Business Management
Awesome Achievements Deserve Right Recognition
Recognizing the achievements and service of employees is vital to building your company into a unified group that works together for a common goal....
Tools of the Trade
Each month, Contracting Business picks a leading contractor and takes a look at the products, tools, and services that he or she has chosen to help make their company successful....
Why the Cloud Matters to HVAC
The current approach to designing HVAC systems can be dramatically improved by giving everyone involved in the process easy access to a common computing platform. That way, contractors can monitor and interact with project information at any time and from any place. The computing platform needs to support load calculations and equipment selection, and also complete customer interactions throughout the sales cycle...
Tools of the Trade
Each month, Contracting Business picks a leading contractor and takes a look at the products, tools, and services that he or she has chosen to help make their company successful. Service Unlimited, Inc. New Castle, DE ...
Drive Time: Good Driving is Good For Business
Good drivers hold the 'keys' to saving money and increasing productivity. A written fleet safety policy can meet all company needs in this area....
Harsh Reality Demands Strategic Response
We asked a noted business consultant and some of our favorite HVAC industry contractors for a few tips on growing profits in an unforgiving economy that just can’t get going. ...
Tools of the Trade
Each month, Contracting Business picks a leading contractor and takes a look at the products, tools, and services that he or she has chosen to help make their company successful....
Performance Pay: Make Your Company a Great Place for Great People
Performance pay is an important tool that will help you attract and keep top performers. It rewards outstanding personnel for their technical, communication, and organizational skills....
National Comfort Institute br>Summit Offers Solutions
The Ninth Annual National Comfort Institute (NCI) Summit will be held Feb. 5-10, at the Innisbrook Golf Resort, Palm Harbor, FL. ...
Delving into 2012: 'Recession of Confidence' Slows Economy
What we now call the Great Recession officially began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009. It was the longest, deepest, and most painful recession since the Great Depression. ...
Let Me Ask You This. . . Do You Know Which Questions to Ask?
When questioning to promote creative and critical thinking, it is important to use employees' responses to guide subsequent questions...
Bonus Depreciation Available
If you’ve been considering purchasing, financing, or leasing new equipment, you can take advantage of Sec.179 depreciation and bonus depreciation if you act before the end of the year. ...
Tools of the Trade
Each month, Contracting Business picks a leading contractor and takes a look at the products, tools, and services that he or she has chosen to help make their company successful....
Vehicle Warranty Language Often Ignored by Owners
Businesses with a fleet of vehicles could save thousands of dollars each year in repair expenses just by reading and following the recommendations spelled out in the warranty booklet that comes with every vehicle....
She's Baaaack… The Return of Big Yellow
For years, Contractor was a business partner with Big Yellow. At first, it was a good relationship. Contractor paid Big Yellow a little cash and she brought Contractor business. Everyone was happy, but it would not last. ...
Tools of the Trade
Bob Tudi, CEO, TUDI Mechanical Systems, began his company in 1987, with $4,000 and a pickup truck. Starting with modest means and fueled by big dreams, he built TUDI Mechanical Systems into a premier HVAC and plumbing contractor in the Pittsburgh, PA region....
SEO: Letters That Mean More Business From Your Website
Before you can do anything with your website that will make an impact on your business, you need to understand what it’s doing for you. ...
How to Interview an Appointment Seller
When you’re seeking an appointment seller for your business and have identified some promising candidates, conduct their first interview over the telephone. These individuals must sound absolutely fantastic in order to get an in-person interview....
How to Recruit a Great Appointment Seller
The best contractors are the best recruiters. Since recruiting is such an essential component of running a successful service company, you should learn all you can about recruiting. ...
Sales Training for Success
Involuntary terminations of service sales personnel are far too common and far too expensive. A failing salesperson usually (and unfortunately) hangs around for close to a year before the relationship is severed. The employer not only loses the salary paid, but also employment taxes, car allowances, administrative costs, training costs, and other incidentals....
Who Answers the Phone? Why Four Voices are Better than One
Most contracting businesses have one person who answers the phone and, yes, that's one (albeit old-fashioned) way to do it. Ideally, however, you’ll have four different people whose jobs involve the telephone...
The Customer Satisfaction Pyramid
If I’m doing something wrong that may cause me to lose business, I want to know about it. I believe the merchants that I do business with want to know about it too, provided they’re good business people. ...
Tools of the Trade
Environmental Air Conditioning Services, Inc., based in Jacksonville, FL, was founded by Howard Stalls, Jr., (shown at left with Greg Miscally, project manager) in 1987. EAC is committed to providing homeowners, businesses, and builders in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia with high quality and reliable service. ...
The Value of HVAC Service Agreements
A real life story of what a service agreement can mean to your customers and to your business....
Tools of the Trade
Each month, Contracting Business picks a leading contractor and takes a look at the products, tools, and services that he or she has chosen to help make their company successful....
