Plumbing

“Gen-Eye camera systems easily and accurately spot trouble in sewer lines – diapers, cell phones, toys – you name it,” James Capelli says. “But a boa constrictor tops them all!”

The snake somehow migrated to the women’s restroom of a commercial office building. “It kept poking its head up through toilets – and scaring all the ladies!”

That’s when Capelli, then employed by a local plumber, rode to the rescue with Gen-Eye^® video inspection equipment.

He summarily spotted the reluctant reptile. And animal control extracted the scary serpent.

Crisis swiftly solved – thanks to General Pipe Cleaners’ camera system.

Track Record Of Trust & Performance

Fast-forward several years. Now Capelli owns Capelli Plumbing in San Leandro, CA.

“We handle lots of residential and light commercial work in the San Francisco area,” he says. “And I wanted a tough, compact video package to inspect the 1-1/2″ to 4″ lines of our apartment-maintenance customers.”

That’s why James Capelli chose the compact Gen-Eye POD from General Pipe Cleaners. “It’s a tiny little thing,” he chuckles. “You just grab it – and go!”

But while Capelli built his business around General equipment, he “carefully researched other camera systems” before making the purchase. “I really did my homework before investing.”

The economical Gen-Eye POD integral video inspection system combines mini-color camera, reel and monitor into an easy to transport, all-in-one package.

The Gen-Eye MINI-POD carries 125 ft. or 175 ft. of Gel-Rod and the color mini-camera is small enough to trouble shoot 2″ to 3″ conduits.

The full size Gen-Eye POD reel carries 200 ft. of Gel-Rod for 3″ to 10″ lines. Tough Gel-Rod^® protects against moisture damage. If cut or abraded, the gel in the rod automatically seals the break – preventing the wires from shorting-out and protecting your investment. Its Kevlar^® braid, fiberglass core and durable sheath offer maximum pushing and pulling power.

Rugged Reliability

“It’s really rugged and reliable,” Capelli claims. “I use it at least two or three times a week.”

The Gen-Eye POD features a bright 7″ LCD monitor on a gooseneck for easy viewing in all directions – all in a padded case with sunscreen. General’s compact package can be also operated vertically or horizontally.

Capelli really likes that combination of features. “In tight spots, I can easily adjust the monitor for others to see what I’m doing,” the California-based plumbing pro adds.

Wi-Fi lets you send video to your smartphone or tablet to be recorded and sent to your customers. A 512 Hz transmitter is included for precise camera locating with General’s Hot-Spot^® pipe locator.

A new Reel Cover made of a durable poly-canvas material keeps the jobsite clean. It fits snuggly around the camera reel and is securely held in place with Velcro tabs, yet it can be easily removed to inspect or hose off the push rod between job.

Equipment Depth Enhances Professional Reputation

James Capelli really loves his Gen-Eye POD. “But without a doubt,” he adds, “General Pipe Cleaners produces the best cable drain cleaning equipment around.”

Bottom line? “General drain cleaning and pipe inspection tools have always been reliable – and exceeded expectations,” James Capelli concludes. “They’re the best out there!”

To learn more about what the Gen-Eye POD can do for you, contact the Drain Brains^® at General at 800-245-6200, or visit www.drainbrain.com/geneye.

Second-annual grant program helps launch, grow, and strengthen home service businesses across the U.S. and Canada

Jobber, the leading provider of home service management software, today announced that Jobber Grants, the first program of its kind designed to support and shine a spotlight on the hard-working entrepreneurs within the home service sector, is now accepting applications through May 26, 2022.

New and experienced business owners alike are invited to apply for free grants ranging from $2,500 to $15,000. Applicants are asked to share what sets their businesses apart in the areas of excellent service, leadership, business acumen, and community support, and how they would further impact their local communities with funding. Twenty-five home service businesses across 50+ industries, including lawn care, plumbing, residential cleaning, and painting, will be awarded $150,000 in total. Finalists will be announced in August 2022.

