Contractormag 2478 Cash
Contractormag 2478 Cash
Contractormag 2478 Cash
Contractormag 2478 Cash
Contractormag 2478 Cash

50 Ways to become a more profitable plumber

July 8, 2015
Are you better at turning a wrench than turning a profit? Most plumbing contractors are better mechanics than businesspeople.

Are you better at turning a wrench than turning a profit? Most plumbing contractors are better mechanics than businesspeople. After all, they’ve been trained to be mechanics. Fortunately, as thousands of successful plumbing contractors have shown, mechanics can learn to become successful businesspeople. Here are 50 ways to increase your profitability.

  1. Raise your prices.
  2. Pay for performance.
  3. Set profitability goals.
  4. Join a buying group.
  5. Take courses on business.
  6. Renegotiate leases.
  7. Start an affinity marketing program.
  8. Join a plumbing alliance.
  9. Come to Comfortech in St. Louis this September!
  10. Install GPS tracking on your vehicles.
  11. Add another truck.
  12. Read “The Power of Positive Pricing.”
  13. Train your plumbers how to use Joe Cunningham’s transitional statement to boost average tickets.
  14. Use a marketing calendar.
  15. Run an oldest water heater contest.
  16. Offer water alarms on every call.
  17. Join a service or civic club.
  18. Talk with successful plumbing contractors from other markets.
  19. Define your brand position.
  20. Track and post everyone’s performance.
  21. Train your call takers.
  22. Use a good truck ID program.
  23. Make sure you have complete and timely financial statements.
  24. Differentiate.
  25. Make sure you have a purchase order system.
  26. Sell designer brass and porcelain.
  27. Market more.
  28. Take advantage of supply house consignment programs.
  29. Use credit cards where you get cash back or airline miles for all purchases.
  30. Sell a service or maintenance agreement.
  31. Join a networking or leads club.
  32. Track callbacks and train on deficiencies.
  33. Train more often.
  34. Use e-mail marketing with existing customers.
  35. Consolidate and bid your insurance business.
  36. Offer remodeling.
  37. Offer good/better/best choices for products.
  38. Require good grooming and a lack of odors from service personnel.
  39. Pay well to attract top performers.
  40. Make sure your fleet is well-maintained.
  41. Create a unique selling proposition.
  42. Offer braided steel washing machine hoses as a service call add-on.
  43. Offer tankless water heaters.
  44. Take advantage of free social media like Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
  45. Offer financing.
  46. Offer solar thermal.
  47. Sell Bio-One as an add-on to service calls.
  48. Add a sewer camera.
  49. Offer trenchless sewer repairs.
  50. Offer whole house water purification system.

Are there more ways to boost profit? Absolutely! Write me at [email protected] and share your thoughts.

Matt Michel is CEO of the Service Roundtable, contracting’s largest business alliance. To join the industry’s biggest buying group, visit ServiceRoundtable.com or call 877/262-3341.To join an alliance of elite, profit minded contractors, visit ServiceNationAlliance.com or call 877/262-3341.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Contractor, create an account today!