Last month marked the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the most significant U.S. federal action on climate change. With over $369 billion allocated to energy and climate programs, the IRA has driven unprecedented growth in renewable energy, boosting solar, wind, and battery storage, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions and lowering energy costs.

Retaining skilled employees is vital for plumbing and HVAC contractors. High turnover leads to disruptions and decreased customer satisfaction. To address this, many are finding innovative ways to encourage retention, including unique approaches from new companies.

No tropical cyclones as of Wed, 13 Nov 2024 12:37:46 GMT

Energy independence, anti-dumping laws aid slow return to power.

Amazon is doing well, though a volatile political climate threatens small businesses’ growth.

Housing market, inflation rates and the upcoming midterm election will influence the economy in 2018.

Infrastructure will continue to be an issue in 2018 and beyond.

Meanwhile, the fate of the estate tax could affect small businesses for years to come.

Don’t make these seven sales mistakes.

These tips will set you up for success heading into 2018.

A ‘differentiation standard’ can help you stand out from the rest as a top contractor.

If I can learn to be a planner, then you can, too.

Working with the media can help boost your company image.

Are you being proactive about your marketing plan?

Not every ad is for leads, and your message is more important than you think.

You’ve already paid for the lead, so why not extract its full value?

Selling — even upselling — is a service, and let no one tell you differently.

All three of these elements must be in place for a business to survive.

Sometimes, love isn’t all you need.

Don’t let experience turn into complacency and a lack of differentiation.

Contractors are poised to use marketing method previously reserved for billionaires.

Why we do what we do” is why I do what I do. My job is to “change behavior.

Sales and marketing aren’t the same thing, but they can be powerful when combined.

Direct mail hits on the high points that anyone would want from an effective marketing campaign: Print builds trust more easily than digital ads. 

By following the tips below, you can mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on your business and lay some groundwork that will make your company more successful in the long run.

No longer an optional form of advertising, digital marketing has become the norm. 

Many plumbing contractors ask the question: “What is the best way to advertise my business locally?”

According to a white paper authored by venture capital firm ARD Ventures, each fleet vehicle, on average, receives between 30,000 -70,000 impressions daily. 

One of the toughest calls I receive as the owner of a public relations agency specializing in the home services industry is from a plumbing or mechanical business owner asking for my help after they find themselves, or their business, in the middle of a crisis.

There’s no question that the demand for home improvement projects is red hot. 

Plumbers and their customers are living in a digital age, which means more potential clients are finding a plumber online via Google searches. If more customers are finding plumbers on Google, then it is important that you take the right steps to ensure you are the plumber they find. 

By now, you may have heard that by July 2023, Google Analytics is shutting down for good, as Google replaces the analytics service with GA4. Why is this happening, and what does it mean for tracking my website analytics?

Let me clue you in on a poorly kept secret: Traditional advertising is expensive. I know, this isn’t exactly shocking. Depending on your market, a month-long rental of a billboard could cost five figures. A week’s worth of 15-second radio ads can run up to $8,000 — and that doesn’t include the cost of producing them. And television? Forget it.

Life in Ghana: The search for water.

Despite not having electric tools, these young plumbers make it work.

Thanks, Fred.

From Roman baths to modern water-saving showerheads, plumbing has come a long way.

Thermostatic mixing valves and common sense can help prevent injury and litigation.

The code-writing organizations are currently finalizing the 2021 edition of the Plumbing Code, which may be adopted in your state or local jurisdiction by 2023. That is how far in advance hot subjects that are being discussed now wait before becoming law.

Elegance is the name of the game with modern bathrooms. To keep up with the demands of the public, the plumbing codes and standards have changed regarding modern bathrooms. Some changes are for the good; others, well, we will have to see.

The baby boomer generation is reaching retirement age, and many are planning to age in place. As the body ages, the use of plumbing fixtures changes. The aging body no longer has the strength and flexibility of the younger body.

I was wondering about boiler chemicals and how many contractors (if any) were using them on brand-new systems. Do we need them? 

How’s that for a title? I’ll give you the answer right up front: Everyone!  And the best part is you don’t have to know what you’re doing; you just have to show up.

A young guy who was about the size of Bruno Mars came to my seminar once, and we were chatting during a break. I asked him how long he had been in the business. It’s good to see young people getting involved.

A homeowner posted a question on The Wall at HeatingHelp.com about a drumroll sound that was coming from his brand-new steam boiler. What could it be? He included a video so all could hear, and sure enough, it sounded like a snare drum.

Frozen steam coils always seem to happen at the worst of times, don’t they? You’re busy because it’s cold enough to freeze coils. The place with the frozen coil contains people who are doing things that are so important they can’t possibly be without that particular coil. Not even for a minute. They’re on the phone, and they’re not being reasonable.

Some years ago, a wholesaler hired me to do a seminar in a New England hotel for about 100 of his contractor customers. After the seminar, the owner of the company invited me and a bunch of his employees out for a nice dinner. There were about 15 of us.

Most hydronic systems have the boiler running up to 180° F with water returning from the system at 160°. This rarely happens in real life, but it’s the traditional way we do things.

I have heating (plumbing, fire suppression, etc.) shops in New York and New Jersey. This is very much steam country, and we repair and replace steam boilers and systems all week long and have been for decades. All that is fine, but what I find incredibly odd is the polarized perception of the automatic water feeder.