“Home service entrepreneurs help keep our homes and offices running smoothly, provide meaningful employment to millions of people, strive for the highest standards in all areas of their businesses, and give back to the communities where they live and work,” said Sam Pillar, CEO & co-founder of Jobber. “Jobber Grants continues our company’s tradition of supporting and celebrating this well-deserving yet underserved segment of the small business community. For all you do, this $150,000 is for you.”

Branden Sewell, owner of Seal Pro Painting and a 2021 grant recipient, is committed to paying his employees a higher than average salary and providing them with the right equipment to do their best work. His existing team was booked two months in advance and he needed to hire more people to accommodate the jobs that were coming in.

“We allocated our funds toward growth,” said Sewell. “Now as a team of seven full-time employees, we’re also starting a new marketing department, launching a podcast and creating an internal series of training videos for all employees. On top of all that, we were able to acquire our first physical location for an office. We are incredibly thankful for our partnership with Jobber and all they have done to help us achieve our mission of making a positive impact.”

Jobber Grants are organized into categories that reflect various stages of company growth, from ideas on paper to recently launched ventures and established businesses. Categories include:

• Almost-entrepreneurs (pre-business): Entrepreneurs who have the drive to start and run a home service business.
• New business owners (0-3 years): Entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of building their team, client list, and services.
• Experienced business owners (3+ years): Entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their mature business to its next growth stage.

Recipients have the freedom to choose how to use the grant to support their ambitious business goals and innovative ideas. Whether a company is looking to purchase new equipment, increase its marketing investment, launch a new service, or train their teams, funds from the Jobber Grant program are designed to help small business owners be more successful.

Meaghan McVicker, owner of Green Clean Machine and a previous Jobber Grant recipient, organizes beach cleanups and contributes to several local business boards and councils when she’s not busy running her business and working on a franchise plan.

She shared the impact of this grant on her plans to expand her service area: “It was instrumental in the progression of my business. I was able to afford new equipment, supplies, and I saved up enough to give my crew an extra treat for Christmas! Being able to show my employees that I want to give back to them and support them in the ways they needed was relieving.”

The Jobber Grants program is one of many initiatives within Jobber’s ecosystem dedicated to supporting the home service entrepreneur, whether it’s through the company’s award-winning business management software, free resources such as Jobber Academy and the Jobber Home Service Economic Reports, events such as Jobber Professional Development Day, and more.

To learn more about Jobber Grants or to apply, visit: www.JobberGrants.com.

It’s been quite the start to 2022 for Ryan Bickerton, owner/operator of Bickerton Plumbing and Heating LLC, Boston. Recently recovered from COVID, his phone hasn’t stopped ringing. He’s been busy, and that’s a good thing.

Mostly specializing in high-end renovations, old houses in the historic areas of Boston and high-efficiency boilers, Bickerton has run his own company since 2014. At the age of 18, Bickerton started into plumbing, working for a larger residential company doing large multi-unit buildings where he worked for 2 1/2 years before moving to a smaller company doing mainly commercial work.

The itch started for Bickerton when he started in construction over the summers during high school, working for a roofing company and a general contractor, basically doing whatever was needed on a job site. “I tried helping whoever needed to be helped on the site—plumbers, electricians, carpenters—cleaning up, making coffee runs, etc. I remember those summers working for the GC and I enjoyed helping the plumbers more than anything else. I realized I was falling in love with the industry, and the rest is history,” says Bickerton.

Nevertheless, Bickerton was encouraged to make an attempt at college even though he didn’t really want to; he gave it a shot anyway. He lasted less than a year and decided that was it. “For me, it was a waste of time and money,” says Bickerton. “My parents were okay with me leaving after giving it a valiant effort, but my father said ‘pick a trade because you’re not going to be sitting around here all day.’”

Bickerton recalls speaking to his father, and a few other people he knew who worked in the trades, and was pushed in the direction of electrical or plumbing mainly because, “you’ll never be looking for work.”

