THE HVACR MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE
TERRY Tanker Publisher ttanker@hvacrbusiness.com MEGAN LaSalla Art Director mlasalla@hvacrbusiness.com BRUCE Sprague Circulation Manager bs200264@sbcglobal.net
ADVERTISING STAFF ERIC Hagerman National Sales Manager Tel 216-409-3246 ehagerman@hvacrbusiness.com TERRY Tanker Publisher Tel 440-731-8600 ttanker@hvacrbusiness.com
BARBARA Kerr VP Operations bkerr@hvacrbusiness.com
HVACR Business, founded January 1981, is a monthly national trade magazine serving contractors, mechanical engineers, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, distributors, trade associations, and others in the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) industry primarily in the U.S. The editorial focus and mission of HVACR Business is to provide business owners and managers with the very best business management concepts available. Critical topics covered include leadership, management, strategy, finance, sales, marketing, training, education, staffing, operations, human resources, legal issues, customer service and more. We are dedicated to helping contractors master these key management skills and provide them with the resources necessary to build strong, profitable companies. Every effort is made to provide accurate information, however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of submitted advertising and editorial information. Copyright©2021 by JFT Properties LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced or retransmitted in any form or by any means, including, but not limited to, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any information storage retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Unauthorized copying may subject violators to criminal penalties as well as liabilities for substantial monetary damages up to $100,000 per infringement, costs and attorneys’ fees. This publication should not be utilized as a substitute for professional advice in specific situations. If legal, medical, accounting, financial, consulting, coaching or other professional advice is required, the services of the appropriate professional should be sought. Neither the authors nor the publisher may be held liable in any way for any interpretation or use of the information in this publication. The authors will make recommendations for solutions for you to explore. Any recommendation is always based on the authors’ research and experience. The information contained herein is accurate to the best of the publisher’s and authors’ knowledge; however, the publisher and authors can accept no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information or for loss or damage caused by any use thereof. Subscription Rates: Free and controlled circulation to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified persons may subscribe at the following rates: U.S. and possessions: 1 year $48; 2 years $75; 3 years $96; Canadian and foreign, 1-year $108 U.S. funds only. Single copies $8. Subscriptions are prepaid, and check or money orders only. Subscriber Services: To order a subscription or change your address, write to HVACR Business, 31674 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104, North Ridgeville, OH 44039 or call (440) 731-8600; or visit our Web site at www.hvacrbusiness.com. For questions regarding your subscription, please contact bkerr@hvacrbusiness.com. HVACR Business (ISSN 2153-2877) Copyright ©2021 is published monthly by JFT Properties LLC,31674 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104, North Ridgeville, OH 44039, Phone: 440731-8600. Periodicals postage is paid at North Ridgeville, OH and additional mailing offices. (USPS 025-431) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to HVACR Business, 31674 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104, North Ridgeville, OH 44039.
31674 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104 North Ridgeville, OH 44039 Tel: (440) 731-8600 Web site: www.hvacrbusiness.com (ISSN: 2153-2877)
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PUBLISHER’S PAGE
BY TERRY TANKER
Increase Your Productivity
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s the owner of a small business, it’s routine homepage, click “productivity tools.” Two of my favorites for me to deal with dozens of projects weekly. include his “Concrete Goal Tracker” and When is Something Executive focus seems to change hourly. The Worth Doing? variety is engaging and According to David, make a list of includes everything from production tasks that contribute to your business When is something and finance to leases and HR. The larger growth, with points assigned that reflect your company, the more likely it is you WORTH DOING? their relative income factors. Give lower “have people.” For those of us in smaller weights to tasks that you already do 10 It’s creating billable work companies, we also handle insurance, IT frequently. If an activity is not on the 10 It’s getting new customers issues, and health care plans. list, it isn’t worth any points. See that We have more than 75 deadlines each month, and we pack most of those into the second and third week of the month when we begin our issue layout and then send it to the press. All manageable — until one or two are missed, and then they seem to fall like dominoes. It’s easy to become sidetracked and lose focus on what really is essential to accomplish each day.
10 It’s keeping present customers 7
It’s marketing new products to present customers
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It’s improving productivity
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It’s effective recruiting and hiring resulting in proper staffing
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It’s a quality on-going training program
the primary orientation of the tasks are toward generating revenue, making contacts, and creating tangible assets. The big tasks earn the big points. There are enough small tasks that guarantee you’ll do one or two each day. That feels good and feeling good is an important part of maintaining a high level of engagement. I asked Ron Smith, one of our editorial advisory board members to develop the list you see on the graphic When is Something Worth Doing. Of course, items will change based on your particular company, but this list should give most HVAC contractors a good start.
Over the years, I’ve been searching for 3 It’s learning new methods the perfect organizational tool to increase of increasing revenues my productivity. I’ve tried pocket daytimers, oversized monthly planners, 3 It’s using the latest computer technology and a variety of electronic devices. I’ve concluded that they all work as long as 2 It’s improving community you just pick one and stick with it. presence Another one of my favorites is The system that is working for me is the “Compact Calendar.” Its design low tech, inexpensive, and very simple to provides a compact view of the year, with plenty of space implement. It’s a large whiteboard with a half dozen magic for making annotations. According to David, it presents the markers in various colors. Across the top of the board, I’ve written, “Are You Doing Something Right Now to Create days of the month contiguously while retaining the days of Revenue?” You’ve heard the old saying — revenue solves the week because you get a more intuitive sense of how the days are flowing and can estimate projects accordingly. His everything. I agree. I’ve mounted the whiteboard on a wall directly in front objectives when project planning were: of my desk. It’s impossible to miss. Five categories are underneath: This Week, This Month, Next Month, This Quarter, and Travel. Only the most critical items make it onto the board, and all are in some way related to creating revenue — if not directly, indirectly. If I’m not working on a whiteboard item, it’s because I’ve gone as far as I can with it, and I’m waiting for a response from someone. Once I’ve worked through the whiteboard, I can make phone calls and send emails, and schedule meetings — but not until I’ve worked through the whiteboard. After researching the internet, I found dozens of other productivity tools that may help you become more organized and more productive. Check out David Seah (www.davidseah.com), a writer and designer who has created some clever tools to increase productivity. At the top of his
• How many days are available, including weekends? • When are critical deliverables?
• How much calendar time is needed to finish a task? • What are the specific days we have to work around? I think many contractors would have the same criteria for project work they are scheduling. The advantages of the “Compact Calendar”: “Every Friday, we have a company meeting.” This makes it easy to see where they’ll be. Whether you decide to use the crafty productivity tools David Seah makes available on his site or the down-and-dirty whiteboard method I employ, making yourself and your organization more productive is a simple matter of selecting tools you’ll use and actually using them. u HVACR BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021
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