at the current rate, but it certainly adds up at the end of each month and year. Just like inputting a percentage of required deposit, I would love to see a percentage I could apply towards the fee for the customer that is customizable and transparent for them. This may change their ultimate decision on the method they seek to use, but it would also allow me to reinvest the savings elsewhere. I have tried adding a line item in the quote for the processing fee, but it can add a lot of manual effort to reconfigure if there are certain change orders or adjustments throughout the job. I'd like to hear other people's experience with it, if possible. Any ideas are helpful, insight, or plans for the future regarding Jobber payments. Thank you!
What is a accounting service you would recommend for a solo operation?
I own and operate a repair services company and work solo. No employees. I hired a accounting service, but I don't feel like I'm getting good service. Plus they don't have any way for me to track reports for invoices, transactions, expenses etc. I feel like I'm flying blind here. The main reason I wanted their service was for tax prep, and they came recommended from ZenBusiness. I am doing most of the work without really having any report or spreadsheet to look at. Jobber does a lot of heavy lifting with reports, which is great, but I'm not sure how to incorporate Jobber with my current service. Obviously there is Quickbooks, but what is a accounting/tax service that you would recommend for my situation? And are there any services that work well with Jobber?What is a good Business Credit Card to have for our line of work?
Hey Jobbers: I'm in the 7th month of business and things are going quite well, but I've been thinking of trying to get my purchases to work of me. Often times credit cards will give perks for cash back or rewards points depending on the purchases that one makes. In our line of work, purchases are pretty out of the norm to other business on a day-to-day basis. I've been doing some research of different programs, but the ranked lists seem to be sponsored by banks, like usual. Hard to trust biased articles. I was wondering if anyone had personal experience/ good recommendations for a credit card that is geared towards Home Services/Handyman companies. Thanks in advance, Think N Tinker
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? tiaPricing, Profits, and Financing What Works for You?”
Running a business isn’t just about doing the work — it’s about knowing your numbers. I’ve been working on refining my pricing strategies, making sure my profit margins are healthy, and figuring out when it’s time to hire a financial expert to help. How do you guys manage your finances? Do you have someone helping with taxes or strategy, or are you handling it all yourself?”*New Year - More Profit
Happy New Year Jobber Blueprint Family!!! In 2025 I am focusing on small changes I can make to increase my business's bottom line. Last year was more hectic than anticipated and I ended the year feeling a bit disorganized. This month, I've blocked off some time to focus solely on reorganizing and decluttering, as a way to set myself up for year-long success. Are there any changes you're making to start the year to grow your bottom line??
