Kevin Buckalew, founder and CEO of Electric Ease, shares stories from the field, where he served as an electrician and business owner for over a decade
Not every electrical contractor has the
same goals for the future—and that’s
okay.
What’s most important is that you have a plan in place to help reach those goals … whether you want to be more efficient, grow your business, or position your company for a potential sale in the future.
No matter which path you’re following, electrical estimating software can help you get there.
Goal: I want to improve efficiency to create additional profit.
Almost every business struggles with inefficiency. If you can find even small ways to reduce wasted time, effort, and money, you’ll stand out among the competition as your company gets things done better, faster, and more cost effectively while also creating opportunities for additional work, revenue, and growth.
Sometimes creating additional profit requires largescale changes in the way you do business: swapping out the tools you use, investing in products and materials that promise time savings, increasing labor rates to bring in more revenue, etc.
In other situations, you can implement smaller changes and generate nearly instant income when those processes are followed properly.
We ran the numbers for you: Investing less than $6 a day in electrical estimating software like Electric Ease saves you more than double that amount on a daily basis. That’s an instant boost in efficiency and profits—without having to drastically change the way you do business or what you charge for services.
What’s the best electrical estimating software for companies that want to be more efficient? Look for a solution like Electric Ease. It can help you:
- Keep workers on jobsites and out of the supply house
- Reduce paperwork and eliminate double data entry
- Improve internal communication
- Prevent overbuying and underbuying
- Reduce back-and-forth file sending
- Integrate everything you need to run your business into one system
Goal: I want to grow my company and add more manpower.
Expanding a company so it’s ready to handle larger projects and higher volume requires capital dollars and more workers.
If you start down this path by approaching your bank (maybe you need a loan to purchase equipment to enter the commercial market, for example), you’ll have to prove your numbers and borrowing capacity.
It’s not enough to explain what you’ve done in the past to create a profit; your lender wants to know how you did it and whether you can recreate that success tomorrow (and every day after that). If you can demonstrate your processes and how they lead to improved margins, then you’ll be able to showcase how you’re earning money now – and how you plan to boost those numbers down the road.
As you bring additional people on board, processes become even more important. Electrical estimating software can help make sure everyone follows consistent steps to complete tasks using the same platforms; it also keeps workers on the same page to eliminate communication problems.
Electrical estimating software can also be an attractive way to help recruit new employees. If you can demonstrate that you have resources available to help your team members succeed, reduce human error, and boost productivity so workers have more time to spend with their families, then you’ll stand out as they consider their employment options.
What’s the best electrical estimating software for companies that want to grow? Look for a solution like Electric Ease. It can help you:
- Get new employees up and running quickly, with little training required
- Simplify employee scheduling and time monitoring as your workforce grows
- Prove profitability and adherence to processes that support growth
- Improve estimate accuracy
- Increase confidence in your bid
No. 3: Make Sure It Incorporates Everything You Need
When it comes to integrating electrical software into existing business practices, which situation would you rather deal with?
1. One integrated system that incorporates everything you need to run faster, better, and more efficiently
—OR—
2. Disparate pieces of software that operate in their own silos, fulfilling their one unique function: project management, digital takeoff, job costing, estimating, etc.
Having to access several software platforms to complete a project creates bottlenecks and slows down processes. Finding a single software solution that encompasses everything you need – and that can be used by everyone – will save you time and money.
Using Electric Ease is Easy
Electric Ease is an estimating software created by electricians for electricians.
We’ve seen new users (who have never used software before) transform – within minutes – into people who use it every day to make their lives easier when it comes to estimating, reducing supply-house runs, and boosting communication.
Our cloud-based electrical software combines estimation and job management, housing everything in one place:
- Assemblies and material databases
- Send proposals and work orders
- Real-time material price updates
- Change orders and alternates
- Automated digital takeoff
Sound interesting? Check out our free, no-pressure self-paced demo today! It will only take a few minutes – and we’ll show you how Electric Ease works.
Goal: I want to build a succession plan and eventually sell my company.
Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes: If you wanted to acquire or purchase an electrical contracting business, would you rather invest in a company with clearly defined and documented processes – or a company that would require you to start at ground level and spend time recreating processes and learning the ropes?
The true value of a business ultimately comes down to one question: How long can it run on its own when the owner isn’t present? Especially in smaller companies, it’s likely that one key person runs much of the day-to-day, non-installation work. If most of your company’s valuable information is stored in his or her head, then it isn’t accessible to someone who may come in later to keep things running.
Here’s a quick example. Ask yourself: How does your company estimate projects? If you’re making educated guesses based on information you’ve learned over the years, what benefit does that offer to the person or company that wants to purchase your business? How will your company continue when the person with the necessary background and knowledge steps away?
Electrical estimating software can help prove to a potential buyer that, even after you leave, everyone – including new employees – can continue with the same processes to maintain and increase profits. Everything is documented and streamlined, making it easy for someone new to quickly get up to speed.
What’s the best electrical estimating software for companies that want to eventually sell? Look for a solution like Electric Ease. It can help you:
- Stop estimating with pen and paper and use built-in benchmarks based on facts and up-to-the minute pricing
- Explain and support your profitability
- Identify profitable vs. unprofitable jobs
- Quickly, easily, and accurately track job costs, revenue, and profits so you know exactly how you’re doing on each job in real time
Want to learn why the best electrical estimating software for your situation is Electric Ease? Spend 20 minutes with us! Walk through a virtual demo so you can see how the software will help you improve efficiency, grow your company, or attract potential buyers when you’re ready to sell. Sign up today!