After obtaining his Journeyman Plumbing and Gas Fitting License in 2008, Bickerton completely shifted gears and joined the United States Marine Corps where he was deployed to Afghanistan. It was a difficult decision but joining the military was something Ryan had always wanted to do. In 2008, it was the right time. After six years of service with the Marines, Bickerton returned to plumbing and got his Master Plumbing and Gas Fitting License. “I started doing more and more side work until I landed a few bigger jobs that motivated me to leap into owning my own company. I haven’t look back since,” says Bickerton.

Part of that drive came from his biggest role model, his father, who worked most of his life in a power plant in South Boston as a general mechanic—he could pretty much fix anything and everything that needed fixing. “My father is the hardest working person I know. I remember as a young kid not seeing him for days at a time because he was getting home late and leaving early before we were awake. I knew he was out working hard taking overtime to provide for us. He could and would fix most things around the house. I remember one year our water heater went out on Thanksgiving and he took care of it by himself. I thought that was pretty cool, and still do,” says Bickerton.

As for Ryan, he never considered himself a role model, but he tries to conduct himself that way. Any chance he gets, he’ll speak highly of the trades. “If any young kids ask me about the trades, I do my best to steer them in the right direction and let them know it’s a very viable option. It’s a rewarding career choice, and college and white-collar work doesn’t have to be for everyone,” says Bickerton.

Bickerton does rough-ins to beautiful renovations.

Bickerton’s trade role model was his first foreman, Mike Sheehan, a plumber for 30+ years, his body broken from years of moving massive boilers and extra heavy cast-iron pipe. “But he still loved the trade. He taught me a lot of my early skills, and he would say that this trade has all the potential to do anything you want with it, which has really stuck with me to this day,” says Bickerton.

Bickerton’s go-to tool has been the ProPress/MegaPress. “Don’t get me wrong, I loved to solder and took great pride in having clean joints, and still think it’s a necessary skill to have, but the press system is a complete game changer.”

While respecting these two men’s work ethic, Bickerton knows that balancing work and family life is important. It’s probably his most difficult task, says Bickerton. “I’m usually out the door by 5 am and home around 5 pm, and the kids go to bed between 7:30-8 pm and then most nights I have to do estimates or invoices when they’re in bed so I don’t have as much ‘leisure time’ as I’d like. I try to make every second I’m home count.”

And the weekends are for family. Bickerton used to work every Saturday and even some Sundays. Lately, however, Ryan doesn’t work Sunday unless it’s a catastrophic emergency, and on Saturdays he tries to be done by 12 or sometimes not at all. “Like I said before, I love plumbing and working but I don’t think I’ll ever regret not working more and spending less time with my family so I try to best divide my time in the fairest manner possible.”

It’s clear that family time is most important. “In my spare time, more than anything, I enjoy hanging out with my wife and our children. My wife Micayla and I have been married for six years and our three kids are growing up fast. If I’m not working, I’m with them. They are starting to get into different activities, hockey, baseball, football, swimming, horseback riding, and I just enjoy every second of that. Even if it’s just hanging out and watching a movie, it’s never wasted time for me,” says Bickerton.

Perhaps family means a bit more to Bickerton because his daughter, Mallory, was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Rubenstein Taybi Syndrome (RTS). In 2017, Ryan and Micayla, along with some close friends, started a non-profit organization called Mals Pals Foundation. “We have been very fortunate with Mallory. We live in the epicenter for healthcare; she has had an inclusive educational opportunity here in Boston and it helps that we are able to pay for anything and everything she has needed in order to thrive,” says Bickerton.

Mal’s Pals Foundation aims to ease the burden of other families who maybe are not as fortunate. The Bickertons raise awareness for rare diseases like RTS, and they help educate newly diagnosed families. “We are trying to make difference in other people’s lives even if it’s just a small one. You can check us out at malspalsfoundation.org.”

Mallory is now seven-years-old and doing well. “Initially, there were concerns, but honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” says Bickerton.

Bickerton looks forward to going to work every day. “But the most rewarding to me is being able to sit back at the end of the day or at the end of a job and look at what I’ve done,” says Bickerton. “I like having something tangible, that I can look at and touch and say I did that, or I fixed that or I created that. Whether it’s fixing a leaking faucet, creating a bathroom where there wasn’t one before, plumbing a 5-unit building completely from scratch or providing someone with heat and hot water for the next 20-30 years. That’s pretty cool.”

