Blog
Articles about running a contracting business.
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Pricing
Why we don't price by the seat
Per-seat pricing makes contractors ration logins and leave subcontractors out. Why Optracs is one plan with unlimited users and every seat included.
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Estimates
How to write an estimate a homeowner can say yes to
A homeowner says yes to what they understand. 6 parts, in plain words, with a choice and a clear next step.
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Running jobs
The one-page job checklist, from first call to final payment
Most jobs that go wrong go wrong at a handoff. One page, filled in as the job moves, catches it.
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Paperwork
The paperwork that follows a job, and where each piece should live
6 pieces of paper tell the story of every job. Keep them together and closing the job takes minutes, not an afternoon.
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Scheduling
How to build a week's schedule that does not fall apart by Wednesday
Rain, a late delivery and a job that runs long. Plan for all 3 on Friday and the week holds.
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Getting paid
Deposits and progress payments: tie each payment to a step
A payment tied to a date invites an argument. A payment tied to a step both of you can see is easy to ask for.
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Running jobs
The handoff from sales to the crew, in 10 lines
The person who sold the job knows things the crew needs. 10 lines, written before the first day, carry them across.
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Sales
Know your pipeline: where every sale sits this week
Sales do not fall through the cracks. They sit on a step nobody is looking at. A short list of steps, read once a week, finds them.
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Getting paid
The invoice that gets read: 4 parts, in plain words
An invoice a homeowner has to puzzle over goes in a pile. 4 parts, in plain words, make it one they can act on.
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Your team
Roles on a small team: who sees what
Giving everyone the keys is easy, until someone leaves. Decide who sees what before you add the next person.
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Running jobs
Change orders that do not start a fight
Most change order fights start with a nod in the driveway. 3 lines on paper, signed before the work, end them.
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Running jobs
Before, during and after: a photo habit that settles arguments
A photo taken at the right moment answers a question nobody has asked yet. 8 spots, 3 moments, every job.
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Sales
How to follow up on an estimate without being a pest
A homeowner who goes quiet has usually not said no. 4 short touches, planned before the estimate goes out, keep you in the room without pushing.
Try it
See it with a sample company.
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