There are always individuals looking for a way to make money without working for it, and they see plumbing and HVAC vans loaded with tools as easy targets. It is a service pro nightmare, so how can you protect your property from theft? 

If you are unfamiliar with it, the phrase guerrilla marketing might make you take a pause and ask, what? Afterall, the terminology conjures images of warfare, ambushes or surprise attacks. While using unconventional techniques won’t have you attacking unsuspecting customers, it does encapsulate the element of surprise in your marketing strategies. 

When you are looking to expand your company, whether you need to hire more employees or purchase tools and software, where do you look for financing for your small business?

These are the best books recommended by other business owners to help elevate your business mindset.

Water heaters, A/C and furnace units, and even garbage disposals are great opportunities for advertising. If you are not already placing your branded stickers with a phone number, you might be missing out.

Do you want to turn a $0 invoice into a sold job? If you are not offering your customers financing options on big ticket jobs, you may be doing yourself and your customers a disservice.

What are some good lead generation strategies that work fast? Here's what other business owners think.

Talented and skilled workers are in high demand and can choose where they want to work. But what about non-skilled employees who show potential? How do you know if they are worth as much as your skilled employees?

How do you trust your employees to spend your money wisely and not use it for personal items?

It can be frustrating to receive a bad review, but they are an unfortunate reality. However, how you deal with negative reviews can make all the difference in your online reputation. 

Whether you currently offer free estimates, are contemplating making a change, or do not believe in free estimates for any service, clear communication for the customer is crucial. Learn how to have the tough conversation.

Many of our Housecall Pro members have moved to a flat rate pricing structure for both their customers and for increasing profits.

Receiving a negative reviews, especially if it appears to be fake, is more than frustrating — it can hurt your business. While platforms like Google My Business and Yelp do provide an option to flag or report a negative review, it is not always easy to remove them from your listing.

You have concerns or are ready to utilize online booking, the best way to ensure it is a success is to start slow and set up the best expectations for your customers.

You want to show your team that their hard work is appreciated, some great gift ideas that they will really show them they are appreciated are Gifts like Apple watches are great, as they are usually something many service employees can use, but may not purchase on their own.

How essential are business Apps when it comes to home service businesses? Since most home services are need based, will an app help to meet customer's emergency needs? Here's what other business owners think

When picking a new payroll service provider, there are many factors to consider. As discussed, ensure that the provider fits your business needs. It may take some time to find the right fit, but here are a few recommendations from other pros to help you get started. Happy hunting!  

Google has an abundance of tools and services designed to help small businesses stick out in their local metropolitan areas.

When customers choose your business, they want to know that they matter and are a priority. They come to you to fix their problems and make their lives easier.

Attracting great employees to a company is a job all in itself. Part of being a great business owner, manager, and leader is understanding each member of your teams’ strengths and weaknesses.

Customer financing is growing in demand throughout today's market place. With the increasing pressure to scale businesses as fast as possible, it is a large jump for an operation of any size, especially in the home services industry. No one can decide if creating a finance program is right for your business, but you.

There are many options from low cost branding to major investments, Facebook Ads to Networking with real estate agents, but one thing is sure — it has to begin with a company mission and reason to hire your company. Once your company has its unique selling point nailed down, though, where do you begin?

It is no secret that finding quality plumbing technicians is challenging. With a major push towards four year university education, entering the trades out of high school is not something that students are seeking as an option or receiving enough education about. 

Angie’s List was a great source for quality leads and customer acquisition for many years, they have shifted their platform to a free service for customers and passed on rising costs to contractor members, but does it still bring in quality leads to home service professionals? 

For newer or smaller companies with limited marketing budgets, Google Local Services can be a game changer. Companies are able to control budget, what type of ads show for different services

You offer a valuable service, built on years of expertise, skills and training. You know what your time is worth, so seeing a competitor ad at a price that reduces profits and undermines the value of what you offer can leave you feeling worried about what to do. 

The consensus seems to be that QuickBooks will be a significant game changer to getting all your company’s finances in order and help protect you financially. 

Reviews are crucial to growing your company. Love them or hate them, they are here to stay and taking control of your online reputation is the best way to maintain a positive rating.

Understanding how to handle customers, especially challenging clients is the cornerstone of being a good business owner. It’s important to create and set boundaries, and stick to them.

Learn the story of Nu-Air, a heating and air cooling company that outsourced all possible tasks and doubled their revenue for three years straight.

Effective communication in business is important, and in the home services industry, it’s essential. Staying connected with your team in the field requires the right communication tools, so that everyone is one the same page, organized, accountable, and engaged. 

It’s important to know how to ask for a review. Similar to looking for new client jobs, the more requests that home service professionals send out to customers, the greater the chances of receiving them.

Yelp is just like any other lead source, it may work for some and not for others. It is definitely worth looking into and depending on your available budget, something to test.

Amazon sells everything from A to Z, and now they are getting into the home services industry. But, is it worth it for your plumbing business? 

Learn the best practices for dispatching and customer communication for plumbers to maximize efficiency and give customers a better service experience.

Plumbing business owners, have you ever considered using a subscription-based plumbing home saving plan? Learn how to train your plumbers to sell recurring service agreements to get you more business every year.

Learn how you can train your plumbers to bring back higher invoices to earn your plumbing business more revenue.

Some plumbing business owners find themselves in a dilemma of not having the funds to buy new equipment, hire new employees and expand their business. In this case, should you wait and grow your business later, or look into financing options and get a business loan?

Learn how to leverage online booking to get more plumbing jobs booked in your sleep.

Direct mail or email follow-ups, whether it is reaching customers online or through printed paper, which marketing strategy works better for your plumbing business?

Just because you have a website for your plumbing business, doesn’t mean your phone is going to ring. What are some effective ways to increase traffic and gain customers for your plumbing website?

Getting good online reviews is crucial to building an online reputation for your plumbing company. Customers tend to look at business reviews before booking a plumbing service, thus having amazing review ratings can help you stand out among competitors. Here are some tips to ask for positive reviews from your customers.