In the end, Ryan really loves plumbing, even if he’s stressed out and jobs are behind, or he’s behind on paperwork, or he’s made a mistake and or redo something. “I still consider myself lucky to be doing what I love every day. And on those harder work days, I still get to come home to three beautiful children and a wife who loves me. Every time I walk in the door and they scream ‘DAD!’ all that stress lifts off instantly, and it’s all worth it.”

Home Service category shows strong resilience to economic uncertainty, reaching 20 months of positive revenue growth

Jobber, the leading provider of home service management software, today released its latest Home Service Economic Report: 2021 Review. The report features expert insights and proprietary data aggregated from more than 160,000 residential cleaners, landscapers, HVAC technicians, window washers, plumbers, and more, who use Jobber.

“The performance of the Home Service category has made the trades an attractive option for entrepreneurs, those seeking a career change, and young adults entering the workforce,” said Sam Pillar, CEO & co-founder of Jobber. “2021 was a notable year as it demonstrated just how essential the Home Service category is with its high growth and unprecedented consumer demand.”

Raking in the Green: Home Service Outperforms Most Other Categories

Spending on Home Service outperformed most major categories, such as Food and Beverage Stores, Clothing Stores, and Restaurants, throughout 2021, with growth exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Home Service revenue growth has been steadily growing since June 2020. Year-over-year median revenue grew at a faster rate in Q4 2021, even while new work scheduled during Q4 2021 slowed, showing companies were able to make more per job.

• Contracting Segment Prices Climb: Contracting businesses benefited from increasing prices with 12% revenue growth in Q4 2021.
• Contract Jobs Grow Cleaning Segment: Recent growth in the Cleaning segment’s new work scheduled was driven by a 16% year-over-year increase in contract jobs.
• New Work for Green Segment Stands Out: The Green segment, which includes outdoor services such as pressure washing, lawn care, and landscaping, experienced high growth in new work scheduled during 2021, while other segments slowed down.

Housing Dynamics

The active real estate market, further heightened by the desire to purchase homes before mortgage rates increase, continued to create momentum and demand for home services.

• New Homes Can’t Bridge the Gap: The U.S. housing market is nearly four million homes short of buyer demand; the supply of newly built units has been unable to satisfy this ever-increasing demand.
• Shoppers Turning to Older Homes: With limited supply, homebuyers are turning to older homes or choosing to invest in their current home; as such, home improvement and maintenance expenditures are tracking toward double-digit growth in 2022.

Payments Tech: Pay Now or Later?

Home Service businesses have their own unique dynamics related to payment collection. Some businesses like the immediate liquidity of cash, while others prefer to take checks for a large job so they don’t have to pay credit card transaction fees. That said, Jobber’s data does indicate that adoption of payment technology is on the rise.

• Growth of Online Payments: Online payments grew to 39% of all payments processed across all Home Service segments.

• Green Segment Catching Up: Green businesses, which showed the lowest percentage of online payments prior to the pandemic, has seen rapid adoption, climbing over 35%.

Skilled Worker Trends: Retirements Open More Opportunities For Those Starting Their Careers

The challenge to hire skilled trade workers remains widespread, despite a significant opportunity in earning potential for those who choose to enter Home Service.

• Retirement’s Impact: Half of the people who exited the labor market in 2021 were 55+, accelerating the rate of retirement—a macro trend that also impacted Home Service.
• Job Openings Remain Unfilled: The ratio of hires to job openings continued to grow, such that job openings widely outnumbered positions being filled.

“It’s a testament to the resilience of the Home Service category that revenue growth can be sustained even when there’s a drastic shortage of talent,” said Abheek Dhawan, VP, Business Operations at Jobber. “With Home Service demand at a record high, the category remains ripe with opportunity for those willing to enter it.”

To download the Jobber Home Service Economic Report: 2021 Review, visit: https://getjobber.com/home-service-reports/february-2022/