5 ways to help businesses large and small successfully avoid credit card fraud.
Published: 05.01.13
By Rob Bertke
Published: 04.01.13
By Ruth King
Published: 03.01.13
By Wayne Newitts
Published: 03.01.13
By Ruth King
When does construction-specific accounting and operations software start to make sense for HVACR contractors? It varies. Some businesses approaching $50 million in annual revenue are able to get by with …
Published: 02.01.13
By Wayne Newitts
A good maintenance agreement program will help even out cash flow, increase your company’s bottom line, and keep your field employees productive throughout the year.
Published: 02.01.13
By Ruth King
John Augustine, Chief Investment Strategist for Fifth Third Private Bank, talks about the impact of the presidential elections, Europe’s rocky economy, and persistent domestic unemployment.
Published: 01.01.13
By John Augustine
Once you understand your financials and start consistent monthly reviews, you must boldly implement changes based on what you see.
Published: 01.01.13
By Ruth King
Last month I wrote about how to determine whether you can afford to hire a field employee. This month I’ll give you the calculations to determine whether you can afford …
Published: 12.01.12
By Ruth King
Your company is growing. You feel the need to hire another field employee. Can you afford to hire this person? Find out by using this mathematical calculation.
Published: 11.01.12
By Ruth King
Here are the stupid things that I know you, the smart contractor, won’t do now that the unusually hot, humid and demanding summer is over.
Published: 10.01.12
By Ruth King
How to be creative and resourceful in finding financing during economic hardship.
Published: 09.01.12
By Ron Edinger
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth and final in a series of how to use graphical depictions of financial ratio trends to help contractors spot potential problems early and make …
Published: 08.01.12
By Ruth King
Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of how to use graphical depictions of financial ratio trends to help contractors spot potential problems early and make proactive decisions …
Published: 07.01.12
By Ruth King
If you are operating your business in corporate form, it is important to follow formalities. You should sign contracts in your capacity as an officer, and contracts should always be …
Published: 06.01.12
By Mike Coyne
This is the second in a series of how to use graphical depictions of financial ratio trends to help contractors spot potential problems early and make proactive decisions about financial …
Published: 06.01.12
By Ruth King
Every month you should receive accurate and timely financial statements. Looking at one month’s financial statements (balance sheet and P&L statement) does not tell much. To see where your business …
Published: 05.01.12
By Ruth King
Without profits, cash runs out. Yet, your business could have an unprofitable month or quarter and still survive. Many contractors that operate with Dec. 31s as their year-end, state that …
Published: 04.01.12
By Ruth King
Each month your P&L tells you whether you earned a profit or had a loss. It does not tell you how much cash you have! You must turn your profits …
Published: 03.01.12
By Ruth King
In lean times you can decrease cash spending by using inventory in your shop and on your trucks. Ruth offers a break-even formula to calculate what your company needs to …
Published: 02.01.12
By Ruth King
Ruth King offers three suggestions to help you get the most profitability and productivity from every dollar that comes in the door.
Published: 12.01.11
By Ruth King
Determine your position in the market; then define desired profitability.
Published: 11.01.11
By Ruth King
Once implemented and used correctly, you’ll be making much better inventory bets, saving time and — as a result — increasing profitability with barcoding.
Published: 10.01.11
By Ruth King
A good financial system is based on both the monthly financial data and weekly information you gather. These five activities will help you discover whether your company is moving in …
Published: 09.01.11
By Ruth King
The reality is that debt usage is an emotional decision. Some company owners are comfortable with a lot of debt. Others can't sleep at night if they owe anybody anything. …
Published: 08.01.11
By Ruth King
ESOP may be for profitable companies with high cash flow and skilled, engaged employees.
Published: 07.01.11
By Ruth King
Calculating prices based on gross margin may do you a disservice. The key to successful pricing is to know your company’s overhead-cost-per-hour.
Published: 06.01.11
By Ruth King
Unpredictable fuel prices and increasing insurance costs for fleet vehicles continue to be challenges for HVACR contractors. Investing in technology can help.
Published: 06.01.11
By David Brown
A P&L, or income statement, is a vital document for good fiscal management.
Published: 04.01.11
By Ruth King
Liabilities are debts that your business owes. Like assets, liabilities are divided into two segments: current liabilities and long-term liabilities.
Published: 03.01.11
By Ruth King
By using three key tools, contractors can protect themselves against wasted time and money, costly repairs that could have been prevented, and one of the biggest wildcards in operating company …
Published: 02.01.11
By Kenneth W. Janosick
Convertibility to cash determines "current" or "fixed."
Published: 02.01.11
By Ruth King
Properly formatted financial statements — along with accurate information in those statements — is critical to making good financial decisions for your business.
Published: 01.01.11
By Ruth King
Many contractors I know did very well in 2010 despite the economy and despite all of the bad news in the media. What made the difference for those who did …
Published: 12.01.10
By Ruth King
You need enough maintenance agreement customers to cover the entire overhead of your company so that you won’t have to worry about a flailing economy causing your company to go …
Published: 11.01.10
By Ruth King
Customer-service training must be continuous and thorough. If you just tell your technicians what you want, they will only think about what they are going to say and never say …
Published: 10.01.10
By Ruth King
