Cut the Crap: Common Challenges Solved by a Plumbing Business Coach

They say running a business is a journey, but what do you do when facing an obstacle you don’t know how to overcome? 

For many plumbing business owners, this is a reality that is not being talked about enough. It’s okay to face challenges—after all, what we overcome makes us stronger. But it’s also okay to seek help when you don’t know the next step forward.

That’s why I became a plumbing business coach. I know the challenges you face—I was once there myself. So now, I use my knowledge in plumbing, business, and interpersonal relationships to help you succeed. 

What Does a Plumbing Business Coach Do? 

I often get asked what a plumbing business coach does. 

Most people are already familiar with the idea of a business coach, but a plumbing business coach seems far too specialized for people to understand what I do. But that’s exactly why a plumbing business coach is needed. 

The plumbing industry is a niche industry, and owners often face unique challenges that aren’t found in other industries. My job as a plumbing business coach is to know these challenges from my past experience and provide guidance on how to overcome them. 

Every day, I get to work one-on-one with my clients, hear their struggles, and give them actionable advice on the best way to move forward. 

My goal is to account for everything a plumbing business owner needs—from meeting their business goals to ensuring their own health is taken care of. 

5 Challenges Plumbing Businesses Face Today

From my own personal experience as a plumbing business owner and coaching other plumbing professionals, there are five key challenges that I’m seeing the industry face today. 

1. Employee Retention 

Hiring and retaining top talent is essential to a plumbing business’s success. Not only is the hiring and training process expensive, but high turnover can lead to customer dissatisfaction and delays in providing service. 

We’re also reaching an era where the plumbing industry is projected to grow as more people need our services, but the older generation retires. So hiring young, fresh talent is more important than ever. 

I’ve watched many plumbing business owners struggle to keep up with employee retention, and some may not even realize the importance of it in the first place. That’s where I come in with my coaching, explain the importance, and provide strategies for employee retention. 

For example, I help my clients come up with benefit packages that fit within their budget and help them stand out in the job market. I also assist my clients in creating a company culture that matches their values and goals so that they can hire the right fit for their business. 

2. Quality over Cost

The tension that every business owner has to manage is the balance between quality and cost. You want to make your customers happy and bring them the best solutions for their problems, but you also don’t want to bleed money. 

Coaching can help you find this balance. It allows you to have a third party speak into your budget and your services and find a solution that works best for you and your customers. I’ve also helped my clients find a service price that allows them to be competitive in the market but still meet their profit goals.

3. Work-Life Balance Satisfaction

Work-life balance is a common struggle for those in the plumbing industry. Due to the nature of the field, working nights, weekends, and even holidays is almost a given. Plus, long work days are not uncommon, especially for owners. 

Unfortunately, this combination means burnout is high among plumbing business owners. 

My job as a coach is to make sure all aspects of my clients’ lives are accounted for in our sessions—including their work-life balance and well-being. Often, work-life balance issues stem from not having the proper systems in place to manage a business.  

Together, my clients and I create those systems. 

I can help you prioritize your goals, both personal and professional, and create a plan that provides you the satisfaction you sought when you became a business owner. 

By caring well for your business, you create an environment where you can thrive outside of work. 

4. Standing Out in a Saturated Market

If you were to Google “plumbing near me,” tens, if not hundreds, of results would pop up depending on your area. Plumbing is a service that’s needed everywhere, so you will find that you are competing against businesses just like yours wherever you go. 

The key is to stand out from the crowd—to provide something unique that draws customers to your business. Now, I know finding what makes you unique can be a challenge, which is why having an outside coach help identify your strengths compared to your competitors can be so beneficial. 

Not only that, but a coach can help you determine where you may want to invest more in marketing and public relations strategies. 

A good reputation and high praise from your community can go a long way for continued success. 

5. Emergency Management

Unfortunately, our job comes with hazards. While plumbing injuries are not as common as in some other blue-collar jobs, we do have an increased risk of fall-related injuries, burns, electrocution, and biohazard exposure. If one of these injuries were to occur to one of your employees on the job, not only would you be down an employee while they heal, but you could be stuck facing the legal complications of workers’ comp. 

You want your employees to know that their safety and health are your priority, but if you’re not sure how to show this through your business, a coach can help you figure out ways to protect their long-term health and keep your insurance down. 

For example, a coach can find where your safety procedures and/or training are lacking and provide solutions to make sure your employees understand what they need to do to remain safe. Also, adding benefits like direct primary care or quality health insurance may lower your workers’ comp insurance rate. 

Through your knowledge of your employees and my knowledge of the industry as a whole, we can come up with a thorough plan that keeps the safety of your workers top of mind and your expenses down.

Overcome Challenges with Expert Advice from Plumbing CEO

These are just five of the most common challenges that I’ve seen my clients face, but I’ve been in the industry long enough to know you likely have challenges that are wholly unique to your own business. 

That’s why I offer one-on-one coaching to truly understand where you’re coming from, what your business is facing, and where you want to go. If you’re interested in sustainably growing your business but need a little help along the way, get in touch with me today. 

I can’t wait to see where your business goes.