The best part of this business has nothing to do with the numbers. It’s watching the tech who started at $18 an hour and is now making six figures. We gave him a platform, he did the work, and his whole life changed. Nothing beats being apart of that.

If I could only track five numbers in my HVAC sales department, it would be: revenue per lead, close rate, average install revenue, discount rate, and revenue to budget. Most owners track none of them daily and then wonder why the month got away from them. Measure every day and the numbers stop surprising you.

If your tech left for $2 more an hour, money wasn't the problem. The problem is there was nothing else keeping them. Techs spend most days working on their own. If the money's right, it's the one-on-ones, the organizational support, the daily encouragement that keeps them here. A small raise can't outbid a place people actually want to work and feel supported.

This is where we build technicians from scratch. Zero experience walks in, and electricians, plumbers, and HVAC pros walk out. Everything in this lab is functional. They can tear it apart, we can plant faults, and they can fail safely here instead of in a customer’s home.

Everyone thinks adding a trade is a growth hack. Here’s what it looked like for us: YouTubing plumbing repairs from the truck because our only plumber quit three days before the new one started. We figured it out, but I’d never do it that way again. Master the trade you’re in before you buy yourself a second set of problems.