Accounting Doesn’t Have to Suck | HVAC Business Finance Tips w/ Spencer Sheinin CPA
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Release Date: 11/15/2023
The Future of Marketing for Home Service Businesses
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Marketing for home service businesses is evolving faster than ever. Rising lead costs, private equity competition, new AI-driven ad platforms, and changing consumer behavior are forcing contractors to rethink how they attract customers. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett sits down with Justin Riley, founder of UpFrog, to talk about what the future of marketing really looks like for HVAC, plumbing, and other home service companies. If you want to understand where marketing for home service businesses is heading and how to stay competitive in the years ahead, this...
info_outline
How Dual Fuel Heat Pumps Are Changing the Game for HVAC Contractors
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Electrification is accelerating across North America. Rebates are expanding. Regulations are tightening. And HVAC contractors are being asked to deliver higher efficiency, lower emissions, and better comfort all at the same time. So where does dual fuel fit in? In this episode of Service Business Mastery, recorded live at AHR Expo, Tersh Blissett sits down with Matt Schlegel and Charles Hurd to break down how dual fuel heat pumps are becoming a powerful solution for commercial and residential contractors. If you’re trying to navigate electrification, cold climate performance, rebate...
info_outline
How HVAC Contractors Are Making More Money with Duct Sealing Technology
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Most HVAC contractors focus on equipment upgrades, but one of the biggest opportunities for better installs and higher profit is hiding in the ductwork. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, recorded live at AHR 2026 in Las Vegas, Tersh Blissett sits down with Jarrod Scott from Aeroseal to explain how duct sealing from the inside works, why it is different from traditional mastic and tape, and how contractors can use it to improve comfort, increase system efficiency, reduce callbacks, and create a real competitive advantage. They also discuss commercial and multifamily applications,...
info_outline
How Service Businesses Can Use AI to Convert More Leads
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
AI is moving faster than most service businesses can keep up with. Voice agents. Text automation. Follow-up systems. AI sales emails. Predictive messaging. But here’s the real question: How do you use AI to convert more leads without losing the human touch? In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett and Joshua Crouch sit down with Ryan Fenn, CEO at CHIIRP, to break down what’s actually working in AI-driven lead conversion right now. They dive into: Why speed to lead still wins (and why seconds matter) How one word in your follow-up could be killing 90 percent of your...
info_outline
Scaling Your Home Service Business with Jen McKee
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Scaling a home service business is not just about running more ads or getting more leads. It is about building a real company with the right marketing strategy, the right people, and a presence that customers trust. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett sits down with Jen McKee, founder of Kee Hart Marketing, to break down what it really takes to grow and scale in today’s market. Jen shares why video is now one of the most overlooked opportunities in home services, how Google is indexing videos across platforms, and why contractors must stop treating social media like...
info_outline
Why AI Won’t Replace Your Leadership Skills in the Trades
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
AI is transforming home services. It is changing dispatching, marketing, scheduling, follow-ups, and even customer communication. But there is one thing AI still cannot do. Build a real team. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett and Joshua Crouch sit down with Scott Stolze, from GrwX Labs, to break down the human side of leadership and communication. These are the skills that separate average service businesses from elite ones. You’ll learn why authenticity is becoming the new competitive advantage, why leaders must create psychological safety, why quiet technicians...
info_outline
Why Contractors Who Don’t Own Their Customer List Will Lose
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Contractors who do not own their customer list will lose. As AI, search, and digital platforms continue to change, relying on Google, ads, or third party platforms puts your business at risk. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, we break down why owning your customer list is no longer optional for contractors and service business owners who want to survive and scale in the next decade. Joshua Crouch and Tersh Blissett sit down with , founder of , to explain how contractors can protect their business by building direct relationships with their audience, increasing client loyalty, and...
info_outline
How Contractors Can Automate Their Business Without Losing Control
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
In this episode of the Service Business Mastery Podcast, host Tersh Blissett sits down with Ari Meisel, Founder of Less Doing and creator of the Optimize, Automate, Outsource framework. Ari is a globally recognized expert in business automation, productivity systems, and operational efficiency, with deep hands-on experience in the construction and skilled trades. Ari shares how extreme burnout and a Crohn’s disease diagnosis forced him to redesign how he worked, leading to a system that allowed him to reclaim time, reduce stress, and build a business that runs without constant owner...
