Do you know where your trucks are?
HERE ARE TWO GPS-based software solutions that can help contractors keep an eye on company vehicles and that can minimize drive time, reduce fuel expenditures,...
Answers to questions on snow-melt insulation
I CAN'T TELL YOU how many times someone has asked me, and just about any wholesale supplier worth his salt, "What is the best insulation for below-slab...
The art of system renovation
THE PHONE CALL: One of my regular customers told me about a conversation he recently had with an arts council administrator who was about to take over...
How long is a quote binding?
A three-month-old price can have a severe economic impact on contractors. CONTRACTORS, subcontractors and suppliers routinely give quotes and bids that...
Estimating program uses plain English, pictures
After an hour or two of training, most estimators are ready to go on their own. AN EASY-TO-USE Windowsbased estimating program for commercial, industrial...
What your Yellow Pages rep is NOT telling you
IT'S GOT TO STOP. This longstanding tradition of plumbing contractors overspending in the Yellow Pages for rotten results has gone on too long. And silly...
Tapping into the inner idealist in young people
Young people can get from this industry so much more than just a paycheck. HOW TO ATTRACT young people into the plumbing business is an issue that confounds...
Where Have All The Real Hats Gone?
In 1959, when I was 2 years old, almost every man wore a dress hat of some sort. Not a baseball cap but a real hat. A hat with a brim. A hat with style....
The Pygmalion Manager
Did you ever see "My Fair Lady?" It was much more than a musical. It captured 11 Academy Awards in 1962, including Best Picture. It features many fine...
Establishing ROI for a construction firm
WHAT IS THE appropriate compensation for an owner of a contracting firm? How much is the right number? Isn't just a salary with expenses enough? These...
Good employees make good project managers
YEAH, AS IF A bad employee could make a good manager or a bad employee would help make a bad manager better or a terrible employee would somehow train...
Wholesaler values revealed
I RECENTLY WAS invited to spend a week with wholesalers and manufacturers representatives who were attending training at Watts Radiant in Springfield,...
Tapping into the inner idealist in young people
Young people can get from this industry so much more than just a paycheck. HOW TO ATTRACT young people into the plumbing business is an issue that confounds...
More answers on snow-melt insulation
HYDRONIC HEATING AUTHORITY I SET UP MY own unscientific research to compare different insulation products used in snow-melt systems, as you'll recall...
Service goes wireless, down to bar codes
DESIGNED FOR RESIDENTIAL and commercial service/ contracting businesses, Shafer's Mobile Office Solution ( Shafer's Service Systems, www.shafers.com,...
Make more by marketing maintenance
WHAT IF YOU could make money while possibly saving your customers thousands? That'd be a pretty sweet deal for both of you. So it's obviously too good...
Beating the big boxes at water heater sales
ONCE, THE ONLY WAY a homeowner could buy a water heater was to call a plumber. Today, retailers sell more water heaters than plumbers do. It's no wonder....
Dealing with retained earnings and cash
DO YOU HAVE a large amount of retained earnings and excess cash in your corporation, but the double taxing power of the law has your cash locked in the...
Hydronics can be sold to builders
AS A CONTRACTOR who is always looking to find new products and ways of doing things, I attend trade seminars and association meetings whenever I can....
Are your shoes too small?
BY MARK MATTESON "Are your shoes too small?" A number of years ago, my Dad and I were playing a game of cribbage. He was stealing points from me (his...
Understanding the Rule of 72 in construction
UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL management is critical to the success of any contractor. One of the best books I've read on management listed the 10 rules of...
Understanding the Rule of 72 in construction
UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL management is critical to the success of any contractor. One of the best books I've read on management listed the 10 rules of...
Understanding the Rule of 72 in construction
UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL management is critical to the success of any contractor. One of the best books I've read on management listed the 10 rules of...
When are you 'substantially complete'?
SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION is a term of art in construction. Nowhere else do these two words have special legal and financial significance. The legal significance...
Low water pressure spells restroom trouble
I WAS ASKED if I would be willing to visit a commercial site where new public restrooms had been installed. The plumber said he hadn't done anything wrong...
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