Talk to us about your mechanical contracting business

Three ways to reach us

Call (604) 632-4959. Best if you want to talk the problem through right away. If we cannot answer, leave a short message with your name and number.

Text (604) 632-4959. Texting is welcome, and it is often the easiest way for a busy owner to start. A two-line text between jobs is plenty; we take it from there and set up a time that suits you.

Email Ali@Sedighi.ca. Best if you want to attach something, such as a rate sheet, a bid summary or last year's income statement, or if you prefer to explain the situation in writing first.

What to include in your first message

You do not need to write much. These details help us come to the first conversation prepared:

• your firm's name and the province or territory you work in
• the kind of work you do: residential service, replacement, new construction, commercial or a mix
• roughly how many field staff you have
• the one problem you would most like to fix, in a sentence

A first text can be as simple as this template:

Hi, this is [Your name] from [Business name] in [City]. We are a [number]-person [plumbing/HVAC/mechanical] firm. Busy all year but margins feel thin. Can we talk this week?

An email can carry a little more:

Subject: [Business name], pricing review

We do mostly [service / new construction / commercial] work in [City or region], with [number] field staff. Our hourly rate has not changed since [year] and our gross margin is around [percent] as far as we know. I'd like to understand whether we are charging enough. Attached: [last year's income statement / current rate sheet].

What happens next

1. We reply to arrange the free first conversation, usually within one business day.
2. The first conversation lasts about 30 minutes. We ask about your work, crew, pricing and the problem you described. You ask whatever you like about how we work.
3. If there is a fit, you receive a short written proposal: the problem, what we will deliver, the timeline, the fee and the payment schedule. Fees follow our published pricing.
4. If there is not a fit, we will say so, and where we can, suggest what to do instead, whether that is a particular guide, your accountant or another kind of adviser.

Nothing starts until you agree to the proposal, and there is no lock-in. If you would like to involve a partner, your accountant or a senior manager in that first conversation, bring them; it often saves a second meeting later.

Before you get in touch

If you would like to do some homework first, these pages are a good start:

• The burdened labour rate guide shows whether your hourly rate covers your real costs.
• The services overview helps you name the problem you are seeing.
• The region pages list the regulators and programs relevant to mechanical firms in your province or territory.

A note on what we do

We are a Vancouver-based consulting brand in the Sedighi.ca and SAZ.ca group, led by Ali Sedighi, MBA, and we help mechanical contractors with pricing, job costing, capacity, service mix, owner time and exit planning. It is business consulting, so please do not contact us for technical help, emergency service or equipment repair; for those, contact a licensed contractor in your area, or your provincial regulator for licensing and safety questions.