If you're searching for HVAC business coaching after another long week, the first decision is which kind of outside help fits the problem you have now. There are four common choices: a business coach who advises you one on one, a member peer group like Nexstar Network or Service Nation, free mentoring through SCORE, and hands-on operations help that builds and runs the fix with your people. Coaching and peer groups are strongest when you need ideas, accountability and people who've been there, while hands-on help fits best when you already know what's broken and simply don't have the hours to fix it.
Most owners don't go looking for help on a good day. It's usually after a week where the schedule fell apart, a good tech gave notice or the bank balance didn't match how busy you've been, and it's easy to sign up for the first program that sounds confident. This post lays the options side by side, by what each one does for you and what it asks of your week, so you can pick on purpose.
What's the difference between a coach, a peer group and operations help?
The difference comes down to who does the work after the meeting ends. A coach meets with you, helps you see what's wrong and holds you to a plan, and then you carry it out. A peer group puts you in a room, in person or online, with other owners who share what's working for them, and you bring the ideas home to put in place yourself. Operations help, the kind of work my company does, takes a piece of the problem off your plate entirely and builds the fix alongside your crew and office.
None of these is better in every case. The right one depends on whether your bottleneck is knowing what to do or having the time and hands to do it, and plenty of owners use more than one at different stages.
What do peer groups like Nexstar and Service Nation offer?
Peer groups give you access to training, coaching and other owners in the same trades, usually for a membership fee. Nexstar Network describes itself as a member-owned organization founded in 1992 for plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical business owners, and it says members get "one-on-one coaching, in-depth training and proven business strategies." Its stated mission is to turn "the World's Best Tradespeople into the World's Best Businesspeople."
Service Nation is a membership organization for residential home service contractors that says it has more than 30,000 contractors and has been built by contractors since 2002. Its site lists coaching, peer advisory groups, training, business tools and partner discounts, and it shows its Roundtable membership starting at $99 a month, with other tiers on its pricing page.
The strength of a peer group is that you're learning from owners who've already solved the problem you're facing, and that can save you from expensive mistakes. The thing to weigh is time, because the value comes from showing up, doing the training and then putting the ideas to work back at the shop.
Is there free help worth taking first?
Yes, and it's worth trying before you spend money. SCORE is a nonprofit resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and its FAQ says "SCORE mentoring is always free, regardless of how many times you meet with a mentor." Its mentors are volunteers with experience starting, owning, managing or advising businesses, and the network has more than 7,500 of them.
You can request a mentor by ZIP code or browse mentor profiles on SCORE's site. The quality depends on the match, so look for someone with experience in a service business or construction, and treat the first meeting as a chance to see whether they understand what running crews is like. A good SCORE mentor can help you sort out your priorities for free, and that alone makes it easier to decide whether you need anything more.
Which kind of help fits which problem?
The best fit depends on the problem you'd name if a friend asked what's wrong. Here's a simple way to match them:
If you're not sure what's wrong and want a second set of eyes, start with a free SCORE mentor.
If you know what's wrong but want accountability to stick with the plan, a coach can help.
If you want to learn how other trades companies price, hire and run their service departments, a peer group like Nexstar or Service Nation fits well.
If you already know what's broken, such as dispatch, ordering, job costing or the office, and you don't have the hours to fix it, hands-on operations help fits best.
If you've tried advice before and the plan stalled because there wasn't time to carry it out, that's a strong sign you need more hands rather than more ideas.
Here's what that last one can look like. One of the owners I'm working with runs a crew of seven and hadn't taken a day off in six months when we first sat down. The crew was calling all day long with questions, materials were sometimes getting missed because nobody clearly owned the ordering, and as the owner put it to me, "I literally can't manage another person." More advice wouldn't have helped much, because there wasn't an hour left in the week to act on it.
What should I ask before I sign up for anything?
Ask questions that show you what the help will ask of your week and what you'll have when it ends. These are the ones I'd ask any coach, group or firm, including mine, whether they're down the road here in the Pacific Northwest or across the country:
Who does the work after each meeting, me or you?
How many hours a week will this take from me and my office?
What will I have in hand at the end of 90 days that I don't have now?
How long is the commitment, and what happens if it isn't working?
Can I talk to two or three owners in the trades who've used you?
Do you know my software and my trade, or will I be teaching you?
A good fit will answer those plainly and won't mind the questions. If anyone pushes you to sign that day, it's fine to walk away and think it over.
Questions owners ask
Is a business coach worth it for a $2M shop?
It can be, if your main need is clarity and accountability and you have the hours to carry out the plan. If the plan keeps stalling because the week is already full, a coach alone usually won't change that, and you may get more from help that takes work off your plate.
Can I join a peer group and still hire help?
Yes, and the two can work well together. The peer group gives you ideas and benchmarks from other owners, and hands-on help gets the chosen ideas built inside your own company.
What does SCORE mentoring cost?
SCORE says its mentoring is always free, no matter how many times you meet. It's a nonprofit SBA resource partner run by volunteer mentors.
How do I know if I need advice or someone to do the work?
Look at your last good plan and ask why it didn't get done. If you didn't know what to do, advice helps, and if you knew exactly what to do but never had the time, you need someone to do the work with you.
So come back to that search after a long week. Once you can name whether you're missing answers or missing hours, the choice between a coach, a peer group, a free mentor and hands-on help gets a lot simpler, and you can spend your money on the one that changes your week.
If you're at the point where you know what's broken and need someone to help fix it, I'd be glad to talk it through. You can book 30 minutes with me on our contact page, where you tell me in a short form what's eating your week and I get back to you within one business day to set a time, or text me at 971-370-3574. You'll get a straight answer on whether I can help, and you can read more about how we work on our operations management page.
I'm Tim Volner, and I run Sentric Group in Salem, Oregon, where I work with contractors who've built a solid company but have reached the point where it can't seem to run for a single day without them.