Field notes
Money and the numbers
Busy and profitable are two different things. These posts cover getting paid faster, paying vendors without retyping every bill, getting payroll right, and knowing what a job, a truck, or a missed visit actually costs.
Money and the numbersThe full cost of an unavailable quarterly pest stop
Build a traceable worksheet for lost contribution, paid labor, extra drive time, rebooking, and repeat dispatch costs when a customer is unavailable.
Sep 16, 2026 · 6 min read
Money and the numbersWhat one missed HVAC appointment really costs you
Break down the real cost of one missed HVAC appointment: truck roll, technician idle time, rebooking, and lost same-day revenue.
Sep 14, 2026 · 10 min read
Money and the numbersThe Devastating Cost of Payroll Errors
One in five payrolls contains errors averaging $291 each. The consequences go far beyond the math—here's what's really at stake and how to stop it.
Feb 18, 2026 · 3 min read
- Money and the numbers
From Going by Your Gut to Data-Driven Decision-Making (Even for a Small Shop)
You don't need enterprise analytics to run smarter. Small trades shops can use five key numbers and simple AI automations to move from gut feel to grounded decisions—without the busywork.
Feb 18, 2026 · 4 min read
Money and the numbersPayroll Made Easy: Automating Time Sheets and Paychecks
Payroll errors cost trades businesses hundreds per correction and hours of rework. Here's how automation turns a weekly fire drill into a predictable process.
Jan 22, 2026 · 4 min read
Money and the numbersWhy Data-Driven Reporting is the Secret to Growing Smarter
Busy doesn't always mean growing. Data-driven reporting gives skilled trades businesses the visibility they need to make faster, more confident decisions—and AI automation keeps that data clean and trustworthy.
Jan 22, 2026 · 5 min read
Money and the numbersStop Wasting Time on Vendor Bills: A 70% Productivity Boost
If your office spends Monday mornings sorting PDFs and chasing approvals, you're paying a hidden tax. Here's how targeted AP automation delivers a 70% lift in vendor-bill productivity.
Aug 29, 2025 · 3 min read
Dispatch and the boardHow one no-access stop becomes a route-margin problem
Follow one unavailable pest control stop from route departure to rebooking, then learn which records turn a missed visit into useful evidence for the GM.
Sep 16, 2026 · 4 min read
The phonesThe two-week garage door call scorecard
Use a two-week baseline and test to measure status calls, booking calls, missed opportunities, and whether automation can protect CSR capacity.
Sep 16, 2026 · 9 min read
Tools for this
Free calculators and handouts, plus the products we built for this part of the business.
Free calculatorWhat a tech hour really costs
Wage, taxes, benefits, the truck and the hours nobody bills, rolled into one number.
Open the calculator
Free calculatorFlat-rate price builder
Price a job from hours, parts and overhead, at the margin you actually want.
Open the calculator
Free calculatorDaily revenue target per truck
What each truck has to bring in every day to cover the shop and hit your profit goal.
Open the calculator
Free calculatorWhat callbacks cost you
The labor, parts and paying work you lose every time a crew goes back to fix a job.
Open the calculator
For the AR SpecialistChase NotePast-due follow-ups drafted and waiting by morning.6 min back · 18¢ per invoice
For the Purchasing CoordinatorAP SnapEmailed invoices become posted bills automatically.5 min back · 15¢ per bill
Rather talk it through?
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