Harborview Plumbing & Heating

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Executive Summary

Harborview Plumbing & Heating is a plumbing and heating company that repairs and installs water heaters, furnaces, pipes and fixtures for homeowners and small businesses. We still schedule jobs on paper, call technicians to find where they are and send invoices days after a job. New software, tablets and an online booking page will help us answer calls faster, get to jobs sooner and get paid more quickly.

With this grant we will buy field service management software, tablets and phones for our technicians and GPS tracking for our trucks, build a new website with online booking and train our team to use it.

We expect sales of $433,200 in Year 1, growing to $822,700 by Year 5. We expect a profit every year: about $18,200 in Year 1, growing to about $117,900 by Year 5. Today we employ 4 people. We will keep those jobs and add more as the work grows: 4 in Year 1, 5 by Year 3 and 6 by Year 5.

We are asking the Lantern Hill Foundation for $15,000 for field service software, tablets and phones, truck tracking, an online booking website and staff training. We are using our own cash on hand for everything else, so the grant is for the modernization only.

I am Tom Kowalski, the owner and master plumber. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Harborview Plumbing & Heating is a limited liability company (LLC) in Michigan, open since 2012. Harborview Plumbing & Heating is a for-profit small business with fewer than 10 employees, owned by Tom Kowalski. We meet the Lantern Hill Foundation's small business size rule and serve customers inside its service area. We will provide our business registration, licenses, insurance and tax records and anything else the foundation asks for.

Our mission. To fix and install plumbing and heating right the first time, show up when we say we will and treat every home like our own.

Where we are today. Tom and his team repair and install plumbing and heating for homeowners and small businesses. Our sales last year were about $400,000, and we expect about $433,000 in Year 1. We schedule jobs on a paper calendar and phone calls, write estimates by hand and send invoices after we return to the office.

What we do:
- Plumbing repairs, leak and drain work and fixture installation.
- Water heater, furnace and boiler repair and replacement.
- Emergency service for burst pipes and heating failures.
- Yearly maintenance checks for heating systems.

How we are run. Tom is a licensed master plumber who leads the technicians and estimates larger jobs. A dispatcher and office manager schedules calls, handles billing and answers customers. We carry the licenses and insurance our state requires.

Problem & Opportunity

Why this project is needed.

Small trades businesses often lose time and money to paperwork. Missed calls, double-booked appointments, handwritten estimates and late invoices mean fewer jobs finished each day and slower payment. Modern scheduling and invoicing software fixes much of this, but the software, tablets and training cost more than a small shop usually has set aside, and the savings arrive only after the system is in use.

The gaps we see:
1. Missed calls and double bookings. A paper calendar cannot show which technician is free right now.
2. Slow estimates and invoices. Handwritten paperwork delays payment by days or weeks.
3. No online booking. Customers cannot request a visit after hours, so some call a competitor.
4. Little tracking. We cannot see where trucks are or how long jobs really take.

What we have seen ourselves. We lose calls after hours, spend hours each week re-entering job notes and wait days to invoice completed work.

Who benefits first. Homeowners and small business owners who need a plumber or heating technician quickly and want clear scheduling, written estimates and easy payment.

Products & Services

What the grant will pay for and what we will do.

1. Choose and set up field service software. Scheduling, dispatch, estimates, invoices and customer records in one system.
2. Equip every technician. Tablets and phones so technicians see the day's jobs, write estimates and take payment on site.
3. Track the trucks. GPS tracking so the dispatcher can send the closest technician and give customers real arrival times.
4. Launch online booking. A new website where customers request service and book appointments any time.
5. Train the team. Hands-on training for every technician and the office team on the new system.

How we will measure results. We will count calls answered, jobs per technician each day, average days from job finished to invoice sent and average days to get paid. We will compare the first six months of using the new system with the six months before it.

Market Analysis

Who benefits and how.

- Jobs. We keep our 4 jobs and expect to add to 5 by Year 2 and 6 by Year 4 as the work grows, with about $188,000 in wages in Year 1.
- Local spending. We buy parts from local suppliers where possible and pay vehicle and shop costs locally.
- Better service for neighbors. Faster response, clear arrival times and easy payment for homeowners and small businesses.

How many we will reach. In Year 1 we expect about 1,200 service calls and 48 installations, growing to about 1,900 service calls and 95 installations by Year 5 as we complete more jobs per technician.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices people have, and how we fit.

- Larger plumbing and heating companies. They have more trucks, but we offer a smaller company's personal service.
- Other small local plumbers. They compete for the same customers, so speed and reliability matter most.
- Handymen and do-it-yourself. Some customers try it themselves first, then call us.

What makes us different: Technicians who show up when promised, clear estimates on a tablet, online booking and prompt, honest service.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach more homeowners and small businesses.

- Ask every customer for a review after a job, using a link sent by text.
- A new website with online booking and a clear list of services.
- A free Google business listing with photos and reviews.
- Reminders for yearly heating maintenance sent by text or email.

