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Discover ideas, tactics, news, and information that matters to your contracting business and you. Increase productivity, profitability, customer and employee satisfaction.
Episodes
Sep 1, 2025
Sep 1, 2025
9 min
Happy Labor Day! This two part series revolves around your labor force
which generates your billable hours. Today I discuss different ways to
increase labor productivity.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Aug 25, 2025
Aug 25, 2025
9 min
Happy Labor Day! This two part series revolves around your labor force
which generates your billable hours. Today I discuss billable hours and the
productivity ratio. Email me (rking@ontheribbon.com) if you would like a
copy of my billable hours template.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Aug 18, 2025
Aug 18, 2025
18 min
Are you looking at your business as an income source or an asset?
Hopefully you said an asset.
And, what if you could identify and predictably reduce taxes?
Sound impossible? My guest, Justin D. Maxwell will tell you how to make
this a reality. He’ll also give you the 5D’s that can kill your business. Justin
is a partner at Big Life Financial who transforms high-performing business
owners into true owner-investors, guiding them to integrate taxes, investing,
protection, and exit planning for generational impact.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Aug 11, 2025
Aug 11, 2025
17 min
Do you know other tradespeople outside your trade? And, why is this
important? Referrals, of course!
My guest, Ted Speers, is the President of The Patch Boys. He’ll explain why
it is good for plumbers, HVAC technicians, drywall personnel, electricians,
and more. And, how to build your referral base.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Aug 4, 2025
Aug 4, 2025
16 min
Productivity. What if you could reinvent productivity in your contracting
business? The top line may not increase…then again it might. Improving
productivity, or reinventing productivity will definitely improve your bottom
line.
How do you do it? My guest, James Hatfield, answers this question. James
started out as the owner of a painting and power washing company and
became passionate about helping contracting professionals save time and
make more money. James is now the CRO at LiveSwitch, a global technology
company that serves the trades and other small businesses.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Jul 28, 2025
Jul 28, 2025
18 min
This is the last of three episodes that demystifies your CSR, dispatch, and
inside sales roles. My guests are Lynn Wise, CEO of Contractor in Charge,
and Danielle Bartus who leads sales and marketing for Contractor in Charge.
In this episode, Lynn and Danielle discuss the inside sales role.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Jul 21, 2025
Jul 21, 2025
19 min
This is the second of three episodes that demystifies your CSR, dispatch, and
inside sales roles. My guests are Lynn Wise, CEO of Contractor in Charge,
and Danielle Bartus who leads sales and marketing for Contractor in Charge.
In this episode, Lynn and Danielle discuss the dispatch role – and how AI can
play a role in dispatch.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Jul 14, 2025
Jul 14, 2025
21 min
This is the first of three episodes that demystifies your CSR, dispatch, and
inside sales roles. My guests are Lynn Wise, CEO of Contractor in Charge,
and Danielle Bartus who leads sales and marketing for Contractor in Charge.
In this episode, Lynn and Danielle discuss the true CSR roles (there are more
than one) and how AI can play a CSR role.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Jul 7, 2025
Jul 7, 2025
19 min
So you think you want to sell your business?
And no, the likelihood of you deciding to sell and actually closing on the sale
in a month is unrealistic. What should you prepare for? What should you
expect? When should you begin?
Join Ruth Mannschrek, who was shocked by the entire sales process, who
gives you the answers to these questions and more…so you don’t have the
same misconceptions and make the mistakes she did.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Jun 30, 2025
Jun 30, 2025
5 min
July 1st is Canadian independence day…so those of you in Canada, Happy
July 1st .
For those of us in the United States, a few days later we will celebrate our
independence day, July 4th .
My wishes for happy independence days.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Jun 23, 2025
Jun 23, 2025
19 min
Consumers are shopping online more than ever. According to data by
SellersCommerce, there are 2.71 billion online shoppers globally as of 2024.
What technology do we need to attract more online shoppers? How can we
provide quotes, or should we provide quotes online?
What else should we be doing?
Join Josh Koplin, the co-founder of EDEN, a company that helps HVAC
businesses by onboarding an Instant Quote tool for potential customers, will
answer these questions and more. And, give you reasons why you should
have pricing on your website.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Jun 16, 2025
Jun 16, 2025
18 min
What if you had an automatic follow up sequence to close jobs and do referral
marketing? One of my clients has increased their closing rate by more than 50%
doing this automatically.
How? my guest, Kirk King, the creator of Contractor Halo, will tell you how he did
it for one of my clients and other contractors. And no, we are not related…we
only share a last name.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Jun 9, 2025
Jun 9, 2025
18 min
What does it take to be a super salesperson? One who is laser focused on your
company’s moose –So, you ask, “what’s a moose?” And, how do you train the
super sales person…or does the super salesperson even need training?
Join Kay Miller and me. Kay, will explain who your sales peoples’ moose are…and
how to make them uncopiable and highly effective salespeople.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Jun 2, 2025
Jun 2, 2025
16 min
Financing. Whether it is a water heater, a generator, or a new HVAC system,
financing is a way of life now. With the average homeowner having less
than $5,000 in savings, according to a US banking study, when a major
repair happens, the only option is financing.
So, how do you choose a financing company? What should you look for?
What should you avoid?
My guest Erica Leonor, is the Director of Business Development for
Goodleap. She will answer these questions and more.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
May 26, 2025
May 26, 2025
17 min
Do You Know What Your Business Assets Are?
Before you say, “that’s a stupid question, of course I know what they are.”
They might NOT be what you think they are.
Find out the true meaning of business assets as they relate to our industry. Aaron
Salow, CEO of XOi, and Ryan Martineau, co-founder and CEO of Specifix, tell you
what your true assets are and why.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
May 19, 2025
May 19, 2025
18 min
You’ll recognize yourself in some of Matt Michel’s contractor stories. Matt has
worked with contractors for years and is the founder of Service Nation which
operates the Service Roundtable, Service Nation Alliance, and more. Matt gives
you the “story behind the stories” in this book that every contractor should read.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
May 12, 2025
May 12, 2025
19 min
How do you scale your business?
And, how do you get it to the point where it is not totally dependent on you? John
Nieuwenburg, founder of W5 Coaching, gives you the steps to go from 3 to 10
employees, from 10 to 30 employees, and beyond.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
May 5, 2025
May 5, 2025
18 min
How to electronically take checks in the field and cut credit card costs
More and more customers are paying with credit cards. But what about those
who pay by check? Your techs can now electronically take the check at your
customer’s home and hand the check back to her. How? Using a new use of
technology, iWallet. My guest, Jim Kolchin, a former contractor and founder of
iWallet explains how.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Apr 28, 2025
Apr 28, 2025
18 min
How do you find skilled labor? What if you found a source where you
experienced a 90% success rate in finding that labor? What would that do
to your business?
My guest, Paul Sanneman, is the founder and Contractor Staffing Source.
He’ll explain how you can achieve a 90% success rate in finding labor.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King
Apr 21, 2025
Apr 21, 2025
18 min
If you’re a plumber and want to enter the HVAC arena, or an HVAC company
and wants to expand to electrical, or any trade wanting to expand to another
trade…how do you do it?
My guests, Levi and Cassi Torres, owners of High 5 Plumbing, have
expanded successfully into HVAC and electrical. They’ll tell you how they did
it.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
Ruth King