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.Has anyone here ever built a community partnership from the ground up?
Has anyone here ever built a community partnership from the ground up? im not just curious about the end result. i want to know how it actually came together. What ìt was, and how did you approach people to get them on board, and keep it going? what were the mistakes, and what would you do different next time I’m trying to learn what makes a partnership actually work long term because just like my llc i want it to lastIndustry virtual networking starting March 17
Update: Our 4-week networking pilot has wrapped. Thank you to everyone who joined! We brought pros together across industries for weekly 30-minute sessions focused on real business challenges, and the conversations delivered. There was strong participation, valuable idea-sharing, and great feedback from those who joined. 👉 The goal was simple: bring a challenge and get ideas from other pros, and that’s exactly what happened. We’re now taking what we learned and determining next steps, with plans to likely bring these back in the future. If you found these valuable, or are interested in joining future sessions, let us know in the comments and we’ll keep you posted on what’s next. Really appreciate everyone who took the time to be part of this!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!Roll call! Meet & introduce yourself to other Green & Exterior Service pros
If you’ve ever thought, “How are other businesses like mine handling this?” you’re in the right place! This space is for Green & Exterior Service 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 [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. 🚀
LANDSCAPERS: Let's unite on best practices...
Calling all landscape home service companies! We are a full-service landscaping company doing everything from irrigation, fertilizer and lawn maintenance programs to large projects. We've used Jobber for about 6 years and 'figure it out' as we go but tend to have to do a lot of manual work and workarounds. Wondering how others in the biz are best using Jobber and what kind of administrative help you employ to help manage it. For us... we have 3-4 people dedicated in the office at all times. We have 2 people dedicated to scheduling services and customer service for existing clients. We have another dedicated to billing daily, and another for administrative support to strictly field new requests and ensure people are being responded to. We use Trello to help manage all the tasks and customer status. It's a lot to manage. There's a lot of room for error. Setting up jobs is very manual. Scheduling can be pretty manual despite knowing there are ways to mass schedule in Jobber. Tags get super messy and are only so reliable. There isn't a great way to enforce good notes from techs in the field. Job Forms are only really for customer leave behinds and don't help with billing so the open notes field is really the only way to gather info from the field for invoicing... Interested in whatever others have to share that are really working for them!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??Will AI replace jobs in home service and skilled trades?
I saw an article yesterday about all the tech jobs that are being replaced by AI and I thought about how hard that would be to know your position can be replaced by someTHING that can do it faster and cheaper than you can. Then I thought how happy I am that I decided a long time ago that I am going to work with my hands. Be handy. Solve real problems. I would be safe in saying that AI is never going to cut your lawn, remove your junk, exterminate your bed bugs, plumb in or wire your home. Am I going to regret saying this? Is AI reading thins and just started plotting to take all our jobs???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.
