Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine January 2026

News Magazine January 2026

If you love being self-employed and want to stay in business, you need to determine where you want to go with your business. You can do this and be successful but there are some steps that require you to spend less time with the tool bag and more time on running the business. What do you want your brand to be? That may include the equipment brand but more importantly it is your company’s reputation. What do you want your community to think of when they hear your name? That is your brand. Let’s say you want them to think of you as honest, priced fairly, courteous, thorough, professional, timely, do a good job, responsive. Wow! That is a good reputation; but ya’ know, it won’t just happen. It requires that you write it down, establish your desired culture, and train everyone in your company. Everyone? Yes, it requires training for everyone in your company. The person answering the phone, the dispatcher, the tech, the salesperson, the installer, the commissioner, the follow up person. Not just the lead at those levels but everyone one. If they answer your phone, show up in your truck, wear your company logo, if they are in anyway connected to your company, they must be trained to imprint your brand on everyone they contact. Everyone needs to understand that you have an intentional culture that they must knowingly reinforce with every action. Yes, tech skills are foundational but equally important are the soft skills that cause a customer and community to say nice things about the people. Fixing

it right the first time is expected. That is what the homeowner is paying for. It is only noteworthy these days because so many don’t do it right the first time. It is the interpersonal connections that make your company occupy a soft spot in the homeowner’s heart. You know that stuff is getting complex and knowing how to diagnose and repair all this complex stuff requires training. Your techs must attend training provided by your distributors and manufacturers. It is not optional. I still hear techs that don’t kn ow what subcooling and superheat is--still using analog gauges, never having heard of measureQuick or a comparable use of Fieldpiece diagnostic equipment. The equipment takes money. The training takes money. Yes, and training takes time. You and your folks have to be on board to commit themselves to excellence. I know of one very large non-HVACR company that has a policy of, grow with us or leave us. No one, business owner or tech, can afford to be complacent. Your company has to lead with technical expertise in diagnosis and installation. OK, you may have to grow into this. As we said, equipment and training are expensive. Maybe you prioritize and schedule diagnostic equipment purchases. Maybe you prioritize and schedule training. Ultimately, everyone needs to have the competency level that is necessary to support your desired company reputation. Technical Excellence