Marketing budget. About $6,000 a year in Year 1, growing about 6% a year.

Operations Plan

How the project will be carried out.

Timeline:
- Month 1: Choose the software, order tablets, phones and GPS units, and set up the website
- Month 2: Set up the system, import customer records and train the team
- Month 3: Start using the system on every call and launch online booking
- Months 4 to 6: Fix problems, adjust routes and measure results
- Months 7 to 12: Review results and plan another technician hire if the work grows

Space and suppliers. We rent our shop and parts room. The software company provides setup and training, and a local wireless provider supplies the phones and tablets.

Equipment. About $7,000 in all: Tablets and phones for the technicians ($4,200); GPS tracking for the trucks ($2,800). After that we set aside about $2,500 to $3,000 a year to repair and replace equipment as we grow.

Permits and safety. Our state plumbing and mechanical licenses and insurance stay current. Customer information in the new system is kept secure, with passwords and limited access for each employee.

Records and reporting. We will keep records of purchases, training and our before-and-after numbers. Grant money is tracked separately, and we will send the foundation a short report at the end of the grant year.

Management & Organization

Who leads the business.

Tom Kowalski, Owner and Master Plumber. Tom leads the technicians, estimates larger jobs, manages the shop and handles the money. Planned salary: $58,000 a year.

Our team. Technicians (2 in Year 1, growing to 4) at about $46,000 a year each, and a dispatcher and office manager ($38,000 a year).

Advisors and help. A free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), our accountant and the software company's trainer.

Money management. Grant money is kept separate and tracked for the funder. Our accountant reviews our records every quarter.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and how we will measure them.
- Year 1: Start using the new system on every job, about 1,200 service calls and 48 installations, $433,200 in sales and a profit of about $18,200; 4 people employed.
- Year 2: Add a third technician and grow installations, about 1,450 service calls and 62 installations, $548,990 in sales and a profit of about $34,600; 5 people employed.
- Year 3: Hold steady quality while the work grows, about 1,650 service calls and 75 installations, $654,150 in sales and a profit of about $81,800; 5 people employed.
- Year 4: Add a fourth technician, about 1,800 service calls and 86 installations, $745,520 in sales and a profit of about $85,000; 6 people employed.
- Year 5: Serve more customers with the same reliable crew, about 1,900 service calls and 95 installations, $822,700 in sales and a profit of about $117,900; 6 people employed.

How we will check our results. Calls answered, jobs per day, days to invoice, days to get paid and reviews are recorded every month. Each quarter we compare them with our goals and review them with our accountant.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $15,000 from the Lantern Hill Foundation for field service software, tablets and phones, truck tracking, an online booking website and staff training, for January through December 2027.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Other: Field service management software, first year, $4,800.
- Equipment: Tablets and phones for the technicians, $4,200.
- Equipment: GPS tracking for the trucks, $2,800.
- Other: New website with online booking, $2,000.
- Other: Staff training on the new system, $1,200.

Other money in the project. The grant covers the whole cost of the modernization. We keep about $75,000 of our own cash on hand to pay wages and parts while customers pay, and we will pay for the software after the first year from our own sales.

What the numbers show. Sales of $433,200 in Year 1 growing to $822,700 by Year 5, with a profit every year: about $18,200 in Year 1, growing to about $117,900 by Year 5. With this funding and our own money, the business has money in the bank at the end of every year, and the lowest year-end balance is about $74,500.

After the grant. After the first year, we will pay for the software, which costs about the same each year, from our own sales. We expect a profit every year, helped by more jobs finished each day and faster payment.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- The team does not adopt the system. We will train everyone, start with the basic features and have the software company support us.
- Customer information is lost or stolen. We will use passwords, limited access and automatic backups provided by the software company.
- The savings are smaller than we expect. We will measure results after six months and adjust how we use the system.

If we are just starting. A new trades business can begin with low-cost scheduling and invoicing software on a phone, then add GPS and a full system as it grows. Before-and-after numbers make a modernization grant request stronger.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach with this proposal:

- Your business registration, licenses and insurance.
- Quotes for the software, tablets, phones and GPS units.
- Last year's sales records and your most recent financial statements.
- A short plan for training your team.
- A description of how you schedule and invoice today.
- Your resume.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Service Calls and Repairs: about $265.00 per unit in Year 1, rising to $298.00; direct cost about $88.00 per unit, rising to $99.00; about 1,200 service calls in Year 1, growing to 1,900.
- Installations and Replacements: about $2,400.00 per unit in Year 1, rising to $2,700.00; direct cost about $1,250.00 per unit, rising to $1,408.00; about 48 installations in Year 1, growing to 95.
- Pay (a full year, per person): Owner / Master Plumber $58,000, Technician $46,000, Dispatcher and Office Manager $38,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: Shop Rent and Utilities $18,000, Vehicles, Fuel and Insurance $24,000, Software and Phones $7,200, Marketing and Reviews $6,000. These grow between 4% and 6% a year.
- Customers pay about 29 days after we bill them. Income tax at 21%.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs