Implementation Guides
Deep-dive articles that expand on concepts from The PE Playbook. Tactical, specific, and actionable.
77 guides planned across 14 chapters
Guides are coming soon. Subscribe to the Playbook to get notified when new guides are published.
Why 98% of HVAC Businesses Never Break $3 Million
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The 3 Revenue Plateaus Every Trade Business Hits
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Why Copying Other Contractors Keeps You Stuck
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The Technician-to-Business-Owner Transition
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HVAC Business Failure Statistics: What the Numbers Mean
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What Franchises Know That Independent Contractors Don't
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The 7 Systems Every Franchise Uses (That You Can Copy)
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Inside a PE-Backed HVAC Company: What Changes After Acquisition
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The Operating Rhythm: How 100-Location Companies Manage Time
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Why PE Firms Pay Technicians More (And Still Profit More)
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How Alpine, Redwood, and Wrench Transform Trade Businesses
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The First 100 Days: What PE Firms Do After Buying a Business
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Why Your CRM Isn't Working (And What to Do About It)
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The 5 Roles Every Trade Business Needs Before $2M
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Why Contractors Can't Take Vacations (And How to Fix It)
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The E-Myth for Contractors: From Technician to CEO
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The People-in-Roles Framework: Implementation Guide
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Clear Accountability: Why 'Everyone Owns It' Means No One Does
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Marketing When You're the Only Employee
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8 guides
Google Local Services Ads: The Complete Guide for Contractors
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Referral Programs That Actually Work for Trade Businesses
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How to Calculate Customer Acquisition Cost for Home Services
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The Warm Outreach Playbook for Trades
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SEO for Plumbers: A Step-by-Step Guide
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HVAC Marketing: What Actually Works (And What's a Waste)
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Angi vs Thumbtack vs Going Direct: The Real Math for Contractors
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The Contractor's Google Review Machine: Get 5x More Reviews
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The Complete Service Agreement Playbook for HVAC/Plumbing
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Good-Better-Best Pricing for Contractors
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How to Increase Average Ticket Without Being Pushy
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Pricing Psychology for Contractors: What Actually Works
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How to Calculate Customer Lifetime Value for Home Services
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The Retention Playbook: Keeping Customers vs. Finding New Ones
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The HVAC Slow Season Survival Guide
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6 guides
How to Calculate True Job Cost for Trade Businesses
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Fixed vs. Variable Costs: A Contractor's Guide
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Labor Productivity Benchmarks for HVAC/Plumbing/Electrical
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The Hidden Costs of Complexity in Your Trade Business
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Why Profit Margins Shrink as You Grow (And How to Stop It)
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Overhead Management for Contractors
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The Buy-and-Build Strategy for Trade Businesses
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How to Find Acquisition Targets in Your Market
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Due Diligence Checklist for Buying a Trade Business
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Financing Your First Acquisition: SBA Loans and Seller Notes
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Post-Acquisition Integration: The First 90 Days
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11 guides
Why Missed Calls Are Killing Your Business
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How to Build a Scheduling System That Scales
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The Complete Estimating Process for Contractors
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AR Management for Trades: Automated Collections That Work
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Phone Systems for Trade Businesses: What Actually Works
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The 5-Minute Rule: Why the First Responder Wins Every Job
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The Follow-Up System That Doubles Your Close Rate
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How to Eliminate No-Shows With Automated Confirmations
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ServiceTitan vs Jobber vs Housecall Pro: Honest Breakdown for Small Shops
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The All-in-One Myth: What Software You Actually Need
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How to Eliminate 15 Hours/Week of Admin Work
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4 guides
The 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast: Step-by-Step Template
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How to Speed Up Collections Without Damaging Relationships
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Working Capital Requirements for Growing Trade Businesses
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Cash vs. Profit: Why Profitable Businesses Still Fail
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The Perfect Org Chart for a $1M/$3M/$5M Trade Business
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How to Define Roles That Actually Work
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Decision Rights Framework for Contractors
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The 30-Day Replaceability Test for Every Role
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4 guides
How to Value Your Trade Business (A Practical Guide)
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What PE Firms Look for in Home Service Acquisitions
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Exit Planning for Contractors Who Aren't Selling
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Key Person Risk: How to Eliminate It From Your Business
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2 guides
DIY vs. Done-For-You: A Decision Framework
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What to Look for in a Business Consultant for Contractors
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2 guides
The 30-Day Implementation Plan for Trade Business Owners
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How to Evaluate Your Business Operations (Free Diagnostic)
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5 guides
Negative Review Response Templates for Every Situation
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Competitor Posting Fake Reviews? Here's Exactly What to Do
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One Bad Review Cost Me $30K: Protecting Your Reputation
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Why Smart Contractors Are Ditching Yelp (And Where to Focus Instead)
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The Complete Guide to Google Business Profile for Contractors
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Start with the Playbook
These guides will expand on concepts from The PE Playbook. Read the chapters first for the complete framework.
Read The Playbook