GUIDES FOR THE TRADES
Plain-English writing on running a contractor business — CRM pricing, hiring without taxing your growth, and honest comparisons. No fluff.
Showing 12 of 117 guides
What is a callback rate, and how do you bring yours down?
Your callback rate is the share of jobs that boomerang back as a return trip to fix something. How to figure yours, why it matters more than it looks, and the habits that bring it down.
What is retainage on commercial jobs, and how do you plan for it?
Retainage is money you earned that the client holds back until a commercial job closes out, sometimes for a year. What it is, why they do it, and how to plan so it doesn't drain your cash.
What is a mechanic's lien, and how does a contractor file one?
A mechanic's lien is your claim against a property you weren't paid for, and it has to clear before the owner can sell or refinance. What it does, the two deadlines that kill most of them, and how you file one.
What is a certificate of insurance (COI), and when will customers ask for one?
A certificate of insurance is a one-page proof that your coverage is real and current. What's on a COI, who asks for one and when, and why being named additional insured is a different ask that can cost you.
What is job costing? A plain-English definition, with a worked example
Job costing is adding up what one job cost you and setting it against what you charged. The plain-English definition, the four costs most shops undercount, and a $2,400 water heater job run line by line to the real profit.
What is a lien waiver, and when does a contractor need one?
A lien waiver signs away your right to lien a property, usually in exchange for payment. The four types, the one to never sign before you're paid, and when a GC or lender will ask.
Margin vs. markup: why mixing them up costs contractors money
Markup is figured on your cost, margin on your price. Mix them up and you come up short on every job. A worked example, and the formula to convert one to the other.
Work order vs. estimate vs. invoice: what's the difference?
An estimate is the price before the work, a work order runs the job, an invoice is the bill after. What each one is for, and where small shops cross them up.
What is dispatching in field service? A plain explanation for small shops
Dispatching is getting the right tech to the right job at the right time. What it means in plain terms, how it differs from scheduling, and how small shops actually run it.
What is a service agreement, and how do you price one?
What a service agreement actually is, why recurring plans beat one-off calls, and a cost-up way to price one that doesn't lose money on every visit.
What is a field service CRM, and does a small shop actually need one?
What a field service CRM actually does, how it's different from the CRM a salesperson uses, and the honest signs you've outgrown the notebook and the group text.
Tool safety and maintenance: the schedule most shops skip
Tool upkeep never feels urgent until something kicks back or lights up a panel. A maintenance schedule that sticks, and what to write down when you run it.
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