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Owned and Operated Culture

The REAL Cost of Running a Trades Business in 2025

📅 December 30, 2025 ⏱️ 49:28 🎤 John Wilson, Jack Carr

Chapters

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  • 0:00
    Recruiting Challenges
    The hosts open the episode by discussing the critical importance of recruiting, even in a year where marketing and leads were abundant.
  • 0:28
    HVAC Industry Struggles
    A look back at 2025 for the HVAC industry reveals significant challenges, including slow seasons, refrigerant issues, and government shutdowns.
  • 0:57
    Biggest Wins of 2025
    The hosts share their biggest successes, including a new plumbing manager who transformed their department and a decision to be transparent with financials.
  • 1:48
    Compounding Habits and Systems
    Discussion on daily huddles and leadership development as habits that significantly compounded their businesses' success throughout the year.
  • 2:10
    Major Losses and Mistakes
    The hosts delve into their biggest 'L's', including losing key personnel, ineffective pricing, and budgeting errors that led to over-resourcing.
  • 2:58
    Ignoring Early Signals
    A reflection on the challenges of responding quickly to early warning signs, especially when deeply committed to strategic plans.
  • 3:14
    Harder and Easier Than Expected
    Unexpected difficulties in the HVAC sector contrast with the surprising ease of management transitions and data-driven decision-making.
  • 4:17
    What Didn't Matter
    The hosts discuss what they thought would be significant in 2025 but ultimately had little impact, such as AI search and acquisitions.
  • 4:50
    Lessons for Next Year
    Reflecting on what should have been started earlier, stopped immediately, and time-protected, highlighting the importance of financial data and focusing on core strengths.
  • 5:44
    2026 Mindset: Lean and Lethal
    Looking ahead to 2026, the hosts outline their 'lean and lethal' mindset, emphasizing continuous recruiting, financial clarity, and swift decision-making to avoid process-driven inertia.

Speakers

J
John Wilson
Host
J
Jack Carr
Host

Key Takeaways

✦

Prioritize recruiting year-round, even when fully staffed, to avoid capacity issues and reactive hiring that can cost significant revenue.

✦

Implement financial transparency with your team (down to net profit) to foster understanding, align goals, and facilitate data-driven decision-making.

✦

Focus on variable overhead and nimble operations, especially in volatile market segments like HVAC, to quickly adapt to external challenges.

✦

Develop strong leadership within your organization through dedicated training and cohorts to ensure sustainable growth and effective management.

✦

Actively track and understand your gross margin, as improving it significantly impacts profitability, allowing for greater investment in other areas without increasing overhead.

✦

Evaluate all investments and costs against their direct ROI, questioning if expenditures are truly driving revenue before committing to them.

✦

Implement daily huddles and clear communication channels to align teams, quickly identify issues, and ensure everyone is aware of the business's performance.

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