Mike Barnhart

So in HVAC, they switched energy efficiency from $410 to $454, but it raised equipment prices about 8% to 10%. If you're not growing 16%, you're basically static to last year.

So in HVAC, they switched energy efficiency from $410 to $454, but it raised equipment prices about 8% to 10%. If you're not growing 16%, you're basically static to last year.

Yeah. They brag about growth, but yeah. Yeah. So that's one way to look at it. But another thing with that one is important. You are having these things that are happening with your business. And Aaron knows this. And I love to get a win in negotiating. Negotiating is my favorite thing to do. But regularly, just going back to our vendors and saying, are we going to accept these price increases?

Yeah. They brag about growth, but yeah. Yeah. So that's one way to look at it. But another thing with that one is important. You are having these things that are happening with your business. And Aaron knows this. And I love to get a win in negotiating. Negotiating is my favorite thing to do. But regularly, just going back to our vendors and saying, are we going to accept these price increases?

Are we going to at least have a conversation about it? Because you can literally save, like, 10% across your business just by negotiating stuff. And I mean, like any piece of software out there is negotiated. I mean, we've got one deal that right now we have like our phone systems are basically being, our iPads are basically being paid for for three years for switching over to this other company.

Are we going to at least have a conversation about it? Because you can literally save, like, 10% across your business just by negotiating stuff. And I mean, like any piece of software out there is negotiated. I mean, we've got one deal that right now we have like our phone systems are basically being, our iPads are basically being paid for for three years for switching over to this other company.

I agree with that.

I agree with that.

Yeah, I mean, I've got a few thoughts. I mean, recruiting across our trades is if you don't have a dedicated recruiter, you should. At $10 million, you should have a dedicated recruiter because it's that important in your business, even if you're just recruiting students. Back in 2019, we were booked out like three weeks for plumbing services.

Yeah, I mean, I've got a few thoughts. I mean, recruiting across our trades is if you don't have a dedicated recruiter, you should. At $10 million, you should have a dedicated recruiter because it's that important in your business, even if you're just recruiting students. Back in 2019, we were booked out like three weeks for plumbing services.

So we looked at it, and we said we have to create a school. We got that launched up. And we even knew when we launched the school, we said, you know, this first class is probably going to suck. But the 10th won't. And now we're on, like, 16th. And, you know, it's a pretty good program that really brings people into the trades.

So we looked at it, and we said we have to create a school. We got that launched up. And we even knew when we launched the school, we said, you know, this first class is probably going to suck. But the 10th won't. And now we're on, like, 16th. And, you know, it's a pretty good program that really brings people into the trades.

The other thing about recruiting is, like, you have to have, you know, whether you call them your core values, your guiding principles, you have to have the right fit of people. I don't know. I mean, you grew in your business from the ground up. And I remember, like, a... I remember reading this book called Sapiens, and I read it right around the time we were around 150 people.

The other thing about recruiting is, like, you have to have, you know, whether you call them your core values, your guiding principles, you have to have the right fit of people. I don't know. I mean, you grew in your business from the ground up. And I remember, like, a... I remember reading this book called Sapiens, and I read it right around the time we were around 150 people.

And it was like, hey, once a community hits 150 people, it fragments into another community because that's about as many people as you can know. And so if you're not recruiting well, like right now we're at 400 people, like, yeah, I have to spend most of my time walking around saying, hi, I'm Mike, because I don't know the people in the company anymore.

And it was like, hey, once a community hits 150 people, it fragments into another community because that's about as many people as you can know. And so if you're not recruiting well, like right now we're at 400 people, like, yeah, I have to spend most of my time walking around saying, hi, I'm Mike, because I don't know the people in the company anymore.

So you have to make sure that you are recruiting for those values that you really think are important. And that's where a good recruiter will be worth their weight in gold. The other thing that I will say about creating the own people in your trades, and I know you have a great training center here. I toured through it. It's amazing. People don't think about this.

So you have to make sure that you are recruiting for those values that you really think are important. And that's where a good recruiter will be worth their weight in gold. The other thing that I will say about creating the own people in your trades, and I know you have a great training center here. I toured through it. It's amazing. People don't think about this.

It creates that alma mater effect. We've had people leave. you know, for whatever, $5 more on the hour or something. And they come back because they're like, well, all my friends are here. This is where I learned the trade. This is my school. Like, this is my university, whatever, you know, you call it.

It creates that alma mater effect. We've had people leave. you know, for whatever, $5 more on the hour or something. And they come back because they're like, well, all my friends are here. This is where I learned the trade. This is my school. Like, this is my university, whatever, you know, you call it.