Guides
Run a better trade business.
Step-by-step guides on the things that make or break a service business, written for owners, not consultants.
Switching software
How to cancel Housecall Pro without losing your dataHow to cancel Housecall Pro step by step: check your renewal, export customers and jobs, run side by side, cancel through Support and confirm in writing.How to cancel Jobber without losing your dataHow to cancel Jobber step by step: check your renewal date, export clients and reports, run side by side, then cancel from Account and Billing.How to cancel ServiceTitan without losing data or your phonesHow to cancel ServiceTitan step by step: find your notice window, request your data in writing, run both systems, port your numbers and re-collect cards.How to export your data from BuildOps (and the 30-day rule)How to export data from BuildOps: what its terms say about getting your data after termination, the 30-day notice window and what to request in writing.How to export your data from FieldEdge (what's documented, what to request)How to export data from FieldEdge: the seven files to request, from customers and invoices to price book and agreements, plus a request letter to send.How to export your data from FieldPulse (step by step)How to export data from FieldPulse before you switch: customers, estimates, invoices, Raw Data job reports and items, plus the 60-day window in its terms.How to export your data from GorillaDesk (step by step)How to export data from GorillaDesk before you switch: customers, invoices, payments, recurring billing, estimates and documents, plus what has no export.How to export your data from Housecall Pro (step by step)How to export data from Housecall Pro click by click: customers, jobs, estimates, price book, equipment, payments and service plans, and what won't export.How to export your data from Jobber (step by step)How to export data from Jobber click by click: clients, products and services, Insights reports, PDFs and photos, and what happens to data when you cancel.How to export your data from Kickserv (before you cancel)Kickserv deletes customer and job records when you cancel. How to export your data first: the account data export, items, reports and QuickBooks.How to export your data from Service Fusion (step by step)How to export data from Service Fusion before you switch: customers, products, jobs, estimates, invoices and agreements, plus what you can't export.How to export your data from ServiceM8 (step by step)How to export data from ServiceM8 before you switch: client and job lists, materials, invoices, the account backup, and why cancelling deletes everything.How to export your data from ServiceTitan (step by step)How to export data from ServiceTitan before you switch: customers, pricebook, report templates, A/R and scheduled reports, plus what you can't export.How to export your data from ServiceTrade (and the 30-day window)How to export data from ServiceTrade: the job list export, the gated API, the 30-day download window in its MSA and what to request in writing.How to export your data from Simpro (step by step)How to export data from Simpro before you switch: customers, sites, catalogue, pre-builds, assets, people, vendors, and job and invoice reports as CSV.How to export your data from Successware (what to request)How to export data from Successware, which doesn't publish export steps: what to request from support in writing and the accounting data most shops forget.How to export your data from Workiz (step by step)How to export data from Workiz before you switch: clients, jobs, invoices, estimates, payments, items and service plans, plus what Workiz won't export.How to export your data from Zuper (step by step)How to export data from Zuper before you switch: a Report Builder report per module, the jobs list export, the 20,000-row limit and data requests.How to migrate from BuildOps to TradesWork: who should, and howMost commercial contractors shouldn't leave BuildOps for TradesWork. For residential-first shops that should: exports, the 30-day rule, import and costs.How to migrate from FieldEdge to TradesWork (step by step)How to migrate from FieldEdge to TradesWork: the files to request, what imports, what you rebuild, a 2 to 4 week side-by-side run, QuickBooks and costs.How to migrate from FieldPulse to TradesWork: an honest planHow to migrate from FieldPulse to TradesWork: exports, the spreadsheet importer, what you rebuild, a side-by-side run, cards, phones and QuickBooks.How to migrate from GorillaDesk to TradesWork: an honest switching planHow to migrate from GorillaDesk to TradesWork: who shouldn't switch, what imports, what stays in your archive, card re-collection and a six-week timeline.How to migrate from Housecall Pro to TradesWork (a 6-week plan)How to migrate from Housecall Pro to TradesWork week by week: exports, the importer, manual setup, cards, phone numbers, QuickBooks and switching costs.How to migrate from Jobber to TradesWork: a week-by-week planHow to migrate from Jobber to TradesWork without losing history: exports, the import, what to rebuild, cards, phones, QuickBooks and a side-by-side run.How to migrate from Kickserv to TradesWork: an honest planHow to migrate from Kickserv to TradesWork: what to export before Kickserv deletes your records, the import, a side-by-side run, cards and QuickBooks.How to switch from Service Fusion to TradesWork: a week-by-week planHow to switch from Service Fusion to TradesWork: what imports by spreadsheet, what stays in your archive, what to rebuild, cards, phones and QuickBooks.How to migrate from ServiceM8 to TradesWork: an honest switching planHow to migrate from ServiceM8 to TradesWork: real costs, what imports, what stays in your archive, card re-collection and why you cancel ServiceM8 last.Complete guideHow to migrate from ServiceTitan to TradesWork: the complete switching planHow to migrate from ServiceTitan to TradesWork: the four-export path, full-history reports, running both, QuickBooks reconciliation, cards and phones.How to migrate from ServiceTrade to TradesWork: who should, and howMost commercial contractors should stay on ServiceTrade. For residential-first shops that shouldn't: exports, the 30-day rule, the import and costs.How to migrate from Simpro to TradesWork: an honest switching planHow to migrate from Simpro to TradesWork: which shops shouldn't, what imports, what stays behind, card re-collection, a six-week timeline and costs.How to migrate from Successware to TradesWork: an honest planHow to migrate from Successware to TradesWork, books included: requesting exports, the spreadsheet import, agreements, QuickBooks Online and costs.How to migrate from Workiz to TradesWork: a realistic planHow to migrate from Workiz to TradesWork: what imports by spreadsheet, porting Workiz Phone numbers, re-collecting cards and cutting over QuickBooks.How to migrate from Zuper to TradesWork: an honest switching planHow to migrate from Zuper to TradesWork: who shouldn't, what imports, what stays behind, card re-collection, a six-week timeline and how to cost it.
