EP214 Why Small HVAC Companies Get Stuck—and How WorkHero Helps Them Grow with Furman Haynes (March 2025)

"You can be high quality and effective, but also efficient at the same time."

— Furman Haynes, Founder of WorkHero

 

In this episode of the Building HVAC Science Podcast, Eric Kaiser and Bill Spohn sit down with Furman Haynes, co-founder of WorkHero, to explore a critical challenge facing small HVAC business owners: the administrative burden that stifles growth. Furman shares his journey into the HVAC industry, inspired by a passion for building organizations that support small business success. He recounts his eye-opening experiences at industry events and his realization that paperwork and administrative tasks often overwhelm small operators.

Furman explains how WorkHero was designed to provide expert office management for companies with under ten employees—helping them streamline operations without adding complex software. Through a combination of dedicated virtual office managers and AI-powered tools, WorkHero tackles the paperwork bottlenecks that can prevent growth. Furman also discusses insights from their recent industry survey, revealing that small businesses spend over 15 hours a week on admin work and often get stuck at the $1-2 million revenue mark without making strategic investments in people or systems.

The conversation wraps up with Furman's take on the importance of mindset shifts for owner-operators, the role of data in improving pricing strategies, and the need for a supportive community like www.BetterHVAC.org to ensure quality-focused businesses can remain profitable and thrive.

Furman's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/furmanhaynes/

His email: [email protected] 

Work Hero Website: https://www.workhero.pro/

Link to the Survey Results: https://www.workhero.pro/blog/report

There are many reports out there, but none of them look specifically at the day-to-day realities of running your own small business. ‍

 

That's why WorkHero partnered with HVAC School to survey over 1,300 industry professionals.

 

This Industry Pulse report examines:

 

The state of the industry - from company sizes to revenue patterns

How contractors balance technical work with business operations

Why owners often hit a growth ceiling around $1-2M in revenue

Which tools and technologies companies are adopting

What successful companies are doing differently

Drawing from real data across the country, we provide insights about managing growth, freeing up owner time, and dealing with the technician shortage. The findings reveal both challenges and opportunities for contractors of all sizes.

 

This episode was recorded in March 2025.