Which numbers should I be watching to sustain a healthy profit level?
Ten measures, most of them weekly, and the question each one is actually answering. Gross profit dollars and margin by department, operating profit margin, a breakeven plus 10 percent revenue target, booking and estimate acceptance rates, overhead as a percent of income, active maintenance agreements and renewal rate, a rolling 13 week cash forecast with overdue invoices, labor hours estimated against actual, callback rate and cost, and customer acquisition cost by source.
This is the longest guide on the page, and it covers the difference between running the company on a monthly profit and loss that arrives too late to act on and running it on a weekly scoreboard your leadership team can see.
Last updated: October 6, 2026. Read Which numbers should I be watching to sustain a healthy profit level?
How do I find, and keep, good technicians?
Six steps, and the order is deliberate. Make the job offer specific enough that a candidate can picture the work. Build several recruiting sources instead of one. Check ability the same way every time. Give a new hire a structured start with a mentor attached to it. Remove the daily frustrations that grind good people down. Tie advancement to demonstrated skill rather than to who has been there longest.
It also covers pay structure, which is where most owners start and where this guide deliberately does not. Recruiting harder does not fix a company people leave.
Last updated: October 6, 2026. Read How do I find, and keep, good technicians?
How do I get more consistent, profitable jobs?
Five steps for the owner whose phone rings enough but whose profit does not follow. Identify your best jobs from the last 90 days by gross profit rather than by ticket size. Build a recurring customer base through maintenance agreements. Fix the gaps between the first inquiry and the final payment. Measure marketing by profitable completed jobs instead of by calls or form fills. Price from your own costs and your own capacity.
The short version: you probably do not have a lead problem. You have a conversion problem and a pricing problem wearing a lead problem's coat.
Last updated: October 6, 2026. Read How do I get more consistent, profitable jobs?
