Which Jobs to Stop Taking
Not all work is worth doing. Here's how to spot the jobs that drain your business and decide, on purpose, which ones to stop taking.
Job Costing Without Fancy Software
You don't need expensive software to know what your jobs cost. Here's a simple, low-tech way to job-cost that any small business can actually keep up.
Estimating vs. Actuals: Closing the Gap
If you never compare your estimates to what jobs actually cost, your quotes never improve. Here's how tracking estimated vs. actual makes pricing smarter.
Why Two Similar Jobs Can Have Very Different Profit
Two jobs that look the same can end up worlds apart on profit. Here's what quietly makes the difference—and how to see it before you quote.
The Overhead You're Not Pricing Into Your Jobs
Overhead is a real cost of every job, but most owners never price it in. Here's how to attach overhead to your jobs so your prices actually cover it.
Labor, Materials, and the Costs Owners Forget
Materials and a rough labor number aren't the whole cost of a job. Here are the hidden costs owners forget—and where your job profit really goes.
What Does a Job Actually Cost You? Real Job Costing
If you don't know what a job truly costs, you can't know which ones make money. Here's how to find the real cost of a job—and use it to price and choose better.
What Your Price Actually Has to Cover
A price isn't just materials and labor. Here's everything your price has to cover before it earns you a dime—laid out in plain terms.
Value-Based vs. Cost-Plus Pricing in Plain Terms
Two ways to set a price: from your costs, or from the value to the customer. Here's the difference in plain language and when to use each.
How to Spot a Job That's Losing You Money
Some jobs quietly lose money while looking fine. Here are the red flags that a job is unprofitable—and how to catch them before you bid the next one.
Pricing by Gut vs. by the Numbers
Most owners price by feel. Here's what pricing by gut costs you, what pricing by numbers really means, and how to blend judgment with math.
The Hidden Cost of Underpricing
Why Being the Cheapest Attracts the Worst Customers
Signs You've Charged Too Little for Too Long
Underpricing hides in plain sight for years. Here are the clear signs you've been charging too little for too long—and what to do about it.
Am I Charging Enough? How to Know for Sure
Not sure if your prices are too low? Here's how to tell what you should actually charge, why owners underprice, and how to fix it without losing customers.
Will I Lose Customers If I Raise Prices?
Telling Customers About a Price Increase
How you tell customers about a price increase matters as much as the increase itself. Here's how to communicate it simply, confidently, and without apology.
Raising Prices Without Losing Your Best Customers
You can raise prices and keep the customers who matter most. Here's how to protect your best relationships while fixing your margins.
How Much to Raise Your Prices, and When
Once you've decided to raise prices, how much and when? Here's how to size a price increase that fixes your margin without shocking your customers.
The Cost of Waiting Another Year to Raise Prices
Every year you delay raising prices, the gap between your costs and your prices widens. Here's the real, compounding cost of waiting.