info_outline
What Homeowners Actually Want From Contractors
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
If you’re in the skilled trades like HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or any service where the phone rings with “Hey, my system isn’t working,” this episode of SBM, “What Homeowners Actually Want” with Zachary Dearing, co-founder of Mantel, breaks down real homeowner insights pulled directly from Mantel’s survey data. The conversation translates the findings of the Mantel's survey "Homeowner Shopping Attitudes Report 2025" (https://www.usemantel.com/survey) into practical takeaways, making it a cheat sheet into how homeowners think, choose, and spend. Here’s why you should listen,...
info_outline
Why Promoting Your Best Technician Almost Always Backfires
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Learn how to automate tasks, save time, and increase your profit. No Coding required! 👉 Enroll Today - 🚀 Get Your 14-Day Free Trial with CallRail! 👉 Visit: In this episode of the Service Business Mastery Podcast, we sat down for an insightful discussion with Justin Deese, host of the Freedom Blueprint podcast and creator of the Service Manager Academy. We talked about how to turn top technicians into effective service managers. Here’s what we cover in this episode: Common mistakes we see when promoting technicians to managers How to set boundaries with coworkers, friends, and...
info_outlineIf you are passionate about your skilled trades service business but struggle to see it grow, or if you're simply curious about running a successful service enterprise, this episode of the Service Business Mastery Podcast is for you!
In this episode, "Accounting Doesn't Have to Suck," hosts Tersh Blisset and Joshua Crouch engage with guest Spencer Sheinin, CEO and Founder of Shift Financial Insights, in a deep dive into the world of accounting, and how as daunting as it may appear, it doesn't have to suck!
They explore hiring problems often faced by small and medium-sized businesses and how hiring the wrong person for accounting can result in lost opportunities. They discuss the role of AI in bookkeeping, financial analysis, and how it may not necessarily be the ideal option for smaller businesses with unique scenarios.
Tersh, Josh, and Spencer inspire others with their personal stories of business finance, including Spencer's transformative shift in mindset towards numbers.
If you've ever been overwhelmed by financial statements, Spencer's take on using data visualization techniques for better understanding and data interpretation is a game-changer.
Also, make sure to look out for the invaluable advice from Sheinin's book, "Entreprenumbers," of which we are giving away copies after the interview. It's an absolute must-read for entrepreneurs looking to demystify their financials and gain the knowledge to make effective business decisions.
This episode is full of insights, practical advice, and money-saving tips for anyone in a service business. Don't miss out!
SHOW NOTES
01:59 Justin hosts giveaway and offers script for success.
04:11 Copeland offers valuable compressor diagnostics training.
08:58 Struggling to keep up, correcting formulas, light bulb moment.
12:20 Not a certified accountant. HVAC career started accidentally.
14:14 Accounting department struggles due to inadequate staffing.
17:15 Financials are backwards looking, but budgets and cash flows can be forward looking. Looking backwards helps identify what's not working and the root causes. The 80 20 rule applies to most problems. Understanding the right information helps identify issues like a 3% decrease in average margin.
20:14 AI accounting benefits big companies, not small.
24:16 Increase sales, decrease costs, analyze divisions.
26:01 Forward vs. backward analysis in HVAC operations.
30:46 Managing labor is crucial in every industry, particularly this industry. Analyzing labor as a percentage of sales can indicate if it's going in the wrong direction. Our brains process information visually, so financial information should be presented in pictures instead of letters and numbers. For example, when determining the current percentage of receivables, the accounts receivable aging report is commonly used.
34:27 Book version of tips/tools for implementation.
36:38 Great ideas shared with like-minded business coaches.
39:22 Impressive intro video. Tersh's amazing shoes.
Resources And People Mentioned:
Connect With Spencer on LinkedIn Here! Or check out his book’s website via entreprenumbers.com.
This episode is kindly sponsored by:
- Sera (visit their website)
- UpFrog (visit their website)
- Copeland (visit their website).
- CompanyCam (visit their website) Visit www.companycam.com/SBM and use code SBM for a free 2-week trial, 1:1 training and account setup, and 50% off your first two months!
- Interplay Learning (visit their website)
- Join the Service Business Mastery Facebook group
Affiliate Links:
- Castmagic - https://get.castmagic.io/SBM
- StreamYard - https://streamyard.com/pal/c/4524595769507840
- CallRail - https://partners.callrail.com/relentless-digital
- IfTTT- 10 Percent off! - https://ifttt.com/join?referral_code=BoERPHYVbCFE-C7okWNiClo3ygLafRze
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tershblissett/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tershblissett/support