Blog Posts

Remember when you had a landlord?  The system was so simple. You had to pay rent every month to live in someone else’s home or apartment. For some, this was a huge convenience, but the best part? You could call them whenever there was a problem, whether it was electrical, water, HVAC, or something else entirely.   Simpler times, right? But why?  In short, you had less to worry about. When things went wrong, you didn’t have concerns ... Read more

Picture this.  You’re two months into the year. The busy season hasn’t started yet, so you’re doing what contractors always do during the slower months – looking at budgets, planning marketing campaigns, and trying to make sure the phones keep ringing once temperatures swing.  It’s hard work. Necessary work. But if you’re honest with yourself, it sometimes feels like a marketing treadmill. Every year starts the same way: ... Read more

Cashless is the not-so-new convenient. But in recent years, it’s becoming more than that.  Fun fact: Almost half of all Americans make no cash purchases every single week. And that’s not all:  What’s more, BNPL loans are growing, with 90 million-plus Americans using this cashless option to secure big-ticket items they need now.   So, why does this matter? Because consumer buying behavior is shifting, especially with four and five-figure purchases.   In the HVAC, standby generator, and plumbing industries, there are ... Read more

2026 is upon us, which means budgets across the home contractor industry have been reset and hopes for new leads are as high as ever. But before you pull out your purse to refresh those same-old digital ads, stop and ask yourself a simple question: “Am I on the marketing treadmill?”  If you’re not sure what that is, or you think you are and don’t know how to get off ... Read more

Did you know that Michigan was among the top five states for total people impacted by power outages in 2023?   Or that a “bomb cyclone” windstorm left over 114,000 people in the Seattle area without power in late 2024?  Or that Hurricane Helen caused widespread power outages in 2024 across Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, affecting over four million homes?  The ... Read more

On July 4, 2025, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law, affecting federal taxes, credit, and deductions starting in 2026.   Two of the credits impacted were the Residential Clean Energy Credit (which offers homeowners a 30% tax credit for installing clean energy systems such as solar panels, battery storage, and geothermal heat pumps) and the Energy Efficient Home Improvement ... Read more

Picture this: a customer calls for their annual standby generator service after skipping last year’s tune-up. You arrive, prepare your tools, and realize the generator is having trouble starting. You assume something is wrong with the battery, but after further inspection, you see some other issues, as well: the coolant is not only low, but the engine is overheated, which has ... Read more

Recently, Lennox reported a 23% drop in residential unit sales volume during Q3.  This is an eye-catching drop. Startling, even. Lennox CFO Michael Quenzer explained, “Contractors and distributors actively reduced inventory levels. Macroeconomic softness weighed on both new and existing home sales. Moderate weather dampened demand, and there was a clear shift towards system repairs rather than full replacements.”  While Lennox CEO Alok Maskara noted that ... Read more

Repairs seems to have been the word in 2025: homeowners are holding off on full replacements and asking for more repair work instead. A recent poll by Homepros backed that up: That means nearly eight out of ten contractors are now seeing more repair work than new installs. Why More Customers Are Choosing Repairs Through ... Read more