THERE'S NO shortage of information directed at contractors about how buying this or that product will solve their problems. Some of the best things that contractors can do for their businesses, however, have more to do with policies, procedures and techniques. It's with that in mind that we are kicking off a new column called Best Practices.
The column will be written on a rotating basis by contractors, consultants, associations, best practices groups and anyone else who has a best practice they want to share. Our first column, on pg. 57 of this issue, is by consultant Dennis Sowards on how you should handle inventory.
In coming months, Bob Mallory from best practices group Nexstar will talk about flat rate pricing. Mallory says that most of Nexstar's members join the group still charging time and materials. Contractor Kevin Comerford, Service Champions, will explain the spreadsheet he's developed to track his sales and performance numbers. And Greg Crumpton, president of AirTight Mechanical, will talk about his company's transition to wireless dispatching.