Contractor Cents

Just because you have a schedule doesn’t mean that you have profitability and predictability. You might have built a detailed project schedule yet still experience margin erosion, resource conflicts, cash-flow surprises, and reactive decision-making. The issue isn’t scheduling; it’s a lack of planning discipline at the leadership level. My guest today, David Hernandez, head of North American Opera...

What if you could convert more leads, calls, and estimates into booked jobs automatically? My guest today, Ryan Fenn, CEO of Chiirp, promises that AI can help you do this. Chiirp prides itself on being and I quote “The most bad ass AI lead conversion system in the trades. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ruthking165...

This podcast is the second in the two part series on 15 cash flow management procedures that you should put in place to protect your hard earned cash. Fear not, they are quick, simple, and protect your hard earned cash. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ruthking1650 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthking1/  ...

Cash. Cash flow. Profits. Which is most important? The answer might surprise you. And, I’ll give you the reasoning behind it. This podcast starts a two part series on 15 cash flow management procedures that you should put in place to protect your hard earned cash. Fear not, they are quick, simple, and protect your hard earned cash. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6...

Worker’s comp claims can be extremely expensive – not only in increased costs, decreased ability to get jobs if your MOD factor goes over 1, but most important, employees who experience pain and suffering and unfortunately sometimes death because of accidents. My guest today, Michael Zalle, is the CEO of Yellow Bird, an insurance risk and risk management SAAS platform. Yellow Bird’s mission is to...

If I train my people they will leave. The answer to this statement was an old Lennox reply that is still true: What happens if you don’t train them and they stay? Training is an essential component of our businesses. My guest today, Gregg Holladay from Bradford White, is passionate about heat pump water heaters. Bradford White, the only US manufactured heat pump water heater, is helping you prepar...

Do you have a phantom stock plan? This might be the way to retain your team members. You might remember my guest, Chris Buttenham who talked about exit plans about a year ago. In this episode he’ll give you what a Phantom Stock Plan is and how it might benefit your business and you. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/...

I found out about Contractor Commerce from one of my clients who raved about it…then another one did the same thing. If you haven’t heard about Contractor Commerce – you’re in for a treat with a website that can help you grow your business through ecommerce. Brad Felix, the VP of AI for Contractor Commerce discusses how the company let’s contractors sell on-line and generate revenue while they sle...

What is the role of AI agents in the contracting world? James Hatfield, answers this question. We did a two part series a few episodes ago and realized we didn’t talk about agents. So, we’re doing it on this episode. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ruthking1650 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthking1/   Po...

Blueprints of Success – this is a really good book to read for any HVAC, plumbing, or other contracting business owner. Timothy Wingate Jr. is the author of this easy to read book. You might recognize his name because he is a previous guest. Timothy is a CPA who specializes in working with contracting companies and has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet...

What if you’re a smaller contractor who is looking to grow? What if there was a way to do it without burning a lot of cash and adding a ton of overhead? My guest, Furman Haynes, partner in Work Hero, gives you ideas on how to do this. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ruthking1650 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/...

Are you in the frustrating search for new software? It’s time consuming and how do you know whether you’ve even chosen the right one? My guest, Miles Fawcett, founder of Field Hub, gives you some questions to ask and how to find the right software for you. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ruthking1650 LinkedIn - htt...

Are you stuck in the weeds – working in your business rather than investing time to work on your business? Do you have the “I wanna’s”: I wanna grow, I wanna spend more time with my family, I don’t want to have to worry about cash, or whatever your “I wanna” is. Angela Chanowsky, Creator of Your Unique Genius, gives you the roadmap to get out of the weeks and achieve the goals you want to achieve....

In this two-part series, James Hatfield, CRO for LiveSwitch, gives you some ways that AI is currently being used and strategies you can implement now and prepare for in the future. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ruthking1650 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthking1/   Podcast Produced by Nick Uttam https:/...

In this two-part series, James Hatfield, CRO for LiveSwitch, gives you some ways that AI is currently being used and strategies you can implement now and prepare for in the future. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ruthking1650 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthking1/   Podcast Produced by Nick Uttam https:/...

How do you grow your business by finding the right people and testing them before you hire them? You know that you need an HR person, a marketing person, a CFO, and more to grow your business. But you can’t afford the overhead right now. And, how do you make sure you have the right person who is competent and fits your culture? Join Nicole Grinnell, owner of Bosun Solutions, gives you the answers....

Is a 10% net profit ok? Discover the realities of two contractors – each with a 10% net profit. One was doing much better from a profitability standpoint. I discuss the best way to look at your bottom line using net profit per hour to make sure your company is truly profitable. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ruthk...

I had the honor and privilege of presenting the importance of financial analysis trends to Scott Bunce’s Vistage Group. Scott interviewed me about the why and how of financial analyses. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ruthking1650 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthking1/   Podcast Produced by Nick Uttam ht...

In the fourth of the Death by 1,000 cuts series, I discuss the next little cut – improper discounts. Discover how to really discount and ensure you at least break even when discounting. More information and registration for Field Managers Survival School mentioned in the podcast can be found here: https://keap.page/rk139/field- managers-survival-school.html Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet...

Happy New Year! I give you five fun financial facts to begin 2026. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ruthking1650 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthking1/   Podcast Produced by Nick Uttam https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-uttam-4b33a1147

In the third of the Death by 1,000 cuts series I discuss the next little cut – not paying attention to the bottom line as your company grows. Revenue is important. What you keep is more important! Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ruthking1650 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthking1/   Podcast Produced by Ni...

In the second of the Death by 1,000 cuts series I discuss the next little cut – Not answering the telephone. Wait! Before you ignore this podcast, listen to what happened and make sure it isn’t happening in your company. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ruthking1650 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthking1/...

Death by 1,000 cuts is how the ancient Chinese tortured people. No single cut killed them. However, it was the accumulation of 1,000 cuts that eventually killed the person. I explain what this has to do with your business. It’s the little things that could add up and kill your business. This podcast discusses the first cut: Running your business on cash and/or not paying attention to cash trends....

Safety training is crucial. You never know when it will pay for itself. My guest, Eric Wik, founder of Safety Team Technologies, tells you why safety meetings fail and what you can do about it. He’ll also give you some of the horror stories of what happens when you don’t comply with the safety training laws. Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu Ruth King Twitter -...

Is training really worth it? What are the short term and long term tangible benefits for you, the employer? My guest today, Spencer Pope, the Manager of Technical Support and Training for Bradford White, gives you examples of how continuing education in the trades directly impacts contractor success – whether that training is in the classroom, on line, distance learning, or a combination of them....