The Job Costing Lessons for Trades Business Owners to Stop Losing Money with April Sackfield

In this episode of the HVAC Know It All Business Edition Podcast, co-hosts Gary McCreadie and Furman Haynes of WorkHero discuss one of the most essential components of running an HVAC business: the financials.April Sackfield, Director of Operations at NumberConstruct and Fiscal Management Group, dig into the fundamentals of accounting, job costing, margins, and profitability. This episode is especially valuable for small business owners, new HVAC entrepreneurs, and technicians considering going independent. With a background in marketing, tax, and audit, April brings a rare blend of strategic insight and real-world financial know-how, especially when it comes to helping mom-and-pop operations become sustainably profitable.

 

Expect to Learn

- Why over 50% of home service businesses aren't profitable, and how to avoid that trap

- The difference between gross and net profit, and why both matter

- How to properly price a service using margin-based formulas

- What job costing really is and how to start tracking it effectively

- Common money leaks in install jobs and how to spot them before they hurt your bottom line

 

Episode Breakdown with Timestamps:

[00:00:00] - Intro & Welcome

[00:00:41] - From Marketing to Accounting

[00:01:59] - The Profitability Problem

[00:03:45] - Gross vs. Net Profit Explained

[00:05:34] - Pricing Example: The $20 Capacitor

[00:11:25] - The Hidden Costs Behind Every Job

[00:13:34] - What is Job Costing?

[00:18:07] - Diagnosing Profitability Issues in Install Jobs

 

Follow Gary McCreadie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-mccreadie-38217a77/

Website: https://www.hvacknowitall.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/HVAC-Know-It-All-2/61569643061429/

 

Follow Furman Haynes:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/furmanhaynes/

WorkHero: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workherohvac/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workhero__/ 

 

Follow April Sackfield on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilsackfield/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/april.sackfield/?hl=en

 

Follow NumberConstruct on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/NumberConstruct/61560939563809/#

Website: https://numbercon.com/