Payments & profit
How to price HVAC jobs: flat rate, labor cost, overhead and marginHow to price HVAC jobs from your own costs: loaded labor cost, overhead, markup vs margin, flat-rate tasks, good-better-best and service call fees.How to price plumbing jobs: flat rate, labor cost, diagnostic fees and marginHow to price plumbing jobs: true labor cost per billable hour, overhead, markup vs margin, flat-rate tasks, diagnostic and after-hours fees.
Memberships & agreements
Hiring & technicians
Electrician salary in 2026: what electricians earn and how owners should payElectrician salary from official BLS data (May 2025): every percentile, top states and metros, apprentice-to-master pay, and what an electrician costs you.HVAC technician salary in 2026: what techs earn and how owners should payHVAC technician salary from official BLS data (May 2025): every percentile, top states and metros, what a tech costs an employer, and how commission works.Plumber salary in 2026: what plumbers earn and how owners should payPlumber salary from official BLS data (May 2025): every percentile, top states and metros, apprentice-to-master pay, and what a plumber costs an employer.
Marketing
HVAC marketing guide: Google Business Profile, LSAs, SEO, ads and reviewsAn HVAC marketing plan: Google Business Profile, Local Services Ads, local SEO, paid search, reviews, a seasonal calendar and tracking cost per booked job.Plumbing marketing guide: local SEO, LSAs, reviews and emergency callsA plumbing marketing plan: Google Business Profile, plumbing SEO, Local Services Ads, emergency paid search, reviews and tracking cost per booked job.
Compliance & safety
A2L refrigerants: R-454B, R-32 and the R-410A phase-out explainedA2L refrigerants explained: how R-454B and R-32 compare with R-410A, the EPA timeline, the UL 60335-2-40 installer checklist, cylinders, tools and pricing.EPA 608 certification: types, the test, records and the AIM Act rulesEPA 608 certification explained: who needs it, what Type I, II, III and Universal cover, how the test is scored, required records and the 2026 HFC rules.
Starting & growing
How to start a handyman business: licensing limits, pricing, insurance and growthHow to start a handyman business: what work you can legally take on, a business plan, insurance, tools, hourly vs by-the-job pricing and finding customers.How to start a landscaping business: plan, licensing, equipment, pricing and crewsHow to start a landscaping business: choosing services, a business plan, licensing and pesticide rules, insurance, equipment and man-hour pricing.How to start a lawn care business: licensing, equipment, pricing and routesHow to start a lawn care business: mowing vs treatment, pesticide licensing, insurance, equipment, pricing per visit and per 1,000 sq ft, and routes.How to start a plumbing business: licensing, insurance, costs, pricing and first hiresHow to start a plumbing business: master and contractor licensing, insurance, startup costs, flat-rate pricing, truck stock and first hires.How to start a roofing business: licensing, insurance, safety, pricing and crewsHow to start a roofing business: licensing, insurance, fall protection, startup costs, crews vs subcontractors, pricing by the square and cash flow.How to start an electrical business: licensing, insurance, costs, pricing and growthHow to start an electrical contracting business: licensing, insurance and bonds, startup costs, flat-rate pricing, permits, marketing and first hires.How to start an HVAC business: licensing, insurance, costs and first hiresHow to start an HVAC business: licensing, EPA 608, business entity, insurance, startup costs, pricing, first hires and the systems to set up early.
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